Patents by Inventor Akihito GIGA
Akihito GIGA has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11431003Abstract: A separator assembly used for a fuel cell includes one pair of metal separators joined together and including a bead seal section including one pair of seal bead portions projecting in opposite directions respectively, an elastic body disposed in the bead seal section, and a first communication hole which extends through the separator assembly in a thickness direction of the separator assembly and which allows a reaction gas or a coolant to flow through the separator assembly. The bead seal section is disposed along an outer periphery of the separator assembly and along a shape of the first communication hole. The elastic body of a predetermined length is disposed in the bead seal section.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2020Date of Patent: August 30, 2022Inventors: Kento Suzuki, Kentaro Ishida, Kazuo Nunokawa, Akihito Giga
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Patent number: 11380909Abstract: A method includes a forming step of forming a first metal separator and a second metal separator each including a protruding sealing bead portion and a protruding stopper bead portion; a joining step of joining surfaces of the first metal separator and the second metal separator on sides opposite to sides on which their respective sealing bead portions protrude, and attaching seal members in an extension direction or on distal ends of the sealing bead portion; and a preload applying step of applying preload to a bead seal section formed of one pair of the sealing bead portions and the seal members and a stopper section formed of one pair of the stopper bead portions in a height direction thereof, thereby plastically deforming the bead seal section and the stopper section simultaneously.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2020Date of Patent: July 5, 2022Inventors: Yohei Sano, Shigeru Watanabe, Akihito Giga, Suguru Ohmori
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Publication number: 20220173414Abstract: A method of producing a separator for use in a fuel cell includes forming a press joint body including a seal member, a first metal separator, and a second metal separator, and plastically deforming the press joint body by applying a preliminary load to the press joint body in a height direction of the press joint body at a predetermined compression amount. The predetermined compression amount is changed based on a material characteristic of at least one of the seal member, the first metal separator, or the second metal separator.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 24, 2021Publication date: June 2, 2022Inventors: Daiki SHIGENARI, Akihito GIGA, Suguru OMORI
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Patent number: 11309547Abstract: A fuel cell separator member of a fuel cell stack includes a metal separator on which a seal bead is formed, and a pressure receiving member provided on a surface of the metal separator, separately from the metal separator. The pressure receiving member is provided along a seal bead, and the height of the pressure receiving member is lower than the height of the seal bead in the state where the tightening load is applied and no impact load is applied.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2020Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Suguru Ohmori, Takuro Okubo, Shuhei Goto, Akihito Giga
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Publication number: 20210280877Abstract: A metal separator is stacked on each of both surfaces of a membrane electrode assembly to form a fuel cell. A method of producing the metal separator includes a metal plate processing step of producing a metal plate including a fluid passage and a fluid flow field, and a rubber adding step of adhering a plurality of rubber extension parts extending from the fluid passage toward the fluid flow field, to the metal plate. In the rubber adding step, a primer is coated on the metal plate in an island pattern, and the metal plate and the rubber extension parts are adhered together through the primer in a dot pattern.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2021Publication date: September 9, 2021Inventors: Shuhei GOTO, Akihito GIGA
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Publication number: 20210194020Abstract: A separator assembly used for a fuel cell includes one pair of metal separators joined together and including a bead seal section including one pair of seal bead portions projecting in opposite directions respectively, an elastic body disposed in the bead seal section, and a first communication hole which extends through the separator assembly in a thickness direction of the separator assembly and which allows a reaction gas or a coolant to flow through the separator assembly. The bead seal section is disposed along an outer periphery of the separator assembly and along a shape of the first communication hole. The elastic body of a predetermined length is disposed in the bead seal section.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2020Publication date: June 24, 2021Inventors: Kento SUZUKI, Kentaro ISHIDA, Kazuo NUNOKAWA, Akihito GIGA
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Publication number: 20210194019Abstract: A method includes a forming step of forming a first metal separator and a second metal separator each including a protruding sealing bead portion and a protruding stopper bead portion; a joining step of joining surfaces of the first metal separator and the second metal separator on sides opposite to sides on which their respective sealing bead portions protrude, and attaching seal members in an extension direction or on distal ends of the sealing bead portion; and a preload applying step of applying preload to a bead seal section formed of one pair of the sealing bead portions and the seal members and a stopper section formed of one pair of the stopper bead portions in a height direction thereof, thereby plastically deforming the bead seal section and the stopper section simultaneously.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2020Publication date: June 24, 2021Inventors: Yohei SANO, Shigeru WATANABE, Akihito GIGA, Suguru OHMORI
