JPWO2008105182A1 - Fuel cell - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a fuel cell that has improved reliability and safety without hindering downsizing by enhancing the mounting property of the socket portion to the fuel cell and the sealing performance of the liquid fuel by the socket portion with a simple structure. The purpose is to do. The present invention includes a socket part 4 having a fuel flow path that is opened and closed in accordance with an attaching / detaching operation of a nozzle of a fuel cartridge, a socket accommodating part 5 in which the socket part 4 is accommodated, a socket accommodating part 5 and a fuel supply path 9. The present invention relates to a fuel cell including a fuel storage unit connected via a fuel cell, and an electromotive unit that is supplied with fuel from the fuel storage unit and performs a power generation operation. An elastic body 31 seals between the fuel flow path in the socket portion 4 and the fuel supply path 9. The insertion position of the socket part 4 into the socket storage part 5 is positioned so as to control the pressing force of the elastic body 31 by the socket part 4. The socket part 4 in which the insertion position into the socket storage part 5 is defined is fixed by a fixing part.

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell using liquid fuel.

  In order to make it possible to use portable electronic devices such as notebook computers and mobile phones without charging for a long time, it has been attempted to use a fuel cell for a power source or a charger of the portable electronic device. A fuel cell is characterized in that it can generate electric power simply by supplying fuel and air, and can generate electric power continuously for a long time if fuel is replenished. For this reason, if the fuel cell can be reduced in size, it can be said that the system is extremely advantageous as a power source or a charger for portable electronic devices.

  A direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is promising as a power source and a charger for portable electronic devices because it can be miniaturized and can easily handle fuel. As the liquid fuel supply method in the DMFC, there are known an active method such as a gas supply type and a liquid supply type, and a passive method such as an internal vaporization type in which the liquid fuel in the fuel container is vaporized inside the cell and supplied to the fuel electrode. It has been. Of these, the passive method is advantageous for downsizing the DMFC.

  In a DMFC such as a passive type, the liquid fuel in the fuel storage unit is sent directly or via a flow path to the fuel electrode side of the electromotive unit, and the vaporization component of the liquid fuel is supplied to the fuel electrode to generate a power generation reaction. (See Patent Documents 1 and 2). Liquid fuel is supplied to the fuel storage portion using a fuel cartridge. In a satellite type (external injection type) fuel cartridge, it has been studied to shut off and inject liquid fuel by using a coupler having a nozzle part and a socket part with a built-in valve mechanism (Patent Document 3). reference).

The liquid fuel contained in the fuel cartridge is connected to the socket part provided in the fuel containing part of the fuel cell by connecting the nozzle part attached to the fuel cartridge, and by opening the valve mechanism in these nozzle part and socket part, It is supplied to the fuel storage part of the fuel cell. The socket portion needs to be installed in a limited space of a fuel cell that is being miniaturized. Further, the socket portion is required to have a structure that can prevent an accident due to leakage or damage. Therefore, it is required that the socket portion can be easily attached to the fuel cell in a space-saving manner, and it is required to reliably prevent leakage from itself or the attachment portion with a simple structure.
International Publication No. 2005/112172 Pamphlet JP 2006-089552 A JP 2006-093001 A

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to improve reliability and safety without hindering downsizing by enhancing the mounting property of a socket part to a fuel cell and the sealing property of liquid fuel by the socket part with a simple structure. The purpose is to provide.

  In a fuel cell according to an aspect of the present invention, a nozzle portion of a fuel cartridge is detachably connected, and a socket portion having a fuel flow path that is opened and closed according to the attachment / detachment operation of the nozzle portion, and the socket portion are accommodated. A socket housing portion, a fuel housing portion connected to the socket housing portion via a fuel supply path, and containing the liquid fuel supplied from the fuel cartridge having the nozzle portion connected to the socket portion; An elastic body that seals between the fuel flow path and the fuel supply path, and an insertion position of the socket part in the socket housing part is defined so as to control a pressing force of the elastic body by the socket part. Positioning part, a fixing part for fixing the socket part in which the insertion position into the socket housing part is defined based on the positioning part, a fuel electrode, and an oxidizer And a membrane electrode assembly having an electrolyte membrane sandwiched between the fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode, and an electromotive unit that is supplied with fuel from the fuel storage unit and performs a power generation operation. It is said.

It is a figure which shows the structure which combined the fuel cell by embodiment of this invention with the fuel cartridge. It is sectional drawing which expands and shows the socket part and socket accommodating part of the fuel cell by embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the socket part and socket accommodating part of the fuel cell by other embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the socket part shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the other example of the socket part shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which fixed the socket part shown in FIG. 3 with the fixing pin. It is a figure which shows the other state which fixed the socket part shown in FIG. 3 with the fixing pin. It is a figure which shows the state which fixed the socket part shown in FIG. 3 with the fixing sleeve. It is a figure which shows the other state which fixed the socket part shown in FIG. 3 with the fixing sleeve. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a socket part of a fuel cell according to still another embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the socket accommodating part which accommodates the socket part shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which accommodated the socket part shown in FIG. 10 in the socket accommodating part. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the socket part shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the fuel cell by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the fuel cell by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the fuel supply part of the fuel cell shown in FIG. FIG. 16 is a plan view showing another configuration of the fuel supply unit of the fuel cell shown in FIG. 15.

Explanation of symbols

    DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,72 ... Fuel cell, 2 ... Electromotive part, 3 ... Fuel accommodating part, 4 ... Socket part, 5 ... Socket accommodating part, 6 ... Fuel cartridge, 7 ... Cartridge main body, 8 ... Nozzle part, 9 ... Fuel supply path 11 ... Nozzle insertion port, 12 ... Socket body, 18 ... Rubber holder, 19 ... Valve, 19a ... Valve head, 19b ... Valve stem, 20 ... Valve seat, 21 ... O-ring, 22 ... Compression spring, 31 ... Elasticity for sealing Body, 32, 41 ... Projection, 33, 42, 47b, 49b ... Projection receiving part, 34, 36 ... Recess, 35, 43 ... Fixing pin, 44, 45 ... Fixing sleeve, 47 ... Socket housing part with two-part structure Lower half, 49 ... upper half of the socket housing portion of the two-part structure, 52 ... anode catalyst layer, 54 ... anode (fuel electrode), 55 ... cathode catalyst layer, 57 ... cathode (oxidant electrode), 8 ... electrolyte membrane, 72 ... fuel supply unit, 73 ... passage, 74 ... fuel supply pump, 81 ... fuel distribution plate, 82 ... fuel inlet, 83 ... fuel outlet.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention, and further a configuration in which the fuel cell is combined with a fuel cartridge. A fuel cell 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes an electromotive unit 2 and a fuel storage unit 3. On the lower surface of the fuel accommodating portion 3, a socket accommodating portion 5 for accommodating a socket portion 4 serving as a fuel receiving portion is installed. A socket part 4 is arranged in the socket storage part 5. The socket housing portion 5 is connected to the fuel housing portion 3 through a fuel supply path as will be described later.

