US 12,255,364 B2
Membrane assembly for a humidification device
Swen-Juri Bauer, Stuttgart (DE); Andreas Gruener, Hattenhofen (DE); Stefan Kaiser, Remseck (DE); Aleksandar Radlovic, Stuttgart (DE); Lukas Schikora, Esslingen (DE); and Alexander Tuntukas, Stuttgart (DE)
Assigned to Mahle International GmbH, (DE)
Filed by Mahle International GmbH, Stuttgart (DE)
Filed on Jun. 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/347,571.
Prior Publication US 2021/0391586 A1, Dec. 16, 2021
Int. Cl. H01M 8/04119 (2016.01); B01D 63/08 (2006.01); B01D 65/00 (2006.01)
CPC H01M 8/04149 (2013.01) [B01D 63/0822 (2022.08); B01D 65/003 (2013.01); H01M 8/04141 (2013.01); B01D 2313/042 (2022.08)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A membrane assembly for a humidification device of a fuel cell system, the membrane assembly comprising:
a membrane permeable to water and impermeable to air,
the membrane extending in a flat form in a longitudinal direction and in a transverse direction that is transverse with respect to the longitudinal direction in an extent plane, and the membrane including (i) in a height direction extending transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction and transversely with respect to the transverse direction a top side and a bottom side averted from the top side, and (ii) an encircling outer margin in the extent plane,
the outer margin having an upper edge at the top side and a lower edge at the bottom side, and an encircling face surface extending between the upper edge and the lower edge,
an enclosure situated externally in the extent plane,
the enclosure including at least one upper web that lies on the top side and at least one lower web that lies on the bottom side, each of the at least one upper and lower webs project outwards beyond the outer margin such that a gap is provided between the at least one upper and lower webs and delimited inwardly by the face surface of the membrane, and
a seal arrangement provided in the gap that lies against the face surface of the membrane and is subjected to mechanical load in the height direction by the at least one upper and lower webs and that seals off the face surface.