Patent ID: 8512893

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a plurality of battery cells electrically coupled to produce at least one voltage at a terminal, wherein the plurality of battery cells includes a plurality of junction areas, wherein each junction area comprises two battery cells longitudinally arranged such that an end of one battery cell faces an end of another battery cell; and wherein in a majority of the junction areas, a venting end of one battery cell does not face a non-venting end of the other battery cell; and wherein at least one junction area comprises at least one non-venting end of one battery cell facing at least one non-venting end of another battery cell; and wherein at least one junction area comprises at least one venting end of one battery cell facing at least one venting end of another battery cell, wherein the non-venting end of the plurality of battery cells are of a first polarity and the venting ends of the plurality of battery cells are of a second polarity different from the first polarity.