JP6702245B2 - Method for manufacturing fuel cell - Google Patents

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a fuel cell unit.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing a precursor of a membrane electrode assembly by using pressure. The precursor of the membrane electrode assembly is an intermediate product for fuel cells.

JP, 2013-182751, A

  Generally, a work is loaded into a pressurizing device for performing pressurization. The transfer device used for carrying in the work may rub against any part to generate foreign matter. In view of the above, the present disclosure has an object to solve the problem that even if a foreign matter occurs in the transport device, it is difficult to mix the foreign matter in the work.

  One form of the present disclosure is a step of gripping an intermediate product of a fuel cell unit by using a chuck provided in a transfer device; and a test pressurizing device for the intermediate product by moving the transfer device in a horizontal direction. The step of loading the intermediate product on the lower mold of the inspection pressurizing device; the step of pressurizing the intermediate product with the inspection pressurizing device; In the step of mounting on the lower mold, the cam follower that interlocks with the chuck is fitted into the recess provided in the cam rail by moving the cam rail, and the vertical position of the gripped intermediate product is moved downward. The method for manufacturing a fuel cell in which the contact surface between the cam rail and the cam follower is located below the chuck. According to this aspect, even if a foreign matter is generated by rubbing the contact surface between the cam rail and the cam follower, the contact surface is located below the chuck, so that the foreign matter is unlikely to enter the work.

The front view of a conveyance apparatus. The figure which shows a mode that the position of the workpiece|work lowered by the cam mechanism. Front view of the work. 4-4 sectional drawing shown in FIG. The flowchart of a heating and pressurizing process. The figure which shows the state of an original position. The figure which shows a mode that the cam rail advanced and the work descended. The figure which shows a mode that a cam rail retreated and the work went up. The figure which shows a mode that the work was carried in. The figure which shows a mode that the work descend|falls and was mounted in the lower mold. The figure which shows a mode that the work is heated and pressurized. The enlarged view of a 1st hollow.

  FIG. 1 is a front view of the carrier device 20. The carrier device 20 carries the work W into the heating/pressurizing device 100 (described later). The heating/pressurizing device 100 is a type of inspection/pressurizing device. The transfer device 20 includes a chuck 30, a spring 40, a cam follower 50, a cam rail 60, a cam rail cylinder 70, and a moving cylinder 80.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vertical direction is defined as the Z direction, the width direction of the transport device 20 is defined as the X direction, and the transport direction of the work W is defined as the Y direction.

  The work W is changed into a precursor of the membrane electrode assembly by being heated and pressed. The heating and pressurization for obtaining the precursor of the membrane electrode assembly is a step included in the method for manufacturing a fuel cell.

  The work W includes a first film and a second film. The first film and the second film are superposed. The first film is a film formed by fixing the F-type electrolyte on the bonded product of the carbon nanotube and the reinforcing film. It is a membrane in which a catalyst layer is formed on a reinforcing membrane of an F type electrolyte membrane.

  The chuck 30 holds or separates the work W. The cam follower 50 and the cam rail 60 function as a cam mechanism. The cam rail cylinder 70 moves the cam rail 60 in the Y direction. The moving cylinder 80 moves the mechanism including the chuck 30 and the cam follower 50 in the Y direction.

  FIG. 2 shows how the position of the work W is lowered by the cam mechanism. When the position of the work W is lowered, the spring 40 stretches as compared with the state where the position of the work W is raised as shown in FIG. The cam mechanism will be described in detail later.

  FIG. 3 is a front view of the fuel cell C. The work W is an intermediate product of the fuel cell C. The fuel cell C is provided with six through holes that function as a manifold when assembled into a fuel cell stack.

  FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 shown in FIG. The fuel cell C includes a cathode separator CS, an anode separator AS, and a resin sheet J. The cathode separator CS and the anode separator AS form a cooling surface and a gas surface, respectively. In the manufacturing method according to the conventional technique, the metallic foreign matter K may be mixed between the cathode separator CS and the anode separator AS.

  On the other hand, in the case of the present embodiment, such mixing of the metallic foreign matter K is suppressed. Hereinafter, the heating/pressurizing process according to the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the heating/pressurizing process. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 6 is a side view showing the outline of the transfer device 20 and the heating and pressing device 100. The heating/pressurizing device 100 includes an upper mold 110 and a lower mold 120. 6 to 11, only the chuck 30, the cam follower 50, and the cam rail 60 among the components of the transport device 20 are shown. FIG. 6 shows a state where the chuck 30 is open and the positions of the chuck 30 and the cam rail 60 in the Y direction are the original positions. The work W is mounted on a table (not shown).

