Patent FR378167A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US5419980A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5419980A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fuel cell stack and method of pressing together the same
Assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
•
Filing: 1993-06-17
•
Granted: 1995-05-30
•
Expires: 2013-06-17
Abstract
Abstract A fuel cell stack having unit cells and separators, in which each unit cell comprises a solid polymer electrolyte membrane having a pair of electrode catalysts attached on both surfaces, and a pair of collectors, each made of a rigid body, being in contact with respective electrode catalysts, and each of the separators comprises a pair of pressure generating plates defining therebetween a pressure chamber to which a pressurized fluid is introduced, the pressure generating plates being deformed by the pressurized fluid and pressed against the adjacent respective collectors.
Inventors
- 👤 Takafumi Okamoto
- 👤 Manabu Tanaka
- 👤 Ichiro Baba
- 👤 Hideo Kato
- 👤 Norimasa Kawagoe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 13:12
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01M; H01M8/00; H01M8/04; H01M8/04007; H01M8/02; H01M8/0202; H01M8/0267; H01M8/24; H01M8/2404; H01M8/241; H01M8/242; H01M8/2465; H01M8/247; H01M8/2483; H01M2300/00; H01M2300/0017; H01M2300/0065; H01M2300/0082; H01M8/0204; H01M8/04014; H01M8/04029; H01M8/04082; H01M8/04089; H01M8/04119; H01M8/04291; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/30; Y02E60/50; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49108; Y10T29/4911
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
123 words
A fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of unit cells for taking out electrical energy from a reaction gas and a plurality of separators interposed between said unit cells, wherein each of said unit cells comprises a solid polymer electrolyte membrane having a pair of electrode catalysts attached on both surfaces thereof, and a pair of collectors, each made of a rigid body having a flat contact surface facing each of said electrode catalysts, being in contact with respective said electrode catalysts, and each of said separators comprises first and second pressure generating plates defining therebetween a pressure chamber into which a pressurized fluid is introduced, said pressure generating plates being deformed by the pressurized fluid and pressed against adjacent respective said collectors.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
123 words
A fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of unit cells for taking out electrical energy from a reaction gas and a plurality of separators interposed between said unit cells, wherein each of said unit cells comprises a solid polymer electrolyte membrane having a pair of electrode catalysts attached on both surfaces thereof, and a pair of collectors, each made of a rigid body having a flat contact surface facing each of said electrode catalysts, being in contact with respective said electrode catalysts, and each of said separators comprises first and second pressure generating plates defining therebetween a pressure chamber into which a pressurized fluid is introduced, said pressure generating plates being deformed by the pressurized fluid and pressed against adjacent respective said collectors.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 1, wherein each of said separators comprises means for introducing the pressurized fluid into each of said pressure chambers, and means for supplying the reaction gas to each of said unit cells through each of its collectors.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 2, wherein each of said separators has receiving means into which a pair of said collectors are displaceably fitted.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 3, wherein said receiving means are a pair of recesses defined on both sides of each of said separators.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 4, further comprising end plates for pressing together the entirety of said fuel cell stack.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
59 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 5, wherein said pressurized fluid introducing means comprises communication holes formed in the peripheries of said separators in their stacked state and connected to a pressurized fluid supply line at one of said end plates, and holes for coupling said communication holes with each of said pressure chambers in respective said separators.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
66 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 5, wherein said reaction gas supplying means comprises through-holes formed in the peripheries of said separators in their stacked state and connected to respective reaction gas supply lines at one of said end plates, and a plurality of pores for coupling respective said through-holes with each of said receiving means in said separators into which said collectors are fitted.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 1, wherein said pressurized fluid is a coolant and said pressure chambers work as cooling chambers as well.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 8, wherein said coolant is in a gaseous state.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 1, wherein said pressurized fluid is a pressurized reaction gas.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
48 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 10, wherein said pressurized reaction gas is introduced into the pressure chambers at a temperature lower than an operating temperature of the fuel cell stack and supplied to the unit cells via the collectors after being warmed in said pressure chambers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
