JP6329799B2 - Manufacturing method of laminate - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a laminate in which elastic members are arranged on both sides in the thickness direction of a thin plate, which is used as a constituent member of a fuel cell.

  In a fuel cell, a cell in which an electrode member including a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is sandwiched by a separator is a power generation unit. A fuel cell is configured by stacking a number of cells. An elastomer seal member is disposed around the electrode member and between adjacent separators in order to ensure sealing and insulating properties against gas and refrigerant.

  The seal member has an extremely thin and fine shape. For this reason, when manufacturing a fuel cell assembly in which a seal member, a separator, and an electrode member are integrated, the separator and the electrode member are set in a mold, and an elastomer material that is an uncrosslinked elastomer is injection molded. The fine adjustment of the elastomer amount is difficult, and the dimensional accuracy of the seal member cannot be realized. In addition, there is a problem that the MEA is deformed by the injection pressure of the elastomer material.

  Therefore, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, in the manufacture of a fuel cell assembly, an elastomer material is previously formed into a predetermined shape, and this is formed on both sides in the thickness direction of the separator and around the electrode member. The sealing member, the separator, and the electrode member are integrated by arranging and crosslinking. In addition, in Patent Document 2, as a method of manufacturing a separator with a seal member for a fuel cell, a preformed body made of an elastomer material is formed on each of an upper mold and a lower mold connected to each other by a hinge portion so as to be opened and closed. A method is disclosed that includes a step, a step of inserting a separator, and a step of covering the upper mold with a lower mold and clamping the preform to cross-link the preform. Further, in Patent Document 3, as a method of molding a rubber member on both sides in the thickness direction of a thin plate, a process of molding a preform made of an elastomer material on each of an upper mold and a lower mold, and an upper mold and a lower mold And a step of cross-linking the preform by disposing a thin plate between the preforms.

JP 2012-243580 A JP 2004-178777 A JP 2005-47262 A

  According to the conventional method, in order to mold the sealing member on both sides in the thickness direction of the separator, it is necessary to separately mold the two preforms using an upper mold, a lower mold, and the like. For this reason, a manufacturing process increases and cost also increases since a metal mold | die is needed for every preforming body. Further, in the methods disclosed in Patent Documents 2 and 3, one mold is reversed while being accommodated with the molded preform, and is superimposed on the other mold. According to this method, if the adhesion of the preform to the mold is not sufficient, the preform may fall off the mold during reversal. In addition, it is not suitable for mass production because the work becomes complicated.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and can laminate an elastomeric elastic member on both sides in the thickness direction of a thin plate without separately molding two preforms. It is an object to provide a manufacturing method.

  (1) The manufacturing method of the laminated body of this invention is a manufacturing method of the laminated body which has a thin plate and the elastic member made from an elastomer arrange | positioned at the thickness direction both surfaces of this thin plate, Comprising: The uncrosslinked of this elastomer The material is an elastomer material, and one of the both sides in the thickness direction of the thin plate is a first surface, the other is a second surface, and a surface intersecting the first surface and the second surface is a side surface. A preform forming step of arranging a preform formed of the elastomer material and forming the whole elastic member in one mold, and the first surface of the thin plate is set to the first mold side; A thin plate disposing step of disposing the thin plate so as to cover a part of the preform, and a second mold is overlapped on the second surface side of the thin plate and clamped, whereby the other part of the preform A mold clamping step of flowing the second plate along the side surface of the thin plate, the first mold, and the By heating the Nikin type, characterized by having a, a crosslinking step of crosslinking the preform.

  In the thin plate arranging step, the thin plate is arranged so as to cover a part of the preform. Thereby, a part of preform is arrange | positioned at the 1st surface side of a thin plate. In the subsequent mold clamping step, the other part of the preform that is not covered with the thin plate is caused to flow to the second surface side along the side surface of the thin plate. In this way, by using the mold clamping, the other part of the preform is caused to flow toward the second surface side of the thin plate, so that the first surface of the thin plate and the first surface are sandwiched in a C shape. A preform can be arranged on both sides. And an elastic member can be shape | molded on the 1st surface and 2nd surface of a thin plate by bridge | crosslinking a preform in this state.

  According to the manufacturing method of the laminated body of this invention, the elastic member arrange | positioned on the thickness direction both surfaces of a thin plate can be shape | molded from one preforming body. That is, according to the manufacturing method of the laminated body of this invention, it is not necessary to shape | mold two preforming bodies separately. For this reason, a manufacturing process can be reduced and the cost concerning a metal mold | die etc. can be reduced. In addition, it is not necessary to reverse the mold, which has been performed when the preforms formed separately are stacked with a thin plate interposed therebetween. For this reason, the problem that a preforming body falls off does not arise. In addition, work efficiency is improved and mass production becomes possible. Therefore, according to the manufacturing method of the present invention, a laminate in which elastomeric elastic members are formed on both sides in the thickness direction of a thin plate can be manufactured easily and at low cost.

