# US 10,319,874 B2 · Wire setting apparatus of tabbing apparatus and wire setting method using same

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- Number: US 10,319,874 B2
- Document ID: US10319874B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/514,945
- Filed: 2015-09-22
- Published: 2017-08-10
- Granted: 2019-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2014-10-27
- Assignees: Zeus Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Zeus Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hyung Chul Gong; Byeong Su Lee; Tae Hoon Kim
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10319874B2

## CPC

- H10F 71/1375: {Apparatus for automatic interconnection of photovoltaic cells in a module}
- B23K 20/004: {Wire welding}
- B23K 37/04: for holding or positioning work
- H10F 19/90: Structures for connecting between photovoltaic cells, e.g. interconnections or insulating spacers (between thin-film photovoltaic cells on a single substrate H10F19/35)
- H10F 10/00: Individual photovoltaic cells, e.g. solar cells (electrolytic light-sensitive devices, e.g. dye-sensitised solar cells, H01G9/20)
- H10W 72/07168: {Means for storing or moving the material for the connector}
- Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Provided is a wire setting apparatus of a tabbing apparatus. A wire setting apparatus of a tabbing apparatus according to the present invention includes: a conveyer; a wire placement platform installed adjacent to the conveyer such that a portion of a wire placed on the conveyor lies on the wire placement platform; and a placement gripper device configured to grip the wire and to place the wire on the wire placement platform.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A wire setting apparatus of a tabbing apparatus, comprising:
a conveyer;
a wire placement platform installed adjacent to the conveyer such that a portion of a wire placed on the conveyor lies on the wire placement platform; and
a placement gripper device configured to grip the wire and to place the wire on the wire placement platform;
wherein the conveyer comprises:
a main roller;
a placement platform adjoining roller adjoining the wire placement platform and installed above the main roller; and
a transfer belt on which the wire and a cell is placed, the transfer belt being configured to be moved along an endless track to be in contact with the main roller and the placement platform adjoining roller.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The wire setting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the
the placement platform adjoining roller has a diameter less than a diameter of the main roller.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The wire setting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wire placement platform comprises:
a guide plate forming a continuous wire placement plane together with the conveyer;
a guide groove portion which is formed in an upper portion of the guide plate to be parallel to a direction in which the wire extends, and in which the wire is to be placed; and
a gripper passage hole portion which is formed in the guide plate to pass through the guide plate, and through which the placement gripper device passes.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The wire setting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a control stage configured to support the wire placement platform to be movable.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The wire setting apparatus of claim 4, wherein the control stage comprises:
a base;
a first control unit installed on the base and configured to move the wire placement platform in a horizontal direction perpendicular to a direction in which the wire extends;
a second control unit installed on the base and configured to move one side of the wire placement platform in a direction parallel to the wire;
a third control unit installed on the base and configured to move an opposite side of the wire placement platform in the direction parallel to the wire; and
a fourth control unit configured to support the wire placement platform to be movable in a vertical direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The wire setting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the placement gripper device comprises:
a wire gripper configured to pass through the wire placement platform to grip the wire and to be moved down to place the wire on the wire placement platform; and
a gripper elevating device configured to move the wire gripper up or down.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The wire setting apparatus of claim 6, wherein the wire gripper comprises:
a first gripper unit including a first wire contact portion;
a second gripper unit forming a shape of a tong for gripping the wire together with the first gripper unit, and including a second wire contact portion; and
a gap adjustment device configured to adjust a gap between the first gripper unit and the second gripper unit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The wire setting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a shaking-prevention device configured to apply a downward force to a cell stacked on the wire to prevent the wire placed on the conveyer from shaking.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The wire setting apparatus of claim 8, wherein the shaking-prevention device comprises a first sucker configured to suck the cell onto the conveyer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The wire setting apparatus of claim 9, wherein the shaking-prevention device comprises a second sucker configured to suck the cell onto the wire placement platform.

### Claim 11

A wire setting method comprising:
a wire standby step of gripping a wire by a transfer unit and transferring the wire onto a conveyer and a wire placement platform;
a placement gripper transfer step of transferring a portion of the wire located on the wire placement platform to a placement gripper device;
a placement platform placing step of placing the wire on the wire placement platform by moving the placement gripper device down;
a cell and jig placing step of placing a cell and a jig on the conveyer and the wire placement platform to be stacked with the wire; and
a second grip releasing step of releasing the transfer unit from the portion of the wire located on the conveyer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The wire setting method of claim 11, wherein the placement gripper transfer step comprises:
a gripper raising step of moving the placement gripper device up above the wire placement platform;
a wire gripping step of gripping the wire by the placement gripper device; and
a first grip releasing step of releasing the transfer unit from the portion of the wire located on the wire placement platform.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The wire setting method of claim 11, wherein the cell and jig placing step comprises respectively placing the cell and the jig on one side of the wire, which lies on the wire placement platform and the conveyer, and an opposite side of the wire, which is placed on the conveyer, in a lengthwise direction.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The wire setting method of claim 11, further comprising an initial wire setting step of initially setting the wire on the conveyer before the wire standby step.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The wire setting method of claim 14, wherein the initial wire setting step comprises:
a setting standby step of transferring the wire onto the conveyer and the wire placement platform;
an initial transfer step of transferring a portion of the wire located on the wire placement platform to the placement gripper device;
an initial wire placing step of moving the placement gripper device down to place the wire on the wire placement platform;
an initial second grip releasing step of releasing the transfer unit from the portion of the wire located on the conveyer; and
an initial cell and jig placing step of placing the cell and the jig on the conveyer and the wire placement platform to be stacked with the wire.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The wire setting method of claim 11, further comprising a final wire setting step of finally setting the wire on the conveyer after the second grip releasing step.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The wire setting method of claim 16, wherein the final wire setting step comprises:
a final standby step of transferring the wire onto the conveyer;
a jig placing step of placing the jig on the conveyer to be stacked with the wire; and
a grip releasing step of releasing the transfer unit from the wire.