Patent ID: 8101314

Claim:
A separator for use in a fuel cell that has a stack structure in which a plurality of membrane-electrode assemblies are stacked with the separators interposed therebetween, each membrane-electrode assembly having an electrolyte membrane and electrodes disposed on both sides thereof, the separator comprising: two electrode facing plates that face the respective electrodes of the membrane-electrode assembly; and an intermediate plate interposed between the two electrode facing plates, wherein the two electrode facing plates and the intermediate plate each have: a first through-hole through which a reaction gas that is supplied to the membrane-electrode assembly, or a discharge gas that is discharged from the membrane-electrode assembly, flows in a stacking direction of the stack structure, the first through-holes of the two electrode facing plates and the intermediate plate overlapping with each other as viewed in the stacking direction; one of the two electrode facing plates, and the intermediate plate each have: a second through-hole through which at least the reaction gas is supplied, or the discharge gas is discharged, perpendicularly with respect to a surface of the membrane-electrode assembly, the second through-holes of the one of the two electrode facing plates and the intermediate plate overlapping with each other when viewed in the stacking direction; the intermediate plate has a communication passage for communication between the first through-hole and the second through-hole in the intermediate plate; wherein said communication passage is a through-hole that passes through an inside of the intermediate plate in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the stack structure, and wherein a dimension of the communication passage in a direction of a thickness of the intermediate plate is smaller than the thickness of the intermediate plate.