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Patent number: 10923740Abstract: A fuel gas supply passage is provided at a central position of one side of opposing sides of a separator. A fuel gas supply passage is provided close to a fuel gas flow field in comparison with any of a plurality of fluid passages provided along the one side. An identification mark of the separator is provided between the fuel gas supply passage and an outer peripheral end of the separator.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2019Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Yu Tomana, Kentaro Ishida, Satoshi Oyama, Masahiro Matsutani, Akihito Giga
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Publication number: 20200388858Abstract: A fuel cell separator member of a fuel cell stack includes a metal separator on which a seal bead is formed, and a pressure receiving member provided on a surface of the metal separator, separately from the metal separator. The pressure receiving member is provided along a seal bead, and the height of the pressure receiving member is lower than the height of the seal bead in the state where the tightening load is applied and no impact load is applied.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2020Publication date: December 10, 2020Inventors: Suguru Ohmori, Takuro Okubo, Shuhei Goto, Akihito Giga
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Patent number: 10741854Abstract: A method of manufacturing a plate with an insulating frame by using a metal mold. The plate includes an outer edge portion having a concavo-concave shape, and the metal mold includes a plurality of gate portions for injecting a molding material that forms the frame. The gate portions of the metal mold are at locations that correspond to the concave portions of the metal plate such that when the molding material is injected into the metal mold, an injection pressure of the molding material that can deform the metal plate will not deform the metal plate to an extent that deteriorates insulation resistance that is provided by the frame.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2016Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignees: NOK CORPORATION, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tamio Inamura, Shuhei Goto, Akihito Giga, Satoshi Oyama
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Patent number: 10741861Abstract: A power generating cell is equipped with an MEA to which a resin frame is attached, and a first metal separator. In the first metal separator, there are provided an oxygen-containing gas flow field through which an oxygen-containing gas flows along an electrode surface, an outer peripheral bead surrounding the oxygen-containing gas flow field and which prevents leakage of a reaction gas, and a plurality of first bypass stopping convex portions that prevent bypassing of the reaction gas. Intermediate convex portions that support the resin film are provided between mutually adjacent ones of the first bypass stopping convex portions.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2018Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Kentaro Ishida, Yu Tomana, Akihito Giga
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Publication number: 20200014041Abstract: In a coolant inlet bridge section of a fuel cell separator member constituting a component of a fuel cell stack, as viewed in plan from a separator thickness direction, a first projection forming a first communication passage that communicates with a coolant supply passage extends in a manner so as to intersect with a second communication passage bead section, and a second projection forming a second communication passage configured to enable mutual communication between the first communication passage and a coolant flow field extends in a manner so as to intersect with a first communication passage bead section.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 3, 2019Publication date: January 9, 2020Inventors: Shuhei Goto, Yu Tomana, Akihito Giga
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Publication number: 20190393514Abstract: A cutout is formed in a passage bead of a first metal separator of a joint separator (fuel cell separator). The cutout connects an oxygen-containing gas flow field and an oxygen-containing gas supply passage. Channel forming ridges are provided in the cutout, integrally with the first metal separator. The channel forming ridges extend between the oxygen-containing gas supply passage and the oxygen-containing gas flow field. Connection channels connecting the oxygen-containing gas flow field and the oxygen-containing gas supply passage are formed on both sides of the channel forming ridges.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 21, 2019Publication date: December 26, 2019Inventors: Shuhei Goto, Yu Tomana, Akihito Giga
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Patent number: 10476085Abstract: A unit cell that constitutes a fuel cell stack is obtained by sandwiching an electrolyte mem-brane/electrode structure with a cathode-side separator and an anode-side separator. A first resin member is provided along the entire periphery of the cathode-side separator in the outer peripheral portion of the cathode-side separator. Surfaces of the cathode-side separator are provided with sealing parts that cover a part of the first resin member and constitute a first sealing member.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2016Date of Patent: November 12, 2019Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd., NOK CorporationInventors: Satoshi Oyama, Go Morimoto, Satoru Terada, Shuhei Goto, Akihito Giga, Takahiro Hayashi, Takeshi Masaka, Satomi Yogo, Shotaro Koga
