Sealing device and seal

Abstract

A sealing device (1) comprises a seal (2) and a spacer (3). The spacer (3) holds the separator (101, 102) and the electrolyte membrane (104) between a separator (101, 102) and an electrolyte membrane (104) such that the separator (101, 102) and the electrolyte membrane (104), which are the opposing elements, face each other with a space (100a, 100b) therebetween. The seal (2) is configured to surround the space (100a) or the space (100b) between the separator (101) or the separator (102) and the electrolyte membrane (104). The spacer (3) is also configured to surround the gasket (2) from an outer side between the separator (101, 102) and the electrolyte membrane (104). The gasket (2) and the spacer (3) are configured to contact each other in an expansion direction of the space (100a, 100b).

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present invention relates to a sealing device and a seal. State of the art

[0002] Each cell of a hydrogen generator or fuel battery is equipped with a gasket compressed between a separator and an electrolyte membrane, sealing the interior of the cell to prevent the leakage of a gas inside the cell (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). Citation listPatent literature

[0003] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-19116 Summary of the inventionTechnical problem

[0004] The pressure inside a cell, which is a sealed space, becomes high, which can cause the seal to deform or shift, resulting in a reduction in sealing performance. Accordingly, the seal of a cell in a fuel battery or hydrogen generator must maintain its sealing performance even when the pressure inside the cell becomes high.

[0005] The present invention is provided in view of the above-described problem, and its object is to provide a sealing device and a gasket capable of maintaining sealing performance even when the pressure of a space to be sealed becomes high. Solution to the problem

[0006] In order to achieve the above-described object, a sealing device according to the present invention is a sealing device for sealing a space between opposing members, the sealing device comprising: a gasket made of an elastic body; and a spacer that is a member having rigidity for holding the opposing members between the opposing members such that the opposing members face each other with the space therebetween, wherein the gasket is configured to surround the space between the opposing members, the spacer is configured to surround the gasket from an outer side or an inner side between the opposing members, and the gasket and the spacer are configured to come into contact with each other in an extending direction of the space.

[0007] In the sealing device according to one aspect of the present invention, the gasket and the spacer have, at a contact portion where the gasket and the spacer are configured to come into contact with each other, an engagement portion configured to engage the gasket and the spacer with each other.

[0008] In the sealing device according to one aspect of the present invention, the engagement portion includes a recessed portion which is a portion that is recessed, and a receiving portion which is a portion that is received in the recessed portion, the spacer includes one of the at least one recessed portion and the at least one receiving portion at a portion at one end on a side of the gasket in the extension direction of the space, and the gasket includes the other of the at least one recessed portion and the at least one receiving portion at a portion at one end on a side of the spacer in the extension direction of the space.

[0009] In the sealing device according to one aspect of the present invention, the recessed portion is recessed in the opposite direction, and the receiving portion extends in the opposite direction.

[0010] In the sealing device according to one aspect of the present invention, the recessed portion is recessed in the extending direction of the space, and the receiving portion extends in the extending direction of the space.

[0011] In the sealing device according to one aspect of the present invention, the spacer has a stepped portion at an end portion, the end portion being the end portion on the gasket side, the stepped portion of the spacer has a first step surface that is a surface facing the gasket side and a second step surface that is a surface facing the gasket side, the second step surface is located farther on the gasket side than the first step surface, and a peripheral end portion of the gasket is configured to come into contact with the first step surface and the second step surface of the stepped portion of the spacer at least in a use state, the peripheral end portion being the end portion on the spacer side.

[0012] In the sealing device according to one aspect of the present invention, the gasket has a sealing bead portion that is farther away than the contact portion on a side opposite to the spacer side in the extension direction of the space, the sealing bead portion being a portion that projects toward one of the opposing members, and the sealing bead portion extending annularly.

[0013] In the sealing device according to one aspect of the present invention, the seal is provided on one side of the object to be sealed with respect to the spacer.

[0014] In the sealing device according to one aspect of the present invention, the opposing members are a separator and an electrolyte membrane used in a cell of a water electrolysis device.

[0015] In order to achieve the above-described object, a gasket according to the present invention is a gasket composed of an elastic body for sealing a space between members, the members being held by a spacer and opposed to each other, the spacer being a member having rigidity, the gasket being configured to: surround the space between the opposed members; be surrounded by the spacer from an outer side or an inner side; and come into contact with the spacer in an extending direction of the space.

[0016] The gasket according to one aspect of the present invention has an engagement portion at a portion that comes into contact with the spacer, the engagement portion being configured to engage the gasket with the spacer.

[0017] In the gasket according to one aspect of the present invention, the spacer has, at a portion at one end on a side of the gasket in the extension direction of the space, one of at least one recessed portion and at least one receiving portion, the receiving portion being configured to be received in the recessed portion, and the engaging portion has, at a portion at one end on a side of the spacer in the extension direction of the space, the other of the at least one recessed portion and the at least one receiving portion.

[0018] In the gasket according to one aspect of the present invention, the recessed portion is recessed in the opposite direction, and the receiving portion extends in the opposite direction.

[0019] In the gasket according to one aspect of the present invention, the recessed portion is recessed in the extending direction of the space, and the receiving portion extends in the extending direction of the space.

[0020] In the gasket according to one aspect of the present invention, the spacer has a stepped portion at an end portion, the end portion being the end portion on the gasket side, the stepped portion of the spacer has a first step surface that is a surface facing the gasket side and a second step surface that is a surface facing the gasket side, the second step surface is located farther on the gasket side than the first step surface, and a peripheral end portion of the gasket is configured to come into contact with the first step surface and the second step surface of the stepped portion of the spacer at least in a use state, the peripheral end portion being the end portion on the spacer side.

[0021] In the gasket according to one aspect of the present invention, the gasket has a sealing bead portion that is farther away than the contact portion on a side opposite to the spacer side in the extension direction of the space, the sealing bead portion being a portion that projects toward one of the opposing members, and the sealing bead portion extending annularly.

[0022] In the seal according to one aspect of the present invention, the seal is provided on one side of the object to be sealed with respect to the spacer.

[0023] In the gasket according to one aspect of the present invention, the opposing members are a separator and an electrolyte membrane used in a cell of a water electrolysis device. Advantageous effects of the invention

[0024] The sealing device and the seal according to the present invention are capable of maintaining the sealing performance even when the pressure in a space to be sealed becomes high. Brief description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an overview of a configuration of a cell of a water electrolysis device which is an application target of a sealing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a separator and the sealing device in the Fig. 1 shows the cell shown. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section perpendicular to an extending direction of the sealing device and a cross section along a line AA in Fig. 2 shows. Fig. 4 is a partial perspective view showing a portion of the sealing device. Fig. 5 is a partial perspective view showing a portion of a spacer of the sealing device. Fig. 6 is a partial perspective view showing a portion of a seal of the sealing device. Fig. 7 is a partial perspective view showing a portion of a modification example of the sealing device of the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8 is a diagram that is shown in a cell of the Fig. 1, which is equipped with a sealing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, shows the separator and the sealing device. Fig. 9 is a partial perspective view showing a portion of the Fig. 8 shows the sealing device. Fig. 10 is a plan view of a spacer in the Fig. 9 shown sealing device. Fig. 11 is a plan view of the seal in the Fig. 9 shown sealing device. Fig. 12 is a partial perspective view showing a portion of a modification example of the sealing device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an overview of another example of the configuration of a cell of the water electrolysis device which is an application target of the sealing devices according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention. Description of the embodiments

[0025] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0026] The sealing device according to the present invention is a sealing device for sealing a space between opposing elements. The opposing elements are, for example, a separator and an electrolyte membrane used in a cell of a hydrogen generator, a fuel battery, or the like. For example, the sealing device according to the embodiment of the present invention can be used to seal a space between an opposing separator and an electrolyte membrane in a cell of a water electrolysis device of a hydrogen generator. It should be noted that an application target of the sealing device according to the present invention is not limited to the above points and has other application targets.

