Method and apparatus for manufacturing a fuel cell electrode
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYoshifumi Kaji, Masashi Murate
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Abstract
In the method and apparatus for manufacturing a fuel cell electrode, electrode material is electrostatically held on a photosensitive drum with a prescribed pattern. The electrode material of the prescribed pattern is then transferred from the photosensitive drum onto an electrolyte membrane or a membrane of a diffusion layer. The transferred electrode material of the prescribed pattern is then fixed to the membrane. The electrode material may be electrostatically applied to the membrane a plurality of times in order to vary the electrode structure in the thickness direction.
Claims42
A method for manufacturing a fuel cell electrode, comprising:
- applying a powdery electrode material to a rotary element with a prescribed pattern, wherein the powdery electrode material is contained in a screen drum whose surface is at least partially formed from mesh, and a squeegee provided within the screen drum presses the electrode material against the rotary element in order to apply the electrode material to the rotary element through the mesh region of the screen drum;
- transferring the applied electrode material from the rotary element onto a target membrane;
- and
- fixing the transferred electrode material to the target membrane.
An apparatus for manufacturing a fuel cell electrode, comprising:
- a first transfer section including a rotary element and an applying device that applies a powdery electrode material with a prescribed pattern to a surface of the rotary element, the rotary element transfers the applied electrode material to a target membrane, wherein the applying device includes a screen drum whose surface is at least partially formed from mesh, and a squeegee that is provided within the screen drum and presses the electrode material contained in the screen drum;
- and
- a fixing section including a fixing device that fixes the transferred electrode material to the target membrane.
A method for manufacturing a fuel cell electrode, comprising:
- pressing a powdery electrode material contained in a screen drum whose surface is at least partially formed from mesh by using a squeegee provided within the screen drum, thereby directly applying the electrode material with a prescribed pattern to a target membrane through the mesh region of the screen drum;
- and
- fixing the applied electrode material to the target membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.