초록 ▼

A battery pack (1) includes an air intake port (9), air discharge ports (11), first air passages (24), and a second air passage (25). Cooling air introduced into the battery pack through the air intake port (9) flows around and through two cell groups contained in the pack before exiting to the pack

A battery pack (1) includes an air intake port (9), air discharge ports (11), first air passages (24), and a second air passage (25). Cooling air introduced into the battery pack through the air intake port (9) flows around and through two cell groups contained in the pack before exiting to the pack from the discharge ports (11). As the intake port and the discharge ports are both provided at an upper enclosure (4) of the battery pack that is set on a charger (50) for charging or an electric power tool as a power source, neither intake port nor the discharge ports are exposed to the exterior environment whether the pack is set on the charger or attached to a power tool.

대표청구항 ▼

A battery pack (1) includes an air intake port (9), air discharge ports (11), first air passages (24), and a second air passage (25). Cooling air introduced into the battery pack through the air intake port (9) flows around and through two cell groups contained in the pack before exiting to the pack

A battery pack (1) includes an air intake port (9), air discharge ports (11), first air passages (24), and a second air passage (25). Cooling air introduced into the battery pack through the air intake port (9) flows around and through two cell groups contained in the pack before exiting to the pack from the discharge ports (11). As the intake port and the discharge ports are both provided at an upper enclosure (4) of the battery pack that is set on a charger (50) for charging or an electric power tool as a power source, neither intake port nor the discharge ports are exposed to the exterior environment whether the pack is set on the charger or attached to a power tool. heet. 10. In a fuel cell of the type having a membrane electrode assembly with a catalytic layer formed on one face and a gas distribution layer having a major face in contact the catalytic layer, the gas distribution layer comprising: a porous foam media having an inlet minor face, an outlet minor face, and a plurality of generally parallel segments extending from the inlet minor face to the outlet minor face to define a plurality of generally parallel porous reactant flow paths extending across the catalytic layer; and a manifold including a inlet manifold positioned adjacent the inlet minor face for delivering a reactant gas through the inlet minor face to the plurality of generally parallel porous reactant flow paths and an outlet manifold strip positioned adjacent the outlet minor face for receiving the reactant gas from the plurality of generally parallel porous reactant flow paths through the outlet minor face. 11. A gas distribution layer according to claim 10 wherein the foam media comprises an open cell foam media. 12. A gas distribution layer according to claim 10 wherein the plurality of generally parallel segments of the distribution layer is defined by spatially varying the resistance to flow offered by the sheet. 13. A fuel cell according to claim 12 wherein the resistance to flow is spatially varied by spatially varying the porosity of the respective sheet. 14. A fuel cell according to claim 12 wherein the resistance to flow is spatially varied by spatially varying the thickness of the respective sheet. 15. A fuel cell according to claim 12 wherein the resistance to flow is spatially varied by spatially varying the thickness and the porosity of the respective sheet. 16. A gas distribution layer according to claim 10 wherein the foam media comprises a conductive graphite foam media. 17. A gas distribution layer according to claim 10 wherein the foam media comprises a conductive metallic foam media. 18. The gas distribution layer according to claim 10 wherein each of the inlet manifold strips and the outlet manifold strips comprise a vertical passage for delivery of a reactant gas to the manifold and a horizontal passage providing fluid communication between said vertical passage and said minor face of said porous foam media. 19. The gas distribution layer according to claim 18 wherein said horizontal passage is divided into a plurality of sub-passages with each sub-passage aligned with and communicating with an inlet end of a respective segment of said plurality of generally parallel porous reactant flow paths. 20. A fuel cell comprising: a proton transmissive membrane having a catalytic anode layer on a first face of said membrane and a catalytic cathode layer on a second face of said membrane opposite said first face; an anode gas distribution layer having a porous foam anode media in contact with said catalytic anode layer and an anode manifold structure including an anode inlet manifold positioned adjacent an inlet minor face of said porous foam anode media and having a plurality of anode inlet passages and cathode inlet ports formed in a repeating pattern in a first lateral margin of said anode gas distribution layer, a horizontal passage providing fluid communication between each of said anode inlet ports and the minor face of said porous foam anode media while preventing fluid communication between each of said cathode inlet ports and said porous foam anode media, and an anode outlet manifold positioned adjacent an outlet minor face of said porous foam anode media and having a plurality of anode outlet ports and cathode outlet ports formed in a repeating pattern in a second lateral margin of said anode gas distribution layer, a horizontal passage providing fluid communication between the minor face of said porous foam anode media and each of said anode outlet ports while preventing fluid communication between said porous foam anode media and each of said cathode ports; a cathode gas distributio