Patent ID: 7323267

Claim:
A fuel cell comprising: (a) an anode current collector having a major planar portion and at least one edge that extends substantially perpendicularly from and substantially circumscribes said anode current collector major planar portion, said anode current collector major planar portion having at least one opening formed therein for facilitating fluid diffusion through said anode current collector; (b) a cathode current collector having a major planar portion and at least one edge that extends substantially perpendicularly from and substantially circumscribes said cathode current collector major planar portion, said cathode current collector major planar portion having at least one opening formed therein for facilitating fluid diffusion through said cathode current collector; (c) at least one layer of electrically insulative material interposed between said anode current collector and said cathode current collector, said electrically insulative material further including a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), said MEA comprising a membrane electrolyte having two oppositely facing major planar surfaces, a first electrocatalyst layer disposed on one of said electrolyte surfaces and a second electrocatalyst layer disposed on the other of said electrolyte surface; (d) an anode fluid diffusion layer interposed between said anode current collector and said MEA, said anode fluid diffusion layer at least partially comprising an electrically conductive material; (e) a cathode fluid diffusion layer interposed between said cathode current collector and said MEA, said cathode fluid diffusion layer at least partially consisting of an electrically conductive material; wherein said perpendicularly extending edge of said cathode current collector is configured to cooperate with the said perpendicularly extending edge of said anode current collector to effect a press fit, thereby at least partially sealing fluids disposed within the volume formed between said current collector major portions, and thereby at least partially promoting the diffusion of cations from said anode diffusion layer to said cathode diffusion layer.