  Here, although the electromotive part 2 is arrange | positioned on the fuel accommodating part 3, the electromotive part 2 and the fuel accommodating part 3 may be connected via flow paths, such as piping. That is, the fuel storage unit 3 can be arranged separately from the electromotive unit 2 and can be connected to the electromotive unit 2 via the flow path. A fuel supply pump or the like may be installed in the flow path connecting the electromotive unit 2 and the fuel storage unit 3. The structure in which the electromotive unit 2 and the fuel storage unit 3 are connected via a flow path will be described in detail later.

  The fuel cartridge 6 has a cartridge main body (liquid fuel container) 7 that stores liquid fuel. At the tip of the cartridge body 7, a nozzle portion 8 is provided as a fuel discharge portion when supplying the liquid fuel accommodated therein to the fuel accommodating portion 3. The fuel cartridge 6 is connected to the fuel cell 1 only when liquid fuel is injected into the fuel storage portion 3, and is a so-called satellite type (external injection type) fuel cartridge.

  The cartridge main body 7 of the fuel cartridge 6 accommodates liquid fuel corresponding to the fuel cell 1, for example, methanol fuel such as methanol aqueous solution of various concentrations or pure methanol in the case of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The liquid fuel accommodated in the cartridge body 7 is not limited to methanol fuel. For example, ethanol fuel such as ethanol aqueous solution or pure ethanol, propanol fuel such as propanol aqueous solution or pure propanol, glycol fuel such as glycol aqueous solution or pure glycol, dimethyl ether, etc. , Formic acid, and other liquid fuels. The cartridge body 7 contains liquid fuel corresponding to the fuel cell 1.

  The socket part 4 accommodated in the socket accommodating part 5 of the fuel cell 1 and the nozzle part 8 provided in the cartridge main body 7 of the fuel cartridge 6 constitute a pair of connection mechanisms (couplers). In a coupler that connects (couples) the fuel cell 1 and the fuel cartridge 6, a nozzle portion (male side coupler) 8 as a cartridge side connection mechanism incorporates a valve mechanism that is not shown. In a normal state (a state where the fuel cartridge 6 is disconnected from the fuel cell 1), the valve mechanism of the nozzle portion 8 is closed. When the fuel cartridge 6 is connected to the fuel cell 1, the valve mechanism of the nozzle portion 8 is opened.

  A socket part (female side coupler) 4 as a fuel cell side connection mechanism is housed in a socket housing part 5 as shown in FIG. The socket housing part 5 has a recess 5A into which the nozzle part 8 is inserted. The socket housing portion 5 is connected to the fuel housing portion 3 via a fuel supply path 9 opened at the bottom of the recess 5A. The socket part 4 has a fuel flow path that is opened and closed according to the attaching / detaching operation of the nozzle part 8. The opening and closing operation of the fuel flow path is performed by a valve mechanism built in the socket portion 4. That is, the socket portion 4 is configured to open and close the internal fuel flow path by a valve mechanism that operates in accordance with the attaching / detaching operation of the nozzle portion 8.

  The specific configuration of the socket part 4 is as follows. The socket part 4 includes a socket body 12 having a concave nozzle insertion port 11. The socket main body 12 has a cylindrical main body outer peripheral upper portion 13 and a main body outer peripheral lower portion 14. Inside the main body outer periphery upper part 13 and the main body outer periphery lower part 14, a main body middle part 15 and a main body lower part 16 forming a valve chamber are arranged. These constitute the socket body 12. An O-ring 17 is interposed between the main body middle portion 15 and the main body lower portion 16 to enhance the sealing performance of the valve chamber.

  A rubber holder 18 is installed as an elastic holder on the middle part 15 of the socket body 12. The rubber holder 18 is given elasticity in the axial direction based on the bellows shape and material characteristics (rubber elasticity). The rubber holder 18 is a seal member that forms a seal with the nozzle portion 8 by fitting the tip portion thereof to the tip side of the nozzle portion 8. The inside of the rubber holder 18 is a fuel flow path. That is, the rubber holder 18 is a seal member that seals between the outside and the fuel flow path when the valve mechanism of the socket portion 4 is opened.

  A valve 19 is disposed in the socket body 12. The valve 19 includes a valve head 19a, a valve stem 19b, and a guide pin 19c. The valve head 19 a is disposed in a valve chamber defined by the main body middle portion 15 and the main body lower portion 16. The valve stem 19b is accommodated in the rubber holder 18. The guide pin 19 c has a flow path on the outer periphery and is inserted into the fuel supply path 9. Such a valve 19 can be moved back and forth in the axial direction (insertion direction of the nozzle portion 8). An O-ring 21 is disposed between the valve head 19a and the valve seat 20 formed on the lower surface side of the main body middle portion 15.

  A force that presses the valve head 19a against the valve seat 20 by an elastic body such as a compression spring 22 is constantly applied to the valve 19. As a result, the O-ring 21 is pressed. In a normal state (a state where the fuel cartridge 6 is separated from the fuel cell 1), the O-ring 21 is pressed against the valve seat 20 via the valve head 19a. Thereby, the fuel flow path in the socket part 4 is closed.

  A communication hole 23 is provided in the lower body portion 16 of the socket body 12. The communication hole 23 is connected to the fuel storage unit 3 through the fuel supply path 9. When the nozzle portion 8 of the fuel cartridge 6 is connected to the socket portion 4 of the fuel cell 1, the valve stem 19 b moves backward and the valve head 19 a moves away from the valve seat 20. Thereby, the fuel flow path in the socket part 4 is opened. The fuel flow path in the nozzle portion 8 is also opened when connected to the socket portion 4.

  When the nozzle portion 8 is connected to the socket portion 4, the nozzle mechanism 8 and the valve mechanism of the socket portion 4 are sequentially opened, so that the fuel flow path of the nozzle portion 8 and the socket portion 4 is in communication. Based on the connection operation between the nozzle portion 8 and the socket portion 4 and the opening / closing operation of the valve mechanism based on the connection operation, the liquid fuel stored in the cartridge body 7 is supplied to the fuel flow path in the nozzle portion 8 and the socket portion 4. In addition, the fuel can be supplied to the fuel storage unit 3 through the fuel supply path 9.

