Liquid send/receive joint device and fuel cell system using the same

Abstract

A liquid send/receive joint device that allows for a wide range of connection positions of a liquid reservoir and a liquid accepter when they are connected, that can always maintain a good connection between the liquid reservoir and the liquid accepter, and that can send/receive a liquid safely and with certainty; and a fuel cell system equipped with this liquid send/receive joint device. A liquid send/receive joint device 1 includes: a reservoir-side joint member 10 that can be attached to a liquid reservoir 100; and an accepter-side joint member 50 that can be attached to a liquid accepter 200 and connected to the reservoir-side joint member 10 in such a manner that the accepter-side joint member 50 can be attached to or detached from the reservoir-side joint member 10 whenever necessary; wherein the reservoir-side joint member 10 and the accepter-side joint member 50 are connected to each other via a spherical joint mechanism.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a reservoir-side joint member and an accepter-side joint member—components of a liquid send/receive joint device according to an embodiment of the invention—before they are connected to each other.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the reservoir-side joint member and the accepter-side joint member in FIG. 1 when they are connected to each other.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the reservoir-side joint member and the accepter-side joint member in FIG. 2 in the state where the accepter-side joint member is inclined relative to the reservoir-side joint member.

FIG. 4 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the reservoir-side joint member and the accepter-side joint member according to the embodiment, and shows a stage of the process from the pre-connection state to the state where they are connected to each other to supply liquid through them.

FIG. 5 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the reservoir-side joint member and the accepter-side joint member according to the embodiment, and shows a stage of the process from the pre-connection state to the state where they are connected to each other to supply liquid through them.

FIG. 6 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the reservoir-side joint member and the accepter-side joint member according to the embodiment, and shows a stage of the process from the pre-connection state to the state where they are connected to each other to supply liquid through them.

FIG. 7 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the reservoir-side joint member and the accepter-side joint member according to the embodiment, and shows a stage of the process from the pre-connection state to the state where they are connected to each other to supply liquid through them.

FIG. 8 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the reservoir-side joint member and the accepter-side joint member according to the embodiment, and shows a stage of the process from the pre-connection state to the state where they are connected to each other to supply liquid through them.

FIG. 9 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the reservoir-side joint member and the accepter-side joint member according to the embodiment, and shows a stage of the process from the pre-connection state to the state where they are connected to each other to supply liquid through them.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the state where the reservoir-side joint member is placed at a liquid reservoir, and the accepter-side joint member is placed at the liquid accepter according to the embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the state where the reservoir-side joint member and the accepter-side joint member in FIG. 10 are connected to each other.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a fuel cell system equipped with the liquid send/receive joint device according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 13 is a plane view of the reservoir-side joint member according to another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 14 is a plane view of the accepter-side joint member according to another embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. A liquid send/receive joint device for connecting a liquid reservoir containing a liquid to a liquid accepter for receiving the liquid from the liquid reservoir, the liquid send/receive joint device comprising: a reservoir-side joint member that can be attached to the liquid reservoir; andan accepter-side joint member that can be attached to the liquid accepter and connected to the reservoir-side joint member in such a manner that the accepter-side joint member can be attached to or detached from the reservoir-side joint member whenever necessary;wherein the reservoir-side joint member and the accepter-side joint member are connected to each other via a spherical joint mechanism.

2. The liquid send/receive joint device according to claim 1, wherein the spherical joint mechanism includes: a spherical protrusion formed on either of the reservoir-side joint member or the accepter-side joint member; and a spherical recess formed in the other of the two joint members that does not have the spherical protrusion, the spherical recess being of a shape complementary to the spherical protrusion.

3. The liquid send/receive joint device according to claim 2, wherein a seal member is provided in at least one of the spherical protrusion and the spherical recess.

4. The liquid send/receive joint device according to claim 3, wherein the seal member is placed at a position slightly off-center on the spherical protrusion and the spherical recess.

5. The liquid send/receive joint device according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the spherical protrusion and the spherical recess is made of an elastic member, and the elasticity of the elastic member keeps an area between the spherical protrusion and the spherical recess watertight.

6. A fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell;a liquid reservoir containing liquid fuel;a liquid accepter for receiving the liquid fuel from the liquid reservoir and supplying it to the fuel cell; andthe liquid send/receive joint device described in any one of claims 1 to 5.