  (2) Preferably, in the configuration of (1), the preform includes a covering portion covered with the thin plate in the thin plate arranging step and a protruding portion protruding in the thickness direction of the thin plate. In the mold clamping step, the projecting portion may be arranged on the side surface and the second surface of the thin plate as the other portion of the preform.

  The preform has a covering portion and a protruding portion. The protruding portion protrudes in the thickness direction of the thin plate laminated on the preform in the thin plate arranging step. For this reason, a protrusion part is pressed and flowed by the 2nd metal mold | die in a mold-clamping process, and is arrange | positioned at the side surface and 2nd surface of a thin plate. According to this structure, a preform can be easily arrange | positioned on the 2nd surface side of a thin plate by making a protrusion part flow using mold clamping.

  (3) Preferably, in the configuration of (1), the second mold includes a recess disposed on the mating surface and a protrusion disposed adjacent to the recess, and the mold clamping In the step, the other portion of the preform that is not covered by the thin plate is pressed by the protrusion, and the other portion is caused to flow into the concave portion of the second mold, whereby the other portion is It is good to set it as the structure arrange | positioned on the said side and said 2nd surface.

  A concave portion and a protruding portion are formed on the mating surface of the second mold. In the mold clamping step, the protrusion of the second mold presses the other part of the preform that is not covered with the thin plate. The preformed body thus extruded flows to the second mold side along the side surface of the thin plate, and is filled in the recesses of the second mold. According to this configuration, the mold can be used to easily place the preform on the second surface side of the thin plate by extruding the other part of the preform with the protrusion provided on the second mold. it can. Moreover, the extrusion amount of a preforming body can be adjusted by changing the magnitude | size of a projection part. For this reason, according to this structure, adjustment of the quantity of the preforming body arrange | positioned on the 2nd surface of a thin plate is easy.

  (4) Preferably, in the configuration of (3) above, the protrusion of the second mold may have a tapered portion or a stepped portion on the concave side.

  According to the configuration of (3) above, the preform molded by the protrusion of the second mold flows to the second mold side along the side surface of the thin plate, and is filled in the recess of the second mold. . At this time, if the protruding portion has a tapered portion or a stepped portion on the concave portion side, the preform becomes easy to flow to the concave portion side. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of a burr | flash can be decreased and the dimensional accuracy of the elastic member shape | molded can be improved.

  (5) Preferably, in any one of the configurations (1) to (4), the stack may be a component of a fuel cell.

  As described above, the elastomer seal members are disposed on both sides in the thickness direction of the separator constituting the fuel cell assembly. Therefore, the method for producing a laminate of the present invention is suitable as a method for producing a separator with a seal member, which is a constituent member of a fuel cell, or a fuel cell assembly.

  (6) Preferably, in the configuration of (5), the thin plate is a separator, and the elastic member is a seal member.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to easily and cost-effectively manufacture a separator with a sealing member having sealing members on both sides in the thickness direction of the separator and a fuel cell assembly in which the separator, the sealing member, and the electrode member are integrated. .

It is a perspective view of a fuel cell provided with the fuel cell assembly of a first embodiment. It is II-II sectional drawing of FIG. FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a mold used for injection molding in a clamped state in a preformed body arranging step of the manufacturing method of the same cell assembly. It is an up-down direction sectional view of a lower model after injection molding of the preforming object arrangement process. It is an up-down direction sectional view of a lower model in a thin plate arrangement process. It is an up-down direction sectional view of the state before mold clamping of a mold in a mold clamping process. It is an up-down direction sectional view of the mold clamping state of the metal mold. It is an up-down direction sectional view of a separator with a sealing member of a second embodiment. It is an up-down direction sectional view of a lower model in a preforming object arrangement process of a manufacturing method of a separator with the seal member. It is an up-down direction sectional view of a lower model in a thin plate arrangement process. It is an up-down direction sectional view of the state before mold clamping of a mold in a mold clamping process. It is an up-down direction sectional view of the mold clamping state of the metal mold. It is an up-down direction sectional view of a separator with a seal member of a third embodiment. It is an up-down direction sectional view of a lower model in a preforming object arrangement process of a manufacturing method of a separator with the seal member. It is an up-down direction sectional view of a lower model in a thin plate arrangement process. It is an up-down direction sectional view of the state before mold clamping of a mold in a mold clamping process. It is an up-down direction sectional view of the mold clamping state of the metal mold.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a manufacturing method of a layered product of the present invention is described.

