Patent ID: 7967939

Claim:
A method of stacking a plurality of thin film electrochemical laminates, each electrochemical laminate having a central portion and two end portions, said method comprising, for each particular one of the electrochemical laminates: using a stacking head having two holding members adapted to pivot relative to one another, lifting and holding a particular one of the electrochemical laminates via a negative pressure generated in the holding members; pivoting the two holding members inwardly relative to one another via shaped slots to prevent the holding members from moving away from each other thereby adjusting a shape of the particular one of the electrochemical laminates such that the electrochemical laminate assumes an angular shape in which the central portion of the electrochemical laminate is forward of the two end portions of the electrochemical laminate; then lowering the stacking head and first depositing the central portion of the particular one of the electrochemical laminates; and subsequently pivoting the two holding members outwardly relative to one another and progressively lowering the two end portions of the particular one of the electrochemical laminates, thereby tending to prevent air entrapment between adjacent ones of the electrochemical laminates being stacked.