Patent ID: 7790329

Claim:
A polymer electrolyte fuel cell assembled by stacking a plurality of single cell modules, each of the single cell modules comprising: a polymer electrolyte membrane electrode having a first surface and a second surface; an anode electrode and a cathode electrode formed on the first and second surfaces of the electrolyte membrane electrode, respectively, each of the anode and cathode electrodes having an outer periphery; a frame having an inner periphery, an inner side, and first and second separator-side surfaces, the frame sandwiching a part of the electrolyte membrane electrode; a pair of separators which includes a first separator adjacent a surface of the anode electrode and a second separator adjacent a surface of the cathode electrode such that the pair of separators sandwich the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, the first and second separators being disposed adjacent the first and second separator-side surfaces, respectively, and the first and second separators having first and second concave parts, respectively; an inner elastic member which is arranged on the inner periphery of the frame so as to extend along the outer periphery of both the anode and cathode electrodes, each of the anode and cathode electrodes being formed at the inner side of the frame; first and second outer elastic members which are arranged so as to extend along the inner elastic member on the first and second separator-side surfaces of the frame; and a plurality of connecting elastic members, the plurality of connecting elastic members including first and second elastic members arranged on the frame and connecting the inner elastic member with the first and second outer elastic members, respectively, wherein the inner elastic member protrudes a predetermined distance beyond each of the first and second separator-side surfaces of the frame, each of the first and second outer elastic members is disposed so as to face the first and second concave parts, respectively, and in the assembled state, the inner elastic member and the first and second outer elastic members are elastically deformed thereby sealing a space between the separators, and the anode and cathode electrodes, the electrolyte membrane electrode and the frame.