Patent ID: 7504173

Claim:
A fuel cell comprising: a pair of spaced gas diffusion layers; a membrane electrode assembly interposed between said pair of gas diffusion layers; a pair of separators, each one of said pair of separators being superposed on one of said pair of gas diffusion layers on a surface of the gas diffusion layers facing away from the membrane electrode assembly; and a plurality of gaskets; said plurality of gaskets being integral with opposite surfaces of both of the pair of gas diffusion layers to connect the membrane electrode assembly with the gas diffusion layers and to connect the gas diffusion layers with the pair of separators so that the gas diffusion layers are removable and replaceable due to permanent deformation of the plurality of gaskets while the membrane electrode assembly and the separators can continue to be used after replacement of the gas diffusion layers, and some of the plurality of gaskets being located on surfaces of the pair of gas diffusion layers facing the pair of separators and on one surface of the pair of gas diffusion layers facing the membrane electrode assembly, the plurality of gaskets being located respectively between one of the pair of separators and one of the pair of gas diffusion layers having a double lip structure, said double lip structure including an inner lip and an outer lip spaced from and separate from the inner lip, and one of the plurality of gaskets located on the other surface of one of the pair of the gas diffusion layers and facing the membrane electrode assembly having a flat seal structure; and the inner lips of the double lip structure holding and the outer lips sealing the pair of separators and the pair of gas diffusion layers.