Patent · US Expired

Hydraulic forming process, hydraulic forming device and metal separator for a fuel cell formed by hydraulic forming process

US6938449B2 · kind B2 · utility

7Cited by
5References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 15, 2003
Grant dateSep 6, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 25, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P70/50
  • WIPO fieldMachine tools
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

By using a hydraulic forming device 20, a metal plate body 11 is placed on a support section 21b with a hollow section 21a formed on a lower die 21 filled with hydraulic fluid A. Subsequently, a blank holder 23 is lowered to clamp the peripheral edge section of the placed metal plate body 11 with the support section 21b. Then, the upper die 22 is lowered relative to the lower die 21 to pressedly deform the central section of the metal plate body 11 and to compress the hydraulic fluid A to increase the fluid pressure. A rib-like convex section 12 is transferred onto the metal plate body 11 by the increased fluid pressure of the hydraulic fluid A and a formed section 22a. Further, the fluid pressure of the hydraulic fluid A is kept for a predetermined time. Then, the increased fluid pressure of the hydraulic fluid A is released.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.