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US 10,381,499 B1Granted
Flexible solar array and method for fabricating the same
AssigneeSolAero Technologies Corp.
InventorsLei Yang, Daniel McGlynn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flexible solar cell assembly and methods for its manufacture are described. The flexible solar cell assembly comprises: solar cells comprising opposing top and back surfaces of different polarities, a contact at the top surface and a contact at the back surface; a flexible substrate; and conductive traces having end portions bonded to the top and bottom contacts of different solar cells so as to interconnect them in electrical series.
Claims17
A method of producing a solar cell assembly, comprising:
- providing a flexible substrate;
- providing a plurality of conductive traces on the flexible substrate, the plurality of conductive traces including a first conductive trace portion and a second conductive trace portion, each of the conductive traces being at least partly adhered to the flexible substrate and each of the conductive traces comprising a first end portion and a second end portion;
- providing a plurality of solar cells including a first solar cell and a second solar cell, each solar cell comprising a top surface with a top contact of a first polarity and a back surface with a back contact of a second polarity;
- and
- bonding the back contact of the first solar cell to the first end portion of the first conductive trace portion, bonding the back contact of the second solar cell to the first end portion of the second conductive trace portion, and bonding the second end portion of the first conductive trace portion to the top contact of the second solar cell for connecting the first solar cell and the second solar cell in electrical series,
- wherein the conductive traces further comprise a third portion connecting the first end portion and second end portion, wherein the plurality of solar cells are arranged with their back contacts in a first plane and their top contacts in a second plane, and wherein the third portion of the first conductive trace portion is bent so as to pass through the first plane and the second plane,
- wherein the step of bonding the second end portion of the first conductive trace portion to the top contact of the second solar cell comprises displacing the second end portion of the first conductive trace portion upwards from an original position.
4 more elements
A solar cell assembly, comprising:
- a plurality of solar cells including a first solar cell and a second solar cell, each solar cell comprising a top surface with a top contact of a first polarity and a back surface with a back contact of a second polarity;
- a flexible substrate;
- a plurality of conductive traces including a first conductive trace portion and a second conductive trace portion, each of the conductive traces being at least partly adhered to the flexible substrate;
- wherein the first solar cell is arranged on the flexible substrate with its back contact bonded to a first end portion of the first conductive trace portion, and wherein the second solar cell is arranged on the flexible substrate with its back contact bonded to a first end portion of the second conductive trace portion;
- wherein the first conductive trace portion comprises a second end portion bonded to the top contact of the second solar cell for connecting the first solar cell and the second solar cell in electrical series;
- and
- wherein the conductive traces further comprise a third portion connecting the first end portion and second end portion, wherein the plurality of solar cells are arranged with their back contacts in a first plane and their top contacts in a second plane, and wherein the third portion of the first conductive trace portion is bent so as to pass through the first plane and the second plane,
- wherein the first end portion of the conductive traces is adhered to the flexible substrate and wherein the second end portion of the conductive traces is not adhered to the flexible substrate.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.