Patent ID: 6849358

Claim:
A multi-cell Li-ion or Li-ion polymer battery formed in accordance with the following method: a) stacking a plurality of cell sections, to form a cell body, each of said cell sections being essentially flat and having at least one flat, metallic current collector tab extending therefrom, said cell body having a planar upper surface and a planar lower surface with said current collector tabs extending from an end of said cell body in aligned, parallel relationship; b) gathering said current collector tabs into a stack at a location offset from said cell body, said location being outside an area defined between said upper surface and said lower surface of said cell body; c) compressing and welding ends of said tabs together at said location to form a tab weldment; and d) folding said tabs about an axis disposed within said area defined by said upper surface and said lower surface to position said tab weldment adjacent to said end of said cell body with said tabs and said tab weldment disposed within said area defined by said upper and lower planar surfaces.