[0027] Fig. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an overview of a configuration of a cell of a water electrolysis device, which is an application target of a sealing device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the respective sealing devices 1 are provided in a cell 100 between a separator 101 and an electrolyte membrane 104 of a membrane assembly 103 and between a separator 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104 of the membrane assembly 103, and seal a space 100a between the separator 101 and the electrolyte membrane 104 and a space 100b between the separator 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104. The membrane assembly 103 includes the electrolyte membrane 104 and a pair of catalyst layers, a catalyst 105 and a catalyst 106, provided on respective opposite surfaces of the electrolyte membrane 104. The electrolyte membrane 104 is, for example, an ion exchange membrane, in particular a solid polymer membrane. A gas diffusion layer 107 is located on a surface of the catalyst 105 and the catalyst 106.Each of the catalyst layers 105, 106 and the gas diffusion layer 107 are surrounded by the sealing device 1 and are located in a space S to be sealed, which is sealed by the sealing device 1.

[0028] Fig. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the separator 101 or 102 and the sealing device 1 in the cell 100. In other words, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing cell 100 from Fig. 1, from which one of the separators 101, 102, the membrane assembly 103 and the intermediate sealing device 1 have been removed. As in Fig. 2, the sealing device 1 is arranged along an outer edge (an outer peripheral edge 101b or 102b) of the separator 101 or 102.

[0029] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section perpendicular to an extending direction of the sealing device 1 and a cross section along a line AA in Fig. 2 shows. Fig. 4 is also a partial perspective view showing a portion of the sealing device 1. The sealing device 1 includes a seal 2 composed of an elastic body and a spacer 3, which is a member having rigidity. The spacer 3 is a member for holding the separator 101 or the separator 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104 between the separator 101 or the separator 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104 in such a manner that the separator 101 or the separator 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104, which are the opposing elements, face each other with the space 100a or the space 100b therebetween. The seal 2 is configured to surround substantially the entire space 100a or the space 100b between the separator 101 or the separator 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104.The spacer 3 is also configured to surround the gasket 2 from an outer side or an inner side between the separator 101 or the separator 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104. The gasket 2 and the spacer 3 are configured to contact each other in an extension direction of the space 100a or the space 100b. The structure of the sealing device 1 will be described in more detail below.

[0030] As in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, for example, at a portion where the gasket 2 and the spacer 3 come into contact with each other, the gasket 2 and the spacer 3 have an engagement portion 4 that engages the gasket 2 and the spacer 3 with each other. The engagement portion 4 includes a recessed portion 20, which is a portion that is recessed, and a receiving portion 10, which is a portion to be received in the recessed portion 20. The spacer 3 has one of at least one recessed portion 20 and at least one receiving portion 10 on one side of the gasket 2 in the extension direction of the space 100a or 100b, while the gasket 2 has the other of at least one recessed portion 20 and at least one receiving portion 10 on one side of the spacer 3 in the extension direction of the space 100a or 100b.As described above, the spacer 3 surrounds the gasket 2 from the outside or the inside, the side of the spacer 3 in the extension direction of the space 100a or 100b relative to the gasket 2 is the outside or the inside, and the side of the gasket 2 in the extension direction of the space 100a or 100b relative to the spacer 3 is the inside or the outside. It should be noted that the extension direction of the space 100a or 100b refers to a direction intersecting a direction in which the separator 101 or 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104 are opposed, for example, a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the separator 101 or 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104 are opposed.In addition, the inner side (an inner peripheral side) in the extension direction of the space 100a or 100b refers to a side of the space surrounded by the gasket 2 itself between the separator 101 or 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104. In contrast, the outer side (an outer peripheral side) in the extension direction of the space 100a or 100b refers to the side opposite to the side of the space surrounded by the gasket 2 itself between the separator 101 or 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104.

[0031] In the present embodiment, the spacer 3 is configured to surround the seal 2 from the outside, as shown in the Fig. 1 to 3. A space surrounded by the gasket 2 itself between the separator 101 or the separator 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104, in other words, a space on the inside of the gasket 2, corresponds to a space S to be sealed. Consequently, in the cell 100 described above, the gasket 2 is subjected to high pressure from the inside, and the spacer 3 surrounds the gasket 2 from the outside opposite to the inside subjected to high pressure. Moreover, the spacer 3 has at least one recessed portion 20 at a portion at one end on the inside (an inner peripheral end portion 21), and the gasket 2 has at least one receiving portion 10 at a portion at one end on the outside (an outer peripheral end portion 2a). The recessed portion 20 of the spacer 3 is in an opposite direction (a direction of arrow a in Fig. 1), which is a direction in which the separator 101 or 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104 face each other, and the receiving portion 10 of the gasket 2 extends in the opposite direction.

[0032] It should be noted that the spacer 3 may be designed to surround the gasket 2 from the inside. In this case, a space on the outside of the space surrounded by the gasket 2 itself between the separator 101 or the separator 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104 (the space on the inside of the gasket 2) corresponds to the space S to be sealed. Consequently, the gasket 2 in the cell 100 is subjected to high pressure from the outside, and the spacer 3 surrounds the gasket 2 from the inside, which is opposite to the outside subjected to high pressure in this case. Furthermore, in this case, the spacer 3 has at least one recessed portion 20 at the end portion on the outside, and the gasket 2 has at least one receiving portion 10 at the end portion on the inside.The sealing device 1 in which the spacer 3 is configured to surround the gasket 2 from the inside has a configuration in which the inside and the outside are reversed compared to the sealing device 1 in which the spacer 3 is configured to surround the gasket 2 from the outside. A description of the configuration of the sealing device 1 in which the spacer 3 is configured to surround the gasket 2 from the inside will be provided by swapping the inside and the outside in the description of the configuration of the gasket 1 in which the spacer 3 is configured to surround the gasket 2 from the outside. Accordingly, a detailed description of the configuration of the sealing device 1 in which the spacer 3 is configured to surround the gasket 2 from the inside will be omitted.

[0033] The seal 2 extends in a ring shape and has a shape designed to surround an interior space and form the space S to be sealed, as shown in Fig. 2. In addition, the spacer 3 extends annularly and has a shape intended to surround the seal 2 inside, as shown in Fig. 2. The spacer 3 is also formed to extend along an edge of an outer circumference (an outer circumference edge 101b or 102b) of the separator 101 or 102. Moreover, a portion on the outer circumference side of the gasket 2 and a portion on the inner circumference side of the spacer 3 are in contact with each other, and the gasket 2 and the spacer 3 are engaged with each other at the contact portion.

[0034] In particular, for example, the spacer 3 has, in a portion except for a stepped portion 22 described later, a constant or substantially constant thickness over that portion in the extension direction, as shown in Fig. 3. In particular, the spacer 3 also has, for example, a constant or substantially constant width across the entire spacer 3 in the direction of extension. It should be noted that the extension direction of the spacer 3 refers to a direction in which the spacer 3 extends, and also to a direction along the outer peripheral edge 101b or 102b of the separator 101 or 102. The thickness of the spacer 3 corresponds to a width in the opposite direction of the spacer 3 and also to a distance between a surface 3a and a surface 3b of the spacer 3. The surfaces 3a, 3b of the spacer 3 are surfaces of the spacer 3 facing the respective opposite directions, and the surface 3a is a surface on one side of the electrolyte membrane 104 and the surface 3b is a surface on one side of the separator 101 or 102, as in Fig. 1. The surface 3a and the surface 3b extend, for example, parallel or substantially parallel to each other. Furthermore, the width of the spacer 3 refers to a width of the spacer 3 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the spacer 3 in the expansion direction of the space 100a or 100b. It should be noted that the expansion direction of the space 100a or 100b is a direction in which the space 100a or 100b expands, and also a direction along a surface 101a or 102a of the separator 101 or 102.

