Patent ID: 8053134

Claim:
A fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell stack having a first end and second end, the stack comprising at least one fuel cell; a first end unit disposed adjacent the first end of the fuel cell stack; a second end unit disposed adjacent the second end of the fuel cell stack; and a compression retention system including a plurality of generally planar strips, each of the strips having an upper portion and a lower portion and forming a plurality of bends therebetween, each of the strips extending from an outer portion of the first end unit to an outer portion of the second end unit, the upper portion of each of the strips individually connected to the outer portion of the first end unit and the lower portion of each of the strips individually connected to the outer portion of the second end unit, and each of the strips including at least one opening formed therein substantially parallel to a direction of stress exerted on the strips by the fuel cell stack, wherein the at least one opening forms a serpentine shape, wherein a width of the opening along a length of each of the strips is variable and sides defining the opening remain spaced apart along the length of each of the strips, the opening starting in the upper portion and ending in the lower portion of each of the strips, each of the strips having a plurality of first zones alternating with a plurality of second zones, the first zones being regions of each of the strips existing before and after one of the plurality of bends, and each of the second zones existing at about a location of one of the plurality of bends, and wherein the opening has a width at a center of each of the first zones and a center of each of the second zones that is greater than a width of the opening at transitions of the alternating first and second zones.