JP4643238B2 - Fuel cell pressure regulator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell pressure regulator, and more particularly to a fuel cell pressure regulator for supplying fuel to a fuel cell provided in an electronic device such as a notebook personal computer.

  In recent years, fuel cells have attracted attention as portable power sources. As the pressure adjusting mechanism for the fuel cell, for example, a first pressure adjusting chamber and a second pressure adjusting chamber partitioned by a partition, and a second partition between the second pressure adjusting chamber and the first pressure adjusting chamber. 3 having a pressure adjusting chamber 3 and a support shaft that is connected to a pressure adjusting wall that defines the third pressure adjusting chamber and that penetrates the above-described partition wall and is capable of moving forward and backward (patent) Reference 1). This pressure adjustment mechanism has one external connection hole that communicates with the first pressure adjustment chamber and an external connection hole that communicates with the second pressure adjustment chamber. From one of these external connection holes, fluid (gas ) Inflow and outflow from the other external connection hole.

  On the other hand, a notebook personal computer (hereinafter simply referred to as a notebook PC) incorporating such a fuel cell is known as a portable electronic device (Patent Document 2). These notebook PCs have a main body on which a character input key is disposed, and a cover member that is hinged to the main body so as to be able to cover the main body. A fuel cartridge for supplying fuel to the fuel cell is attached to the outer edge of the front end of the cover member, that is, the outer edge opposite to the hinge coupling portion. The fuel is supplied from the fuel cartridge to the panel of the fuel cell provided behind the display liquid crystal panel of the cover member. The fuel cell disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) that directly supplies methanol to the fuel electrode of the fuel cell, and requires no reformer, thus simplifying the system. There is an advantage that a simple configuration can be achieved.

JP2003-115308A (FIGS. 3 and 4) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2004-179140 (FIG. 1)

  In order to incorporate the pressure adjustment mechanism and the fuel cartridge disclosed in Patent Document 1 into a small electronic device such as a notebook PC disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to reduce the size of the fuel cartridge and the pressure adjustment mechanism. The pressure adjustment mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 has only one external connection hole through which fuel flows, and can be mounted with only one fuel cartridge. Since the usable time of the electronic device is determined by the amount of fuel supplied for the same type of fuel, it is preferable that the capacity of the fuel cartridge is large. However, when an electronic device such as a notebook PC is carried around and used outside, there is a possibility that a replacement fuel cartridge may be carried around. Therefore, it is desirable that the fuel cartridge itself be small. In recent years, there has been a demand for satisfying such conflicting demands. Therefore, for example, when two fuel cartridges are to be mounted in order to increase the capacity of the fuel, the pressure adjustment mechanism becomes large because it is necessary to incorporate the pressure regulation mechanism of the two fuel cartridges, and thus, like a notebook PC. It becomes difficult to incorporate into a small space.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and the present invention provides a small-sized fuel cell pressure regulator that can be mounted with two fuel cells and can be incorporated in a small space. It is intended.

A pressure regulator for a fuel cell according to the present invention is a pressure regulator for a fuel cell for supplying fuel to a fuel cell of an electronic device, and includes an inlet for introducing a fluid having a primary pressure and a primary pressure. A regulating valve for reducing the pressure to the secondary pressure, a pressure regulating chamber into which the fluid that has passed through the regulating valve flows, a pressure regulating chamber and an air chamber, and a diaphragm that is displaced by receiving the secondary pressure in the pressure regulating chamber; The pressure regulator includes a member that interlocks the diaphragm and the regulating valve, and a discharge port that discharges a fluid having a secondary pressure. The inlet ports are arranged in a pair opposite to each other. Is.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the outlet can be configured to be oriented perpendicular to a predetermined axis along the outer edge of the electronic device and through the pressure regulator. Here, the right-angle direction includes a direction slightly deviated from 90 degrees in addition to the case of the 90-degree direction.

Moreover, it is preferable that the introduction port is at a position deviated in opposite directions with respect to a predetermined axis.

