Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging – Wind – solar – thermal – or fuel-cell source
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-28
2003-12-30
Tso, Edward H. (Department: 2838)
Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging
Wind, solar, thermal, or fuel-cell source
C136S244000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06670787
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to solar battery modules and particularly to those fabricated by a process with a simplified interconnection step, providing improved insulation as a solar battery module and improved in design, and methods of fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
A conventional solar battery module is structured, as shown in
FIGS. 13A-18C
.
A solar battery module
1
is structured as follows: a plurality of solar battery cells
11
(nine cells in this example) are linearly arranged and electrically connected by a connection member
12
to form a cell unit (hereinafter referred to as a “string”)
13
. A plurality of strings
13
(six strings in this example) are arranged laterally side by side and solar battery cells located at opposite ends of the cell units and adjacent to each other (cells
11
a
1
and
11
a
2
,
11
b
1
and
11
b
2
,
11
c
1
and
11
c
2
,
11
d
1
and
11
d
2
,
11
e
1
and
11
e
2
) are electrically connected by a connection member
14
to allow a matrix of solar battery cells (hereinafter simply referred to as a “matrix”)
15
to be entirely connected in series.
Then, as shown in
FIG. 16
, matrix
15
thus electrically connected has a lower surface with a sheet of filler resin (e.g., ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA))
16
and a rear cover (a back film)
17
arranged adjacent thereto and also has an upper surface (a light receiving surface) with a sheet of filler resin (e.g., EVA)
18
and a front cover (of glass)
19
arranged adjacent thereto, with their respective peripheries together surrounded by a frame member of aluminum
20
(see FIG.
18
B). Rear cover
17
, front cover
19
, filler resin
16
,
18
and frame member
20
ensure strength, moisture resistance, and insulation.
Solar battery module
1
structured as above is fabricated, as follows: as shown in
FIG. 13A
, nine solar battery cells
11
are arranged linearly (laterally in a row) and cells
11
adjacent to each other are connected together by connection member
12
in order electrically to form string
13
.
FIG. 14A
is a cross section of
FIG. 13B
taken along a line XIV-XIV′, showing a portion of string
13
, as seen laterally. Connection member
12
has a buckle
12
a
substantially at its center. Buckle
12
a
corresponds to a thickness of solar battery cell
11
. Via buckle
12
a
one portion for connection
12
b
is connected to solar battery cell
11
on a front side (the side of a negative electrode)
11
a
and the other portion for connection
12
c
is connected to an adjacent solar battery cell
11
on a bottom side (the side of a positive electrode)
11
b
. As shown in
FIG. 14B
, connection member
12
is a copper wire in an elongate plate having a surface plated with solder and it has a width of approximately 1.5 mm and a thickness of 0.15 mm.
Six of such strings
13
are arranged laterally side by side and the solar battery cells located at opposite ends of the strings and adjacent to each other (cells
11
a
1
and
11
a
2
,
11
b
1
and
11
b
2
,
11
c
1
and
11
c
2
,
11
d
1
and
11
d
2
,
11
e
1
and
11
e
2
) are electrically connected together by interconnection member
14
to fabricate matrix
15
. Interconnection member
14
is also a copper wire in elongate flat plate having a surface plated with solder and two types thereof are prepared, one having a width of approximately 1.5 mm and a thickness of 0.15 mm and the other having a width of approximately 6 mm and a thickness of approximately 0.23 mm.
FIG. 15
shows solar battery cells connected together by interconnection member
14
, as seen in matrix
15
from a lower side.
