Batteries: thermoelectric and photoelectric – Photoelectric – Panel or array
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-14
2001-07-17
Diamond, Alan (Department: 1753)
Batteries: thermoelectric and photoelectric
Photoelectric
Panel or array
C136S246000, C136S251000, C136S256000, C257S433000, C257S436000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06262358
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is related to Japanese Patent Application No. HEI 11(1999)-039578 filed on Feb. 18, 1999, whose priority is claimed under 35 USC §119, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solar cell module and a solar cell panel using the same, and particularly to a solar cell module including a plurality of cells covered with cover glass sheets and a solar cell panel using the solar cell module.
2. Description of Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 15
, a conventional solar cell module
9
for use in space is formed by bonding cover glass sheets
1
to a plurality of solar cells
3
with adhesive layers
2
, connecting the cells
3
to each other in parallel and in series using interconnectors
6
, and bonding the cells to a substrate
5
with adhesive layers
4
. The solar cell module
9
includes a bus bar
8
through which the module
9
is electrically connected with another solar cell module. Consequently, the interconnectors
6
and the bus bar
8
mounted at an end of the module
9
are exposed to the environment in space (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI 5(1993)-136441, for example).
The space environment is also an electromagnetic environment, where ionized electrons and ions exist in a plasmatic state. Therefore, the solar cell module
9
, whose interconnectors
6
are exposed in such an environment, may electrically discharge via the interconnectors
6
, which results in a decrease in generated electric power and destruction of the solar cells
3
. For this reason, the interconnectors
6
themselves are covered with an insulating resin (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI 61(1986)-202474, for example).
Also, in the conventional module, the adhesive layer
2
is forced out of the sides onto the top surface of the cover glass sheets
1
when the solar cells are bonded to the cover glass sheets
1
, as shown in FIG.
16
. If the forced out adhesive layer
2
is exposed to the space environment, it reduces its light transmittance and consequently decreases the output of the solar cells
3
thereunder. Therefore, the forced out adhesive layer needs to be removed. The removal thereof causes failures in production since the solar cells
3
and the cover glass sheets
1
are usually as thin as 50 &mgr;m to 200 &mgr;m and apt to break easily.
Further, in the conventional module, to bond each cover glass sheet
1
to each solar cell
3
takes a lot of time and labor. Besides, portions of the solar cells
3
which are not covered with the cover glass sheets
1
are deteriorated rapidly in the space environment, especially even due to low-energy protonic radiation. On the other hand, if the cover glass sheets
1
are larger than the solar cells
3
, the ratio of the area of the solar cells
3
to the total area of the module decreases and accordingly the output of the solar cell module per unit area declines.
For this reason, it is not preferable to use larger cover glass sheets than the solar cells
3
. Accordingly, at the boding of the glass sheets
1
to the solar cells
3
, high accuracy in size is required so that each solar cells
3
is not projected from each cover glass sheet
1
. This makes the bonding operation more time- and labor-consuming.
Furthermore, inexact positioning between the solar cells
3
and the cover glass sheets
1
results in an increased distance between adjacent solar cells and a consequent decline in power-generating efficiency per area.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a solar cell module including a substrate; a plurality of solar cells arranged in a plane on the substrate; a connection member for electrically connecting the plurality of solar cells to each other to form a power generating circuit; and a single transparent cover sheet for covering the plurality of solar cells and the connection member.
According to the present invention, because the single transparent cover sheet serves to cover the plurality of solar cells, accurate positioning of the solar cells is not required except in the periphery of the module, and there is little possibility of the adhesive layer being forced out onto the transparent cover sheet. Also because the electric connection member between the solar cells is covered with the transparent cover sheet, the connection member is less affected adversely by the electromagnetic environment in space.
These and other objects of the present application will become more readily apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a sectional view of a main part of a solar cell module in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2
is a plan view of the solar cell module shown in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is a side view of the solar cell module shown in
FIG. 2
;
FIG. 4
is an electric circuit diagram illustrating a circuit of the solar cell module shown in FIG.
2
and showing a way the solar cell module is used;
FIG. 5
is a plan view of an example of a panel in which solar cell modules as shown in
FIG. 2
are incorporated;
FIG. 6
is a plan view of a solar cell module in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7
is an enlarged view of a main part illustrating a modification of the solar cell module of the present invention;
FIG. 8
is an enlarged view of a main part illustrating another modification of the solar cell module of the present invention;
FIG. 9
is a plan view of a solar cell module in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 10
is a sectional view of a main part of a solar cell module in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 11
is a sectional view of a main part of a solar cell module in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 12
is a sectional view of a main part of a solar cell module in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 13
is a sectional view of a main part of a solar cell module in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 14
is an enlarged view of a main part of the solar cell module shown in
FIG. 13
;
FIG. 15
is a sectional view of a main part of a conventional solar cell module;
FIG. 16
is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of the conventional solar cell module;
FIG. 17
is a side view of a solar cell module in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 18
is a plan view illustrating a way solar cell modules as shown in
FIG. 17
are arranged;
FIG. 19
is a side view illustrating the way solar cell modules as shown in
FIG. 17
are arranged.
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patent: 4499658 (1985-02-01), Lewis
patent: 4832755 (1989-05-01), Barton et al.
patent: 5478402 (1995-12-01), Hanoka
patent: 5616185 (1997-04-01), Kukulka
patent: 261885 (1988-03-01), None
patent: 0 474 349 A2 (1992-03-01), None
patent: 0 535 614 A2 (1993-04-01), None
patent: 59-5678 (1984-01-01), None
patent: 61-202474 (1986-09-01), None
patent: 5-136441 (1993-06-01), None
patent: 5-190882 (1993-07-01), None
patent: 8-250756 (1996-09-01), None
patent: WO 98/49735 (1998-11-01), None
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 008, No. 209 (E-268), Sep. 22, 1984 for JP 59 094880 A (Fuji Denki Sougou Kenkyusho:KK), May 31, 1984.
Patent Abstracts of Japan vol. 013, No. 058 (E-714), Feb. 9, 1989 for JP 63 248182 A (Mitsubishi Electric Corp), Oct. 14, 1988.
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 17, No. 542 (E-1441), Sep. 29, 1993 for JP 05 152596 A (Sharp Corp), Jun. 18, 1993.
Patent Abstracts of Japan vol. 012, No. 037 (C-47
Kamimura Kunio
Matsutani Toshinobu
Saga Tatsuo
Shimada Keiji
Diamond Alan
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
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