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:
May. 30, 2006
Filed:
Apr. 19, 2001
Hiromichi Nakata, Toyota, JP;
Masayoshi Yokoi, Okazaki, JP;
Joji Yoshimura, Toyota, JP;
Kenichi Suzuki, Aichi-gun, JP;
Fumio Nonoyama, Aichi-gun, JP;
Hiromichi Nakata, Toyota, JP;
Masayoshi Yokoi, Okazaki, JP;
Joji Yoshimura, Toyota, JP;
Kenichi Suzuki, Aichi-gun, JP;
Fumio Nonoyama, Aichi-gun, JP;
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota, JP;
Abstract
A separator is provided with a substrate portion having a predetermined concave-convex shape, an underlying coating layer formed on the substrate portion, a first coating layer coating the substrate portion and the underlying coating layer, and a second coating layer formed thereon. The second coating layer, which is formed from carbon materials, is sufficiently electrically conductive and protects the underlying layers. The first coating layer is formed from a low-melting-point metal subjected to a melting process. The melting process is a process of first conducting heating at such a temperature that melts the low-melting-point metal but does not melt the substrate portion and the underlying coating layer and then conducting cooling. Thus, in the first coating layer, the crystal grain size of the metal is increased and thus the grain boundary density is reduced.