Fuel cell device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10693173-B2
Application number	US-201715800069-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2017
Priority date	Nov 15, 2016
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A fuel cell device includes: a fuel cell stack having a plurality of stacked unit cells; a first current collector and a second current collector which are arranged so as to have the fuel cell stack sandwiched therebetween in a stacking direction of the unit cells; a housing which stores the fuel cell stack, the first current collector, and the second current collector; a conductive first fastening member which is electrically connected to the second current collector, extends from the second current collector toward a side where the first current collector is disposed along the stacking direction, and has a first protrusion protruding from inside the housing to outside the housing; and a first elastic member which is provided at the first protrusion of the first fastening member so as to elastically bias the second current collector toward the first current collector via the first fastening member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell device comprising:
a fuel cell stack having a plurality of stacked unit cells;
a first current collector and a second current collector which are arranged such that the fuel cell stack is sandwiched between the first current collector and the second current collector in a stacking direction of the unit cells;
a housing which stores the fuel cell stack, the first current collector, and the second current collector;
a conductive first fastening member which is electrically connected to the second current collector, extends from the second current collector toward the first current collector in the stacking direction of the unit cells, and has a first protrusion protruding from inside the housing to outside the housing, the entire conductive first fastening member being electrically connected to the second current collector;
a first elastic member which is provided at the first protrusion of the first fastening member so as to elastically bias the second current collector toward the first current collector via the first fastening member;
a second fastening member which extends from the second current collector toward the side where the first current collector is disposed in parallel with the first fastening member and has a second protrusion protruding from inside the housing to outside the housing;
a second elastic member which is provided at the second protrusion of the second fastening member so as to elastically bias the second current collector toward the first current collector via the second fastening member;
through-holes which are formed in a wall of the housing to allow the first fastening member and the second fastening member to extend through;
respective flanged juts which are provided at the first protrusion and the second protrusion, the respective flanged juts directly contact the first protrusion and the second protrusion; and
first sealing materials having elasticity which are arranged between the juts and the wall of the housing,
wherein the juts are arranged in contact with the housing via the first sealing materials so as to seal gaps formed between the first and second protrusions and the through-holes.

2. The fuel cell device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first end member which is arranged on a side of the first current collector opposite to a side where the fuel cell stack is disposed; and
a second end member which is arranged on a side of the second current collector opposite to a side where the fuel cell stack is disposed, wherein
respective ends of the first fastening member and the second fastening member are coupled to the second end member, and
the second end member applies pressure on the fuel cell stack toward the first end member in the stacking direction of the unit cells with force exerted from the first elastic member and the second elastic member via the first fastening member and the second fastening member.

3. The fuel cell device according to claim 1 , wherein in the first fastening member, a cross-sectional area of the first protrusion is smaller than a cross-sectional area of a portion inside the housing.

4. The fuel cell device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a thermal insulator which covers at least a part of a periphery of the housing.

5. The fuel cell device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
respective insertion holes which are formed in the thermal insulator to allow the first protrusion and the second protrusion to be inserted into; and
second sealing materials having elasticity which are arranged between surfaces opposite to surfaces, on which the first sealing materials are provided, of the juts and the insertion holes, wherein
the juts are arranged in contact with the thermal insulator via the second sealing materials so as to seal gaps formed between the first and second protrusions and the insertion holes.

6. The fuel cell device according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the juts is smaller than a thickness of the wall of the housing.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kakuwa Takashi

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• H01M8/2432

  Grouping of unit cells of planar configuration · CPC title

• H01M8/2475 Primary

  Enclosures, casings or containers of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/0273

  with sealing or supporting means in the form of a frame · CPC title