Patent ID: 7713647

Claim:
Fuel cell comprising two bipolar plates and a membrane electrode assembly sandwiched between the bipolar plates, each of the bipolar plates having (i) a bipolar plate peripheral frame, and (ii) a central area having channels for reagent distribution, and the membrane electrode assembly having (i) a membrane electrode assembly peripheral frame, and (ii) an active central area comprising an anode diffusion layer on one side of the membrane electrode assembly and a cathode diffusion layer on another side of the membrane electrode assembly, wherein a seal is interposed between at least one of the bipolar plates and the membrane electrode assembly, wherein each seal is in the form of a membrane having (i) a peripheral frame whose profile corresponds approximately to the peripheral frame of the bipolar plate, and (ii) a central opening matching up approximately with the central area of reagent distribution on the bipolar plate, wherein the seal has a rabbet at an inner rim of its central opening, said rabbet framing said central opening, so that a respective one of the anode and cathode diffusion layers of the active central area of the membrane electrode assembly at least partly bears on both the rabbet and the bipolar plate at its central area, and wherein the peripheral frame of the seal also has a front face on which the peripheral frame of the membrane electrode assembly bears without excessive deformation.