Hot press device and method of hot pressing membrane-electrode assembly of fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11217798-B2
Application number	US-201816150246-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2018
Priority date	Jul 10, 2015
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A hot press device presses one or more objects to be pressed at a predetermined temperature, and includes: a roller around which a roll on which the objects to be pressed are disposed at predetermined intervals is wound; hot plates which are disposed to face one surface of the objects to be pressed while corresponding to the roll supplied from the roller; press units which are disposed to push the hot plates on the objects to be pressed; and a pitch changing unit which moves the hot plates in a direction in which the roll is moved or in a direction opposite to a direction in which the roll is moved, in accordance with a distance between the objects to be pressed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hot press method, comprising the steps of:
providing a roller around which a roll on which objects to be pressed are disposed at predetermined intervals is wound, wherein the objects to be pressed are membrane-electrode assemblies;
disposing hot plates to face one surface of the objects to be pressed that is supplied from the roller, wherein the hot plates include first, second, and third hot plates that are disposed at predetermined intervals in a direction in which the membrane-electrode assemblies are arranged;
disposing press units to push the hot plates on the objects to be pressed;
adjusting positions of the hot plates by a pitch changing unit which moves the hot plates in a direction in which the roll is moved or in a direction opposite to a direction in which the roll is moved, in accordance with a distance between the membrane-electrode assemblies;
pressing the hot plates on both surfaces of the objects to be pressed at a predetermined temperature, in accordance with an interval between the objects to be pressed, using predetermined force; and
separating the hot plates pressed on the objects to be pressed,
wherein a film is fixedly disposed on one surface of at least one of the first, second, and third hot plates so as to face the membrane-electrode assemblies,
wherein the film has a protruding portion formed to correspond to a shape of the membrane-electrode assemblies, and
wherein:
in adjusting the positions of the hot plates,
the second hot plate is not movable, and the first and third hot plates are moved forward or rearward.

2. The hot press method of claim 1 , wherein:
the roll is loaded between the hot plates.

3. The hot press method of claim 1 , wherein:
the roll is a membrane-electrode assembly roll.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Jeong Sung Hoon
• Ahn Jong Cheol

Classifications

• H01M4/88

  Processes of manufacture · CPC title

• H01M8/10

  Fuel cells with solid electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M4/8875

  Methods for shaping the electrode into free-standing bodies, like sheets, films or grids, e.g. moulding, hot-pressing, casting without support, extrusion without support · CPC title

• H01M8/24

  Grouping of fuel cells, e.g. stacking of fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/0297 Primary

  Arrangements for joining electrodes, reservoir layers, heat exchange units or bipolar separators to each other (H01M8/0271 takes precedence) · CPC title