<First embodiment>
In this embodiment, the manufacturing method of the laminated body of this invention is embodied as a manufacturing method of a fuel cell assembly.

[Configuration of fuel cell]
First, a configuration of a fuel cell including the fuel cell assembly of the present embodiment (hereinafter, appropriately abbreviated as “cell assembly”) will be described. In FIG. 1, the perspective view of a fuel cell provided with the fuel cell assembly of this embodiment is shown. As shown in FIG. 1, the fuel cell 1 is configured by stacking a large number of cell assemblies 2. The fuel cell 1 is a polymer electrolyte fuel cell. A pair of end plates 13 and 14 are disposed at both ends of the large number of cell assemblies 2 in the vertical direction. Each of the pair of end plates 13 and 14 is made of stainless steel and has a rectangular plate shape.

  On the left edge of the fuel cell 1, from the rear to the front, an air supply member 10a that supplies air (oxidant gas), a cooling water supply member 12a that supplies cooling water, and hydrogen that supplies hydrogen (fuel gas) The supply member 11a is connected. Connected to the right edge of the fuel cell 1 are an air discharge member 10b for discharging air, a cooling water discharge member 12b for discharging cooling water, and a hydrogen discharge member 11b for discharging hydrogen from the front to the rear. A plurality of communication holes are formed in each of the many cell assemblies 2. By connecting the communication holes in the stacking direction, air, hydrogen, and cooling water flow paths are formed in the fuel cell 1 in the stacking direction of the cell assembly 2.

[Configuration of fuel cell assembly]
Next, the configuration of the fuel cell assembly of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the cell assembly 2 includes an electrode member 3, a first separator 40 </ b> D, a second separator 40 </ b> U, and a seal member 50.

(Electrode member 3)
As shown in FIG. 2, the electrode member 3 includes an MEA 30, an anode porous layer 31, and a cathode porous layer 32. The MEA 30 includes an electrolyte membrane, an anode catalyst layer, and a cathode catalyst layer. The electrolyte membrane is a perfluorinated sulfonic acid membrane and has a rectangular thin plate shape. Each of the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer contains carbon particles supporting platinum. Each of the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer has a rectangular thin plate shape. The anode catalyst layer is laminated on the lower surface of the electrolyte membrane. The cathode catalyst layer is laminated on the upper surface of the electrolyte membrane.

  The anode porous layer 31 is a gas diffusion layer. The anode porous layer 31 is made of sintered foam metal and has a rectangular thin plate shape. The anode porous layer 31 is laminated on the lower surface of the MEA 30. The cathode porous layer 32 is a gas diffusion layer. The cathode porous layer 32 is made of sintered foam metal and has a rectangular thin plate shape. The cathode porous layer 32 is laminated on the upper surface of the MEA 30.

(First separator 40D)
The first separator 40D is made of stainless steel and has a rectangular thin plate shape. The first separator 40 </ b> D is stacked on the lower surface of the electrode member 3. The first separator 40D has an uneven portion 400D in a region overlapping with the electrode member 3 when viewed from above.

(Second separator 40U)
The second separator 40U is made of stainless steel and has a rectangular thin plate shape. The second separator 40U is stacked on the upper surface of the electrode member 3. The second separator 40U has an uneven portion 400U in a region overlapping the electrode member 3 when viewed from above. The second separator 40U is included in the concept of the “thin plate” of the present invention. The lower surface of the second separator 40U corresponds to the “first surface” of the present invention, and the upper surface corresponds to the “second surface” of the present invention.

(Seal member 50)
The seal member 50 is made of a solid rubber cross-linked product containing ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM) as a rubber component. The crosslinked product of the solid rubber is included in the concept of “elastomer” of the present invention. The seal member 50 is included in the concept of the “elastic member” of the present invention. The seal member 50 has a rectangular frame shape. The seal member 50 includes a first seal portion 500 disposed below the second separator 40U, a second seal portion 501 disposed above the second separator 40U, the first seal portion 500, and the second seal member 50U. It has the connection part 502 which continues to the seal part 501 and coat | covers the outer peripheral side surface 401U of the 2nd separator 40U. Thus, the seal member 50 is disposed so as to sandwich the second separator 40U from the outer peripheral side.