  The socket part 4 is inserted into the socket storage part 5. An elastic body 31 that seals between the fuel flow path in the socket portion 4 and the fuel supply path 9 connected to the socket storage portion 5 is disposed in the socket storage portion 5. The elastic body 31 is disposed between the lower surface of the substantially cylindrical socket portion 4 and the bottom portion of the concave socket housing portion 5. For the elastic body 31, an elastic member made of rubber or resin is used. The shape of the elastic body 31 is not particularly limited as long as it functions as a seal part, and examples thereof include an O-ring, a gasket, and packing. Specific examples of the elastic body 31 include a resin packing made of a rubber O-ring or a fluorine resin.

  The elastic body 31 is pressed and deformed by the lower surface of the socket part 4 inserted into the socket housing part 5 to seal between the fuel flow path in the socket part 4 and the fuel supply path 9. The sealing function by the elastic body 31 depends on the pressing force of the socket portion 4. That is, if the force pressing the elastic body 31 with the socket portion 4 is insufficient, the deformation amount of the elastic body 31 is insufficient and a sufficient sealing function cannot be obtained. Even if the pressing force of the elastic body 31 by the socket part 4 becomes excessive, the sealing function by the elastic body 31 is deteriorated.

  Therefore, the fuel cell 1 of this embodiment includes a positioning portion that defines the insertion position of the socket portion 4 in the socket housing portion 5 so as to control the pressing force of the elastic body 31 by the socket portion 4 to a predetermined value. ing. The positioning portion of this embodiment includes a protrusion 32 protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the socket portion 4 and a protrusion receiving portion 33 that receives the protrusion 32 and defines the insertion position of the socket portion 4. The protrusion receiving portion 33 is configured by the upper surface of the socket housing portion 5.

  Further, the main body lower portion 16 of the socket body 12 has a protruding portion 24, and an arrangement space for the elastic body 31 is formed based on the height of the protruding portion 24. The protrusion 24 has a communication hole 25 connected to the fuel supply path 9 to ensure the flow of liquid fuel. Instead of the protruding portion 24 of the main body lower portion 16, a washer may be disposed in the socket accommodating portion 5, or a protruding portion may be provided on the bottom surface of the socket accommodating portion 5. Also by these, the arrangement space of the elastic body 31 can be defined. It is preferable to form a liquid fuel flow passage in the washer disposed in the socket housing portion 5 and the protrusion provided in the socket housing portion 5 as well as the protrusion portion 24 of the lower body portion 16.

  The socket portion 4 is fixed in a state where the insertion position into the socket housing portion 5 is defined based on a positioning portion constituted by the protrusion portion 32 and the protrusion receiving portion 33. The fixing portion of this embodiment includes a concave portion 34 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body outer peripheral upper portion 13 of the socket main body 12 and a fixing pin 35 that engages with the concave portion 34. The concave portion 34 has a shape in which the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral upper portion 13 is constricted in the tangential direction. Here, a recess 36 is also provided in the socket housing portion 5 so as to face the recess 34 of the socket body 12.

  And the socket part 4 is fixed to the inside 5 of a socket accommodating part by inserting the fixing pin 35 so that the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical socket part 4 may be contacted in the space by the recessed parts 34 and 36 tangentially. The fixing pin 35 is inserted between the recesses 34 and 36 to define the position of the socket portion 4 in the axial direction. If the recesses 34 and 36 are formed only in the place where the fixing pin 35 is inserted, the position is also defined in the circumferential direction. In the case where the fuel cartridge 6 is connected to the socket portion 4 by rotating it, an effect of preventing the socket portion 4 from rotating can be obtained. The fixing pin 35 is composed of two needle-like pins and a U-shaped pin as will be described later. When a needle pin is applied, the insertion property can be improved and the fixed state can be stabilized by using a taper pin.

  As described above, the protrusion 32 protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the socket part 4 is received by the protrusion receiving part 33 on the socket storage part 5 side, and the insertion position of the socket part 4 in the socket storage part 5 is defined. Thus, the pressing force of the elastic body 31 by the socket portion 4 is controlled to a predetermined value. Therefore, it is possible to stably obtain the sealing function by the elastic body 31. Furthermore, since the pressing force of the elastic body 31 by the socket part 4 is also regulated by the protrusion 24 provided on the socket body 12, the sealing function by the elastic body 31 can be obtained more stably.

  In the fuel cell 1 of this embodiment, the attachment property (fixability) of the socket portion 4 and the liquid fuel sealing property at the attachment portion can be reliably improved with a simple structure by the positioning portion and the fixing portion. This contributes to miniaturization and simplification of the structure of the fuel cell 1 including the attachment portion of the socket portion 4. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an accident due to leakage after installing the socket portion 4 in a limited space of the fuel cell 1 that is being miniaturized. That is, it is possible to provide a fuel cell 1 that is small and excellent in reliability and safety.

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a view showing another configuration of the socket unit 4 and the socket storage unit 5, and shows a state in which the socket unit 4 is stored in the socket storage unit 5. The overall configuration of the fuel cell and the configuration in which the fuel cell is combined with the fuel cartridge are the same as those of the fuel cell 1 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. The internal structure of the socket part 4 is the same. In the following, the same parts as those in FIGS. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is partially omitted.

  The socket part 4 shown in FIG. 3 has a protrusion 41 that protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical socket body 12. The protruding portion 41 is provided on the lower end side of the outer peripheral upper portion 13 of the socket body 12, that is, near the center of the socket body 12. As a specific shape of the protrusion 41, as shown in FIG. 4, a protrusion shape partially protruding radially outward with respect to the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the socket body 12, or as shown in FIG. A rib shape that protrudes radially outward along the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the socket body 12 may be mentioned.

  The socket housing portion 5 is provided with a recess 5A into which the socket portion 4 is inserted and a protrusion insertion portion 5B that receives the protrusion 41 while guiding the insertion of the protrusion 41. When the protrusion 41 has a protrusion shape as shown in FIG. 4, a groove formed along the axial direction on the inner wall surface of the recess 5A is applied to the protrusion insertion part 5B as the protrusion receiving part. When the protrusion 41 has a rib shape as shown in FIG. 5, a recess having an inner diameter larger than that of the recess 5A is applied to the protrusion insertion portion 5B. In this case, the concave portion 5A and the concave portion constituting the protrusion insertion portion 5B constitute a stepped hole.

