Batteries: thermoelectric and photoelectric – Photoelectric – Cells
Reexamination Certificate
1997-09-10
2001-11-27
Dye, Rena L. (Department: 1772)
Batteries: thermoelectric and photoelectric
Photoelectric
Cells
C136S251000, C052S173300, C438S064000, C454S900000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06323416
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART
The present invention relates to a solar cell module including a photo-electricity generating device (i.e., a solar cell or a block of solar cells) fixed with a resin onto a substrate and covered with a surface film. More specifically, the present invention relates to a solar cell module having extremely low inflammability and excellent moisture resistance and also a bent structure suitable for assembly.
Hitherto, a type of solar cell module including a photo-electricity generating device fixed onto a substrate with a resin and covered with a surface film has been known. As the resin, EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer) has been widely used. As the surface film, it has been known to use a film of a fluorine-containing resin, such as tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer or polyvinyl fluoride, or a transparent fluorine-containing polymer film formed by coating with a fluorine-containing resin paint.
Such a solar cell module having a fluorine-containing polymer as a light-incidence side surfacemost coating material has an inferior scratch resistance compared with a solar cell module comprising a glass substrate as a light-incidence side surface material. Accordingly, it has been known to incorporate an inorganic fibrous sheet such as a non-woven glass fiber cloth, within an organic polymeric resin as a filler to form a surface coating material.
However, where the inorganic fibrous sheet such as glass fiber is exposed to an edge of the solar cell module, external moisture is liable to intrude to lower the electrical insulation or cause a peeling of the laminated module and provide an inferior appearance. This is presumably because the inorganic fibrous sheet comprising, e.g., glass fiber and the filler resin impregnating the glass fiber have a low adhesion with each other so that the moisture intrudes along the glass fiber.
As a countermeasure, it has been proposed to prevent the exposure of the glass fiber material to an edge of the solar cell module or to use a glass fiber material having less end portions. For example, Japanese Patent Publication (JP-B) 62-33756 has disclosed a solar cell module wherein a glass fiber sheet material with a small end portion is disposed on both sides of a solar cell and the end portion thereof is sealed within a filler resin.
Thus, JP-B 62-33756 has proposed to use a long-fiber glass fiber material having a small end portion selected from limited materials, such as continuous strand mat, glass cloth and rolling cloth. No consideration has been given to an insulation between the solar cell and the substrate on which the solar cell is disposed.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application (JP-A) 7-288333 has disclosed a solar cell module wherein a light-transmissive non-woven cloth (glass fiber cloth) in contact with a solar cell is disposed inside of edges of the solar cell module, and an insulating film is disposed between the solar cell and the module substrate. However, the insulating film is disposed to protrude out of the module substrate, and no consideration has been given to bending of the module substrate.
When a substrate of a solar cell module including a solar cell sealed with a filler resin on a substrate and a surface film coating the filler resin is bent, a stress is applied to the filler material and the surface film at the bent portion to cause peeling. In a conventional solar cell module having such a structure, a decrease of electrical insulation is inevitably caused when used outdoors for a long period even if the end portion of the glass fiber is prevented from being exposed at the edge of the module and a silane coupling agent is applied to the glass fiber and the surface film.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a solar cell module capable of effectively suppressing the moisture intrusion into the interior of the solar cell module even in a long period of outdoor use.
According to the present invention, there is provided a solar cell module, comprising: a substrate, a photo-electricity generating device, a filler resin sealing the photo-electricity generating device on the substrate, and a surface film covering the filler resin; wherein
an insulating film is inserted between the photo-electricity generating device and the substrate so as to be inside the substrate,
an inorganic fibrous sheet is inserted between the photo-electricity generating device and the surface film so as to be disposed inside the insulating film, and
the substrate is bent at a portion thereof free from the insulating film.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Kataoka Ichiro
Komori Ayako
Mori Takahiro
Shiotsuka Hidenori
Yamada Satoru
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Dye Rena L.
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Miggins Michael C.
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