# US 10,374,245 B2 · Manufacturing method for reinforced electrolyte membrane and manufacturing apparatus of manufacturing the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,374,245 B2 - Document ID: US10374245B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/892,784 - Filed: 2014-05-15 - Published: 2016-03-31 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-05-21 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Hiroki Kitoh; Hiroshi Harada; Noritoshi Oka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10374245B2 ## CPC - H01M 8/1018: Polymeric electrolyte materials - B29C 51/14: using multilayered preforms or sheets - B32B 37/12: characterised by using adhesives - H01M 8/0293: Matrices for immobilising electrolyte solutions - H01M 8/1058: characterised by a porous support having no ion-conducting properties - H01M 8/1069: characterised by the manufacturing processes - B32B 37/02: characterised by a sequence of laminating steps, e.g. by adding new layers at consecutive laminating stations - B32B 37/203: {One or more of the layers being plastic} - B32B 38/10: Removing layers, or parts of layers, mechanically or chemically - B32B 2260/00: Layered product comprising an impregnated, embedded, or bonded layer wherein the layer comprises an impregnation, embedding, or binder material - B32B 2457/18: Fuel cells - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract In an manufacturing apparatus, a belt-shaped electrolyte polymer is conveyed in a state disposed to a back sheet. A first reinforcement membrane is conveyed in a state disposed to a back sheet, and, in a first sticking section, stuck with the belt-shaped electrolyte polymer. In a first thermocompression bonding section, the belt-shaped electrolyte polymer and the first reinforcement membrane are thermally compressed. At this time, a molten electrolyte polymer reaches between the first reinforcement membrane and the back sheet thereof, and the first adhesiveness between the first reinforcement membrane and the back sheet thereof becomes higher than the second adhesiveness between the belt-shaped electrolyte polymer and the back sheet thereof. A first peel section peels, in this state, the back sheet from the belt-shaped electrolyte polymer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A manufacturing method of manufacturing a reinforced electrolyte membrane that is used in a fuel cell and has a reinforcement member disposed inside thereof, comprising: a step (a) of conveying a belt-shaped electrolyte polymer that is a belt-shaped body of a first electrolyte polymer in a state disposed on a surface of a first back sheet in a longitudinal direction of the belt-shaped electrolyte polymer as a conveying direction; a step (b) of conveying a first belt-shaped reinforcement member that is a belt-shaped body in a state disposed on a surface of a second back sheet in the conveying direction and disposing the first belt-shaped reinforcement member on a surface of the belt-shaped electrolyte polymer; after the step (b), a step (c) of peeling the first back sheet from the belt-shaped electrolyte polymer in a state where a first adhesiveness between the second back sheet and the first belt-shaped reinforcement member is higher than a second adhesiveness between the first back sheet and the belt-shaped electrolyte polymer; and (d) a step of providing a second electrolyte polymer between the second back sheet and the first belt-shaped reinforcement member, wherein the first adhesiveness between the second back sheet and the first belt-shaped reinforcement member is set higher in advance than the second adhesiveness between the first back sheet and the belt-shaped electrolyte polymer before the step (b) by disposing in advance an intermediate layer that contains the second electrolyte polymer between the first belt-shaped reinforcement member and the second back sheet, and the step (b) includes a step of pressing the belt-shaped electrolyte polymer and the first belt-shaped reinforcement member such that a third adhesiveness between the belt-shaped electrolyte polymer and the first belt-shaped reinforcement member is to be higher than the second adhesiveness between the first back sheet and the belt-shaped electrolyte polymer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The manufacturing method according to claim 1, further comprising: a step (e) of disposing a second belt-shaped reinforcement member on the surface of the belt-shaped electrolyte polymer from which the first back sheet was peeled and thermally compressing the belt-shaped electrolyte polymer from which the first back sheet was peeled and the first and second belt-shaped reinforcement members.