54 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 7, wherein each of said separators comprises first, second and third plates, said first pressure generating plate being put between said first and second plates, said second pressure generating plate being put between said second and third plates, said pressure chamber being defined in said second plate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 12, wherein each of said through-holes for supplying the reaction gas to the unit cells via respective collectors is formed through said respective first, second and third plates.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 13, wherein each of said through-holes for supplying the reaction gas to the unit cells via respective collectors is formed through said respective first and second pressure generating plates.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 14, wherein said recesses in each of the separators for displaceably receiving the couple of collectors therein are formed in said respective first and third plates.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 15 wherein said plurality of pores for connecting the through-holes with the recess for receiving the collectors are formed in said respective first and third plates.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
39 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 16, wherein the direction in which said pores extend in the first plate and the direction in which said pores extend in the third plate intersect each other at a 90° angle.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 12, wherein communication holes for introducing the pressurized fluid into the pressure chamber are formed in respective said first, second and third plates.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
25 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 16, wherein each of said collectors has a plurality of grooves for introducing the reaction gas into each.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 19, wherein said grooves on the collectors communicate with said pores in the first and third plates.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
51 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 20, wherein said grooves formed in one collector which is fitted in the first plate and said grooves formed in the other collector which is fitted in the third plate meet each other at right angles, each of the grooves being a linear groove.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 1, wherein gaskets are respectively interposed between the adjacent separators.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
23 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 22, wherein each of said gaskets has a hole for enabling the displacement of each collector.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
34 words
A fuel cell stack according to claim 22, wherein each of said gaskets has through-holes for enabling the reaction gas to pass therethrough, and communication holes for enabling the pressurized fluid to pass therethrough.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
108 words
A method of pressing together a fuel cell stack which comprises a plurality of unit cells for taking out electrical energy from a reaction gas and separators interposed between respective unit cells, the method comprising the steps of: introducing a pressurized fluid into a pressure chamber formed in each of said separators; transferring a pressure in each said pressure chamber due to the pressurized fluid to each collector in the adjacent unit cells through pressure generating plates provided in each respective separator; and pressing each collector against its respective electrode catalyst disposed on a side of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane by displacement of the pressure generating plates.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
108 words
A method of pressing together a fuel cell stack which comprises a plurality of unit cells for taking out electrical energy from a reaction gas and separators interposed between respective unit cells, the method comprising the steps of: introducing a pressurized fluid into a pressure chamber formed in each of said separators; transferring a pressure in each said pressure chamber due to the pressurized fluid to each collector in the adjacent unit cells through pressure generating plates provided in each respective separator; and pressing each collector against its respective electrode catalyst disposed on a side of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane by displacement of the pressure generating plates.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method according to claim 25, wherein a coolant is introduced into the pressure chamber formed in each separator to deform the pressure generating plates, and to cool the collectors, the electrode catalyst and the solid polymer electrolyte membrane in the unit cells.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method according to claim 25, wherein a pressurized reaction gas is introduced into the pressure chamber defined in each of the separators to deform the pressure generating plates, thereby to produce a pressure for pressing together the plurality of unit cells and separators comprising the fuel cell stack.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
GB1236872A
Cited
DE1930116A1
Cited
FR2224206A1
Cited
FR2396425A1
Cited
US4317864A
Cited
JPS58164168A
Cited
US4692391A
Cited
JPS61239568A
Cited
US4826741A
Cited
EP0308761A1
Cited
EP0309761A2
Cited
US4769297A
Cited
US4973531A
Cited
US5009968A
Cited
US4997728A
Cited
US5185220A
Cited
US5262249A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-05-29 | 1998-11-28 | 1999-05-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-05-29 | 2002-11-28 | 2003-05-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-05-29 | 2006-11-28 | 2007-05-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |