Patent ID: 8084165

Claim:
A MEA for use in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell having a separator plate in which a passage groove is formed in a surface in contact with either of electrode layers, said passage groove having a plurality of bent portions in a peripheral region of said electrode layer, said MEA comprising: an MEA body part having a polymer electrolyte membrane and a pair of electrode layers that are formed on opposed surfaces, respectively, of said polymer electrolyte membrane, which are located inward of a peripheral region of said polymer electrolyte membrane; a frame that sandwiches said peripheral region of said polymer electrolyte membrane with a gap between said frame and said pair of electrode layers and encloses an outer periphery of said polymer electrolyte membrane; and a pair of gaskets that are formed on opposed surfaces of said frame so as to sandwich said frame therebetween and are made of at least one material selected from a group consisting of thermoplastic resins and thermoplastic elastomers, wherein said gaskets each have an annular portion that is annularly formed so as to extend along an inner periphery of said frame and elongated portions disposed at said peripheral region of said polymer electrolyte membrane such that the elongated portions extend from said annular portion in the vicinities of positions of said polymer electrolyte membrane which regions between adjacent bent portions contact and block the gap between said frame and said electrode layers.