# US 12,770,892 B2 · Fuel cell unit and method of assembling thereof

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- Number: US 12,770,892 B2
- Document ID: US12770892B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/314,355
- Filed: 2023-05-09
- Published: 2023-11-16
- Granted: 2026-10-20
- Earliest claimed: 2022-05-10
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha; Toyoda Iron Works Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha; Toyoda Iron Works Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Masayuki Ito; Mikihiro Hori; Kunihiro Iwata; Daiki Shimada
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12770892B2

## CPC

- H01M 8/0206: Metals or alloys
- H01M 8/2404: Processes or apparatus for grouping fuel cells
- H01M 8/2475: Enclosures, casings or containers of fuel cell stacks
- H01M 8/248: Means for compression of the fuel cell stacks
- H01M 2250/40: Combination of fuel cells with other energy production systems
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY

## Abstract

A fuel cell unit includes: a fuel cell stack in which a plurality of fuel cells are stacked; an electrical device; and a bus bar electrically connecting between a terminal of the fuel cell stack and a terminal of the electrical device. The bus bar includes a non-joined portion in which a plurality of metal plates are stacked without being joined to each other. The plurality of metal plates include a first metal plate and a second metal plate thicker than the first metal plate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel cell unit comprising:
a fuel cell stack in which a plurality of fuel cells are stacked;
an electrical device; and
a bus bar electrically connecting between a terminal of the fuel cell stack and a terminal of the electrical device, wherein
the bus bar includes a non-joined portion in which a plurality of metal plates are stacked without being joined to each other, and
the plurality of metal plates include a first metal plate and a second metal plate thicker than the first metal plate, and the second metal plate is smaller in number than the first metal plate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell unit according to claim 1, wherein
the non-joined portion includes a bent portion in which the plurality of metal plates are bent.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell unit according to claim 1, wherein
the number of the second metal plate is one.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell unit according to claim 1, wherein
the bus bar further includes:
a first connection portion connected to the terminal of the fuel cell stack; and
a second connection portion connected to the terminal of the electrical device, and
the non-joined portion is present between the first connection portion and the second connection portion.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The fuel cell unit according to claim 4, wherein
the plurality of metal plates are joined to each other in each of the first connection portion and the second connection portion.

### Claim 6

A fuel cell unit comprising:
a fuel cell stack in which a plurality of fuel cells are stacked;
an electrical device; and
a bus bar electrically connecting between a terminal of the fuel cell stack and a terminal of the electrical device, wherein
the bus bar includes a non-joined portion in which a plurality of metal plates are stacked without being joined to each other, and
the plurality of metal plates include a first metal plate and a second metal plate thicker than the first metal plate, and wherein
a number of the first metal plate is two or more, and
the second metal plate is sandwiched between the two or more first metal plates.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The fuel cell unit according to claim 6, wherein
the second metal plate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and
a number of the first metal plate present on a side of the first surface of the second metal plate is equal to a number of the first metal plate present on a side of the second surface of the second metal plate.

### Claim 8

A method of assembling a fuel cell unit that includes a fuel cell stack in which a plurality of fuel cells are stacked and an electrical device, the method comprising:
forming a bus bar in which a plurality of metal plates including a first metal plate and a second metal plate thicker than the first metal plate are stacked, wherein the second metal plate is smaller in number than the first metal plate;
electrically connecting a first connection portion of the bus bar to a terminal of the fuel cell stack; and
electrically connecting a second connection portion of the bus bar to a terminal of the electrical device, wherein
the forming the bus bar includes joining the plurality of metal plates to each other in each of the first connection portion and the second connection portion without joining the plurality of metal plates to each other in a non-joined portion between the first connection portion and the second connection portion.