[0035] Fig. Fig. 5 is a partial perspective view showing a portion of the spacer 3. For example, the inner peripheral end portion 21 of the spacer 3 is formed with the stepped portion 22 as shown in Figs. Fig. 3 to 5. The stepped portion 22 forms a step in the opposite direction. Specifically, the stepped portion 22 has, for example, an outer step surface (a first step surface) 22a facing the side of the seal 2 or the inner side, and an inner step surface (a second step surface) 22b facing the inner side and located further on the inner side than the outer step surface 22. The outer step surface 22a extends from an edge on the inner side (an inner peripheral edge 3c) of the surface 3a of the spacer 3, and the inner step surface 22b extends from an edge on the inner side (an inner peripheral edge 3d) of the surface 3b of the spacer 3. The outer step surface 22a extends annularly and, for example, runs parallel or substantially parallel to the opposite direction in cross section, as shown in Fig. 3. The inner step surface 22b extends annularly and runs, for example, parallel or substantially parallel to the opposite direction in cross section, as in Fig. 3. The stepped portion 22 also includes a connecting step surface 22c connecting the outer step surface 22a and the inner step surface 22b. The connecting step surface 22c faces the electrolyte membrane 104 in the opposite direction and extends, for example, parallel or substantially parallel to the surface 3a or 3b.

[0036] The recessed portion 20 of the spacer 3 is recessed in the opposite direction. For example, the recessed portion 20 is formed in the connecting step surface 22c of the stepped portion 22 of the spacer 3 and recessed inward from the connecting step surface 22c, as shown in FIGS. Fig. 3 and Fig. 5. The recessed portion 20 is, for example, a through-hole passing between the connecting step surface 22c and the surface 3b. It should be noted that the recessed portion 20 does not have to penetrate between the connecting step surface 22c and the surface 3b. As shown in Fig. 3, a dimension of the recessed portion 20 in a width direction of the spacer 3 (a right-left direction in Fig. 3) smaller than a dimension of the connecting step surface 22c in the width direction of the spacer 3. Moreover, the dimension of the recessed portion 20 in the extending direction of the spacer 3 is, for example, equal to or substantially equal to the dimension of the recessed portion 20 in the width direction of the spacer 3. Note that the dimension of the recessed portion 20 in the extending direction of the spacer 3 does not have to be the same as the dimension of the recessed portion 20 in the width direction of the spacer 3. A shape (a cross-sectional shape) of the recessed portion 20 in a cross section perpendicular to the opposite direction is, for example, a circular shape or a substantially circular shape. The cross-sectional shape of the recessed portion 20 is not limited to the above shape and may have any other shape, such as a rectangular shape or a triangular shape.The connecting step surface 22c of the spacer 3 is provided with a plurality of recessed portions 20 spaced at a distance. For example, the plurality of recessed portions 20 are arranged at regular intervals or substantially at regular intervals.

[0037] It should be noted that the spacer 3 does not have to be in an endless annular shape as described above, and several spacers 3 can be arranged annularly next to each other in use. For example, the spacer 3 can have one end and extend along one side of the outer peripheral edge 101b or 102b of the separator 101 or 102. The spacer 3 can also be formed with a locking portion 23 for positioning relative to the separator 101 or 102, as shown in Fig. 2. The locking portion 23 is, for example, a recessed portion or a protruding portion, and is configured to be locked with a protruding portion or a recessed portion (not shown) formed in the separator 101 or 102. The locking portion 23 is, for example, a through hole.

[0038] In particular, for example, the seal 2 has a constant or substantially constant width over most of the seal 2 in the direction of extension, as in Fig. 3. It should be noted that the extension direction of the gasket 2 refers to a direction in which the gasket 2 extends, and also to a direction along the outer peripheral edge 101b or 102b of the separator 101 or 102. The width of the gasket 2 refers to a width of the gasket 2 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the gasket 2 in the extension direction of the space 100a or 100b. In order to seal the space S to be sealed with respect to a flow path through which pure water is to be supplied into the space S to be sealed of the cell 100, or a flow path (a flow path 108) through which hydrogen and oxygen generated from the space S to be sealed of the cell 100 are to be discharged, the gasket 2 also includes, for example, a flow path sealing portion 19, which is a portion surrounding the flow path 108, as shown in Fig. 2 shown.

[0039] Fig. Fig. 6 is a partial perspective view showing a portion of the gasket 2, and is also a perspective view of the gasket 2 as seen from the side, similar to that in Fig. 4. It should be noted that the Fig. 6 does not have the sealing section 19 for the flow path. As shown in the Fig. 3, Fig. 4 and Fig. For example, as shown in Fig. 6, the gasket 2 includes a sealing portion 11 and a connecting portion 12. The sealing portion 11 is a portion mainly for sealing the space 100a or 100b, and the connecting portion 12 is a portion mainly for engaging the gasket 2 with the spacer 3.

[0040] As in the Fig. 3, Fig. 4 and Fig. 6, the sealing portion 11 extends in the extending direction of the gasket 2 and has a base portion 13 and a sealing bead portion 14. A cross-sectional shape of the base portion 13 perpendicular to the extending direction is, for example, a rectangular shape or a substantially rectangular shape, and the base portion 13 has a sealing surface 15 and a surface (a surface 13a) facing away from the sealing surface 15 in the opposite direction. The sealing surface 15, which is a surface of the base portion 13, has the shape of a flat surface or substantially the shape of a flat surface, as shown in FIGS. Fig. 3 and Fig. 6, and is configured to continuously contact the surface 101a or 102a of the separator 101 or 102 in the cell 100 in the extending direction of the base portion 13. The sealing bead portion 14 is a sealing bead configured to contact the electrolyte membrane 104 in the cell 100 and protrude from the surface 13a of the base portion 13. The shape of a cross section of the sealing bead portion 14 perpendicular to the extending direction of the gasket 2 is wedge-shaped, as shown in FIG. Fig. 3. It should be noted that the shape of the sealing bead portion 14 is not limited to a wedge shape and may have any other shape. Although the sealing bead portion 14 is located further outward than the surface 13a in the example shown, the sealing bead portion 14 may be located in the center of the surface 13a or further inward than the surface 13a.

[0041] As in the Fig. 3 and Fig. As shown in Fig. 6, a contact surface 16 extends from one end on the outer side (one end 15a) of the sealing surface 15. The contact surface 16 is a surface extending toward one side of the sealing bead portion 14 and is also a surface of the base portion 13 extending in the extension direction. The contact surface 16 is in a shape intended to come into contact with the inner step surface 22b of the stepped portion 22 of the spacer 3. Furthermore, a side surface 13b, which is a surface facing away from the contact surface 16, extends from one end on the inner side (one end 15b) of the sealing surface 15, and the side surface 13b is continuous with the surface 13a.

[0042] The connecting portion 12 is a portion extending outward from the base portion 13, as shown in the Fig. 3, Fig. 4 and Fig. 6. The connecting portion 12, whose shape in a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction is, for example, rectangular or substantially rectangular, has a surface 12a, a contact surface 17, and a contact surface 18. The contact surface 17 is a surface extending from one end of the contact surface 16 of the base portion 13 to the outside and has a shape designed to come into contact with the connecting step surface 22c of the stepped portion 22 of the spacer 3. The surface 12a is a surface facing away from the contact surface 17 in the opposite direction. The contact surface 18 is a surface extending between the contact surface 17 and the surface 12a and facing outward and has a shape designed to come into contact with the outer step surface 22a of the stepped portion 22 of the spacer 3.

