Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-13
2002-02-05
Dinkins, Anthony (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
C174S059000, C174S058000, C220S003300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06344612
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal box device. It relates in particular to a terminal box device which can be easily electrically connected to a solar panel, such as a solar panel which can be installed on a roof (or the like) of a building for the generation of electricity. The invention further relates to an assembly including a terminal box device and a solar panel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As illustrated in
FIG. 8
, it is known to provide a terminal box
1
on the rear surface of a solar panel
4
. The solar panel
4
has a large number of solar cells
2
(designated collectively by the reference numeral
3
). The solar cells
2
are electrically connected in series with one another. The solar cells are partitioned into groups, and each group of solar cells is connected in parallel with a respective bypassing rectification element (diode) accommodated inside the terminal box
1
. The bypassing rectification elements ensure that even if a certain solar cell enters a state in which it ceases to conduct (e.g. because the solar cell is in the shade), it does not prevent the solar panel
4
generating a voltage (by the other groups of solar cells) because the respective bypassing rectification element shorts it out.
As shown in
FIGS. 9 and 10
, the terminal box
1
includes a terminal box body unit
6
and a plate-shaped cover
7
installed on the body unit
6
. The body unit
6
is formed of a resin such as a plastics material. The body unit
6
includes a casing
8
having an upper surface (as viewed on
FIG. 8
) which defines an upwardly facing recess, and a bottom surface
16
which is rectangular. Four wiring holes
10
a
,
10
b
,
10
c
,
10
d
are arranged in a row on the bottom surface
16
. Four terminals
11
a
,
11
b
,
11
c
, and
11
d
are arranged in a row at positions corresponding to the positions of the holes
11
a
,
10
b
,
10
c
,
10
d
. The terminals
11
a
,
11
b
,
11
c
,
11
d
are fixed to the casing
8
by respective screws
12
a
,
12
b
,
12
c
,
12
d
. Panel connection cables
5
a
and
5
d
are fixed to the terminals
11
a
and
11
d
, positioned at either end of the row of terminals
11
a
-
11
d
, by respective screws
12
a
and
12
d
. The panel connection cables
5
a
and
5
d
lead out of the body unit
6
through two wiring holes
14
a
and
14
d
, respectively formed on a side surface
13
of the casing
8
. Three bypass diodes
15
are soldered pairwise between the terminals
11
a
-
11
d
, such that a respective bypass diode
15
is interposed between the terminals
11
a
and
11
b
,
11
b
and
11
c
, and
11
c
and
11
d.
The terminal box body unit
6
is installed on the solar panel
4
as follows. The rear surface
16
of the casing
8
of the terminal box body unit
6
is positioned against a rear surface
17
of the solar panel
4
; the ends of two output leads
18
a
and
18
d
(connected with cells
3
of the solar panel
4
) provided on the rear surface
17
of the solar panel
4
are introduced into the casing
8
through the respective wiring holes
10
a
and
10
d
. Then, the two output leads
18
a
and
18
d
are soldered to the terminals
11
a
and
11
d
. To make the body unit waterproof and moisture-proof, to promote heat release and to prevent moisture condensation, the casing
8
is filled with silicone
19
such that the silicone
19
covers the bypass diodes
15
, the terminals
11
a
-
11
d
, and the sides of one end of each of the cables
5
a
and
5
d
. Finally, the cover
7
is installed on the casing
8
to cover the recess in the casing
8
.
As shown in
FIG. 11
, the panel connection cable
5
a
of a terminal box
1
installed on a first solar panel
4
can be connected to the panel connection cable
5
d
of a terminal box
1
installed on another solar panel. In this manner, it is possible to connect in series a plurality of solar panels
4
which are arranged in a row on a roof or the like.
As shown in
FIG. 12
, to extract electric power from the solar panels
4
, the solar panels
4
may be electrically connected in series with one another to construct a photo-voltaic system
21
; and the solar panels connected with one another in series are connected with an inverter or a connection box
20
to extract electric power as alternating current.
The conventional terminal box
1
for a solar panel
4
is manufactured by a terminal box manufacturer without installing the cover
7
on the terminal box body unit
6
. A solar panel assembly manufacturer installs the terminal box body unit
6
on the solar panel
4
, fills the casing
8
with silicone, and finally installs the cover
7
on the terminal box body unit
6
. In this manner, the terminal box
1
for the solar panel
4
is completed.
As described above, in installing the terminal box
1
on the solar panel
4
, it is necessary for the manufacturer of the solar panel to fill casing
8
with the silicone
19
. This is done when the terminal box body unit
6
is already installed on the solar panel
4
. Thus, an operator must perform a difficult silicone-filling operation including many steps. This results in poor operation efficiency, and so prevents the manufacturing cost of the photo-voltaic system from being reduced.
Further, if a bypass diode
15
of the terminal box
1
installed on the solar panel
4
is damaged during use, the bypass diode
15
cannot be replaced individually on the spot. Instead the whole of the terminal box
1
and solar panel
4
must be replaced with a new terminal box
1
and a new solar panel
4
. This increases maintenance cost, and also prevents the manufacturing cost of the photo-voltaic system from being reduced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems. The present invention aims to provide a new and useful terminal box device for a solar panel, and in particular an inexpensive terminal box device which can be easily installed on a solar panel while still being adequately waterproof, and which can be maintained at reduced cost.
In general terms, the present invention proposes that a terminal box has a body unit and a cover unit which can be fastened to each other. The cover unit contains the rectification elements and electrical connections which lead outside the terminal box. It is filled with a filler. The body unit can be mounted on the solar panel and provides connections to the solar cells of the solar panel.
Specifically, in a first aspect the present invention provides a terminal box device for a solar panel, comprising a body unit and a cover unit;
said body unit comprising:
a casing, the casing defining a recess and having an attachment surface for attachment to the solar panel, and
a plurality of terminals for connection to photoelectric conversion elements of a solar panel, said terminals being fixedly accommodated in said casing;
said cover unit comprising:
a cover member defining a chamber,
a plurality of terminal members, said terminal members being fixedly accommodated in said chamber,
a plurality of cables, said cables being connected with respective said terminal members,
a plurality of bypassing rectification elements, said bypassing rectification elements each being electrically connected to a respective pair of said terminal members, and
a filler, the filler in said chamber which covers said bypassing rectification elements, a part of each of said terminal member being exposed;
said cover unit being removably fastenable in a location on said body unit in which said recess faces said chamber; and
said terminal members and said terminals being arranged in corresponding respective positions, whereby, when said cover unit is fastened in said location on said body unit, said terminal members and said terminals are electrically connected with each other.
Due to this construction, a terminal box manufacturer can manufacture the body unit and the cover unit, including the step of filling the cover unit with filler, and deliver them to a manufacturer of solar panels. The solar manufactu
Higashikozono Makoto
Kuwahara Masanori
Dinkins Anthony
Estrada Angel R.
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
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