Patent ID: 6964825

Claim:
A gasket assembly for placement between the periphery of the face of a fuel cell stack and a manifold, said gasket assembly having one or more of: different compressibilities over predetermined portions of the length of said gasket assembly; and a resilient shim disposed within preselected sections of said gasket assembly, and wherein the face of said fuel cell stack has opposing first and second periphery portions formed by portions of the end faces of the end plates of the fuel cell stack and opposing third and fourth periphery portions formed by end portions of the end faces of the bipolar plates of the fuel cells of the fuel cell stack, said third and fourth periphery portions expanding to a greater degree than said first and second periphery portions due to said bipolar plates expanding to a greater degree than said end plates, and wherein said gasket assembly has said different compressibilities over predetermined portions of said gasket assembly and includes a member having said predetermined portions of said gasket assembly, said member having first and second portions adapted to face said first and second periphery portions of said face of said fuel cell stack and third and fourth portions adapted to face said third and fourth periphery portions of said face of said fuel cell stack, said first and second portions of said member being of lower compressibility than said third and fourth portions of said member.