Patent ID: 8148032

Claim:
A fuel cell comprising: an electrolyte electrode assembly including a pair of electrodes and an electrolyte interposed between said electrodes; first and second separators sandwiching said electrolyte electrode assembly in a stacking direction, the electrolyte electrode assembly comprising a minor surface extending in the stacking direction and a major surface extending perpendicular to the minor surface, the minor surface forming a peripheral contact surface; positioning ribs provided on said first or second separator contacting the peripheral contact surface of the electrolyte electrode assembly for positioning said electrolyte electrode assembly on said first or second separator, wherein a minor surface of one of the pair of electrodes is linearly aligned with a minor surface of the electrolyte so that the minor surface of the one of the pair of electrodes, and the minor surface of the electrolyte are coterminal, the positioning ribs are in direct physical contact with the aligned minor surfaces of the one of the pair of electrodes and the electrolyte of the electrolyte electrode assembly, wherein the positioning ribs are in direct physical contact with the minor surface of the one of the pair of electrodes and the minor surface of the electrolyte but is not in direct physical contact with a minor surface of the other of the pair of electrodes; first and second insulating positioning members inserted into first and second positioning holes of said first and second separators for positioning said first and second separators in alignment with each other, wherein the first and second insulating positioning members are in contact with each other; and a plurality of fixing members for fastening outer regions of said first and second separators together at a plurality of positions.