As electronic equipment becomes smaller, attempts are being made to using fuel cells for power.  They can generate from several milliwatts to several hundred watts, which can be carried around, and which allows a user to hold the equipment with his/her hand for use.  Examples of the small electronic equipment include digital cameras, digital video cameras, small projectors, small printers, notebook computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and mobile telephones.

“Up to now, a lithium ion battery, a nickel manganese battery, an alkaline dry battery, or the like is often used as a power supply of a portable electronic equipment.  Such a battery generates electric power through chemical reaction inside the battery. This is because the battery is often mounted in a battery chamber which is relatively hermetically sealed inside the portable electronic equipment. Further, functions of the electronic equipment are becoming more sophisticated and the electronic equipment is becoming more multifunctional, so a necessary amount of electricity is accordingly increasing. On the other hand, downsizing of the electronic equipment has been intended in terms of outer dimension. Density of capacitance of the above-mentioned various batteries does not necessarily materialize required improved performance of the electronic equipment.”

“Thus, an electronic equipment using a fuel cell as its power supply has emerged. However, since a fuel cell uses oxygen in the air to generate electric power, which is different from a conventional battery, an opening portion, which does not exist in a conventional portable electronic equipment, is necessary for making the battery chamber communicate with an outer surface of a casing of the electronic equipment.”

(Ueda, US Patent 7,816,054; 10/19/2010)

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