Patent ID: 7534518

Claim:
A cell for use in a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising: a membrane electrode assembly including a fuel electrode and an oxidant electrode disposed on either side of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, the assembly being sandwiched from either side by a first separator and a second separator to give a stacked construction; a fuel gas flow passage formed between opposed faces of the fuel electrode and the first separator; and an oxidant gas flow passage formed between opposed faces of the oxidant electrode and the second separator, wherein the solid polymer electrolyte membrane in the membrane electrode assembly has a planar shape slightly larger than the fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode so that an entire perimeter of an outer peripheral edge portion of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane projects outwardly beyond outer peripheral edges of the fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode, wherein the first separator and the second separator have a planar shape larger than the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, with primary face seal rubber layers integrally formed with outer peripheral edge portions of primary faces of the first and second separators superposed against the membrane electrode assembly, whereby the outer peripheral edge portion of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane projecting outwardly beyond the fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode are held clamped fluid-tightly between the first and second separators by means of inner peripheral portions of the primary face seal rubber layers of the first and second separators, and wherein the first separator and the second separator are metal separators, with the primary face seal rubber layers being vulcanization bonded to the metal separators, respectively.