  The socket part 4 is inserted into the recess 5A of the socket housing part 5 while engaging the protrusion 41 with the protrusion insertion part 5B. When the socket part 4 is inserted into the socket storage part 5, the protrusion 41 is supported by the bottom surface of the protrusion insertion part 5B. The bottom surface 42 of the protrusion insertion portion 5B serves as a receiving portion for the protrusion 41. The depth of the protrusion insertion portion 5B (the depth with respect to the insertion direction of the socket portion 4) is set so that the pressing force of the elastic body 31 by the socket portion 4 becomes a predetermined value when the socket portion 4 is inserted into the socket storage portion 5. The depth to be controlled is set. The protrusion 41 and the protrusion insertion part 5 </ b> B constitute a positioning part that defines the insertion position of the socket part 4 in the socket storage part 5.

  The socket portion 4 is supported by a projection receiving portion constituted by the bottom surface 42 of the projection insertion portion 5B, so that the insertion position in the socket storage portion 5 is defined. Thereby, since the pressing force of the elastic body 31 by the socket part 4 is controlled to a predetermined value, the sealing function by the elastic body 31 can be stably obtained. Also in this embodiment, it is effective to provide a protrusion on the lower part of the socket main body 12 or the lower surface of the socket housing part 5 or to place a washer or the like in the socket housing part 5. Accordingly, it is possible to secure an arrangement space for the elastic body 31 and obtain a sealing function by the elastic body 31 more stably.

  The protruding portion 41 constituting the positioning portion further functions as a fixing portion for the socket portion 4. For example, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the socket portion 4 is fixed in the socket housing portion 5 by inserting a fixing pin 43 as a fixing member that holds the protruding portion 41. FIG. 6 shows a state where two needle pins 43 </ b> A are used as the fixing pins 43. FIG. 7 shows a state in which a U-shaped pin 43B is used as the fixing pin 43. The fixing pin 43 is inserted into an insertion hole provided in the socket housing portion 5. The fixing pin 43 is inserted in the tangential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the socket body 12. In this state, the projection portion 41 is pressed by the fixing pin 43, whereby the socket portion 4 can be fixed.

  When the projection 41 having the projection shape as shown in FIG. 4 is used, the projection portion constituting the positioning portion is formed by making the shape of the groove constituting the projection insertion portion 5B L-shaped, J-shaped, or the like. 41 and the protrusion insertion part 5B can also serve as a fixing part. For example, when the protrusion 41 is inserted in the depth direction of the groove as the protrusion insertion portion 5B (the axial direction of the socket housing portion 5) and the protrusion 41 abuts against the bottom surface of the groove, the protrusion 41 extends along the L-shaped groove. For example, the socket housing part 5 is rotated by 90 ° in the circumferential direction. The protrusion 41 is fixed by an L-shaped groove. In this way, it is possible to fix the socket portion 4 only by the protrusion 41 and the protrusion insertion portion 5B.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the fixing member may have a sleeve shape that covers the outer peripheral surface of the socket portion 4. FIG. 8 shows a state in which the fixing sleeve 44 is pushed from above the protrusion 41 into the protrusion-shaped protrusion 5B having a concave shape. The fixing sleeve 44 shown in FIG. 8 is made of an elastic member, and presses the protrusion 32 into the recess-shaped protrusion insertion part 5B. The socket part 4 is fixed in the socket storage part 5. The fixing sleeve 45 shown in FIG. 9 is screwed to the recess-shaped protrusion insertion portion 5B. Various structures can be applied to the fixing sleeves 44 and 45.

  Also in the fuel cell of this embodiment, the attachment property (fixability) of the socket portion 4 and the liquid fuel sealing property at the attachment portion can be reliably improved with a simple structure by the positioning portion and the fixing portion. This contributes to miniaturization and simplification of the structure of the fuel cell including the mounting portion of the socket portion 4. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an accident due to leakage or the like after the socket portion 4 is installed in a limited space of a fuel cell whose size is being reduced. In other words, it is possible to provide a fuel cell that is small and excellent in reliability, safety, and the like.

  Next, still another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 10 is a view showing another configuration of the socket portion 4, and FIGS. 11 and 12 are views showing a state in which the socket portion 4 is stored in the socket storage portion 5. The overall configuration of the fuel cell and the configuration in which the fuel cell is combined with the fuel cartridge are the same as those of the fuel cell 1 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. The internal structure of the socket part 4 is the same. In the following, the same parts as those in FIGS. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is partially omitted.

  The socket part 4 shown in FIG. 10 has a protrusion 41 that protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical socket body 12. The protruding portion 41 is provided on the lower end side of the outer peripheral upper portion 13 of the socket body 12, that is, near the center of the socket body 12. The protrusion 41 has a flange shape that protrudes radially outward along the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the socket body 12. The flange-shaped protrusion 41 has a circular outer peripheral shape. Further, a socket cover 46 is disposed at the upper end of the socket body 12. The socket cover 46 has a rectangular flange 46 a that prevents the socket portion 4 from rotating.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the socket housing part 5 has a two-part structure divided in the insertion direction of the socket part 4. The lower half (first half) 47 of the socket accommodating part 5 is provided integrally with the fuel accommodating part 3. The lower half 47 of the socket housing 5 has a recess 47a corresponding to the shape of the lower half when the socket 4 is divided into two in the axial direction. Further, the lower half 47 has a flow path portion 48 in which the fuel supply path 9 is provided. The upper half (second half) 49 of the socket housing part 5 has a recess 49 a corresponding to the shape of the upper half of the socket part 4 and a joint part 50 joined to the flow path part 48. .

  In the socket housing portion 5 described above, the portion for housing the socket portion 4 is divided into two parts, but the flow passage portion 48 in which the fuel supply passage 9 is provided is provided integrally with the lower half 47. In the lower end surface of the socket part 4 where the elastic body 31 having a sealing part shape such as an O-ring is disposed, a division mark (parting line) generated at the time of molding the mold is provided from the viewpoint of the stability of the seal against the liquid fuel. Preferably not. In this embodiment, in consideration of this point, the socket housing portion 5 is composed of an asymmetric lower half 47 and upper half 49.

  The lower half 47 and the upper half 49 of the socket housing 5 are provided with slots 47b and 49b corresponding to the flange-shaped protrusions 41, respectively. The slots 47b and 49b have a shape that engages with the entire circumference of the protrusion 41 when the lower half 47 and the upper half 49 are combined. Further, flange receiving portions 47 c and 49 c corresponding to the square flanges 46 a provided on the socket cover 46 are provided on the distal ends of the lower half 47 and the upper half 49. The flange receiving portions 47c and 49c have a shape that sandwiches the rectangular flange 46a when the lower half 47 and the upper half 49 are combined.

