JP2004146282A - Separator gasket - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance performance and reliability of a fitting member by minimizing increase in rubber volume, at the same time, ensuring a pressure receiving area, and safely, surely fixing and sealing independent of inner pressure in a separator gasket made of an elastic body for a fuel cell. <P>SOLUTION: A projection-shaped bead 21 is installed, and a plurality of projecting strips 11 are formed in a position interposing the bead 21 to a mating contact part corresponding to the bead 21. The separator gasket is safely, surely fixed against high inner pressure, and sealing performance and reliability are enhanced. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
[Industrial application fields]
The present invention proposes a structure capable of receiving internal pressure when a gasket is disposed on a sealing member made of a material having low adhesive strength. Specifically, the structure is used for a fuel cell separator. The present invention relates to a suitable separator gasket.
[0002]
[Contents of prior art]
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-179755 Conventionally, an adhesive or an elastic gasket is used as a sealing material as a gas and liquid sealing material in a solid polymer electrolyte membrane in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell. Yes.
The mounting structure is such that a gasket is disposed between separators that partition the collector electrode frame on which the solid polymer electrolyte membrane is formed, and the gasket is integrally disposed along the gasket mounting flange of the separator. What is sandwiched between the other separators is a general mounting structure.
In many cases, a silicone-based material is used for the separator gasket used here, and a silicone-based adhesive is also used as an adhesive for adhering the gasket.
[0003]
However, since the gasket and the adhesive are silicone materials that are difficult to be firmly attached to the metal material of the mounting flange, it is not possible to obtain a sufficient fixing force, and the positional displacement is easily caused by the internal pressure during operation. This may cause the contents to be leaked.
In addition, the position of the fuel cell stack is not protected against misalignment, and the assembly workability is poor.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In order to solve the problems as described above, a shape in which the protruding height of the bead 21 to be compressed of the gasket main body 2a is provided high and wide as shown in FIG. 3 is conceivable. Since the volume increases, the material cost increases, the load required for compression increases, and the separators 1a and 1b may be deformed by the increased load.
Although a method (not shown) of reducing the reaction force of the gasket material by reducing the rubber hardness is also conceivable, this results in insufficient surface pressure, leading to a decrease in the sealing performance itself.
[0005]
The present invention solves such drawbacks, secures compressibility while minimizing the increase in rubber volume, and enhances the performance and reliability of the mounting member by securely fixing and sealing a member with high internal pressure. The purpose is that.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, an elastic made of synthetic rubber or synthetic resin that is attached and compressed between opposing separators 1a and 1b and seals the two members 1a and 1b. A separator gasket 2 for a fuel cell comprising a body, wherein the separator gasket 2 is provided with a protruding bead 21 facing the other separator 1a or 1b, and a mating contact portion corresponding to the separator gasket 2 A plurality of ridges 11 are formed so as to sandwich the bead 21.
[0007]
Also, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of the beads 21 are disposed, and the beads 21 are fitted into the contact portions of the mating separator (shown here as 1b) facing the separator gasket 2 ′. The feature is that the ridges 11 are formed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0008]
The separator gasket 2, 2 'according to the present invention does not seek to firmly attach the separator gasket 2 or 2' to the separator 1a as described above, but the separator gasket 2 or 2 'is attached to the separator 1a or 1b. A means for holding and fixing is provided, which is configured such that the bead 21 of the separator gasket 2 is sandwiched between the ridges 11, or the ridge 11 is inserted between the beads 21 to be fixed. If necessary, the ridges 12 can be installed on both sides of the mounting portion where the separator gasket 2 or 2 'is disposed.
[0009]
【Example】
It is preferable that the separator gasket 2 or 2 ′ ridge 11 for the fuel cell of the present invention is provided on both side surfaces of the bead 21 as shown in FIG. 1 in terms of balance without being laterally displaced or meandering. For example, when the installation area is large, a plurality of beads 21 are provided as shown in FIG. 2, and if the ridges 11 are arranged between the beads 21, the plurality of beads 21 are formed. The ridges 11 are fitted into the troughs to be firmly fixed.
[0010]
Further, as shown in FIG. 1, when the protruding strips 12 are installed on both sides of the mounting portion in order to fix the separator gasket 2 itself, a recess is formed between the protruding strips 12 and the separator gasket 2 is attached. During operation, the ridges 12 are guided and arranged at the normal position, and are safe and do not deviate from the strength of the adhesive against strong internal pressure during operation. Can be expected.
[0011]
Of course, the height of the protruding ridges 11 and the protruding ridges 12 is lower than the height of the beads 21 provided in the separator gaskets 2 and 2 ′, and the compressive stress of the beads 21 is relieved. Depending on the required performance, such as small protrusions that can be made or large protrusions that bite into the gasket body on the contrary. Specifically, a range of 15 to 40% with respect to the height dimension of the bead 21 is preferable.
[0012]
As the material for the separator gasket 2 or 2 'for the fuel cell used here, silicone rubber is mainly used as described above, but other materials such as perfluoroelastomer, butyl rubber, styrene-butadiene copolymer, An ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, an ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer, an ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer, a butadiene rubber, a fluoro rubber, an ethylene-propylene rubber, or the like may be employed.
[0013]
【The invention's effect】
By using the gasket structure according to the present invention, the rubber volume and the installation area are minimized to cope with the compressive stress, and the member with high internal pressure is securely fixed and sealed to improve the performance and reliability of the mounting member. It is a thing. Further, the mounting workability of the separator gasket 2 has an advantage, and provides high accuracy in the assembling properties of the opposing separators 1a and 1b.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of mounting a conventional gasket.
1a separator 1b separator 11 ridge 2 separator gasket 2 'separator gasket 21 bead 12 ridge

Claims (3)

In a separator gasket that is mounted on a separator in a fuel cell and is made of an elastic body that seals between the separators,
The separator gasket is provided with a bead having a ridge shape,
A separator gasket, characterized in that a ridge is formed in such a manner that the bead is sandwiched between mating contact portions corresponding to the separator gasket. In a separator gasket that is mounted on a separator in a fuel cell and is made of an elastic body that seals between the separators,
The separator gasket is provided with a plurality of beads having a ridge shape,
A separator gasket, characterized in that protrusions are formed in an arrangement that fits between the plurality of beads to a mating contact portion facing the separator gasket. 3. The separator gasket according to claim 1, wherein ridges are provided on both sides of a mounting portion where the separator gasket is disposed.

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