  Further, the pair of introduction ports can be configured to be spaced apart in parallel from the central axis of the diaphragm and arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to the central axis.

  The pressure regulator for a fuel cell according to the present invention is a pressure regulator for a fuel cell for supplying fuel to a fuel cell of an electronic device, and inlets for introducing a fluid having a primary pressure are opposite to each other. Since one pair is arrange | positioned, there exists the following effect.

  That is, two fuel cartridges can be mounted.

  In addition, when the discharge port is oriented along the outer edge of the electronic device and in a direction perpendicular to a predetermined axis passing through the pressure regulator, the discharge nozzle interferes with the fuel cartridge while arranging two fuel cartridges. There is nothing to do.

Further, when the introduction port is at a position deviated in the opposite directions with respect to the predetermined axis, the distance between the two fuel cartridges can be made closer, and the fuel cartridge can be incorporated into a small space.

  Further, when the pair of introduction ports are configured to be separated from the central axis of the diaphragm in parallel and to be arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to the central axis, the fuel cartridge is arranged in a linear arrangement direction of the fuel cartridge. The size of the fuel cartridge can be reduced by reducing the size, and the installed fuel cartridge can be arranged in a straight line in a small space, and the size of the fuel cartridge is increased by the size reduction of the pressure regulator. Thus, the capacity of the fuel in the predetermined space can be increased.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a pressure regulator for a fuel cell according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a fuel cell pressure regulator (hereinafter simply referred to as a pressure regulator) and a notebook PC (electronic device) 1 incorporating a fuel cartridge according to a specific example of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the notebook PC main body taken along line 2-2 in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the notebook PC 1 has a rectangular main body 2 with built-in electronic components such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown) and a keypad (not shown) arranged on the upper surface 2d. And a cover member 8 rotatably attached to the rear end portion of the main body 2 by a hinge portion 6. The cover member 8 has a rectangular shape that covers the main body 2. Here, for the sake of convenience, the front and rear of the notebook PC 1 is defined as “front” on the operator side (left side in FIG. 1) and “rear” on the opposite side (right side in FIG. 2). A liquid crystal display panel, that is, a liquid crystal display unit 10 is disposed on the front surface of the cover member 8, that is, the surface facing the operator side. Further, a panel fuel cell 26 is incorporated in the cover member 8 on the back side of the liquid crystal display unit 10. In FIG. 1, only a region where the fuel cell 26 is located is indicated by a one-dot chain line. Since the fuel cell 26 itself is not the gist of the present invention, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  A curved convex portion 2 b that bulges in a curved shape on the lower surface 2 a of the main body 2 is formed along the linear outer edge 12 of the main body 2 at the rear end portion of the main body 2. By forming the curved convex portion 2b, when the notebook PC 1 is placed on a flat surface 28 such as a desk, for example, the upper surface 2d of the notebook PC 1 is inclined so as to slightly face the operator. . This inclination makes it easier for the operator to press the keyboard.

  The curved convex portion 2 b is formed with cartridge accommodating cavities (hereinafter simply referred to as “accommodating cavities”) 14, 14 that open to both end faces 2 c, 2 c of the main body 2 along the outer edge 12. Between the two receiving cavities 14, 14, a pressure regulator 50 of the supply device is arranged. One fuel cartridge (hereinafter simply referred to as a cartridge) 100 is inserted into each housing cavity 14 from the opening 14 a of the housing cavity 14 and connected to the pressure regulator 50.

  Since the two accommodation cavities 14 are the same, only one of the accommodation cavities 14 will be described. In the opening 14a of the housing cavity 14, notches 16 and 18 are formed, which open to the upper surface 2d of the main body 2 and the curved convex portion 2b of the lower surface 2a, respectively. The notches 16 and 18 are formed along the longitudinal direction of the receiving cavity 14, and each notch 16 and 18 can access the cartridge 100 by putting the cartridge 100 in the receiving cavity 14 into the notches 16 and 18. It has a width and a length along the outer edge 12. The cartridge 100 pushed into the receiving cavity 14 and connected to the pressure regulator 50 is picked and removed by inserting a finger from these notches 16 and 18.