  The socket part 4 and the socket storage part 5 of this embodiment are assembled as shown in FIGS. First, an elastic body 31 having a sealing part shape such as an O-ring is set on the lower end surface of the socket part 4, and then the socket part 4 is inserted into the socket housing part while inserting the guide pin 19 c of the socket part 4 into the fuel supply path 9. 5 in the recess 47a of the lower half 47. Next, the upper half 49 of the socket housing part 5 is put on the socket part 4. Thereafter, the socket portion 4 is accommodated in the socket by joining the end surfaces of the lower half 47 and the upper half 49 of the socket accommodating portion 5 (including between the flow path portion 48 and the joining portion 50). Housed in part 5. For joining the lower half 47 and the upper half 49, for example, ultrasonic welding or laser welding is used.

  At this time, since the protruding portion 41 of the socket portion 4 is held by the slots 47 b and 49 b of the socket storage portion 5, the socket portion 4 is disposed at a predetermined position in the socket storage portion 5. Accordingly, the pressing force of the elastic body 31 by the socket portion 4 is controlled to a predetermined value, so that the sealing function by the elastic body 31 can be stably obtained. The projection part 41 of the socket part 4 and the slots 47b and 49b of the socket housing part 5 having a two-part structure serve both as a positioning part and a fixing part of the socket part 4. Furthermore, since the rectangular flange 46a of the socket portion 4 is sandwiched between the flange receiving portions 47c and 49c of the socket storage portion 5, the rotation of the socket portion 4 disposed in the socket storage portion 5 is prevented. In the case where the nozzle unit 8 is connected to the socket unit 4 by rotating it, the connectivity is improved by preventing the socket unit 4 from rotating.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the protruding portion 41 provided on the socket portion 4 may have a shape partially protruding outward in the radial direction with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the socket body 12. In this case, the socket housing part 5 having a two-part structure is provided with a slot having a width and a depth corresponding to the protruding part 41. When the protrusion 41 and the corresponding slot shown in FIG. 13 are applied, the protrusion 41 and the slot that receives the protrusion 41 function as a positioning part and a fixing part of the socket part 4, and the rotation of the socket part 4 It also functions as a prevention unit. As shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, when the socket housing part 5 having a two-part structure is applied, the pins and sleeves for fixing the socket part 4 can be omitted, so that the number of parts can be reduced. .

  Also in the fuel cell of this embodiment, the attachment property (fixability) of the socket portion 4 and the liquid fuel sealing property at the attachment portion can be reliably improved with a simple structure by the positioning portion and the fixing portion. This contributes to miniaturization and simplification of the structure of the fuel cell including the mounting portion of the socket portion 4. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an accident due to leakage or the like after the socket portion 4 is installed in a limited space of a fuel cell whose size is being reduced. In other words, it is possible to provide a fuel cell that is small and excellent in reliability, safety, and the like.

  Next, a specific structure of the electromotive unit 2 in the fuel cell 1 described above will be described. The configuration of the fuel cell 1 is not particularly limited, and may be any fuel cell in which a satellite type fuel cartridge 6 is connected when necessary. Examples of the fuel cell 1 include a passive type DMFC, an active type DMFC, and a DMFC called a semi-passive type in which an electromotive unit 2 and a fuel storage unit 3 are connected via a flow path.

  First, a passive fuel cell 1 will be described as a first embodiment with reference to FIG. A fuel cell (DMFC) 1 shown in FIG. 14 includes a gas-liquid separation membrane 51 interposed therebetween in addition to the electromotive unit 2 and the fuel storage unit 3. The electromotive unit 2 includes an anode (fuel electrode) 54 having an anode catalyst layer 52 and an anode gas diffusion layer 53, and a cathode (oxidant electrode / air electrode) 57 having a cathode catalyst layer 55 and a cathode gas diffusion layer 56. And a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) comprising a proton (hydrogen ion) conductive electrolyte membrane 58 sandwiched between an anode catalyst layer 52 and a cathode catalyst layer 55.

  Examples of the catalyst contained in the anode catalyst layer 52 and the cathode catalyst layer 55 include a simple substance of a platinum group element such as Pt, Ru, Rh, Ir, Os, and Pd, an alloy containing the platinum group element, and the like. For the anode catalyst layer 52, it is preferable to use Pt—Ru, Pt—Mo or the like having strong resistance to methanol or carbon monoxide. It is preferable to use Pt, Pt—Ni or the like for the cathode catalyst layer 55. However, the catalyst is not limited to these, and various substances having catalytic activity can be used. The catalyst may be either a supported catalyst using a conductive support such as a carbon material or an unsupported catalyst.

  The anode gas diffusion layer 53 laminated on the anode catalyst layer 52 serves to uniformly supply fuel to the anode catalyst layer 52 and has a current collecting function of the anode catalyst layer 52. The cathode gas diffusion layer 56 laminated on the cathode catalyst layer 55 serves to uniformly supply an oxidant to the cathode catalyst layer 55 and has a current collecting function of the cathode catalyst layer 55. The anode gas diffusion layer 53 and the cathode gas diffusion layer 56 are made of a porous base material having conductivity, such as carbon paper.

  Examples of the proton conductive material constituting the electrolyte membrane 58 include a fluorine-based resin (Nafion (trade name, manufactured by DuPont) or Flemion (trade name, manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.) such as a perfluorosulfonic acid polymer having a sulfonic acid group. Etc.), hydrocarbon resins having a sulfonic acid group, and inorganic substances such as tungstic acid and phosphotungstic acid. However, it is not limited to these, and various proton conductive materials can be used.

  The anode gas diffusion layer 53 is laminated with the anode conductive layer 59. The cathode gas diffusion layer 56 is laminated with the cathode conductive layer 60. The anode conductive layer 59 and the cathode conductive layer 60 are composed of a mesh or a porous film made of a conductive metal material such as Au. Rubber O-rings 61 are interposed between the electrolyte membrane 58 and the anode conductive layer 59 and between the electrolyte membrane 58 and the cathode conductive layer 60, respectively. As a result, fuel leakage and oxidant leakage from the electromotive unit 2 are prevented.

