Electronic apparatus using fuel cell

• US 20030143450A1
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hachiya, Shogo, Ozeki, Akihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,026,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/30 Fuel cells in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04074 Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04156 with product water removal
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04186 of liquid-charged or electrolyte-charged reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04231 Purging of the reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1011 Direct alcohol fuel cells [DAFC], e.g. direct methanol fuel cells [DMFC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/10 Applications of fuel cells in buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes a hollow main body. This main body is powered by a fuel cell which generates a vapor-containing gas during operation. The vapor-containing gas generated by the fuel cell is made to flow along a predetermined passage by a cooling fan and is discharged from a discharge port formed in the main body.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a main body;

a fuel cell configured to supply power to the main body and generating vapor-containing gas during operation; and

a fan configured to exhaust air and the vapor-containing gas generated by the fuel cell from the main body through a port formed in the main body.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main body contains an electronic device, and the cooling fan causes the vapor-containing gas generated by the fuel cell to be discharged from the main body without making the vapor-containing gas pass through a region where the electronic device is located.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fuel cell includes a portion configured to generate the vapor-containing gas and opposed to the discharge port.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main body includes an air take-in port, the cooling fan is located inside the main body and includes an inlet and an outlet opposed to the discharge port, and the fuel cell includes a portion configured to generate the vapor-containing gas and located between the inlet of the cooling fan and the air take-in port.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fuel cell is located outside the main body, the main body includes a vapor-introducing port located near the discharge port, and the fuel cell includes a portion configured to generate the vapor-containing gas and opposed to the vapor-introducing port.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fuel cell is provided outside the main body, and the fuel cell includes a portion configured to generate the vapor-containing gas and opposed to the discharge port of the main body, with a predetermined distance maintained.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the fuel cell includes a hollow section at a position corresponding to the discharge port, and the portion configured to generate the vapor-containing gas is provided in the hollow section.

8. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a main body including an air take-in port and a discharge port and containing an electronic device;

a fuel cell configured to supply power to the electronic device and including a discharge portion from which a vapor-containing gas generated during operation is discharged, the fuel cell being integral with the main body, with the discharge portion opposed to the discharge port; and

a fan located inside the main body and including an inlet and a discharge section, the inlet and the outlet being directed to the air take-in port and the discharge port, respectively, air being introduced into the main body from the air take-in port and discharged from the discharge port together with the vapor-containing gas discharged from the discharge portion.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the fuel cell is located inside the main body.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the fuel cell is located outside the main body.

11. The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the discharge portion of the fuel cell is located between the outlet of the cooling fan and the discharge port of the main body.

12. The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the electronic device is located at a position away from a gas passage of the vapor-containing gas, the vapor-containing gas being discharged from the discharge portion of the fuel cell and expelled from the main body through the discharge port by the cooling fan.

13. The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the discharge portion of the fuel cell is opposed to the discharge port, which is near one end of the main body, the cooling fan is opposed to the air take-in port, which is near another end of the main body, and the electronic device is located between the discharge portion of the fuel cell and the outlet of the cooling fan.

14. The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the outlet of the cooling fan is opposed to the discharge port, which is near one end of the main body, the discharge portion of the fuel cell is located between the air take-in port, which is near the one end of the main body, and the inlet of the cooling fan, and the electronic device is near another end of the main body.