  The first seal portion 500 is interposed between the first separator 40D and the second separator 40U. The electrode member 3 is accommodated in the frame of the first seal portion 500. The first seal portion 500 is bonded to the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the first separator 40 </ b> D, the peripheral portion of the lower surface of the second separator 40 </ b> U, and the outer peripheral side surface of the electrode member 3. Thus, the 1st seal | sticker part 500 has sealed the electrode member 3 from the outside. The second seal portion 501 is bonded to the peripheral edge portion of the upper surface of the second separator 40U. A lip 501 a is projected from the upper surface of the second seal portion 501. When the fuel cell 1 is assembled, the lip 501a elastically contacts the first separator 40D of another cell assembly 2 adjacent in the stacking direction by a fastening force. Thereby, an annular seal line is formed.

[Method of manufacturing fuel cell assembly]
Next, a method for manufacturing the fuel cell assembly according to this embodiment will be described. The manufacturing method of the fuel cell assembly of this embodiment includes a preformed body arranging step, a thin plate arranging step, a mold clamping step, and a bridging step.

(Preliminary body placement process)
FIG. 3 shows a vertical sectional view of a mold used for injection molding in a clamped state. As shown in FIG. 3, the mold 6 </ b> A includes an upper mold 60 and a lower mold 61. In this step, the preform 6F for forming the entire seal member 50 is injection molded using the mold 6A, and the preform 50F is placed in the lower mold 61. First, the first separator 40 </ b> D is laid on the bottom surface of the recess 610 of the lower mold 61. Next, the mold 6A is clamped. Then, an uncrosslinked solid rubber (elastomer material) G1 containing EPDM as a rubber component is injected into the cavity 62 of the mold 6A. Note that the elastomeric material is heated to 80 ° C. during the injection. Thereafter, the mold 6A is opened and the upper mold 60 is removed.

  FIG. 4 shows a vertical sectional view of the lower mold after injection molding. As shown in FIG. 4, the first separator 40 </ b> D and the preformed body 50 </ b> F are disposed in the recess 610 of the lower mold 61. The preform 50F is disposed in a frame shape on the upper surface of the first separator 40D. The lower mold 61 is included in the concept of the “first mold” of the present invention.

(Thin plate placement process)
In this step, the second separator 40U and the electrode member 3 are further disposed in the lower mold 61 where the first separator 40D and the preformed body 50F are disposed. FIG. 5 shows a vertical sectional view of the lower mold in this step. As shown in FIG. 5, first, the electrode member 3 is disposed within the frame of the preform 50F. Next, the second separator 40U is laminated on the upper surface of the preformed body 50F and the electrode member. Accordingly, a part of the preform 50F is covered with the peripheral edge of the second separator 40U. That is, the preform 50F obtained in the previous step has a covering portion 500F covered with the second separator 40U and a protruding portion 501F not covered with the second separator 40U. The protruding portion 501F has a thin wall shape with a rectangular cross section. The protruding portion 501F protrudes upward (in the thickness direction of the second separator 40U) along the outer peripheral side surface 401U of the second separator 40U. The second separator 40U is disposed within the frame of the protruding portion 501F. The covering portion 500F is included in the concept of “a part of the preform” of the present invention.

(Clamping process)
In this step, the upper mold is overlaid on the lower mold 61 on which the members are arranged, and the mold is clamped. FIG. 6 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of the state before mold clamping in the present step. FIG. 7 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of the mold in a clamped state. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the mold 6 </ b> B used in this step includes an upper mold 63 and a lower mold 61. A recess 630 is formed in the lower surface (matching surface) of the upper mold 63. The mold surface of the recess 630 has a shape symmetrical to the upper surface of the second seal part 501 shown in FIG. The upper mold 63 is included in the concept of the “second mold” of the present invention.

  The upper mold 63 is overlaid on the lower mold 61 from above the second separator 40U as indicated by the white arrow in FIG. At this time, the protrusion 501 </ b> F is received in the recess 630 while being pressed by the upper mold 63. The volume of the recess 630 is substantially the same as the volume of the protrusion 501F. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the protrusion 501 </ b> F is filled in the recess 630 during mold clamping. The protrusion 501F is included in the concept of “the other part of the preform” of the present invention.

(Crosslinking process)
In this step, the mold 6B after clamping is heated at 130 ° C. or higher to crosslink the preform 50F (see FIG. 7 above). By the crosslinking, the preformed body 50F becomes the seal member 50 and is bonded to the electrode member 3, the first separator 40D, and the second separator 40U. Thus, the cell assembly 2 of this embodiment is manufactured.

