Patent ID: 7097927

Claim:
A vehicle-carried fuel cell system provided with fuel cell stacks each comprising a plurality of fuel cell units, said fuel cell units each including a solid polymer ion exchange membrane interposed between an anode electrode and a cathode electrode, said plurality of fuel cell units being stacked in a horizontal direction with separators intervening therebetween, said fuel cell system comprising: first and second fuel cell stacks which are arranged in parallel to one another in a stacking direction, said first and second fuel cell stacks each being sandwiched by separate pairs of end plates so as to construct separate stacks, wherein a positive electrode is disposed on a side of said first fuel cell stack and a negative electrode is disposed on a side of second fuel cell stack; first and second electric power-deriving terminals, one of which is said positive electrode, the other of which is said negative electrode, and which are disposed on vertical surfaces at first ends in a stacking direction of said first and second fuel cell stacks; first and second conductive plates provided with first and second connecting sections which are incorporated at the inside of vertical surfaces at second opposing ends of said first and second fuel cell stacks; and a flexible connector for electrically connecting said first and second connecting sections, wherein the flexible connector reduces stress on the first and second conductive plates by allowing the first fuel stack to move relative to the second fuel cell stack.