  A keying means, that is, a key rib 15 for positioning the cartridge 100 along the outer peripheral direction is formed in the accommodation cavity 14. The key rib 15 protrudes into the accommodating cavity 14 along the longitudinal direction of the accommodating cavity 14 so as to engage with a key groove 106 (FIG. 4) described later of the cartridge 100 inserted into the accommodating cavity 14. Yes.

  A cap 20 is attached to the opening 14a. The cap 20 has a substantially disc-shaped plate portion 22 that is substantially flush with the end surface 2c of the main body 2 when attached to the opening 14a. Complementary tongue pieces 22 a and 22 b corresponding to the notches 16 and 18, respectively, are integrally projected at right angles to the plate portion 22 at the upper and lower ends of the plate portion 22. The cap 20 and the opening 14a may be connected to each other by appropriate means, for example, a concave / convex engaging portion including a projection and a recess (not shown), or a latch arm and a latch engaging portion (none of which is shown) engaged with the latch arm. It is configured to be engaged and fixed to each other. These engaging portions can be provided in the cap 20 and the main body 2 so as to be compatible with each other. Further, an elastic body, that is, a coil spring 24 for holding the cartridge 100 accommodated therein is attached inwardly to the inner surface 23 of the plate portion 22, that is, the surface facing the accommodation cavity 14. The elastic body is not limited to the coil spring 24, and an elastic member such as a leaf spring, sponge-like foamed resin, or rubber can be used.

  The cartridge 100 attached to the pressure regulator 50 of the main body 2 is a flexible tube made of, for example, silicone and connected to the pressure regulator 50 after the fuel in the cartridge 100 is regulated by the pressure regulator 50. The fuel cell 26 is supplied through 30.

Next, the mounting relationship between the cartridge 100 and the pressure regulator 50 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 shows the positional relationship between the pressure regulator 50 and the cartridge 100 when the cartridge 100 is mounted on the pressure regulator 50, FIG. 3 (a) is a plan view, and FIG. 3 (b) is a front view. . A portion of the pressure regulator 50 to which the cartridge 100 is connected, that is, the introduction convex portion 52 is formed on the case 54 of the pressure regulator 50 in opposite directions. As shown in FIG. 3A, these introduction protrusions 52 are at the same position in the front-rear direction 4, that is, at the same position when viewed from above. Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, when viewed from the front, they are arranged apart from each other along the vertical direction 5. Further, the connecting portion 102 of the cartridge 100 is inserted into the introduction convex portion 52 of the pressure regulator 50, and the connecting portion 102 is offset from the central axis 103 along the longitudinal direction of the cartridge 100. It can be seen that the aforementioned tube 30 is formed in the pressure regulator 50.

  A pair of the same cartridge 100 is attached to the pressure regulator 50. As shown in FIG. 3A, the cartridge 100 is formed with a key groove 106 extending in the insertion direction of the cartridge 100 in the shoulder portion 104. As described above, the key groove 106 is engaged with the key rib 15 formed in the housing cavity 14 and is positioned in the rotational direction around the central axis 103 of the cartridge 100. With this positioning, when the cartridge 100 is inserted, the connecting portion 102 is aligned with the introduction convex portion 52 and smoothly inserted.

  Next, the cartridge 100 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cartridge 100 passing through the connecting portion 102. The cartridge 100 has a cylindrical shape as a whole. For example, a transparent hollow cylindrical outer container (container main body) 108 made of polycarbonate and the outer container 108 are respectively crowned to seal the outer container 108. It has an upper lid 110 and a lower lid 112. Here, for the sake of convenience, the term “up and down” refers to the up and down direction in FIG. In the outer container 108, for example, a transparent inner container 114 made of polycarbonate is disposed, and a partition wall member 116 is disposed in the lower part of the inner container 114. A fuel storage chamber 118 for storing alcohol fuel such as methyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol is formed in the inner container 114 by the partition member 116. As fuel, in addition to alcohol fuel, dimethyl ether or the like may be used. The dimensions of the inner container 114 and the outer container 108 are determined so that a gap S is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the inner container 114 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer container 108.