[Function and effect]
Next, the effect of the manufacturing method of the fuel cell assembly of this embodiment will be described. In the manufacturing method of the cell assembly 2 of this embodiment, the sealing member 50 arrange | positioned on the thickness direction both surfaces of the 2nd separator 40U can be shape | molded from one preformed body 50F. For this reason, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to separately mold the two preforms corresponding to the first seal portion 500 and the second seal portion 501. Accordingly, the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced, and the cost required for a mold or the like can be reduced. Further, it is not necessary to reverse the mold, which is performed when the preforms separately molded are overlapped with the separator interposed therebetween. For this reason, the problem that a preforming body falls off does not arise. In addition, work efficiency is improved and mass production becomes possible. Thus, according to the manufacturing method of this embodiment, the cell assembly 2 can be manufactured easily and at low cost.

  In the manufacturing method of the cell assembly 2 of the present embodiment, the preformed body 50F having the covering portion 500F and the protruding portion 501F was formed. The protruding portion 501 </ b> F is pressed and flows by the upper die 63 during mold clamping, and is filled in the recess 630. Thus, according to the manufacturing method of the cell assembly 2 of the present embodiment, the preformed body 50F can be easily arranged on the upper surface side of the second separator 40U using mold clamping.

<Second embodiment>
In this embodiment, the manufacturing method of the laminated body of this invention is embodied as a manufacturing method of the separator with a sealing member for fuel cells.

[Configuration of separator with seal member]
First, the configuration of the separator with a seal member of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view in the vertical direction of the separator with the seal member of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the separator 4 with a seal member includes a separator 41 and a seal member 51.

  The separator 41 is made of stainless steel and has a rectangular thin plate shape. The separator 41 is included in the concept of “thin plate” of the present invention. The lower surface of the separator 41 corresponds to the “first surface” of the present invention, and the upper surface corresponds to the “second surface” of the present invention.

  The seal member 51 is made of a solid rubber cross-linked product containing ethylene-propylene rubber (EPM) as a rubber component. The crosslinked product of the solid rubber is included in the concept of “elastomer” of the present invention. The seal member 51 is included in the concept of the “elastic member” of the present invention. The seal member 51 has a rectangular frame shape. The seal member 51 includes a first seal portion 510 disposed on the lower side of the separator 41, a second seal portion 511 disposed on the upper side of the separator 41, and the first seal portion 510 and the second seal portion 511. And a connecting portion 512 that covers the outer peripheral side surface of the separator 41. Thus, the seal member 51 is disposed so as to sandwich the separator 41 from the outer peripheral side. A lip 510 a protrudes from the lower surface of the first seal portion 510. On the upper surface of the second seal portion 511, a lip 511a is projected. When assembling the fuel cell, the lips 510a and 511a elastically contact another separator adjacent in the stacking direction by a fastening force. Thereby, an annular seal line is formed.

[Method of manufacturing separator with seal member]
Next, the manufacturing method of the separator with a seal member of this embodiment will be described. In the drawings used in the following description, only the molding process of the front seal member 51 in the separator 4 with the seal member is shown. The manufacturing method of the separator with a seal member of the present embodiment includes a preformed body arranging step, a thin plate arranging step, a mold clamping step, and a bridging step.

(Preliminary body placement process)
FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view of the lower mold in this step. As shown in FIG. 9, a preform 51 </ b> F for forming the entire seal member 51 is disposed in the recess 640 of the lower mold 64. The preform 51F includes a covering portion 510F that has substantially the same shape as the first seal portion 510, and a storage portion 511F other than the covering portion 510F. The preform 51F is formed by injection molding a solid rubber uncrosslinked product (elastomer material) containing EPM as a rubber component. The lower mold 64 is included in the concept of the “first mold” of the present invention.

(Thin plate placement process)
In this step, the separator 41 is disposed on the upper surface of the preform 51F accommodated in the lower mold 64. FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view of the lower mold in this step. As shown in FIG. 10, the separator 41 is laminated on the upper surface of the preform 51F so that the front edge of the separator 41 overlaps the covering portion 510F of the preform 51F. Accordingly, the covering portion 510F of the preform 51F is covered with the peripheral edge portion of the separator 41. The covering portion 510F is included in the concept of “a part of the preform” of the present invention.

(Clamping process)
In this step, the upper mold is stacked on the lower mold 64 on which the members are arranged, and the mold is clamped. FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view showing a state before mold clamping of the mold in this step. FIG. 12 shows a vertical sectional view of the mold in a clamped state. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the mold 6 </ b> C used in this step includes an upper mold 65 and a lower mold 64. A recess 650 is formed in the lower surface (matching surface) of the upper mold 65. Similarly, a protrusion 651 protrudes from the lower surface of the upper mold 65. The mold surface of the concave portion 650 has a shape symmetrical to the upper surface of the second seal portion 511 shown in FIG. The protrusion 651 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is disposed adjacent to the outside of the recess 650. The protruding portion 651 has a tapered portion 651 a that continues to the adjacent recessed portion 650. The upper mold 65 is included in the concept of the “second mold” of the present invention.

