Patent ID: 8642230

Claim:
An electrode-membrane-frame assembly for a polyelectrolyte fuel cell, the assembly comprising: a membrane electrode assembly comprising a pair of electrode layers, a polyelectrolyte membrane with a peripheral edge portion, a first side surface and a second side surface, the peripheral edge portion of the polyelectrolyte membrane having a first surface on the first side surface of the polyelectrolyte membrane and a second surface on the second side surface of the polyelectrolyte membrane, and a first electrode layer in the pair of electrode layers being placed on the first side surface of the polyelectrolyte membrane inside the first surface of the peripheral edge portion, a second electrode layer in the pair of electrode layers being placed on the second side surface of the polyelectrolyte membrane inside the second surface of the peripheral edge portion, and the pair of electrode layers joined to the polyelectrolyte membrane so as to expose the peripheral edge portion of the polyelectrolyte membrane; a first frame body positioned on the first surface of the peripheral edge portion of the polyelectrolyte membrane; and a second frame body positioned on the second surface of the peripheral edge portion of the polyelectrolyte membrane, and releasably holding the peripheral edge portion of the polyelectrolyte membrane between the first frame body and the second frame body, wherein a through hole is formed at the peripheral edge portion of the polyelectrolyte membrane, a projection is disposed on the first frame body, an engagement hole is disposed in the second frame body, the projection of the first frame body is releasably engaged with the engagement hole of the second frame body so as to penetrate through the through hole of the polyelectrolyte membrane, a first membrane sealing member and a second membrane sealing member are disposed on membrane-side surfaces of the first frame body and the second frame body, respectively, such that the first membrane sealing member and the second membrane sealing member directly contact the membrane-side surfaces of the first frame body and the second frame body, respectively, each of the membrane-side surfaces facing the peripheral edge portion of the polyelectrolyte membrane, and each of the first and second membrane sealing members provides sealing between a respective membrane-side surface and the peripheral edge portion of the polyelectrolyte membrane, and the assembly is configured to be placed between two separators so as to become an electric cell module.