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Publication number: 20190288300Abstract: A fuel gas supply passage is provided at a central position of one side of opposing sides of a separator. A fuel gas supply passage is provided close to a fuel gas flow field in comparison with any of a plurality of fluid passages provided along the one side. An identification mark of the separator is provided between the fuel gas supply passage and an outer peripheral end of the separator.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2019Publication date: September 19, 2019Inventors: Yu Tomana, Kentaro Ishida, Satoshi Oyama, Masahiro Matsutani, Akihito Giga
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Publication number: 20190198902Abstract: A power generating cell is equipped with an MEA to which a resin frame is attached, and a first metal separator. In the first metal separator, there are provided an oxygen-containing gas flow field through which an oxygen-containing gas flows along an electrode surface, an outer peripheral bead surrounding the oxygen-containing gas flow field and which prevents leakage of a reaction gas, and a plurality of first bypass stopping convex portions that prevent bypassing of the reaction gas. Intermediate convex portions that support the resin film are provided between mutually adjacent ones of the first bypass stopping convex portions.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2018Publication date: June 27, 2019Inventors: Kentaro Ishida, Yu Tomana, Akihito Giga
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Patent number: 10305118Abstract: First, a passive film is removed from a surface of a separator sheet. For example, the separator sheet may be immersed in an acidic liquid to remove the passive film. Then, the separator sheet is washed with water, taken out from the water, and heated. After the heating, the separator sheet is subjected to an electrolytic treatment to obtain a separator for a fuel cell. The resultant separator has a seal forming portion, and the outermost surface of the seal forming portion contains, based on 100% by weight of the total of a Cr oxide, an Mo oxide, an Fe oxide, Fe, and Ni, 5% by weight or less of the sum of the Fe and Ni and 60% by weight or more of the Cr oxide.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2014Date of Patent: May 28, 2019Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Satoru Terada, Yuki Hama, Masahiro Matsutani, Akihito Giga, Takehiro Mugishima, Mayu Kurata
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Publication number: 20180083295Abstract: A unit cell that constitutes a fuel cell stack is obtained by sandwiching an electrolyte mem-brane/electrode structure with a cathode-side separator and an anode-side separator. A first resin member is provided along the entire periphery of the cathode-side separator in the outer peripheral portion of the cathode-side separator. Surfaces of the cathode-side separator are provided with sealing parts that cover a part of the first resin member and constitute a first sealing member.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 22, 2016Publication date: March 22, 2018Inventors: Satoshi OYAMA, Go MORIMOTO, Satoru TERADA, Shuhei GOTO, Akihito GIGA, Takahiro HAYASHI, Takeshi MASAKA, Satomi YOGO, Shotaro KOGA
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Publication number: 20170015035Abstract: A plate is provided in its outer edge portion with a concavo-concave shape which makes a frame hard to fall away. A metal mold is provided with a cavity portion and a gate portion. A plurality of gate portions are provided at positions facing to an outer edge thickness surface of a metal plate in a state of being set to the metal mold and are arranged at positions conforming to arrangement of concave portions in the concavo-convex shape. A plate with frame is manufactured by using the metal mold. The invention can provide a method manufacturing the plate with frame obtained by integrally molding a resin frame in an outer edge portion of the metal plate by using the metal mold, and an amount of deformation can be held down even if any deformation is generated in the plate edge portion when the frame is integrally molded in the plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2016Publication date: January 19, 2017Inventors: Tamio INAMURA, Shuhei GOTO, Akihito GIGA, Satoshi OYAMA
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Publication number: 20140295321Abstract: First, a passive film is removed from a surface of a separator sheet. For example, the separator sheet may be immersed in an acidic liquid to remove the passive film. Then, the separator sheet is washed with water, taken out from the water, and heated. After the heating, the separator sheet is subjected to an electrolytic treatment to obtain a separator for a fuel cell. The resultant separator has a seal forming portion, and the outermost surface of the seal forming portion contains, based on 100% by weight of the total of a Cr oxide, an Mo oxide, an Fe oxide, Fe, and Ni, 5% by weight or less of the sum of the Fe and Ni and 60% by weight or more of the Cr oxide.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2014Publication date: October 2, 2014Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Satoru TERADA, Yuki HAMA, Masahiro MATSUTANI, Akihito GIGA, Takehiro MUGISHIMA, Mayu KURATA