  The material of the outer container 108 is preferably polycarbonate resin in terms of toughness and transparency, but may be AS resin or ABS resin. The material of the inner container 114 is preferably a polypropylene resin in terms of methanol fuel resistance. Since the outer container 108 and the inner container 114 are transparent, the position of the partition member 116 that moves in the inner container 114 according to the consumption of fuel can be known, and the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel storage chamber 118 can be visually checked. I can grasp it. The upper lid 110 and the lower lid 112 of the outer container 108 are made of, for example, polycarbonate resin, and are fixed to the outer container 108 by ultrasonic welding. Any one of the upper lid 110 and the lower lid 112 may be molded integrally with the outer container 108.

A connecting portion 102 is attached to the upper lid 110 at a position deviated from the central axis 103. The connection part 102 is entirely formed in a cylindrical shape, and has an attachment part 122 and a flange part 124 in which a male screw is formed. The connection portion 102 is attached by attaching the attachment portion 122 into the screw hole 120 of the upper lid 110. The connection part 102 has a through hole 126 that penetrates along the longitudinal direction of the connection part 102. A sealing shaft 128 is slidably disposed in the through hole 126 in the through hole 126. The sealing shaft 128 has a large-diameter portion 130 that is in sliding contact with the inner surface of the through hole 126 at the upper end, and a valve body, that is, an O-ring 132 is attached to the peripheral groove at the lower end. Further, a reduced diameter portion 134 is formed in the central portion of the through hole 126. A compression coil spring 136 is mounted between the sealing shaft 128 and the reduced diameter portion 134, and normally urges the sealing shaft 128 upward. As a result, the O-ring 132 is pressed against the reduced diameter portion 134 and the inside of the outer container 108 is sealed. A circumferential groove 138 is formed in the vicinity of the upper end of the connecting portion 102, and an O-ring 140 is mounted in the circumferential groove 138. An O-ring 142 is attached to the circumferential groove near the lower end of the connecting portion 102.

The lower end of the inner container 114 is open, and a substantially cylindrical convex portion 146 is formed on the closed top wall 144 at a position deviated from the central axis 103 corresponding to the connecting portion 102. A concave portion 147 is formed at the upper end of the convex portion 146. A hole 146 a penetrating in parallel with the central axis 103 is formed in the convex portion 146. The hole 146 a communicates with the through hole 126 when the lower end portion of the connection portion 102 is received in the recess 147. The inner surface of the top wall 144 is substantially complementary to the upper surface 116 d of the partition wall member 116. With this shape, the fuel can be discharged without waste.

  The partition member 116 includes a disk-shaped or columnar upper portion 116a having an outer diameter disposed in the inner container 114, and a rib 148 formed integrally with the upper portion 116a at the lower end of the upper portion 116a. The ribs 148 are formed radially at a plurality of locations. A circumferential groove 116b is formed on the outer periphery of the upper portion 116a, and an O-ring 150 is attached to the circumferential groove 116b. The O-ring 150 is in sliding contact with the inner surface of the inner container 114 and maintains the inside of the fuel storage chamber 118 in a sealed state. An annular groove 116 c is formed in the lower center of the upper part 116 a, and the inside of the annular groove 116 c becomes the boss 152. A compression coil spring 154 is interposed between the annular groove 116 c and the lower lid 112. Further, a notch 114 a is formed in the lower part of the inner container 114 along the longitudinal direction of the inner container 114. This notch 114a is open to the lower end of the inner container 114, and has a length extending from directly below the O-ring 150 when the partition wall member 116 is at the lower end as shown in FIG. .