[0043] The connecting portion 12 and the contact surface 16 of the base portion 13 form the outer peripheral end portion 2a of the gasket 2, and the outer peripheral end portion 2a is configured to come into contact with the outer step surface 22a and the inner step surface 22b of the stepped portion 22 of the spacer 3 at least in a use state described later. Furthermore, the connecting portion 12, which forms the outer peripheral end portion 2a of the gasket 2, is provided with the receiving portion 10. Specifically, the receiving portion 10 is provided on the contact surface 17 of the connecting portion 12, and the receiving portion 10 protrudes from the contact surface 17, as shown in FIG. Fig. 6. The receiving portion 10, which is in a shape intended to be received in the recessed portion 20 of the spacer 3 as described above, has a columnar shape extending in the opposite direction, as shown, for example, in Fig. 6, and a shape of the receiving portion 10 in a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction (the opposite direction) is, for example, a circular shape or a substantially circular shape. In addition, the receiving portion 10 is in a shape intended to be received in the recessed portion 20 by press fitting. It should be noted that the receiving portion 10 may be in a shape intended to be received in the recessed portion 20 by a transition fit or in a shape intended to be received in the recessed portion 20 by a clearance fit. Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the receiving portion 10 is not limited to a circular shape or a substantially circular shape.

[0044] The surface 12a of the connecting portion 12 and the surface 13a of the sealing portion 11 are located in the same plane or substantially in the same planes. Specifically, for example, a position of the surface 12a of the connecting portion 12 and a position of the surface 13a of the sealing portion 11 in the opposite direction are the same or substantially the same. Moreover, the sealing bead portion 14 is in such a shape that, in the sealing device 1, in an assembled state in which the gasket 2 and the spacer 3 are assembled, the sealing bead portion 14 protrudes further forward toward the electrolyte membrane 104 side in the opposite direction (an electrode side, an upper side in Fig. 3) than the surface 3a of the spacer 3. Moreover, the surface 12a of the connecting portion 12 of the gasket 2 is in such a shape that, in the sealing device 1 in the assembled state, the surface 12a does not protrude toward the electrode side from the surface 3a of the spacer 3 in the opposite direction. In other words, in the sealing device 1 in the assembled state, a position of the surface 12a of the connecting portion 12 of the gasket 2 in the opposite direction is the same as a position of the surface 3a of the spacer 3 in the opposite direction or on a separator side with respect to the position of the surface 3a of the spacer 3 in the opposite direction.It should be noted that the separator side refers to a side on which the sealing device 1 faces the separator 101 or the separator 102 with which the sealing device 1 is to come into contact in the opposite direction, and in . Fig. 3 to the underside. Furthermore, in the sealing device 1, in the assembled state, the sealing surface 15 of the sealing portion 11 of the seal 2 and the surface 3b of the spacer 3 are located in the same plane or substantially in the same planes. Specifically, for example, a position of the sealing surface 15 and a position of the surface 3b of the spacer 3 in the opposite direction are the same or substantially the same.

[0045] For example, in Fig. 2, the flow path sealing portion 19 of the gasket 2 is formed by the sealing surface 15 of the sealing portion 11 and the surface 13a extending to cover the flow path 108, and the surface 13a of the flow path sealing portion 19 is formed with the sealing bead portion 14 extending annularly around the flow path 108. It should be noted that the sealing bead portion 14 of the flow path sealing portion 19 of the gasket 2 does not necessarily extend annularly around the flow path 108. For example, the sealing bead portion 14 of the flow path sealing portion 19 may be connected to the sealing bead portion 14 of the sealing portion 11 and surround the flow path 108 in combination with the sealing bead portion 14 of the sealing portion 11.

[0046] As described above, the gasket 2 includes the sealing portion 11, the connecting portion 12, and the flow path sealing portion 19. The sealing portion 11 and the flow path sealing portion 19 include the base portion 13 and the seal bead portion 14. These portions are portions of the gasket 2 that are integrally formed and integrated from the same material. The elastic body of the gasket 2 is made of, for example, rubber or the like. Specifically, for example, fluororubber (FKM), ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM), silicone rubber (VMQ), and the like can be used as the elastic body of the gasket 2. In contrast, the spacer 3 is a member with rigidity, and a material of the spacer 3 is, for example, metal or resin. The material of the spacer 3 is, for example, SUS, Al, Ti, or the like, or polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), glass epoxy resin, or the like.

[0047] As described above, the contact surface 16 of the base portion 13 of the gasket 2 is in a shape intended to come into contact with the inner step surface 22b of the stepped portion 22 of the spacer 3, the contact surfaces 17, 18 of the connecting portion 12 of the gasket 2 are in shapes intended to come into contact with the connecting step surface 22c and the outer step surface 22a of the stepped portion 22 of the spacer 3, respectively, and the connecting portion 12 is in the shape corresponding to that of the stepped portion 22.

[0048] The sealing device 1 is to be used in the assembled state in which the seal 2 and the spacer 3 are assembled as shown in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. Specifically, the sealing device 1 is brought into the assembled state by engaging the engaging portion 4 (the receiving portion 10 and the recessed portion 20) to connect the connecting portion 12 of the gasket 2 and the stepped portion 22 of the spacer 3. In the sealing device 1 in the assembled state, the receiving portion 10 of the gasket 2 is received in the recessed portion 20 of the corresponding spacer 3, and the engaging portion 4 is engaged. Furthermore, in the sealing device 1 in the assembled state, the contact surface 17 of the connecting portion 12 of the gasket 2 and the connecting step surface 22c of the stepped portion 22 of the spacer 3 are in contact with each other.

[0049] In the sealing device 1 in the assembled state, the contact surface 16 of the sealing portion 11 of the gasket 2 may be configured to contact the inner step surface 22b of the stepped portion 22 of the spacer 3, or may be configured to face the inner step surface 22b with a gap without contact. Even in a case where the contact surface 16 of the sealing portion 11 faces the inner step surface 22b of the stepped portion 22 with the gap without contact in the sealing device 1 in the assembled state, the contact surface 16 of the sealing portion 11 and the inner step surface 22b of the stepped portion 22 are configured to contact in the use state of the sealing device 1 described later.It should be noted that the contact surface 16 of the sealing portion 11 and the inner step surface 22b of the stepped portion 22 may be configured not to come into contact even in the use state of the sealing device 1 described later.

[0050] Furthermore, in the sealing device 1 in the assembled state, the contact surface 18 of the connecting portion 12 of the gasket 2 may be configured to come into contact with the outer step surface 22a of the stepped portion 22 of the spacer 3, or it may be configured to face the outer step surface 22a with a gap without contact. Even in a case where the contact surface 18 of the connecting portion 12 faces the outer step surface 22a of the stepped portion 22 with the gap without contact in the sealing device 1 in the assembled state, the contact surface 18 of the connecting portion 12 and the outer step surface 22a of the stepped portion 22 are configured to come into contact in the use state of the sealing device 1 described later.It should be noted that the contact surface 18 of the connecting portion 12 and the outer step surface 22a of the stepped portion 22 may be configured so that they do not come into contact even in the use state of the sealing device 1 described later.

[0051] Next, the operation of the sealing device 1 with the configuration described above will be described. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the sealing device 1 is provided in the cell 100 of a water separator device between the separator 101 or 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104 to seal the space 100a or 100b. In the use state in which the sealing device 1 is attached to the cell 100, the spacer 3 is arranged between the separator 101 or 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104 in the opposite direction to keep the separator 101 or 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104 in an opposite state at a certain distance. In addition, the sealing portion 11 of the gasket 2 is arranged between the separator 101 or 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104 in the opposite direction and compressed in the opposite direction. The seal 2 thus ensures the seal between the separator 101 or 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104.The sealing devices 1 are similarly provided between the separator 101 and the electrolyte membrane 104 and between the separator 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104 and function in a similar manner. Accordingly, the operation of the sealing device 1 between the separator 101 and the electrolyte membrane 104 will be described in more detail below.

