Patent ID: 8304137

Claim:
A fuel cell housing structure comprising: a fuel cell; an electrically insulated housing containing the fuel cell, the housing arranged with respect to the fuel cell to form a space within the housing that surrounds the fuel cell; a vent gas intake port provided in the housing; and a vent gas exhaust port provided in the housing, at least one of the vent gas intake port and the vent gas exhaust port being fluidly connected to the space at a position above or on the same level as the fuel cell, the at least one of the vent gas intake port and the vent gas exhaust port forming at least one of: a vertically extending opening that opens to the external environment, and an opening that faces the space in a direction other than a direction facing the fuel cell, and the at least one of the vent gas intake port and the vent gas exhaust port being formed directly above a vertically extending buffer portion of the space surrounding the fuel cell, the vertically extending buffer portion of the space being formed continuous and unobstructed between a vertically oriented side of the fuel cell and a vertically oriented side of the housing.