  The upper die 65 is overlaid on the lower die 64 from above the separator 41 as indicated by a hollow arrow in FIG. At this time, the reservoir 511F is pressed and pushed out by the protrusion 651, and flows into the recess 650 along the taper 651a. In this way, as shown in FIG. 12, the storage portion 511F is filled in the recess 650 during mold clamping. Reservoir 511F is included in the concept of “the other part of the preform” in the present invention.

(Crosslinking process)
In this step, the preform 6F is cross-linked by heating the mold 6C after clamping at 130 ° C. or higher (see FIG. 12 above). By the crosslinking, the preform 51F becomes the seal member 51 and is bonded to the separator 41. Thus, the separator 4 with a seal member of this embodiment is manufactured.

[Function and effect]
Next, the effect of the manufacturing method of the separator with a seal member of this embodiment will be described. In the manufacturing method of the separator 4 with the seal member of the present embodiment, the seal member 51 disposed on both surfaces in the thickness direction of the separator 41 can be formed from one preform 51F. For this reason, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to separately mold the two preforms corresponding to the first seal portion 510 and the second seal portion 511. Accordingly, the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced, and the cost required for a mold or the like can be reduced. Further, it is not necessary to reverse the mold, which is performed when the preforms separately molded are overlapped with the separator interposed therebetween. For this reason, the problem that a preforming body falls off does not arise. In addition, work efficiency is improved and mass production becomes possible. Thus, according to the manufacturing method of this embodiment, the separator 4 with a sealing member can be manufactured easily and at low cost.

  In the manufacturing method of separator 4 with a seal member of this embodiment, preform 51F which has covering part 510F and storage part 511F was fabricated. And at the time of mold clamping, the recessed part 650 of the upper mold | type 65 was filled by pushing out the storage part 511F with the projection part 651 of the upper mold | type 65. FIG. Thus, according to the manufacturing method of separator 4 with a seal member of this embodiment, preforming object 51F can be easily arranged on the upper surface side of separator 41 using mold clamping. Further, by changing the size of the protrusion 651, the amount of extrusion of the preform 51F can be adjusted. Therefore, it is easy to adjust the amount of the preform 51F disposed on the upper surface of the separator 41. The protruding portion 651 has a tapered portion 651a on the concave portion 650 side. For this reason, it becomes easy for the storage part 511F to flow to the recessed part 650 side. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of a burr | flash can be decreased and the dimensional accuracy of the sealing member 51 can be improved.

<Third embodiment>
The difference between the manufacturing method of the separator with the seal member of the present embodiment and the manufacturing method of the separator with the seal member of the second embodiment is that the shape of the sealing member and the shape of the protrusion of the upper die are different, the lower die It is the point which has arrange | positioned the burr | flash pool part. Here, differences will be mainly described.

[Configuration of separator with seal member]
First, the configuration of the separator with a seal member of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view of the separator with the seal member of this embodiment. In FIG. 13, members corresponding to those in FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 13, the separator 4 with the seal member includes a separator 41 and a seal member 52.

  The seal member 52 has a rectangular frame shape. The seal member 52 includes a first seal portion 520 disposed below the separator 41, a second seal portion 521 disposed above the separator 41, the first seal portion 520, and the second seal portion 521. And a connecting portion 522 that covers the outer peripheral side surface of the separator 41. Thus, the seal member 52 is disposed so as to sandwich the separator 41 from the outer peripheral side. On the upper surface of the second seal portion 521, a lip 521a is projected. When assembling the fuel cell, the lip 521a elastically contacts the first seal portion 520 of the separator 4 with another seal member adjacent in the stacking direction by a fastening force. Thereby, an annular seal line is formed.

[Method of manufacturing separator with seal member]
Next, the manufacturing method of the separator with a seal member of this embodiment will be described. In the drawings used in the following description, only the molding process of the front seal member 52 in the separator 4 with the seal member is shown. The manufacturing method of the separator with a seal member of the present embodiment includes a preformed body arranging step, a thin plate arranging step, a mold clamping step, and a bridging step.

(Preliminary body placement process)
FIG. 14 is a vertical sectional view of the lower mold in this step. As shown in FIG. 14, a preform 52 </ b> F for forming the entire seal member 52 is disposed in the recess 660 of the lower mold 66. The preform 52F has a covering portion 520F that has substantially the same shape as the first seal portion 520, and a storage portion 521F other than that. The preform 52F is formed by injection molding a solid rubber uncrosslinked product (elastomer material) containing EPM as a rubber component. Further, a burr reservoir 661 continuous from the recess 660 is provided on the upper surface of the lower mold 66. The lower mold 66 is included in the concept of the “first mold” of the present invention.