More specifically, from a reel of a flat copper line of approximately 1.5 mm in width and a reel of a flat copper line of approximately 6 mm in thickness the copper lines are extracted and each cut to have a required length to form interconnection member
14
required for connection. Note that in cutting interconnection member
14
out, five first pieces for linkage
14
a
,
14
a
′ . . . are cut from the 6 mm width flat copper line for laterally connecting adjacent solar battery cells (
11
a
1
and
11
a
2
,
11
b
1
and
11
b
2
,
11
c
1
and
11
c
2
,
11
d
1
and
11
d
2
,
11
e
1
and
11
e
2
) together and ten pieces for protrusion
14
b
,
14
b
′ . . . are cut from the flat copper line of 1.5 mm in width and 0.15 mm in thickness for connecting the first piece for linkage
14
a
,
14
a
′ and an electrode of the bottom side of each of positionally lower ones
11
a
2
,
11
b
2
,
11
c
2
,
11
d
2
and
11
e
2
of the adjacent solar battery cells.
Furthermore, in
FIG. 15
, two second pieces for linkage
14
c
are cut from the flat copper line of 6 mm in width and 0.23 mm in thickness to provide a lateral connection between an electrode of the bottom side of solar battery cell
11
f
and an electrical output port
15
a
provided on one side of matrix
15
at a center, formed at rear cover
17
, and between the other portion for connection
12
c
of connection member
12
attached to solar battery cell
11
g
and an electrical output port
25
b
provided on one side of matrix
15
at a center, formed at rear cover
17
, and two pieces for protrusion
14
d
are cut from the 6 mm width flat cover line to provide a connection between the second pieces for linkage
14
c
tips and electrical output ports
25
a
,
25
b
. Furthermore in
FIG. 15
two pieces for protrusion
14
b
are cut from the flat copper line of 1.5 mm in width and 0.15 mm in thickness to connect the second piece for connection
14
c
and an electrode of the bottom side of solar battery cell
11
f.
Furthermore in
FIG. 15
two pieces for protrusion
14
e
are cut from the 6 mm width flat cover plate for connection to the first pieces for linkage
14
a
at their respective ends closer to the center to connect a bypass diode (not shown) in a vicinity of electrical output ports
25
a
,
25
b.
All the required members (pieces) cut from the flat copper lines for interconnection member
14
are then soldered for example with a soldering iron in order.
More specifically in
FIG. 15
each of the three first pieces for linkage
14
a
and the two pieces for protrusion
14
b
are soldered together and thus joint generally in a letter F inverted and upside down. Then each of the first pieces for linkage
14
a
with pieces
14
b
is arranged along a right-hand edge of matrix
15
, and a portion thereof for connection opposite that has two pieces for protrusion
14
b
connected thereto with solder and the other portions for connection
12
c
of connection member
12
attached to a respective upper one of the adjacent solar battery cells, i.e., cells
11
a
1
,
11
c
1
,
11
e
1
are soldered and thus connected together, and the pieces for protrusion
14
b
and an electrode of the bottom side of each of lower ones of the adjacent solar battery cells, i.e., cells
11
a
2
,
11
c
2
,
11
e
2
are soldered and thus connected together.
Furthermore in
FIG. 15
the two first pieces for linkage
14
a
′ arranged at the center and two pieces for protrusion
14
b
′ are soldered and thus connected in a letter F inverted and upside down, and each piece
14
a
′ has a tip with a piece for protrusion
14
e
soldered and thus bonded thereto for connecting a bypass diode. Each piece
14
a
′ with pieces
14
b
′ and
14
e
is arranged along a left-hand edge of matrix
15
, and that portion of the first piece
14
a
′ for linkage which is opposite that having pieces
14
b
′ soldered and thus connected thereto and the other portions for connection
12
c
of connection member
12
attached to a corresponding one of upper ones of the adjacent solar battery cells, i.e., cells
11
b
1
,
11
d
1
are soldered and connected together, and pieces
14
b
′ and an electrode of the bottom side of a corresponding one of lower ones of the adjacent solar battery cells, i.e., cells
11
b
2
,
11
d
2
are soldered and thus connected together.
Furthermore in
FIG
Tachibana Megumi
Tachibana Shingo
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
Tachibana Megumi
Tso Edward H.
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