[0052] Between the separator 101 and the electrolyte membrane 104, the surface 3b of the spacer 3 is in contact with the surface 101a of the separator 101 along the outer peripheral edge 101b of the separator 101, and the surface 3a of the spacer 3 is in contact with a surface of the electrolyte membrane 104 along the outer peripheral edge of the electrolyte membrane 104. The separator 101 and the electrolyte membrane 104 are thus maintained at a certain distance in an opposite state.

[0053] Furthermore, the gasket 2 between the separator 101 and the electrolyte membrane 104, which are held by the spacer 3, is compressed in the opposite direction, with the sealing bead portion 14 of the gasket 2 in contact with the surface of the electrolyte membrane 104 along the spacer 3, and the sealing surface 15 of the base portion 13 of the gasket 2 in contact with the surface 101a of the separator 101 along the spacer 3. Sealing between the separator 101 and the electrolyte membrane 104 is thus performed along the outer peripheral edge 101b of the separator 101.Furthermore, the gasket 2 is also compressed in the opposite direction at the flow path sealing portion 19, with the sealing bead portion 14 of the flow path sealing portion 19 in contact with the surface of the electrolyte membrane 104 while surrounding the flow path 108, and the sealing surface 15 of the flow path sealing portion 19 in contact with the surface 101a of the separator 101 while surrounding the flow path 108. Thus, the seal between the separator 101 and the electrolyte membrane 104 is also performed around the flow path 108. It should be noted that in the cell 100, the sealing device 1 can be used in a position where the sealing bead portion 14 of the gasket 2 is in contact with the separator 101 and the sealing surface 15 of the gasket 2 is in contact with the electrolyte membrane 104.

[0054] As described above, in the use state, the contact surface 16 of the sealing portion 11 of the gasket 2 is in contact with the inner step surface 22b of the stepped portion 22 of the spacer 3 (see Fig. 3). In addition, the contact surface 18 of the connecting portion 12 of the seal 2 is in contact with the outer step surface 22a of the stepped portion 22 of the spacer 3 (see Fig. 3). Consequently, when the pressure in the space S to be sealed becomes high, the gasket 2 is pressed to one side of the spacer 3 and expands in the opposite direction. This causes the surface pressure of the contact area between the sealing bead portion 14 and the surface of the electrolyte membrane 104 to further increase, and the surface pressure of the contact area between the sealing surface 15 and the surface 101a of the separator 101 to further increase. Consequently, the sealing performance of the gasket 2 is improved. As can be seen from the above, the gasket 2 is configured to exert a self-sealing action in the sealing device 1.

[0055] Since the gasket 2 is compressed in the opposite direction in the use state as described above, the gasket 2 is deformed to expand in the expansion direction of the space 100a. Therefore, when the sealing device 1 is sandwiched between the separator 101 and the electrolyte membrane 104, there are cases where a part of the base portion 13 of the gasket 2 climbs over the inner step surface 22b of the stepped portion 22 of the spacer 3, and in the use state, the part of the base portion 13 of the gasket 2 is sandwiched between the surface 3b of the spacer 3 and the surface 101a of the separator 101, resulting in what is called seizure.Likewise, there are cases where, when the sealing device 1 is clamped between the separator 101 and the electrolyte membrane 104, part of the connecting portion 12 of the gasket 2 climbs over the outer step surface 22a of the stepped portion 22 of the spacer 3, and in use, the part of the connecting portion 12 of the gasket 2 is clamped between the surface 3a of the spacer 3 and the surface of the electrolyte membrane 104, resulting in seizure. Accordingly, seizure is prevented or reduced by adjusting the shapes of the gasket 2 and the spacer 3 within a range that enables the self-sealing effect described above to be exerted. In particular, the shapes to be adjusted have a structure designed to form a relief portion for the deformed gasket 2.Examples of the structure include, in the sealing device 1 in the assembled state, a dimension of a gap between the contact surface 16 of the sealing portion 11 and the inner step surface 22b of the stepped portion 22, a dimension of a gap between the contact surface 18 of the connecting portion 12 and the outer step surface 22a of the stepped portion 22, a dimension of a step in the opposite direction between the surface 3a of the spacer 3 and the surface 12a of the connecting portion 12, and a dimension of a step in the opposite direction between the surface 3b of the spacer 3 and the sealing surface 15 of the base portion 13. Any one, any combination, or all of the above structures are set so that the sealing device 1 is configured to exert the self-sealing action without causing seizure.It should be noted that the sealing device 1 does not need to be configured to exert the self-sealing effect and that seizure does not need to be prevented or reduced.

[0056] In the cell 100, the seal 2 is located on the inside of the spacer 3 and borders on the space S to be sealed, as shown in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Furthermore, in the sealing device 1, in the use state, the contact surface 16 of the sealing portion 11 of the gasket 2 is in contact with the inner step surface 22b of the stepped portion 22 of the spacer 3, and the contact surface 18 of the connecting portion 12 of the gasket 2 is in contact with the outer step surface 22a of the stepped portion 22 of the spacer 3. As can be seen from the above, in the sealing device 1, in the use state, the gasket 2 is supported from the outside in the extension direction of the space 100a by the spacer 3. The gasket 2 is thus supported from the outside in the extension direction of the space 100a by the spacer 3, although the pressure within the space S to be sealed becomes high and a force toward the outside in the extension direction of the space 100a is applied to the gasket 2.Therefore, it is possible to prevent deformation or displacement of the gasket 2 and a reduction in the sealing performance of the gasket 2, and also to prevent the gasket 2 from detaching from the cell 100. It should be noted that in a case where the contact surface 16 of the gasket 2 is not in contact with the inner step surface 22b of the spacer 3 in the use state, the gasket 2 is also supported by the spacer 3 as described above. For example, if the gap between the contact surface 16 and the inner step surface 22b is small, the gasket 2 is supported in the expansion direction of the space 100a by the spacer 3 after being slightly displaced or deformed, even though the pressure within the space S to be sealed becomes high and a force toward the outside in the expansion direction of the space 100a is applied to the gasket 2.The same applies to the outer step surface 22a of the contact surface 18.

[0057] Furthermore, when the pressure within the sealed space S becomes high, the sealing device 1 exerts the self-sealing action of the seal 2, resulting in an increase in the surface pressures of the seal 2 relative to the separator 101 and the electrolyte membrane 104, as described above. Although the pressure within the sealed space S becomes high and a force toward the outside in the expansion direction of the space 100a is exerted on the seal 2, the increased surface pressures make it possible to prevent or reduce the detachment of the seal 2 from the cell 100.

[0058] Furthermore, in the sealing device 1, the seal 2 is held in engagement with the spacer 3, eliminating the need to bond the seal 2 and the spacer 3 with an adhesive. Furthermore, the sealing device 1 is configured to exhibit the self-sealing effect described above, eliminating the need to bond the seal 2 and the spacer 3 with an adhesive to improve the sealing performance. Furthermore, the seal 2 is held in engagement with the spacer 3, facilitating the replacement of the seal 2 or the spacer 3. Furthermore, the seal 2 and the spacer 3 are easy to assemble, and the sealing device 1 is also easy to install in the cell 100.

[0059] As described above, the sealing device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is capable of maintaining the sealing performance even when the pressure in the space S to be sealed becomes high.

[0060] It should be noted that although the spacer 3 is designed to surround the seal 2 from the inside, the sealing device 1 functions like the sealing device 1 described above and produces similar effects.

