Patent ID: 7771885
Filing Date: 2010-08-10
Classification: B29C,B29L,H01M,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A polymer electrolyte fuel cell assembled by stacking a plurality of single cell modules each comprising an electrode-membrane-frame assembly which is formed of a membrane electrode assembly constituted by binding an anode electrode to one surface of a polymer electrolyte membrane and binding a cathode electrode to the other surface of the polymer electrode membrane in such a manner that the periphery of the polymer electrolyte membrane is exposed, and a frame which contains a gas supply section that supplies fuel gas and oxidizer gas to the anode electrode and the cathode electrode respectively and which sandwiches the periphery of the electrolyte membrane to support the membrane electrode assembly; and a pair of separators which sandwich the electrode-membrane-frame assembly from the anode side and the cathode side, the electrode-membrane-frame assembly comprising; an inner elastic member which is arranged on the electrolyte membrane so as to extend along the outer periphery of the electrode between the outer periphery of the anode electrode or cathode electrode and the inner periphery of the frame, the inner elastic member being bound to the frame; an outer elastic member which is arranged so as to extend along the inner elastic member between the outer periphery and inner periphery of the frame, the outer elastic member being bound to the frame; and a plurality of connecting elastic members which connect the inner elastic member with the outer elastic member, the connecting elastic members being bound to the frame, wherein the inner elastic member and the outer elastic member respectively have a thickness higher than a dimension of an interval between the electrode-membrane-frame assembly and the separator after the single cell module is assembled and in the condition where the single cell module is assembled, each of the elastic members is elastically deformed in a direction of a thickness of the electrode-membrane-frame assembly to hermetically seal the space between the electrode-membrane-frame assembly and the separator, wherein the inner elastic member, the outer elastic member and the connecting elastic members are each formed as an assembly by injection molding and an injection gate trace elastic member formed at a resin injection gate in injection molding is connected only to said outer elastic member among said elastic members.