Fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12469862-B2
Application number	US-202217960931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2022
Priority date	Feb 3, 2022
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

A fuel cell according to the disclosure includes a cell stack including a plurality of unit cells stacked in a first direction, a plate disposed at on least one of two end portions of the cell stack, a heating element disposed between the at least one of the two end portions of the cell stack and the plate and including a first connector including a first terminal protruding in a second direction intersecting the first direction and coupled to the plate in the first direction, and a second connector including a second terminal coupled to the first connector in the second direction and electrically connected to the first terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel cell, comprising:
a cell stack comprising a plurality of unit cells stacked in a first direction; a plate disposed on at least one of two end portions of the cell stack; a heating element disposed between the at least one of the two end portions of the cell stack and the plate, the heating element comprising a first connector including a first terminal protruding in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the first connector being coupled to the plate in the first direction; and a second connector including a second terminal, the second terminal being coupled to the first connector in the second direction and configured to be electrically connected to the first terminal, wherein the heating element further comprises a heating part connected to the first connector and configured to generate heat, wherein the heating part comprises a first surface facing the plate and a second surface facing opposite the first surface, wherein the first terminal has an end contacting a terminal area located at a peripheral portion of the first surface, and wherein the first connector further comprises: a first body including a first portion having a recess formed therein to connect at least a portion of the terminal area to the first terminal in the first direction and a second portion having a first receiving recess formed therein to receive an opposite end of the first terminal protruding in the second direction, the second portion being adjacent to the first portion in the second direction.

2 . The fuel cell according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first connector is mounted to an edge of the heating part, and wherein at least a portion of the first terminal protrudes further than the edge of the heating part in the second direction.

3 . The fuel cell according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first connector further comprises: an adhesive member inserted into the recess to fix the first body to the heating part.

4 . The fuel cell according to claim 3 , wherein the opposite end of the first terminal is located farther away from the first surface of the heating part than the end in the first direction, and
wherein the first terminal comprises a first terminal body connecting the end to the opposite end and disposed in the first body.

5 . The fuel cell according to claim 3 , further comprising:
an insulation pad disposed on the first surface of the heating part so as to connect the at least a portion of the terminal area to the first terminal.

6 . The fuel cell according to claim 5 , wherein each of the first and second portions of the first body is in contact with the insulation pad to trap the adhesive member in the recess.

7 . The fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the second connector is detachably coupled to the first connector.

8 . The fuel cell according to claim 3 , wherein the plate comprises:
a second receiving recess receiving the first connector inserted thereinto in the first direction; and an insertion portion allowing the second connector to be inserted into the first receiving recess of the first connector, received in the second receiving recess, from outside the plate in the second direction.

9 . The fuel cell according to claim 8 , wherein the plate further comprises:
a first area overlapping the first portion of the first body in the first direction; and a second area disposed adjacent to the first area and overlapping the second portion of the first body in the first direction, the second area being stepped with respect to the first area to define the insertion portion, and wherein the first portion has a third surface facing the first area, and the second portion has a fourth surface facing the second area and stepped with respect to the third surface.

10 . The fuel cell according to claim 8 , wherein the plate further comprises:
an end plate; and a heater plate disposed between the end plate and the at least one of the two end portions of the cell stack, and wherein the second receiving recess is included in the heater plate.

11 . The fuel cell according to claim 10 , wherein the end plate and the heater plate are integrated with each other.

12 . The fuel cell according to claim 3 , wherein the second connector further comprises:
a second body including: a third portion having: a portion of a support portion; and a third receiving recess defined from an end of the portion of the support portion in the second direction; and a fourth portion, the fourth portion including: a remaining portion of the support portion; and a fourth receiving recess defined from an end of the remaining portion of the support portion bent in the first direction from the third portion, and wherein the second terminal comprises: a second terminal body including: a first embedded portion, embedded in the portion of the support portion in the third portion; a first protruding portion, protruding from the first embedded portion in the second direction and received in the third receiving recess; and a connection portion, extending from the first protruding portion in the second direction and connected to the opposite end of the first terminal; and a third terminal body including: a second embedded portion, bent and extending in the first direction from the second terminal body and embedded in the remaining portion of the support portion in the fourth portion; and a second protruding portion, protruding from the second embedded portion in the first direction and received in the fourth receiving recess.

13 . The fuel cell according to claim 12 , wherein the second connector further comprises:
a gasket disposed at the end of the portion of the support portion, the end of the portion of the support portion being contiguous with the third receiving recess in the third portion.

14 . The fuel cell according to claim 12 , wherein the second portion of the first body further comprises a first coupling portion, and
wherein the third portion of the second body comprises a second coupling portion coupled to the first coupling portion in the second direction in a fitting manner.

15 . The fuel cell according to claim 14 , wherein the first coupling portion comprises:
a partition wall protruding in the second direction to define the first receiving recess and surrounding the opposite end of the first terminal; a first recess disposed near the partition wall; and a stepped portion disposed near the partition wall to define a second recess together with the plate, and wherein the second coupling portion comprises coupling members defining the third receiving recess and coupled to the first recess and the second recess in a fitting manner.

16 . The fuel cell according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a wire coupled to the second protruding portion in a female-male coupling manner.

17 . The fuel cell according to claim 16 , wherein the wire includes an end portion coupled to the fourth receiving recess in a fitting manner.

18 . The fuel cell according to claim 16 , wherein the wire is integrated with the second connector.

19 . The fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein one of the first terminal and the second terminal comprises a pair of male heater terminals protruding in the second direction, and
wherein a remaining one of the first terminal and the second terminal comprises a pair of female heater terminals receiving the pair of male heater terminals inserted thereinto.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Ko Hyun Woong

Classifications

• H01M8/2465

  Details of groupings of fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04701

  Temperature · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01M8/241

  with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes · CPC title