[0061] As in Fig. 7, the gasket 2 may have the recessed portion 20 instead of the receiving portion 10, and the spacer 3 may have the receiving portion 10 instead of the recessed portion 20. In this case, the recessed portion 20 is arranged in the connecting portion 12 of the gasket 2 in a manner similar to the above-described receiving portion 10 and is recessed from the contact surface 17 of the connecting portion 12, penetrating the connecting portion 12. The recessed portion 20 does not need to penetrate the connecting portion 12. Also, the receiving portion 10 is arranged in a manner similar to the above-described recessed portion 20 in the connecting step surface 22c of the spacer 3 and protrudes from the connecting step surface 22c. In this case, the sealing device 1 also functions like the above-described sealing device 1 and produces similar effects.

[0062] Next, a sealing device 5 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the separator 101 or 102 and the sealing device 2 in the cell 100 of a water electrolysis device of a hydrogen generator equipped with the sealing device 5. Fig. 9 is a partial perspective view showing a portion of the sealing device 5. Fig. 8 corresponds to the Fig. 2. The sealing device 5 differs from the above-described sealing device 1 in the manner of contact and engagement of the seal and the spacer. Hereinafter, among the components of the sealing device 5, a component having the same or similar function as that of the above-described sealing device 1 is designated by the same reference numeral, and the description of that component is accordingly omitted. A description of a component different from that of the sealing device 1 will be given.

[0063] As in the Fig. 8 and Fig. As shown in Figure 9, the sealing device 5 includes a gasket 6 and a spacer 7 arranged like the gasket 2 and the spacer 3 of the sealing device 1. In other words, the spacer 7 is configured to surround the gasket 6 from the outside between the separator 101 or the separator 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104. The gasket 6 and the spacer 7 are also configured to contact each other in the extension direction of the space 100a or the space 100b. The gasket 6 and the spacer 7 are also configured to be arranged in the cell 100 like the gasket 2 and the spacer 3 of the sealing device 1. In addition, the sealing device 5 has a similar dimension to the sealing device 1.

[0064] The seal 6 and the spacer 7 also have an engagement portion 8 corresponding to the engagement portion 4 of the seal 2 and the spacer 3 of the sealing device 1. The engagement portion 8 has a recessed portion 40, which is a portion that is recessed, and a receiving portion 30, which is a portion to be received in the recessed portion 40. The spacer 7 has at least one recessed portion 40 at a portion at one end on the inside (an inner peripheral end portion 41), and the seal 6 has at least one receiving portion 30 at a portion at one end on the outside (an outer peripheral end portion 6a). The recessed portion 40 of the spacer 7 is recessed in the extension direction of the space 100a or 100b (a direction of the space), and the receiving portion 30 of the gasket 6 extends in the extension direction of the space 100a or 100b.

[0065] Fig. 10 is a plan view of the spacer 7. As shown in the Fig. 9 and Fig. 10, the spacer 7 differs from the spacer 3 in that the spacer 7 has the inner peripheral end portion 41 instead of the inner peripheral end portion 21. The spacer 7 has the same surfaces 3a, 3b as the spacer 3. The inner peripheral end portion 41 of the spacer 7 is provided with a plurality of recessed portions 40 arranged side by side in an extension direction of the spacer 7. For example, the plurality of recessed portions 40 are arranged at regular intervals or substantially at regular intervals. The recessed portions 40 are portions recessed from an inner peripheral end surface 42 of the spacer 7, as shown in Fig. 10. It should be noted that the inner peripheral end surface 42, which is an inner-facing surface of the spacer 7, extends between the surface 3a and the surface 3b and is also annular. The recessed portions 40 are recessed portions that are rectangular or substantially rectangular in plan view, as shown, for example, in Fig. 10. The recessed portions 40 may have any other shape. Even if the recessed portions 40 penetrate between the surface 3a and the surface 3b, the recessed portions 40 do not have to penetrate between the surface 3a and the surface 3b.

[0066] Fig. 11 is a plan view of the seal 6. As shown in the Fig. 9 and Fig. 11, the seal 6 differs from the seal 2 in that the seal 6 has a connecting section 31 instead of the connecting section 12. The seal 6 has the same sealing section 11 as the seal 2. As shown in the Fig. 9 and Fig. As shown in Figure 11, the connecting portion 31 includes a base portion 32 formed by the base portion 13 of the sealing portion 11, which extends outward. The base portion 32 includes a sealing surface 33, which is a surface formed by the extending sealing surface 15 of the base portion 13, and a surface 32a, which is a surface of the base portion 32 facing in the opposite direction from the sealing surface 33. The base portion 32 also has a contact surface 34, which is a surface facing the outside and extending between the sealing surface 33 and the surface 32a.

[0067] The outer peripheral end portion 6a of the seal 6 is an end portion on the outer peripheral side of the connecting portion 31, and the receiving portion 30 is provided in the outer peripheral end portion 6a of the connecting portion 31. Specifically, the receiving portion 30 is formed in the contact surface 34 and protrudes outward from the contact surface 34, as shown in FIGS. Fig. 9 and Fig. 11. The contact surface 34 is provided with a plurality of receiving portions 30 arranged side by side in an extension direction of the seal 6. For example, the plurality of receiving portions 30 are arranged at regular intervals or substantially at regular intervals. The receiving portions 30 have a shape that is capable of being received in the recessed portions 40 like the receiving portions 10. The receiving portions 30 have a shape that corresponds to that of the recessed portions 40, for example, a rectangular shape or a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. The receiving portions 30 may have any other shape. In addition, as shown in Fig. 9, the surfaces 30a, 30b of each of the receiving portions 30, which point in the opposite direction, are flush or substantially flush with the surface 32a of the connecting portion 32 or the sealing surface 33, respectively. It should be noted that the surfaces 30a, 30b of each of the receiving portions 30 may be continuous with the surface 32a of the connecting portion 32 or the sealing surface 33, forming a step.

[0068] The contact surface 34 is configured to come into contact with the inner peripheral end surface 42 of the spacer 7 when the receiving portions 30 are received in the recessed portions 40. In the gasket 6, the surface 32a of the base portion 32 of the connecting portion 31 and the surface 13a of the sealing portion 11 are located on the same plane or substantially on the same planes. Specifically, for example, a position of the surface 32a of the base portion 32 and a position of the surface 13a of the sealing portion 11 in the opposite direction are the same or substantially the same.Furthermore, in the sealing device 5, in an assembled state in which the gasket 6 and the spacer 7 are assembled, the surface 32a of the base portion 32 and the surfaces 30a of the receiving portions 30 of the gasket 6 are in a shape intended not to protrude in the opposite direction from the surface 3a of the spacer 7 on the electrode side. Furthermore, in the sealing device 5, in the assembled state, the sealing surface 15 of the sealing portion 11 and the sealing surface 33 of the base portion 32 of the gasket 6 are located within the plane that is the same as or substantially the same as that of the surface 3b of the spacer 7.

[0069] As described above, the gasket 6 includes the sealing portion 11, the connecting portion 31, and the flow path sealing portion 19. The sealing portion 11 and the flow path sealing portion 19 include the base portion 13 and the seal bead portion 14, and the connecting portion 31 includes the base portion 32 and the receiving portion 30. These portions are portions of the gasket 6 that are integrally formed and integrated from the same material. The elastic body of the gasket 6 is made of, for example, rubber or the like. Specifically, fluororubber (FKM), ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM), silicone rubber (VMQ), and the like can be used as the elastic body of the gasket 6. The spacer 7 is a member having rigidity, and a material of the spacer 7 is, for example, metal or resin.The material of the spacer 7 is, for example, SUS, Al, Ti or the like, or polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), glass epoxy resin or the like.

