Patent ID: 8034503

Claim:
A fuel cell stack comprising: a stack body formed by stacking a plurality of unit cells in a stacking direction, said unit cells each including an electrolyte electrode assembly and separators sandwiching said electrolyte electrode assembly, said electrolyte electrode assembly including a pair of electrodes, said electrodes having a power generation area, and an electrolyte interposed between said electrodes; and a box-shaped casing containing said stack body, said casing comprising: end plates provided at opposite ends of said stack body in the stacking direction; a plurality of side plates provided on sides of said stack body; and a hinge mechanism provided at each side of each of said end plates for coupling said end plates and said side plates, each side of said end plate corresponding to a side of said power generation area, wherein each hinge mechanism includes all hinges on one side of the end plate and all hinges on a side of the side plate that corresponds to the one side of the end plate, wherein the fuel cell stack is provided in the casing in a configuration that causes a tightening load to be applied to the fuel cell stack, the tightening load generating a corresponding stress in the hinge mechanism, and wherein a length of said hinge mechanism on each side of said end plates is the same or smaller than a length of a corresponding side of said power generation area to thereby promote a uniform surface pressure over an entire surface of the power generation area.