The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 17, 2004
Filed:
Apr. 05, 2002
Mitsuru Kai, Utsunomiya, JP;
Tomoki Kobayashi, Utsunomiya, JP;
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A back pressure control apparatus used in a fuel cell system, which can normally operate even when the system starts in a low-temperature environment. The valve has a simple structure realized at low cost. The valve comprises a pipe member which functions as a portion of an oxidizing gas passage and is arranged along an approximately horizontal direction, where a predetermined area of the inner surface of the pipe member is subjected to a hydrophilic process in advance; and a valve element which is provided in the pipe member and is rotatable around a shaft, where the shaft is arranged in a cross-sectional direction of the pipe member. The pipe member may be arranged along an approximately vertical direction. In this case, a predetermined area of the inner surface of the pipe member is subjected to a water repellent process.