(Thin plate placement process)
In this step, the separator 41 is disposed on the upper surface of the preformed body 52F accommodated in the lower mold 66. FIG. 15 is a vertical sectional view of the lower mold in this step. As shown in FIG. 15, the separator 41 is laminated on the upper surface of the preformed body 52F so that the front edge of the separator 41 overlaps the covering portion 520F of the preformed body 52F. Thereby, the covering portion 520F of the preformed body 52F is covered with the peripheral edge portion of the separator 41. The covering portion 520F is included in the concept of “a part of the preform” of the present invention.

(Clamping process)
In this step, the upper mold is overlaid on the lower mold 66 on which the members are arranged, and the mold is clamped. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view in the vertical direction in a state before mold clamping of the mold in this step. FIG. 17 shows a vertical sectional view of the mold in a clamped state. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the mold 6 </ b> D used in this process includes an upper mold 67 and a lower mold 66. A recess 670 is formed in the lower surface (matching surface) of the upper mold 67. Similarly, a protrusion 671 is provided on the lower surface of the upper die 67. The mold surface of the recess 670 has a shape symmetrical to the upper surface of the second seal part 521 shown in FIG. The protrusion 671 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is disposed adjacent to the outside of the recess 670. The protruding portion 671 has a stepped portion 671a on the adjacent concave portion 670 side. The upper mold 67 is included in the concept of the “second mold” of the present invention.

  The upper die 67 is overlaid on the lower die 66 from above the separator 41 as indicated by white arrows in FIG. At this time, the reservoir 521F is pressed and pushed out by the protrusion 671, and flows into the recess 670 along the step 671a. In this way, as shown in FIG. 17, the reservoir 521 </ b> F is filled in the recess 670 during mold clamping. Of the storage portion 521F pushed out by the protrusion 671, the portion that does not flow in the direction of the recess 670 flows into the burr pool portion 661. The reservoir 521F is included in the concept of “other part of the preform” in the present invention.

(Crosslinking process)
In this step, the mold 6D after clamping is heated at 130 ° C. or higher to crosslink the preform 52F (see FIG. 17). By the crosslinking, the preformed body 52F becomes the seal member 52 and is bonded to the separator 41. By removing the burrs after the mold is opened, the separator 4 with the seal member of the present embodiment is manufactured.

[Function and effect]
Next, the effect of the manufacturing method of the separator with a seal member of this embodiment will be described. The manufacturing method of the separator with a seal member of the present embodiment has the same operational effects as the manufacturing method of the separator with a seal member of the second embodiment with respect to the parts having the same configuration. In the manufacturing method of the separator 4 with the seal member of the present embodiment, the protrusion 671 of the upper mold 67 has a step 671a on the concave 670 side. For this reason, it becomes easy for the storage part 521F to flow to the recessed part 670 side. Further, the lower mold 66 is formed with a burr reservoir 661. For this reason, surplus preformed body 52F (reservoir 521F) can be discharged to burr reservoir 661. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of the burr | flash in another part can be suppressed, and the dimensional accuracy of the seal member 52 can be improved.

<Others>
The embodiment of the method for manufacturing a laminate according to the present invention has been described above. However, the embodiment is not particularly limited to the above embodiment. Various modifications and improvements that can be made by those skilled in the art are also possible.

  In the said embodiment, the manufacturing method of the laminated body of this invention was embodied as a manufacturing method of a fuel cell assembly, and a manufacturing method of a separator with a sealing member. However, the laminate is not limited to the constituent members of the fuel cell. The manufacturing method of the laminated body of this invention can be embodied as a manufacturing method of the laminated body used for various uses, such as a component member of a lithium ion battery and a capacitor. In particular, the elastic member is suitable for a thin and fine shape.

  When the manufacturing method of the laminate of the present invention is embodied as a manufacturing method of the fuel cell assembly, the material, shape, etc. of each member constituting the fuel cell assembly are not limited to those in the first embodiment. . For example, the structure of the anode porous layer and the cathode porous layer constituting the electrode member is not particularly limited. As in the first embodiment, the gas diffusion layer may be a single layer structure, or the gas diffusion layer and the gas flow path layer may be a two-layer structure.

