To: Tickertype who wrote (25740 ) 11/21/2002 3:58:50 PM From: geep Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 27311 Another Patent!!! 1. Multi-fold rechargeable battery cell structure PAT 11-19-02 06482540 NDN- 217-0457-9640-9 INVENTOR(S)- Gozdz, Antoni S.; Zheng, Tao PATENT NUMBER- 06482540 PATENT APPLICATION NUMBER- 616700 DATE FILED- 2000-07-14 PATENT DATE- 2002-11-19 NUMBER OF CLAIMS- 22 EXEMPLARY CLAIMS- 1 FIGURES- 8 ART/GROUP UNIT- 1745 PATENT CLASS- Invention (utility) patent PATENT ASSIGNEE(S)- Valence Technology (Nevada), Inc. ASSIGNEE CITY- Henderson ASSIGNEE STATE- NV ATTORNEY, AGENT, OR FIRM- Harness, Dickey & Pierce, PLC U.S. PATENT CLASS- 429094000O U.S. CLASSIFICATION REFS.- X429127000 INTERNATIONAL PATENT CLASS- 7H01M00610; H01M 610 PATENT REFERENCE(S)- 5154989; 5582931; 5618318; 5635312; 5667909; 5776628; 6037077 A multi-fold rechargeable battery cell structure comprising electrode elements and separator elements, wherein relief slots are formed along the fold axes of the outermost electrode elements in order to relieve folding stresses which could result in damage and impairment of the operation of the cell. The slots are formed adjacent to regions of intact electrode material in each outermost electrode element and are arranged such that the slots of one electrode element are aligned with the regions of intact electrode material of the other electrode element. In this manner, electrode element planar integrity is maintained while the effective laminate fold region thickness is reduced. EXEMPLARY CLAIMS- 1. A multi-fold rechargeable battery cell structure comprising:..a laminated assembly of ..a first elongate planar electrode element, ..a separator element contacting said first electrode element, and a second elongate planar electrode element contacting said separator element opposite said first electrode element, ..said assembly being folded along spaced lateral axes to form said cell structure; ..wherein portions of said first electrode element and portions of said second electrode element have been removed from regions corresponding to each fold axis to form a relief slot adjacent to a region of intact electrode material at each fold axis, said relief slots of said first electrode element being aligned with said regions of intact electrode material of said second electrode element and said relief slots of said second electrode element being aligned with said regions of intact electrode material of said first electrode element.