[0070] The sealing device 5 is to be used in the assembled state in which the seal 6 and the spacer 7 are assembled as shown in the Fig. 8 and Fig. 9. Specifically, the sealing device 5 is brought into the assembled state by engaging the engaging portion 8 (the receiving portion 30 and the recessed portion 40) to connect the connecting portion 31 of the gasket 6 and the inner peripheral end portion 41 of the spacer 7. In the sealing device 5 in the assembled state, the receiving portion 30 of the gasket 6 is received in the recessed portion 40 of the corresponding spacer 7, and the engaging portion 8 is engaged. Moreover, in the sealing device 5 in the assembled state, the contact surface 34 of the connecting portion 31 of the gasket 6 and the inner peripheral end surface 42 of the spacer 7 are in contact with each other.In the sealing device 5 in the assembled state, the contact surface 34 of the seal 6 may be configured to oppose the inner peripheral end surface 42 of the spacer 7 with a non-contact gap. Even in a case where the contact surface 34 of the seal 6 opposes the inner peripheral end surface 42 of the spacer 7 with the non-contact gap in the sealing device 5 in the assembled state, the contact surface 34 of the seal 6 and the inner peripheral end surface 42 of the spacer 7 are configured to come into contact in the use state of the sealing device 5. It should be noted that the contact surface 34 of the seal 6 and the inner peripheral end surface 42 of the spacer 7 may be configured not to come into contact even in the use state of the sealing device 5.

[0071] The sealing device 5 is put into use when installed in the cell 100 like the sealing device 1. In the use state of the sealing device 5, the spacer 7 holds the separator 101 or 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104 at a certain distance, like the spacer 3 in an opposite state. The gasket 6 also seals between the separator 101 or 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104 like the gasket 2. In the sealing device 5, the gasket 6 is also configured to exert a self-sealing action based on contact with the spacer 7, like the gasket 2 of the sealing device 1. Furthermore, seizure is prevented or reduced by adjusting the shapes of the gasket 6 and the spacer 7 within a range that enables the self-sealing action to be exerted, like the sealing device 1.The shapes to be adjusted, in particular, have a structure intended to form a relief portion for the extended seal 6. Examples of the structure, in the sealing device 5 in the assembled state, include a dimension of a gap between the contact surface 34 of the connecting portion 31 of the seal 6 and the inner peripheral end surface 42 of the spacer 7, a dimension of a gap between the receiving portion 30 and the recessed portion 40, a dimension of the step in the opposite direction between the surface 3a of the spacer 6 and the surfaces 30a, 32a of the seal 6, and a dimension of a step in the opposite direction between the surface 3b of the spacer 6 and the surface 30b and the sealing surfaces 15, 33 of the seal 6.Any one, any combination, or all of the above structures are configured so that the sealing device 5 is configured to exert the self-sealing effect without causing seizure. It should be noted that the sealing device 5 does not need to be configured to exert the self-sealing effect, nor does it need to prevent or reduce seizure.

[0072] Furthermore, in the cell 100, the contact surface 34 of the gasket 6 is in contact with the inner peripheral end surface 42 of the spacer 7 on the outside of the gasket 6. As can be seen from the above, in the sealing device 5, the gasket 6 is supported in the use state from the outside in the extension direction of the space 100a by the spacer 7 as in the sealing device 1. Thus, the gasket 6 is supported in the extension direction of the space 100a by the spacer 7 even when the pressure within the space S to be sealed becomes high and a force toward the outside in the extension direction of the space 100a is applied to the gasket 6. Therefore, it is possible to prevent deformation or displacement of the gasket 6 and a reduction in the sealing performance of the gasket 6, and also to prevent the gasket 6 from detaching from the cell 100.It should be noted that in a case where the contact surface 34 of the gasket 6 is not in contact with the inner peripheral end surface 42 of the spacer 7 in the use state, the gasket 6 is also supported by the spacer 7 as described above. For example, if the gap between the contact surface 34 and the inner peripheral end surface 42 is small, the gasket 6 is supported in the expansion direction of the space 100a by the spacer 7 after being slightly displaced or deformed, even though the pressure within the space S to be sealed becomes high and a force toward the outside in the expansion direction of the space 100a is applied to the gasket 6.

[0073] Furthermore, when the pressure in the sealed space S becomes high, the sealing device 5 exerts the self-sealing action of the seal 6, resulting in an increase in the surface pressures of the seal 6 relative to the separator 101 or 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104, as described above. Although the pressure within the sealed space S becomes high and a force toward the outside in the expansion direction of the space 100a or 100b is exerted on the seal 6, the increased surface pressures make it possible to prevent or reduce the detachment of the seal 6 from the cell 100. The sealing device 5 also functions in a similar manner to the sealing device 1.

[0074] As described above, the sealing device 5 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is capable of maintaining the sealing performance even when the pressure in the space S to be sealed becomes high.

[0075] It should be noted that the spacer 7 may be designed to surround the gasket 6 from the inside, like the gasket 1 described above. In this case, a space on the outside of the space surrounded by the gasket 6 itself between the separator 101 or the separator 102 and the electrolyte membrane 104 (the space on the inside of the gasket 6) corresponds to the space S to be sealed. Consequently, the gasket 6 in the cell 100 is subjected to high pressure from the outside, and the spacer 7 surrounds the gasket 6 from the inside, which is opposite to the outside subjected to the high pressure in this case. Furthermore, the spacer 7 has at least one recessed portion 40 at the portion at the end on the outside, and the gasket 6 in this case has at least one receiving portion 30 at the portion at the end on the inside.The sealing device 5 in which the spacer 7 surrounds the seal 6 from the inside has a configuration in which the inside and the outside are spaced apart compared to the sealing device 5 (. Fig. 8), in which the spacer 7 surrounds the seal 6 from the outside, are reversed.

[0076] In addition, the seal 6, as in Fig. 12, the receiving portion 30 may have the recessed portion 40 instead of the receiving portion 30, and the spacer 7 may have the receiving portion 30 instead of the recessed portion 40. In this case, the recessed portion 40 is arranged in the connecting portion 32 of the gasket 6 in a manner similar to the above-described receiving portion 30 and recessed from the contact surface 34 of the connecting portion 32. Moreover, the recessed portion 40 may or may not penetrate the connecting portion 32 in the opposite direction. The receiving portion 30 is arranged in the inner peripheral end surface 42 of the spacer 7 in a manner similar to the above-described recessed portion 40 and protrudes from the inner peripheral end surface 42. In this case, the sealing device 5 also functions like the above-described sealing device 5 and produces similar effects.

[0077] The present invention is described by the above-described embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope according to the above-described embodiments. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be added to the above-described embodiments. It is obvious from the repetition in the claims that a mode with such added modification or improvement is also within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0078] The embodiments described above are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention, but are not intended to limit the interpretation of the present invention. Furthermore, the embodiments described above are not intended to limit an application to which the present invention is to be applied, and the present invention can include, as an application target, all objects to which the present invention is applicable. The components of the embodiments described above and the locations, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, and the like thereof are not limited to those described by way of example and can be changed as necessary. For example, the present invention includes a difference arising in implementation, such as a manufacturing tolerance.Furthermore, within the scope of technical consistency, the components described in the various embodiments can be partially replaced or combined. Furthermore, the individual components can also be combined in a targeted manner to solve at least some of the problems to be solved and the described effects.

[0079] For example, the shapes of the receiving portions 10, 30 and the recessed portions 20, 40 of the engaging portions 4, 8 are not limited to those described above. Although the sealing surface 15 of the sealing portion 11 of the gasket 2 or 6 has the shape of a flat surface or substantially the shape of a flat surface, the sealing surface 15 may also have the shape of a non-flat surface, such as a curved surface. For example, the sealing surface 15 may form a sealing bead like the sealing bead portion 14. Furthermore, a groove may be formed on the sealing surface 15.

