Patent ID: 7226684

Claim:
A sealing arrangement for fuel cells having including at least one composite formed of two cell separator plates with a deformable membrane electrode assembly placed therebetween, the deformable membrane electrode assembly being composed of two porous, gas permeable plates or layers and an ion exchange membrane placed therebetween, the membrane electrode assembly having lateral surfaces set back with respect to lateral surfaces of the cell separator plates to leave a sealing gap, the sealing arrangement comprising: an elastic sealing element having a sealing band peripherally enclosing the composite and having a peripheral sealing strip extending into the sealing gap to seal the sealing gap in a gas tight maimer by compression between the cell separator plates wherein the sealing element has a first clamp end extending over a first outer edge of a first end face of a first outer cell separator plate and a second clamp edge extending over a second outer edge of a second end face of a second outer cell separator plate so as to hold together the composite or composites.