Patent ID: 8105727

Claim:
Bipolar plate for a fuel cell comprising: a cathode bipolar half-plate and an anode bipolar half-plate which are secured to each other, each of said bipolar half-plates having an inner main face facing toward the other of said bipolar half-plates and an outer main face facing away from the other of said bipolar half-plates, each of the bipolar half-plates being constituted by a respective plate which comprises, in a central portion thereof, an active zone and, in a peripheral portion thereof, a plurality of cut-outs which are intended to constitute at least two oxidant units, at least two fuel units and at least two heat-exchange fluid units, respectively, wherein a space is provided between the active zones of the bipolar half-plates, the space being intended for circulation of a heat-exchange fluid, wherein each of the cut-outs in each of the bipolar half-plates is located facing a respective one of the cut-outs in the other of the bipolar half-plates, so as to constitute a plurality of pairs of cut-outs in the bipolar plate, wherein each of said pairs of cut-outs facing each other defines a respective peripheral unit zone of the bipolar plate, wherein the bipolar plate comprises at least one respective connection channel between each of said peripheral unit zones and the active zone of at least one of the bipolar half-plates, wherein each of said connection channels is formed between the bipolar half-plates by at least two ribs, one of said ribs being provided in one of the bipolar half-plates and protruding over the outer main face thereof, and the other of said ribs being provided in the other of the bipolar half-plates and protruding over the outer main face thereof, wherein a thickness of each of said connection channels is greater than a combined thickness of the cathode bipolar half-plate and the anode bipolar half-plate.