Patent ID: 8329355

Claim:
A fuel cell, comprising: a plurality of overlaying single cells, each of which includes a reaction membrane including an electrolyte membrane and a catalyst layer disposed on each side of the electrolyte membrane, a pair of a gas diffusion layers disposed so as to envelop the reaction membrane, and a pair of a facing surfaces of a pair of separators disposed so as to envelop all of the former, wherein the pair of separators, at a location outward from a placement region for the reaction membrane, has respectively disposed a passage hole that forms a part of each of a manifold that passes through the overlaying direction of the single cells, wherein an elastic body is integrally disposed at a periphery of the pair of a gas diffusion layers, wherein the pair of separators each include a recessed section around a region that includes the passage hole, and formed a plurality of channels so as to pass through the recessed section and that form a flow route between the passage hole and the gas diffusion layer, and each separator of the pair of separators also possess passage holes that form a part of each manifold, and provides a plate member that is attached within the recessed section so as to cross over the plurality of channels, said plate member having a passage hole therein, and wherein the elastic body includes: a first protrusion that encompasses the perimeter of the passage hole in the plate member, and a leading edge of which spans an entire region and tightly adheres to the plate member, a second protrusion that is disposed within the placement region for the reaction membrane, so as to encompass the perimeter of the gas diffusion layer, and a third protrusion disposed to encompass the region at which the first protrusion is disposed and the region at which the second protrusion is disposed, and is disposed outside the placement region for reaction membrane, and the leading edge of which spans the entire region and tightly adheres to the separator.