  The fuel storage unit 3 is filled with methanol fuel as the liquid fuel F. The fuel container 3 is open on the electromotive part 2 side, and a gas-liquid separation membrane 51 is disposed between the opening of the fuel container 3 and the electromotive part 2. The gas-liquid separation membrane 51 transmits only the vaporized component of the liquid fuel F and does not allow the liquid component to pass therethrough. Examples of the constituent material of the gas-liquid separation membrane 51 include a fluororesin such as polytetrafluoroethylene. The vaporized component of the liquid fuel F means a mixed gas composed of a vaporized component of methanol and a vaporized component of water when an aqueous methanol solution is used as the liquid fuel F, and a vaporized component of methanol when pure methanol is used. .

  A moisturizing layer 62 is laminated on the cathode conductive layer 60, and a surface layer 63 is further laminated thereon. The surface layer 63 has a function of adjusting the amount of air that is an oxidizing agent, and the adjustment is adjusted by the number and size of the air inlets 64 provided in the surface layer 63. The moisturizing layer 62 is impregnated with a part of the water generated in the cathode catalyst layer 55 and suppresses the transpiration of water, and the oxidant is uniformly introduced into the cathode gas diffusion layer 56, so that the cathode catalyst layer 55 is introduced. It has a function of promoting uniform diffusion of the oxidizing agent. The moisturizing layer 62 is made of a porous member, for example. Specifically, a porous body of polyethylene or polypropylene is used.

  Then, the gas-liquid separation membrane 51, the electromotive unit 2, the moisturizing layer 62, and the surface layer 63 are laminated in this order on the opening of the fuel storage unit 3, and a stainless steel cover 65 is put on the layer to hold the whole. The fuel cell 1 is configured. The cover 65 has an opening at a portion corresponding to the air inlet 64 of the surface layer 63. The fuel storage portion 3 is provided with a terrace 66 that receives the claw portion 65 a of the cover 65. The cover 65 integrally holds the entire fuel cell by caulking a claw 65a to the terrace 66. Although not shown in FIG. 14, as shown in FIG. 1, a socket housing portion 5 in which the socket portion 4 is housed is provided on the lower surface side of the fuel housing portion 3.

In the fuel cell (DMFC) 1 described above, the liquid fuel F (for example, aqueous methanol solution) in the fuel storage unit 3 is vaporized, and this vaporized component is supplied to the electromotive unit 2 through the gas-liquid separation membrane 51. . In the electromotive unit 2, the vaporized component of the liquid fuel F is diffused by the anode gas diffusion layer 53 and supplied to the anode catalyst layer 52. The vaporized component supplied to the anode catalyst layer 52 causes an internal reforming reaction of methanol represented by the following formula (1).
CH ₃ OH + H ₂ O → CO ₂ + 6H ⁺ + 6e ⁻ (1)

  When pure methanol is used as the liquid fuel F, water vapor is not supplied from the fuel storage unit 3. For this reason, for example, the water generated in the cathode catalyst layer 55 or the water in the electrolyte membrane 58 is reacted with methanol to cause the internal reforming reaction of the formula (1). Alternatively, the internal reforming reaction is caused by another reaction mechanism that does not require water, regardless of the internal reforming reaction of the formula (1).

Protons (H ⁺ ) generated by the internal reforming reaction are conducted through the electrolyte membrane 58 and reach the cathode catalyst layer 55. Air (oxidant) taken from the air inlet 64 of the surface layer 63 diffuses through the moisture retaining layer 62, the cathode conductive layer 60, and the cathode gas diffusion layer 56 and is supplied to the cathode catalyst layer 55. The air supplied to the cathode catalyst layer 55 causes the reaction shown in the following formula (2). This reaction causes a power generation reaction that accompanies the generation of water.
(3/2) O ₂ + 6H ⁺ + 6e ⁻ → 3H ₂ O (2)

  As the power generation reaction based on the above-described reaction proceeds, the liquid fuel F (for example, methanol aqueous solution or pure methanol) in the fuel storage unit 3 is consumed. Since the power generation reaction stops when the liquid fuel F in the fuel storage unit 3 becomes empty, the liquid fuel is supplied from the fuel cartridge 6 into the fuel storage unit 3 at that time or before that time. The liquid fuel is supplied from the fuel cartridge 6 by inserting and connecting the nozzle portion 8 on the fuel cartridge 6 side to the socket portion 4 on the fuel cell 1 side as described above.

  Next, a semi-passive type fuel cell as a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. A fuel cell (DMFC) 71 shown in FIG. 15 includes an electromotive unit 2 as in the fuel cell 1 of the first embodiment. As described above, the electromotive unit 2 includes a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) including the anode 54, the cathode 57, and the electrolyte membrane 58. The electromotive unit 2 is disposed on the fuel supply unit 72. A rubber O-ring 61 is interposed between the electrolyte membrane 58, the fuel supply unit 72, and the cover plate 65.

  Although not shown, the cover plate 65 has an opening for taking in air as an oxidant. Between the electromotive part 2 and the cover plate 65, the moisture retention layer and surface layer similar to 1st Embodiment are arrange | positioned as needed. The moisturizing layer is impregnated with a part of the water generated at the cathode 57 to suppress the transpiration of water and promote the uniform diffusion of air to the cathode 57. The surface layer adjusts the amount of air taken in, and has a plurality of air inlets whose number and size are adjusted according to the amount of air taken in.

  A fuel supply unit 72 is arranged on the anode 54 side of the electromotive unit 2. The fuel supply unit 72 is connected to the fuel storage unit 3 through a liquid fuel flow path 73 such as a pipe. Liquid fuel is introduced into the fuel supply unit 72 from the fuel storage unit 3 through the flow path 73. A fuel supply pump 74 is interposed in the flow path 73. These constitute a fuel supply mechanism. The flow path 73 is not limited to piping independent of the fuel supply unit 72 and the fuel storage unit 3. When the fuel supply part 72 and the fuel storage part 3 are laminated and integrated, a liquid fuel flow path connecting them may be used. The fuel supply unit 72 only needs to be connected to the fuel storage unit 3 via the flow path 73. Although not shown in FIG. 15, the fuel storage unit 3 has a socket storage unit 5 in which the socket unit 4 is stored.