In the fuel storage chamber 118, a fuel of a predetermined concentration of methanol and pure water or a mixed liquid of ethanol and pure water is accommodated. The space 156 between the inner container 114 and the outer container 108 is filled with the pressurized gas G, and the lower space 158 of the partition member 116 communicated by the notch 114a of the inner container 114 by the pressure of the pressurized gas G. The partition member 116 is pressed upward. Therefore, the fuel in the fuel storage chamber 118 is always in a pressurized state, and the fuel is discharged from the connecting portion 102 to the outside as soon as the sealing of the connecting portion 102 is released. As the pressurized gas G, an inert gas is used.
Next, the outline of the pressure regulator 50 will be described with reference to FIG. 5 shows the pressure regulator 50, FIG. 5 (a) is a perspective view seen from above, and FIG. 5 (b) is a plan view. The pressure regulator 50 includes a case 54 including a main body portion 56 and a cover portion 58. The main body portion 56 and the cover portion 58 each have flanges 56a and 58a having a substantially rectangular shape. These flanges 56 a and 58 a are arranged so as to face each other, and are fixed to each other by a screw 60 and integrated. A circular convex portion 58b is projected from the cover portion 58, and a screw adjusting portion 58c is further projected from the circular convex portion 58b.

The main body 56 has two flat side walls 56b and 56b ′ facing each other and a pair of rectangular recesses 56c and 56d formed vertically so as to be orthogonal to the side walls 56b and 56b ′. Here, the vertical direction means the vertical direction in FIG. 5A for convenience. On each side wall 56b, 56b ′, two cylindrical introduction convex portions 52 are formed in the horizontal direction in opposite directions. The two introduction convex portions 52 are formed at positions that are biased to the opposite sides in the vertical direction. The introduction convex portion 52 is formed with an introduction port 52a into which the connecting portion 102 of the cartridge 100 is mounted. Further, a discharge nozzle 62 for discharging the fuel adjusted to the secondary pressure is provided in the upper recess 56c so as to protrude upward.

  Next, the details of the internal structure of the pressure regulator 50 will be described with reference to FIG. 6 shows a cross-section of the pressure regulator 50, FIG. 6 (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6a-6a in FIG. 5 (b), and FIG. 6 (b) is taken along line 6b-6b in FIG. 5 (b). Each of the cross-sectional views is shown. As shown in FIG. 6A, the main body 56 is formed with screw holes 64 for receiving the introduction convex portions 52 at the upper part of the side wall 56b and the lower part of the side wall 56b '. Note that the two introduction convex portions 52 have the same shape that are spaced apart from each other in the opposite direction and symmetrical with respect to the central axis 51 that passes through the center of the diaphragm 82 of the pressure regulator 50. Therefore, only the introduction convex portion 52 on one side will be described, and description on the other side will be omitted. The introduction convex portion 52 has a distal end cylindrical portion 52b in which an introduction port 52a is formed, and a male screw portion 52c to be screwed into the screw hole 64. The introduction port 52 a is directed parallel to the main surface of the diaphragm 82. The male screw part 52c has a smaller diameter than the front end cylinder part 52b, and has a rearwardly facing step part 52d on the back surface of the front end cylinder part 52b. A forward stepped portion 64 b is formed in the opening of the screw hole 64. When the introduction convex portion 52 is screwed into the screw hole 64, the O-ring 66a is compressed between the step portion 52d and the step portion 64b to seal between the distal end cylindrical portion 52b and the main body portion 56.

  An opening 52 e is formed at the center in the introduction port 52 a of the introduction convex portion 52. The opening 52e continues to the hole 52g having a larger diameter than the opening 52e through the step 52f. A sealing shaft 68 is slidably disposed in the hole 52g. The sealing shaft 68 includes a tapered tip 68a protruding from the opening 52e, a flange 68b accommodated in the hole 52g, and a main shaft 68c accommodated in the hole 52g. The diameter of the main shaft 68c is substantially the same as the diameter of the tip 68a, and a cylindrical space is formed between the hole 52g. A compression coil spring 70a is disposed in this space. The compression coil spring 70a is disposed in a compressed state between the bottom wall 64a of the screw hole 64 and the flange 68b. An O-ring 66b is disposed between the flange 68b and the step portion 52f. Therefore, since the flange 68b presses the O-ring 66b against the stepped portion 52f by the elastic force of the compression coil spring 70a, the inside of the hole 52g and the introduction port 52a are closed.

