Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd.

Yasuhiko Mihara

Yutaka Ishioka

Ryo Hirai

Ryouji Kanda

Hideaki Tanahashi

Kiyohiko Yoshida

A unit cell for use in a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising: a membrane/electrode assembly including a fuel electrode and an oxidant electrode disposed on either side of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, the assembly being sandwiched from either side by a first separator and a second separator to give a stacked construction to form therebetween a fuel gas flow passage and an oxidant gas flow passage. The solid polymer electrolyte membrane has a projecting portion projecting outwardly beyond the fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode, and the projecting portion is coated by a reinforcing resin member. Connecting grooves formed on a primary face of the separators connecting both ends of the fuel gas/oxidant gas flow passages with a fuel/oxidant gas feed/discharge ports, respectively. The reinforcing resin member is placed so as to bridge openings of the connecting grooves in order to give a tunnel construction to the connecting grooves.

Unit cell for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell

A separator for use in a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, including a membrane/electrode assembly including a fuel electrode and an oxidant electrode disposed on either side of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane; a first separator superposed against a surface of the oxidant electrode forming an oxidant gas flow passage; and a second separator superposed against a surface of the fuel electrode forming a fuel gas flow passage. The first separator and the second separator are composed of rectangular thin metal plates, with outer peripheral edges of the first separator and the second separator each bending inclined towards a secondary face thereof on an opposite side of a primary face thereof that is superposed against the membrane/electrode assembly, thereby integrally forming a reinforcing rib.

Separator and cell using the same for use in solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell

A cell for use in a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, including a membrane electrode assembly including a fuel electrode and an oxidant electrode disposed on either side of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, the assembly being sandwiched from either side by a first separator and a second separator to give a stacked construction. The first and second separator have a planar shape slightly larger than a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, with primary face seal rubber layers affixed to outer peripheral edge portions of primary faces of the first and second separator. Thus, an outer peripheral edge portion of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane projecting outwardly beyond the fuel and oxidant electrodes are held clamped fluid-tightly between the first and second separators by means of the primary face seal rubber layers of the first and second separators.

Cell for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell with improved gas flow sealing

A sliding type bushing including an inner sleeve having an axially intermediate large-diameter portion, a race disposed radially outwardly of the inner sleeve, and radially spaced from the large-diameter portion, and a sliding sleeve formed of a fiber reinforced resin material between the large-diameter portion and the race. The sliding sleeve has an outer surface fixed to the race, and an inner surface which faces an outer surface of the large-diameter portion with a predetermined clearance therebetween, such that the sliding and inner sleeves are freely slidable relative to each other about the axis of the bushing. The sliding type bushing further includes a cylindrical sliding cloth fixed to the inner surface of the sliding sleeve and formed of a fibrous material having a low coefficient of sliding friction, and a pair of axial retainers for axially retaining the sliding sleeve at axially opposite end faces thereof, and a generally cylindrical elastic body disposed radially outwardly of the race, such that the elastic body is fixed to an outer surface of the race.

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Nagoya, Japan

Yasuhiko Mihara