Patent ID: 7591932

Claim:
A pressure electrolyzer, comprising an electrolytic cell block that contains a number of electrolytic cells combined to form a stack, each electrolytic cell having an anode and a cathode, and the electrolytic cell block having a sealed housing formed by a number of stacked cell frames of the electrolytic cells, the cell frames being composed at least partially of a material that is elastic at least in a longitudinal direction of the electrolytic cell block and seals adjacent cell frames from each other, end plates being provided so as to hold the electrolytic cell block in place between the end plates under compression of the elastic material, each of the cell frames having a rigid element that runs in a circumferential direction of the frame so as to mechanically stabilize the cell frame, the rigid element being connected with the elastic material, the rigid element forming a shell-like frame structure, which partially encloses the elastic material so that the elastic material partially protrudes from the rigid element to form a compressible region in the longitudinal direction of the electrolytic cell block, adjacent cell frames each having projecting parts and recesses that fit into each other for locking the adjacent cell frames in place and/or for sealing the adjacent cell frames.