# US 10,483,584 B2 · Fuel cell device

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- Number: US 10,483,584 B2
- Document ID: US10483584B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/933,375
- Filed: 2015-11-05
- Published: 2016-05-12
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2014-11-06
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Makoto Takeyama
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10483584B2

## CPC

- H01M 8/247: Arrangements for tightening a stack, for accommodation of a stack in a tank or for assembling different tanks
- H01M 8/2475: Enclosures, casings or containers of fuel cell stacks
- H01M 8/248: Means for compression of the fuel cell stacks
- H01M 2008/1095: {Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes}
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A fuel cell device includes: a cell stack; a case including a cover portion that covers one of side surfaces of the cell stack along a stacking direction; an end plate connected to one end portion of the cover portion in the stacking direction; and a fastening member that extends in parallel with the stacking direction on an opposite side of the cell stack from the cover portion, that includes one end portion in the stacking direction connected to the end plate and another end portion in the stacking direction connected to the case, and that fastens the cell stack, the end plate, and the case to each other. A thermal expansion coefficient of the cover portion is larger than a thermal expansion coefficient of the fastening member.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel cell device comprising:
a cell stack including a plurality of unit cells that are stacked;
a case including a cover portion that covers one of side surfaces of the cell stack, the side surfaces of the cell stack extending along a stacking direction along which the plurality of unit cells are stacked;
an end plate connected to one end portion of the cover portion in the stacking direction and disposed on an outer side of the cell stack in the stacking direction; and
a fastening member that extends in parallel with the stacking direction on an opposite side of the cell stack from the cover portion, that includes one end portion in the stacking direction connected to the end plate and another end portion in the stacking direction connected to the case, and that fastens the cell stack, the end plate, and the case to each other and compresses the cell stack, the end plate, and the case in the stacking direction, wherein
a thermal expansion coefficient of the cover portion is larger than a thermal expansion coefficient of the fastening member, and
a rigidity of the fastening member is lower than a rigidity of the cover portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell device according to claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional area of the fastening member along a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the cover portion along the direction perpendicular to the stacking direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell device according to claim 1, wherein:
the case is formed of aluminum; and
the fastening member is formed of iron.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell device according to claim 1, wherein the fastening member includes a plurality of rod members disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell device according to claim 1, wherein the cover portion includes a protruding portion formed at an end portion of the cover portion that protrudes toward the cell stack.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The fuel cell device according to claim 2, wherein the cover portion includes a protruding portion formed at an end portion of the cover portion that protrudes toward the cell stack.