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:
Apr. 20, 2010
Filed:
Dec. 19, 2007
Jun Sasahara, Kawagoe, JP;
Daniel Braithwaite, Rowland Heights, CA (US);
Suk-won Cha, Stanford, CA (US);
Tibor Fabian, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Tadahiro Kubota, Asaka, JP;
Nariaki Kuriyama, Fujimi, JP;
Sang-joon John Lee, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Ryan O'hayre, Castle Rock, CO (US);
Friedrich B. Prinz, Woodside, CA (US);
Yuji Saito, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Toshifumi Suzuki, Fuchu, JP;
Jun Sasahara, Kawagoe, JP;
Daniel Braithwaite, Rowland Heights, CA (US);
Suk-Won Cha, Stanford, CA (US);
Tibor Fabian, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Tadahiro Kubota, Asaka, JP;
Nariaki Kuriyama, Fujimi, JP;
Sang-Joon John Lee, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Ryan O'Hayre, Castle Rock, CO (US);
Friedrich B. Prinz, Woodside, CA (US);
Yuji Saito, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Toshifumi Suzuki, Fuchu, JP;
The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Honda Motor Co., Ltd, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A simple, inexpensive and highly efficient fuel cell has boundary structures made of a photo-sensitive material in combination with selective patterning. Printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication techniques combine boundary structures with two and three dimensional electrical flow path. Photo-sensitive material and PCB fabrication techniques are alternately or combined utilized for making micro-channel structures or micro stitch structures for substantially reducing dead zones of the diffusion layer while keeping fluid flow resistance to a minimum. The fuel cell assembly is free of mechanical clamping elements. Adhesives that may be conductively contaminated and/or fiber-reinforced provide mechanical and eventual electrical connections, and sealing within the assembly. Mechanically supporting backing layers are pre-fabricated with a natural bend defined in combination with the backing layers' elasticity to eliminate massive support plates and assist the adhesive bonding. Proton insulation between adjacent and electrically linked in-plane cell elements is provided by structural insulation within the central membrane.