  Next, the details will be described with reference to FIG. The two screw holes 64 communicate with an intermediate chamber 72 located in the middle of the two screw holes 64. The intermediate chamber 72 extends in a direction orthogonal to the screw hole 64, that is, a direction along the central axis 51. The intermediate chamber 72 is formed inward from the end wall 74 of the main body portion 56. The opening 72a opened to the end wall 74 is sealed with a plug 76 by screwing. The intermediate chamber 72 can communicate with an adjacent pressure regulating chamber 80 through a partition wall 78 in which an opening 78a is formed.

  The cover portion 58 is attached to the front surface 56e of the main body portion 56 as described above. Between the main body part 56 and the cover part 58, a substantially disk-shaped diaphragm 82 is attached in a state of being pressed from both sides. The diaphragm 82 has an opening 82a at the center and an annular raised portion 82b concentric with the opening 82a. A sealing member 84 is attached to the diaphragm 82 on the pressure regulating chamber 80 side, and a supporter 86 is attached to the opposite side.

  The sealing member 84 includes a flange portion 84a serving as a mounting surface to the diaphragm 82, a boss portion 84b protruding from the flange portion 84a, and a sealing shaft (member) 84c inserted from the boss portion 84b into the opening 78a. Have concentric. The sealing member 84 is formed with a screw hole 84d in alignment with the opening 82a of the diaphragm 82. An O-ring 66c is crowned at the tip of the sealing shaft 84c, and an O-ring 66d is crowned near the shoulder 84e of the boss 84b. These O-rings 66 c and 66 d are arranged in a circumferential groove formed in the sealing shaft 68 so as to be located on the opposite sides of the partition wall 78. The sealing shaft 84c and the O-ring 66c constitute an adjustment valve that reduces the primary pressure to the secondary pressure.

  The above-described supporter 86 is a substantially disk-shaped member, and a male screw portion 86a to be screwed into the screw hole 84d of the sealing member 84 is formed at the center. With this configuration, the diaphragm 82 is sandwiched between the sealing member 84 and the supporter 86. In other words, the sealing member 84 is attached to the diaphragm 82 by engaging the supporter 86 with the diaphragm 82 interposed therebetween.

  Further, the cover portion 58 has a concave portion that accommodates the diaphragm 82 and the supporter 86, that is, an atmospheric chamber 58d. The recess 58d communicates with a hole 58e of a screw adjusting portion 58c in which a female screw is formed. A pressure adjusting screw 59 is screwed into the hole 58e and fixed. A compression coil spring 70b is compressed between the inward shoulder 59a of the pressure adjusting screw 59 and the supporter 86, and an appropriate pressure is applied to the diaphragm 82. This pressure is adjusted by a pressure adjusting screw 59. That is, the pressure is regulated so that the difference between the secondary pressure in the pressure regulating chamber 80 and the atmospheric pressure becomes substantially constant. The pressure regulating chamber 80 has an inner surface substantially complementary to the outer diameter of the sealing member 84. A discharge port 62 a communicating with the pressure regulating chamber 80 is formed in the discharge nozzle 62 of the recess 56 c described above.

  Next, an aspect when the cartridge 100 is attached to the pressure regulator 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. The cartridge 100 is partially shown in FIG. 7 and omitted in the other FIGS. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state before the cartridge 100 is attached to the pressure regulator 50, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an initial stage of connecting the cartridge 100, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a state immediately before the connection is completed. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the connection is completed, and each is shown together with the connection portion 102 of the cartridge 100.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the cartridge 100 has the connection portion 102 in a state where the axis of the connection portion 102 and the axis of the introduction port 52 a of the introduction convex portion 52 are substantially aligned by the keying means including the key groove 106 described above. Approaches the inlet 52a. At this time, the inside of the connecting portion 102 is filled with fuel pressurized to the primary pressure. Next, as shown in FIG. 8, when the connecting portion 102 is inserted into the introduction port 52a, the distal end portion 68a of the sealing shaft 68 on the pressure regulator 50 side and the distal end of the sealing shaft 128 on the cartridge 100 side. In contact with the recess 128a. However, the sealing shafts 68 and 128 are not moved. That is, the sealed state is maintained in the cartridge 100, and the sealed state is also maintained in the pressure regulator 50. At this time, the O-ring 140 of the connecting portion 102 is pressed against the inner surface of the introduction port 52a, and the inside of the introduction port 52a is sealed to be in a multi-state.