  The material, shape, etc. of the thin plate and the elastic member constituting the laminate are not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the material of the thin plate may be metal or resin. Further, the shape of the thin plate may be a flat plate shape having no uneven portion. In order to improve the adhesion between the thin plate and the elastic member, a primer may be applied to the first surface and the second surface of the thin plate on which the elastic member is disposed.

  In the embodiment described above, the elastic member is made of a solid rubber cross-linked product having EPDM or EPM as a rubber component. However, the elastic member may be made of an elastomer, and the type of elastomer is not particularly limited. In addition to the rubber component, the elastomer may contain a crosslinking agent, a crosslinking aid, an adhesive component, and the like. Rubber components suitable as a sealing member for fuel cells include EPDM and EPM, acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR), hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (H-NBR), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), butadiene rubber ( BR) and the like.

  In the above-described embodiment, a preform is manufactured by injection molding an uncrosslinked elastomer. However, as a method for manufacturing the preform, other molding methods such as press molding may be used. In addition, as in the first embodiment, the preform after injection molding may be used for the next step without being taken out from the mold, and the preform after injection molding is once taken out from the mold, and then another mold. It may be arranged in the next step.

  The shape of the preform is not particularly limited as long as the entire elastic member can be formed. In the preformed body, as the flow to the second surface side of the thin plate, depending on the shape of the second mold, the protruding portion as in the first embodiment, or the storage as in the second and third embodiments. A part or the like may be provided. Further, the shape of the protrusion of the second mold is not particularly limited. As in the second and third embodiments, it is not always necessary to have a tapered portion or a stepped portion.

  The method for producing a laminate of the present invention is useful as a method for producing a laminate for sealing a gas or liquid, such as a constituent member of a fuel cell, a constituent member of a lithium ion battery or a capacitor.

1: fuel cell, 10a: air supply member, 10b: air discharge member, 11a: hydrogen supply member, 11b: hydrogen discharge member, 12a: cooling water supply member, 12b: cooling water discharge member, 13, 14: end plate.
2: cell assembly (laminated body), 3: electrode member, 30: MEA, 31: anode porous layer, 32: cathode porous layer, 4: separator with seal member, 40D: first separator, 40U: second separator (Thin plate), 400D, 400U: concavo-convex portion, 401U: outer peripheral side surface, 41: separator, 50, 51, 52: seal member (elastic member), 50F, 51F, 52F: preform, 500, 510, 520: first One seal part, 501, 511, 521: Second seal part, 502, 512, 522: Connection part, 501 a, 510 a, 511 a, 521 a: Lip, 500 F, 510 F, 520 F: Cover part, 501 F: Projection part, 511 F, 521F: storage part.
6A, 6B, 6C, 6D: mold, 60, 63, 65, 67: upper mold, 61, 64, 66: lower mold, 62: cavity, 610, 630, 640, 650, 660, 670: recess, 651 , 671: protrusion, 651a: taper, 661: burr pool, 671a: step.
G1: Elastomeric material.

Claims (6)

A method for producing a laminate having a thin plate and an elastic member made of an elastomer disposed on both sides in the thickness direction of the thin plate,
An uncrosslinked product of the elastomer is used as an elastomer material,
One of the both sides in the thickness direction of the thin plate is a first surface, the other is a second surface, and a surface intersecting the first surface and the second surface is a side surface,
A preform molding step of arranging a preform for forming the entire elastic member made of the elastomer material on the first mold;
A thin plate disposing step of disposing the thin plate so that the first surface of the thin plate faces the first mold and covers a part of the preform;
A mold clamping step of flowing the other part of the preform into the second surface side along the side surface of the thin plate by clamping a second mold on the second surface side of the thin plate; ,
A crosslinking step of crosslinking the preform by heating the first mold and the second mold;
The manufacturing method of the laminated body characterized by having. The preform has a covering portion covered with the thin plate in the thin plate arranging step, and a protruding portion protruding in the thickness direction of the thin plate,
2. The method for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 1, wherein, in the mold clamping step, the protruding portion is disposed on the side surface and the second surface of the thin plate as the other portion of the preform. The second mold has a recess disposed on the mating surface, and a protrusion disposed adjacent to the recess,
In the mold clamping step, by pressing the other part of the preform that is not covered by the thin plate with the protrusion, and causing the other part to flow into the recess of the second mold, The manufacturing method of the laminated body of Claim 1 arrange | positioned on the said side surface and said 2nd surface of this thin plate.   The method for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 3, wherein the protruding portion of the second mold has a tapered portion or a stepped portion on the concave portion side.   The method for manufacturing a laminate according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the laminate is a constituent member of a fuel cell.   The method for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 5, wherein the thin plate is a separator, and the elastic member is a seal member.

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