[0080] In addition, a film can be attached to the seal 2 or 6 to facilitate assembly with the spacer 3 or 7. In this case, for example, the seal 2 or 6 is placed in a form or layer in the sealing device 1 or 5 (in the assembled state) on a web-shaped film (see Fig. 2 and Fig. 8). In addition, the film adheres, for example, removably to the sealing surface 15. By unfolding the film, it is thus possible to provide the seal 2 or 6 in the form or position in the assembled state, which facilitates the installation of the seal 2 or 6 and the spacer 3 or 7.

[0081] In addition, the electrolyte membrane 104 of the membrane assembly 103 may be fixed to the outer peripheral side with a resin frame 109, which is an annular member made of resin, so that the shape of the electrolyte membrane 104 is stabilized, as shown in Fig. 13. In this case, the sealing device 1 in the cell 100 may be configured to come into contact with the resin frame 109, as shown in Fig. 13. In other words, the sealing bead portion 14 of the gasket 2 does not have to be designed to come into contact with the resin frame 109, and the surface 3a of the spacer 3 may be designed to come into contact with the resin frame 109. The resin frame 109 is in contact with an edge on the outer peripheral side (an outer peripheral edge 104a) of the electrolyte membrane 104 and extends around the entire outer peripheral edge 104a, as shown in FIG. Fig. 13. In addition, the resin frame 109 extends in an extension direction of the electrolyte membrane 104 and is, for example, flush or substantially flush with the electrolyte membrane 104. The resin frame 109 is bonded to the electrolyte membrane 104, for example, with an adhesive. Furthermore, the resin frame 109 can be manufactured, for example, by an integral molding method. Specifically, for example, the resin frame 109 can be molded integrally with the electrolyte membrane 104 by placing the electrolyte membrane 104 in a mold in advance and pouring a resin, which is a material of the resin frame 109, into the mold. In the cell 100, the outer peripheral edge 104a of the electrolyte membrane 104, which forms a boundary between the electrolyte membrane 104 and the resin frame 109, can be arranged on the inside further than the gasket 2 to be arranged between the two gaskets in the opposite direction, as shown in Fig.13. Note that the catalysts 105, 106 are not sandwiched between the gaskets 2 and are located further inside than the gaskets 2. The electrolyte membrane 104 connected to the resin frame 109 is also used for the sealing device 5. List of reference symbols 1.5 Sealing device 2.6 Seal 2a, 6a outer peripheral end section 3.7 spacers 3a, 3b surface 3c, 3d inner peripheral edge 4, 8 intervention section 10, 30 recording section 11 Sealing section 12, 31 connecting section 12a, 32a surface 13, 32 base section 13a Surface 13b Side surface 14 Sealing bead section 15, 33 Sealing surface 15a, 15b end 16, 17, 18, 34 contact surface 19 Flow path sealing section 20, 40 recessed section 21, 41 inner peripheral end section 22 graded section 22a outer step surface 22b inner step surface 22c connecting step surface 23 Locking section 42 inner peripheral end face 100 cells Room 100a, 100b 101, 102 separator 101a, 102a Surface 101b, 102b Outer peripheral edge 103 Membrane arrangement 104 Electrolyte membrane 104a Outer peripheral edge 105, 106 Catalyst 107 Gas diffusion membrane 108 Flow path 109 resin frames S space to be sealed QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP 2006-19116

[0003]

Claims

[1] Sealing device for sealing a space between opposing elements, the sealing device comprising: a seal consisting of an elastic body; and a spacer which is a member having rigidity for holding the opposing elements between the opposing elements such that the opposing elements face each other with the space therebetween, wherein the seal is configured to surround the space between the opposing elements, the spacer is configured to surround the seal from an outside or an inside between the opposing elements, and the seal and the spacer are configured to come into contact with each other in an expansion direction of the space. [2] The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the seal and the spacer have, at a contact portion where the seal and the spacer are configured to come into contact with each other, an engagement portion configured to engage the seal and the spacer with each other. [3] Sealing device according to claim 2, wherein the engagement portion has a recessed portion, which is a portion that is recessed, and a receiving portion, which is a portion that is received in the recessed portion, the spacer has at a portion at one end on one side of the seal in the extension direction of the space one of the at least one recessed portion and the at least one receiving portion, and the seal has at a portion at one end on one side of the spacer in the extension direction of the space another of the at least one recessed portion and the at least one receiving portion. [4] Sealing device according to claim 3, wherein the recessed portion is recessed in the opposite direction, and the receiving section extends in the opposite direction. [5] Sealing device according to claim 3, wherein the recessed section is recessed in the direction of expansion of the room, and the receiving section extends in the direction of expansion of the room. [6] Sealing device according to claim 4, wherein the spacer has a stepped portion at one end portion, the end portion being the portion at the end on the side of the seal, the stepped portion of the spacer has a first step surface which is a surface facing the side of the seal, and a second step surface which is a surface facing the side of the seal, wherein the second step surface is arranged further on the side of the seal than the first step surface, and a circumferential end portion of the seal is configured to come into contact with the first step surface and the second step surface of the stepped portion of the spacer at least in a use state, the circumferential end portion being the portion at the end on the side of the spacer. [7] Sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the seal has a sealing bead portion which is wider than the contact portion on a side opposite to the side of the spacer in the extension direction of the space, the sealing bead portion being a portion projecting toward one of the opposing elements, and the sealing bead section extends in a ring shape. [8] A sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the seal is provided on one side of an object to be sealed with respect to the spacer. [9] The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the opposing elements are a separator and an electrolyte membrane used in a cell of a water electrolysis device. [10] A seal consisting of an elastic body for sealing a space between elements, the elements being held by a spacer and facing each other, the spacer being an element with rigidity, the seal being configured to: to surround the space between the opposing elements; to be surrounded by the spacer from an outer or an inner side; and to come into contact with the spacer in an expansion direction of the room. [11] The gasket according to claim 10, comprising an engaging portion at a portion that comes into contact with the spacer, the engaging portion being configured to engage the gasket with the spacer. [12] Seal according to claim 11, wherein the spacer has, at a portion at one end on one side of the seal in the extension direction of the space, one of at least one recessed portion and at least one receiving portion, wherein the receiving portion is configured to be received in the recessed portion, and the engaging portion has, at a portion at one end on one side of the spacer in the extending direction of the space, another of the at least one recessed portion and the at least one receiving portion. [13] Seal according to claim 12, wherein the recessed portion is recessed in the opposite direction, and the receiving section extends in the opposite direction. [14] Seal according to claim 12, wherein the recessed section is recessed in the direction of expansion of the room, and the receiving section extends in the direction of expansion of the room. [15] Seal according to claim 13, wherein the spacer has a stepped portion at one end portion, the end portion being the portion at the end on the side of the seal, the stepped portion of the spacer has a first step surface which is a surface facing the side of the seal, and a second step surface which is a surface facing the side of the seal, wherein the second step surface is arranged further on the side of the seal than the first step surface, and a circumferential end portion of the seal is configured to come into contact with the first step surface and the second step surface of the stepped portion of the spacer at least in a use state, the circumferential end portion being the portion at the end on the side of the spacer. [16] Seal according to claim 10, wherein the seal has a sealing bead portion which is wider than the contact portion on a side opposite to the side of the spacer in the extension direction of the space, the sealing bead portion being a portion projecting toward one of the opposing elements, and the sealing bead section extends in a ring shape. [17] A seal according to claim 10, wherein the seal is provided on one side of an object to be sealed with respect to the spacer. [18] A seal according to claim 10, wherein the opposing elements are a separator and an electrolyte membrane used in a cell of a water electrolysis device.

Images