  First, from the state shown in FIG. 6, the cam rail cylinder 70 advances the cam rail 60 (S210). To move forward means to move in the Y direction plus direction. Further, the backward movement (described later) is to move in the negative direction in the Y direction.

  FIG. 7 shows how the cam rail 60 has advanced. As the cam rail 60 moves forward, the cam follower 50 fits into the first recess 61 provided in the cam rail 60. As a result, the chuck 30 moves downward as shown in FIG.

  Next, the chuck 30 holds the work W (S220). Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 8, the upper mold 110 is raised (S230). FIG. 7 shows a state in which the work W previously carried in is sandwiched by the heating and pressurizing device 100, but after the upper die 110 is lifted, the work W is carried out by a carry-out device (not shown). It

  Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the cam rail cylinder 70 retracts the cam rail 60 (S240). When the cam rail 60 moves backward, the chuck 30 moves up.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the moving cylinder 80 advances the chuck 30 (S250). As a result, the position of the work W in the Y direction is located between the upper die 110 and the lower die 120.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10, the cam rail cylinder 70 retracts the cam rail 60 (S260). When the cam rail 60 retracts, the cam follower 50 fits into the second recess 62 provided in the cam rail 60. As a result, the chuck 30 moves downward and the work W is placed on the lower die 120.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 11, the upper die 110 is moved downward (S270), and the chuck 30 separates the work W (S280). In this way, heating and pressing are performed.

  Finally, the moving cylinder 80 retracts the chuck 30 (S290). As a result, the state shown in FIG. 6 is restored. During mass production, steps S210 to S290 are repeated.

  FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the first depression 61. The first depression 61 includes a first slope 610, a bottom surface 620, and a second slope 630. A first plane 60A is connected to the first slope 610. The second plane 60B is connected to the second slope 630.

  The angle formed by the first slope 610 and the first plane 60A is 20 degrees. The angle formed by the second slope 630 and the second plane 60B is also 20 degrees. The second slope 62 is also formed with a first slope and a second slope at the same angle.

  According to the embodiment described above, the foreign metal K is less likely to be mixed into the work W. This is because the contact surface between the cam follower 50 and the cam rail 60 is located below the position where the workpiece W is gripped, even if the metallic foreign matter K is generated due to the contact between the cam follower 50 and the cam rail 60.

  Further, since the work W is placed on the lower mold 120 by its own weight, it is possible to accurately carry out the inspection in the post process.

  Moreover, since the first slope and the second slope of the first recess 61 and the second recess 62 are designed to be 20 degrees, the durability of the cam follower 50 and the cam rail 60 is improved.

  The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments, examples, and modified examples of the present specification, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments, examples, and modifications corresponding to the technical features in each mode described in the column of the outline of the invention are to solve some or all of the above-mentioned problems, or In order to achieve some or all of the effects described above, they can be replaced or combined as appropriate. If the technical features are not described as essential in this specification, they can be deleted as appropriate. For example, the following are exemplified.

  The inspection pressurizing device may not be the heating pressurizing device. For example, any one of a short circuit/withstand voltage inspection device, a leak inspection device, and a pressure loss inspection device may be used.

20...Conveying device 30...Chuck 50...Cam follower 60...Cam rail 60A...First plane 60B...Second plane 70...Camrail cylinder 80...Movement cylinder 100...Heating/pressurizing device 110...Upper mold 120...Lower mold 510...Reinforcing film 610... First slope 620... Bottom 630... Second slope AS... Anode separator C... Fuel cell CS... Cathode separator J... Resin sheet K... Metal foreign matter

Claims (1)

A step of gripping the intermediate product of the fuel cell unit by using a chuck provided on the transfer device;
Loading the intermediate product into the inspection pressurizing device by moving the transfer device in the horizontal direction;
Placing the intermediate product on the lower mold of the inspection pressurizing device;
Pressure-treating the intermediate product using the inspection pressurizing device,
In the step of placing the intermediate product on the lower mold, a cam follower that interlocks with the chuck is fitted into a recess provided in the cam rail by moving the cam rail, and the vertical position of the gripped intermediate product is lowered. To
The method for manufacturing a fuel cell unit, wherein a contact surface between the cam rail and the cam follower is located below the chuck.

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