Patent ID: 8298715
Filing Date: 2012-10-30
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A cell laminate constituted by laminating cells each including a membrane-electrode assembly having an electrolyte membrane and a plate-like separators between which the membrane-electrode assembly is held and in which the shapes of projections and recesses are inverted from each other on the front surface and the back surface of the separator, wherein between adjacent separators constituting the cell, there is formed either a power generation region where the membrane-electrode assembly and a resin-made frame-like member which holds at least a part of the membrane-electrode assembly are inserted, and between the cells, there is formed a refrigerant flow region where the membrane-electrode assembly or the frame-like member is not inserted, a rib-like deformation inhibiting region which inhibits the deformation of the separators is formed of projections provided on portions of the separators which connect manifolds to supply or discharge a reactant gas or a refrigerant to or from cells to the power generation region of the membrane-electrode assembly, or portions of the separators which connect manifolds to supply or discharge a refrigerant to or from between the cells to the refrigerant flow region, the projections protruding on a surface opposite to a surface on which the membrane-electrode assembly is held, and at least a part of the deformation inhibiting region overlaps with the membrane-electrode assembly as viewed from a laminating direction of the separators, whereby a portion of the deformation inhibiting region overlapped with the membrane-electrode assembly increases a close contact degree with respect to the adjacent separators by use of a reaction force generated by the membrane-electrode assembly, at least another part of the deformation inhibiting region extends into the vicinity of a manifold in fluid communication with the refrigerant flow region, recesses formed integrally with the back surfaces of the projections forming the deformation inhibiting region are backed up by an adhesive layer interposed between the recesses and the frame-like member, another deformation inhibiting region which inhibits the deformation of the deformation inhibiting region in the power generation region where the frame-like member is inserted is formed of separator deformation inhibiting projections provided on the frame-like member so as to project toward the recesses, the protrusions provided on the frame-like member have a rigidity higher than that of the adhesive layer to further improve the rigidity of a portion which backs up the back surface of the deformation inhibiting region of the separator, the recesses formed integrally with the back surfaces of the projections forming the deformation inhibiting region are filled with at least one of the projections provided on the frame-like member and the adhesive layer, and the deformation inhibiting regions formed on the separators disposed adjacent to each other across the refrigerant flow region come in contact with each other.