  When the cartridge 100 is further pressed, the connection portion 102 further enters the introduction port 52a as shown in FIG. At this time, since the compression coil spring 70a of the sealing shaft 68 is set to be less elastic than the compression coil spring 136 on the cartridge 100 side, the sealing shaft 68 is pushed into the screw hole 64 by the sealing shaft 128. This operation continues until the main shaft 68c of the sealing shaft 68 contacts the bottom wall 64a of the screw hole 64. As a result, the O-ring 66b in the screw hole 64 is separated from the stepped portion 52f, and the opening 52e is unsealed. However, in the connection part 102 of the cartridge 100, the O-ring 132 is still in contact with the reduced diameter part 134 of the connection part 102, so that the primary pressure fuel has not yet been injected into the introduction port 52a.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10, when the cartridge 100 is further pushed in and completely inserted, the cartridge is brought into contact with the bottom wall 64 a of the screw hole 64 and is prevented from further movement by the sealing shaft 68. The sealing shaft 128 on the 100 side is pushed inward of the cartridge 100, the O-ring 132 is separated from the reduced diameter portion 134, and the primary pressure fuel is supplied to the reduced diameter portion 134, the large diameter portion 130, the opening 52e, the screw. It flows into the intermediate chamber 72 through the hole 64.

  Here, referring to FIG. 6B again, a further flow path of the fuel will be described. The pressure regulating chamber 80 is set so that the balance of the diaphragm 82 is maintained at a desired secondary pressure in advance with respect to the atmospheric pressure on the right side of the diaphragm 82. If the pressure in the pressure regulating chamber 80 drops below a predetermined secondary pressure due to the fuel being discharged from the discharge nozzle 62, the atmospheric pressure exceeds the secondary pressure and the diaphragm 82 is adjusted by the spring 70b. It is pushed out to the pressure chamber 80 side. As a result, the O-ring 66 c is separated from the partition wall 78, and the fuel in the intermediate chamber 72 higher than the set secondary pressure flows into the pressure regulating chamber 80. When the pressure in the pressure regulating chamber 80 increases to a desired secondary pressure, the diaphragm 82 returns to the right, the O-ring 66c is again brought into pressure contact with the partition wall 78, and the intermediate chamber 72 and the pressure regulating chamber 80 are Closed to each other. This operation is repeatedly performed according to the consumption of the fuel while the supply of the fuel is continued.

  As the fuel is consumed over time and decreases, the partition member 116 is gradually pushed into the inner container 114 by the pressure of the pressurized gas G by the pressurized gas G. Then, the fuel is discharged from the connecting portion 102 until the partition member 116 comes close to the top wall 144.