  The fuel supply unit 72 supplies fuel while dispersing and diffusing the fuel in the surface direction of the anode 54. Here, a fuel distribution plate 81 as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 is used as the fuel supply unit 72. The fuel supply unit 72 may be composed of a fuel diffusion chamber and a fuel diffusion material disposed therein. A box-like container having an open top is used for the fuel diffusion chamber. For example, a resin porous plate made of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, or the like is used as the fuel diffusion material disposed in the fuel diffusion chamber. The electromotive unit 2 is disposed so that the anode 54 is positioned on the opening side of the fuel diffusion chamber in which the fuel diffusion material is stored.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the fuel distribution plate 81 includes at least one fuel inlet 82 through which liquid fuel flows through the flow path 73, and a plurality of fuel outlets 83 through which the liquid fuel and its vaporized components are discharged. have. As shown in FIG. 15, a gap 84 serving as a liquid fuel passage led from the fuel inlet 82 is provided inside the fuel distribution plate 81. The plurality of fuel discharge ports 83 are directly connected to the gaps 84 that function as fuel passages.

  The liquid fuel introduced into the fuel distribution plate 81 from the fuel inlet 82 enters the gap portion 84 and is guided to the plurality of fuel discharge ports 83 through the gap portion 84 functioning as the fuel passage. For example, a gas-liquid separator (not shown) that transmits only the vaporized component of the liquid fuel and does not transmit the liquid component may be disposed in the plurality of fuel discharge ports 83. As a result, the vaporized component of the liquid fuel is supplied to the anode 54 of the electromotive unit 2. The gas-liquid separator may be installed as a gas-liquid separation film between the fuel distribution plate 81 and the anode 54. The vaporized component of the liquid fuel is discharged from a plurality of fuel discharge ports 83 toward a plurality of locations of the anode 54.

A plurality of fuel discharge ports 83 are provided on the surface of the fuel distribution plate 81 in contact with the anode 54 so that fuel can be supplied to the entire electromotive unit 2. The number of the fuel discharge ports 83 may be two or more. However, in order to equalize the fuel supply amount in the plane of the electromotive unit 2, the fuel discharge ports 83 of 0.1 to 10 / cm ² exist. It is preferable to form so as to. If the number of the fuel discharge ports 83 is less than 0.1 / cm ² , the amount of fuel supplied to the electromotive unit 2 cannot be made sufficiently uniform, and even if it exceeds 10 / cm ^2. No further effect can be obtained.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the fuel supply unit 72 may include a fuel distribution plate 81 in which a fuel inlet 82 and a plurality of fuel outlets 83 are connected by a fuel passage such as a thin tube 85. The narrow tubes 85 provided inside the fuel distribution plate 81 are branched into a plurality of portions along the way, and fuel discharge ports 83 are respectively provided at the end portions of the branched narrow tubes 85. The thin tube 85 is preferably a through hole having an inner diameter of 0.05 to 5 mm. The fuel passage may be constituted by a fuel flow groove instead of the narrow tube 85 formed in the fuel distribution plate 81. In this case, the fuel distribution plate 81 is configured by covering the flow path plate having the fuel flow grooves with a diffusion plate having a plurality of fuel discharge ports.

  A pump 74 is interposed in the flow path 73. The pump 74 is not a circulation pump that circulates fuel, but is a fuel supply pump that sends liquid fuel from the fuel storage unit 3 to the fuel supply unit 72 to the last. The fuel supplied from the fuel supply unit 72 to the electromotive unit 2 is used for a power generation reaction, and is not circulated thereafter and returned to the fuel storage unit 3. Since the fuel cell 71 of this embodiment does not circulate the fuel, it is different from the conventional active method, and does not impair the downsizing of the apparatus. Further, the pump 74 is used for supplying the liquid fuel, which is different from a pure passive system such as a conventional internal vaporization type. A fuel cell 71 shown in FIG. 15 applies a system called a semi-passive type.

  The type of the pump 74 is not particularly limited, but a rotary vane pump, an electroosmotic flow pump, a diaphragm pump, from the viewpoint that a small amount of liquid fuel can be sent with good controllability and can be reduced in size and weight. It is preferable to use an ironing pump or the like. A rotary vane pump feeds liquid by rotating a wing with a motor. The electroosmotic flow pump uses a sintered porous material such as silica that causes an electroosmotic flow phenomenon. The diaphragm pump is a pump that feeds liquid by driving the diaphragm with an electromagnet or piezoelectric ceramics. The squeezing pump presses a part of the flexible fuel flow path and squeezes the fuel. Among these, it is more preferable to use an electroosmotic pump or a diaphragm pump having piezoelectric ceramics from the viewpoint of driving power, size, and the like.

  The liquid feeding capacity of the pump 74 is preferably in the range of 10 μL / min to 1 mL / min since the main object of the fuel cell 71 is a small electronic device. When the liquid feeding capacity exceeds 1 mL / min, the amount of liquid fuel delivered at one time becomes too large, and the stop time of the pump 74 occupying the entire operation period becomes long. For this reason, the fluctuation in the amount of fuel supplied to the electromotive unit 2 increases, and as a result, the fluctuation in output increases. A reservoir for preventing this may be provided between the pump 74 and the fuel supply unit 72. However, even if such a configuration is applied, fluctuations in the fuel supply amount cannot be sufficiently suppressed. This will increase the size of the device.

  If the liquid feeding capacity of the pump 74 is less than 10 μL / min, there is a risk of insufficient supply capacity when the amount of fuel consumption increases, such as when the apparatus is started up. As a result, the starting characteristics of the fuel cell 71 are deteriorated. From such a point, it is preferable to use a pump 74 having a liquid feeding capacity in the range of 10 μL / min to 1 mL / min. The liquid feeding capacity of the pump 74 is more preferably in the range of 10 to 200 μL / min. In order to realize such a liquid feeding amount stably, it is preferable to apply an electroosmotic flow pump or a diaphragm pump to the pump 74.

  In the fuel cell 71 of this embodiment, liquid fuel is intermittently sent from the fuel storage unit 3 to the fuel supply unit 72 using the pump 74. The liquid fuel fed by the pump 74 is quickly developed in the surface direction in the fuel supply unit 72 and is uniformly supplied from the fuel discharge port 83 to the entire surface of the anode (fuel electrode) 54 of the electromotive unit 2. . That is, fuel is uniformly supplied to the plane of the anode (fuel electrode) 54, thereby generating a power generation reaction. The operation of the fuel supply (liquid feeding) pump 74 is preferably controlled based on the output of the fuel cell 71, temperature information, operation information of the electronic device that is the power supply destination, and the like.