  Although the present embodiment has been described based on the case where two fuel cartridges 100 are used, the number of fuel cartridges connected to the pressure regulator 50 is not limited to two, and the fuel cartridge 100 and the pressure regulator are used. It is also possible to connect two or more fuel cartridges between the fuel cartridges 50 using a branch pipe (not shown). For example, by connecting four fuel cartridges, the fuel capacity per one can be reduced, and the fuel cartridge can be further downsized. As described above, by connecting a plurality of fuel cartridges, a large amount of fuel can be supplied with a small fuel cartridge. Further, in the present embodiment, the case of one discharge port 62a of the pressure regulator 50 has been described, but the number is not limited to one, and may be two or more. Further, the connection port of the fuel cell 26 to which the discharge port 62a of the pressure regulator 50 is connected is not limited to one, and may be two or more. The number of discharge ports 62a of the pressure regulator 50 and the number of connection ports of the fuel cell 26 are not necessarily the same. In order to uniformly supply fuel to a plurality of unit cells (not shown) constituting the fuel cell 26, it is preferable that there are two or more connection ports of the fuel cell 26. Further, in the fuel cell 26, a unit in which a plurality of the unit cells are connected in series is used as one power generation unit (not shown). When the unit is composed of a plurality of power generation units, the fuel is uniformly distributed to each power generation unit. In order to supply, it is preferable that the pressure can be adjusted corresponding to each power generation unit. By providing a secondary pressure regulator (not shown) between the pressure regulator 50 and the fuel cartridge, the fuel supply to each of the power generation units described above becomes uniform.

  The present invention contributes to the spread of electronic devices equipped with fuel cells.

The schematic perspective view of the notebook PC incorporating the pressure regulator for fuel cells which shows one specific example of this invention. Sectional drawing of the notebook PC main body which follows the 2-2 line in FIG. The positional relationship between the fuel cell pressure regulator and the fuel cartridge when the fuel cartridge is mounted on the fuel cell pressure regulator is shown, (a) is a plan view, and (b) is a front view. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which passes along a connection part of a fuel cartridge. The pressure regulator for fuel cells of this invention is shown, (a) is the perspective view seen from the upper side, (b) shows a top view, respectively. 5 shows a cross section of the pressure regulator for a fuel cell of FIG. 5, wherein (a) is a cross sectional view taken along line 6a-6a in FIG. 5 (b), and (b) is a cross section taken along line 6b-6b in FIG. 5 (b). Each figure is shown. Sectional drawing which shows the state before a fuel cartridge is attached to the pressure regulator for fuel cells of FIG. 5 with the connection part of a fuel cartridge. Sectional drawing of the pressure regulator for fuel cells which shows the initial stage which connected the fuel cartridge with the connection part of a fuel cartridge. Sectional drawing of the pressure regulator for fuel cells shown with the connection part of a fuel cartridge which shows the state just before completion of a connection. Sectional drawing of the pressure regulator for fuel cells which shows the state which the connection was completed with the connection part of a fuel cartridge.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Notebook-type personal computer (electronic device), 12 ... Outer edge, 26 ... Fuel cell, 50 ... Pressure regulator for fuel cells, 51 ... Center axis, 52a ... Inlet port, 58d ... Air chamber, 62a ... Outlet port, 66c DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS O-ring (regulation valve), 80 ... Pressure regulation chamber, 82 ... Diaphragm, 84c ... Member (regulation valve), 100 ... Fuel cartridge, 102 ... Connection part, 103 ... Center axis

Claims (3)

A pressure regulator for a fuel cell that is mounted on a portable electronic device and supplies liquid fuel to a fuel cell in the electronic device, and directly connects a connection port of a pair of fuel cartridges that contain the same kind of liquid fuel A pair of inlets for introducing the same kind of liquid fuel having a primary pressure from these fuel cartridges , a regulating valve for reducing the primary pressure of the liquid fuel to a secondary pressure, and the regulating valve A pressure regulating chamber into which the liquid fuel that has passed through, a pressure regulating chamber and an atmospheric chamber are defined, a diaphragm that is displaced by receiving a secondary pressure in the pressure regulating chamber, and the diaphragm and the regulating valve Bei example a member for interlocking, and a discharge port for discharging the liquid fuel with the secondary pressure,
The fuel cell pressure regulator , wherein the pair of introduction ports are arranged in opposite directions along the outer edge of the electronic device and biased to the opposite sides with respect to the axis passing through the pressure regulator. vessel.   2. The pressure regulator for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the discharge port is oriented in a direction perpendicular to a predetermined axis along the outer edge of the electronic device and passing through the pressure regulator. 3. The pressure adjustment for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the pair of introduction ports are spaced parallel to the central axis of the diaphragm and are symmetrical with respect to the central axis. 4. vessel.

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