  In order to improve the stability and reliability of the fuel cell 71, a fuel cutoff valve may be arranged in series with the pump 74. As the fuel cutoff valve, an electrically driven valve capable of controlling the opening / closing operation with an electric signal using an electromagnet, a motor, piezoelectric ceramics, or the like as an actuator is applied. The fuel cutoff valve is preferably a latch type valve having a state maintaining function. A balance valve that balances the pressure in the fuel storage unit 3 with the outside air may be installed in the fuel storage unit 3 or the flow path 73. When fuel is supplied from the fuel storage unit 3 using a fuel supply mechanism, a configuration in which only the fuel cutoff valve is arranged instead of the pump 74 is also possible. The fuel cutoff valve at this time controls the supply of liquid fuel through the flow path 73.

The fuel released from the fuel supply unit 72 is supplied to the anode (fuel electrode) 54 of the electromotive unit 2. When methanol fuel is used as the liquid fuel, the internal reforming reaction of methanol shown in the above formula (1) occurs in the anode catalyst layer. Electrons (e ⁻ ) generated by this reaction are guided to the outside, and are operated to the cathode (oxidant electrode) 57 after operating the electronic device as so-called electricity. Proton (H ⁺ ) generated by the internal reforming reaction of the formula (1) is guided to the cathode 57 through the electrolyte membrane 58. Air is supplied to the cathode 57 as an oxidant. Electrons (e ⁻ ) and protons (H ⁺ ) that have reached the cathode 57 react with oxygen in the air in the cathode catalyst layer in accordance with the above-described formula (2), and water is generated along with this reaction.

  As the power generation reaction based on the above-described reaction proceeds, the liquid fuel F (for example, methanol aqueous solution or pure methanol) in the fuel storage unit 3 is consumed. Since the power generation reaction stops when the liquid fuel F in the fuel storage unit 3 becomes empty, the liquid fuel is supplied from the fuel cartridge 6 into the fuel storage unit 3 at that time or before that time. The liquid fuel is supplied from the fuel cartridge 6 by inserting and connecting the nozzle portion 8 on the fuel cartridge 6 side to the socket portion 4 on the fuel cell 1 side as described above.

  The present invention can be applied to various fuel cells that supply liquid fuel using a fuel cartridge. The specific configuration and fuel supply form of the fuel cell are not particularly limited, and all of the fuel supplied to the MEA is liquid fuel vapor, all is liquid fuel, or part is supplied in a liquid state. The present invention can be applied to various forms such as liquid fuel vapor. In the implementation stage, the constituent elements can be modified and embodied without departing from the technical idea of the present invention. Furthermore, various modifications are possible, such as appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements shown in the above embodiments, or deleting some constituent elements from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiments. Embodiments of the present invention can be expanded or modified within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention, and these expanded and modified embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  According to the fuel cell according to the aspect of the present invention, the attachment property of the socket portion to the fuel storage portion and the sealing property of the liquid fuel can be reliably improved with a simple structure. Therefore, since the fuel cell according to the aspect of the present invention is small and excellent in reliability and safety, it can be effectively used as a power source for various apparatuses and devices.

Claims (17)

A socket part having a fuel flow path that is detachably connected to the nozzle part of the fuel cartridge and is opened and closed in accordance with the attaching / detaching operation of the nozzle part;
A socket housing portion in which the socket portion is housed;
A fuel storage portion that is connected to the socket storage portion via a fuel supply path, and that stores the liquid fuel supplied from the fuel cartridge in which the nozzle portion is connected to the socket portion;
An elastic body that seals between the fuel flow path and the fuel supply path in the socket portion;
A positioning part for defining an insertion position of the socket part into the socket housing part so as to control a pressing force of the elastic body by the socket part;
A fixing part for fixing the socket part in which the insertion position into the socket housing part is defined based on the positioning part;
An electromotive unit comprising a membrane electrode assembly having a fuel electrode, an oxidant electrode, and an electrolyte membrane sandwiched between the fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode, wherein the fuel is supplied from the fuel storage unit and generates electricity. And a fuel cell. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein
The socket part is disposed in a socket body having a nozzle insertion opening into which the nozzle part is inserted, a valve mechanism built in the socket body, and the fuel when the valve mechanism is opened. A fuel cell comprising: an elastic holder that seals the flow path. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein
The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the socket housing portion has a recess into which the socket portion is inserted, and the fuel supply path is opened at a bottom portion of the recess. The fuel cell according to claim 3, wherein
The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the elastic body is disposed between a lower surface of the socket portion and the bottom portion of the concave portion of the socket housing portion. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein
The positioning part includes a protrusion protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the socket part, and a protrusion receiving part that is provided in the socket housing part and receives the protrusion and defines the insertion position of the socket part. A fuel cell. The fuel cell according to claim 5, wherein
The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the fixing portion includes a fixing member that presses the protrusion. The fuel cell according to claim 6, wherein
The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member has a fixing pin inserted along an outer peripheral surface of the socket portion. The fuel cell according to claim 6, wherein
The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member has a fixing sleeve engaged so as to cover an outer peripheral surface of the socket portion. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein
The said fixing | fixed part is provided with the recessed part provided in the outer peripheral surface of the said socket part, and the fixing pin engaged with the said recessed part, The fuel cell characterized by the above-mentioned. The fuel cell according to claim 5, wherein
The socket housing portion has first and second halves divided in the insertion direction of the socket portion, and the first and second halves are combined with the protrusion receiving portion and the fixed portion when they are combined. A fuel cell comprising a slot functioning as a portion. The fuel cell according to claim 5, wherein
The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion of the socket part and the protrusion receiving part of the socket storage part have a function of preventing rotation of the socket part disposed in the socket storage part. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein
The fuel storage section according to claim 1, wherein the fuel storage section has an opening, and the electromotive section is disposed on the opening of the fuel storage section via a gas-liquid separation membrane. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein
The fuel cell further comprises a fuel supply mechanism for supplying the fuel from the fuel storage portion to the fuel electrode of the electromotive portion. The fuel cell according to claim 13, wherein
The fuel supply mechanism includes a fuel supply unit that is connected to the fuel storage unit via a flow path and that supplies the fuel while dispersing the fuel in the surface direction of the fuel electrode. The fuel cell according to claim 13, wherein
The fuel supply mechanism includes a fuel distribution plate that is connected to the fuel accommodating portion through a flow path and supplies the fuel to a plurality of locations of the fuel electrode. The fuel cell according to claim 15, wherein
The fuel distribution plate has a fuel inlet through which the liquid fuel flows from the fuel accommodating portion through the flow path, and a plurality of fuel outlets connected to the fuel inlet through a fuel passage. A fuel cell. The fuel cell according to claim 14, wherein
The fuel cell, wherein the fuel supply mechanism includes a fuel supply pump provided in the flow path.

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