US 10,651,785 B2Granted

Connector system for photovoltaic array

AssigneeDow Global Technologies LLC

InventorsJames R. Keenihan, Leonardo C. Lopez, Joseph A. Langmaid, Shane Washburn, Darius Eghbal, Vijay Karthik Koneru, Kelvin L. Leung

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Abstract

A photovoltaic assembly comprising; (a) at least two photovoltaic components that are adjacent to each other in a first direction, each photovoltaic component comprising (i) a partial recess in communication with the partial recess in an adjacent photovoltaic component and (ii) one or more connector receptors aligned in a second direction which is non-parallel to the first direction; (b) a connector located at feast partially in the partial recess of the photovoltaic component and at least partially in the partial recess of the adjacent photovoltaic component so that the connector connects the photovoltaic component to the adjacent photovoltaic component, the connector comprising: (i) a flexible housing having a first end and a second end; (ii) one or more connection ports at the first end; (iii) one or more connection ports at the second end; and (iv) one more flexible electrical conductors that extend from the one or more connection ports at the first end to the one or more connection ports at the second end; wherein the connector is flexible so that the first end and the second end are movable relative to each other in a plane, out of the plane, or both; wherein the one or more connection ports at the first end and the one or more connection ports at the second end form a connection with the one or more connector receptors of the photovoltaic component and the adjacent photovoltaic component so that the connector electrically connects the photovoltaic component to the adjacent photovoltaic component.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A photovoltaic assembly comprising:

at least two photovoltaic components that are adjacent to each other in a first direction, each photovoltaic component comprising
a top surface forming a plane:
a partial recess in communication with a partial recess in an adjacent photovoltaic component, the partial recesses formed in the top surfaces of the photovoltaic components:
and
one or more connector receptors aligned in a second direction which is non-parallel to the first direction;
and
a connector located at least partially in the partial recess of the photovoltaic component and at least partially in the partial recess of the adjacent photovoltaic component so that the connector sits flush or below the plane defined by the top surfaces of the photovoltaic components, wherein the partial recess of the photovoltaic component and the partial recess of the adjacent photovoltaic component form a combined recess with a shape corresponding to a shape of the connector, the connector comprising:
a housing having a first end and a second end, wherein the housing conforms to a predetermined shape such that the first end and the second end extend in the same direction;
one or more connection ports at the first end;
one or more connection ports at the second end;
one or more flexible electrical conductors that extend from the one or more connection ports at the first end to the one or more connection ports at the second end, and
one or more flexible regions in the housing so that the housing is a flexible housing, the one or more flexible regions being located at an apex between the first end and the second end of the housing;
wherein the connector is flexible so that the first end and the second end are movable relative to each other in a plane, out of the plane, or both;
and
wherein the one or more connection ports at the first end and the one or more connection ports at the second end form a connection with the one or more connector receptors of the photovoltaic component and the adjacent photovoltaic component so that the connector electrically connects the photovoltaic component to the adjacent photovoltaic component.

12 more elements

A photovoltaic assembly comprising:

first and second photovoltaic components positioned adjacent to each other, each photovoltaic component including:
a top surface forming a plane;
a connector receptor;
a recess aligned with a recess in an adjacent photovoltaic component, the recesses formed in the top surfaces of the photovoltaic components;
and
a connector spanning between the first and second photovoltaic components, the connector positioned at least partially within the recesses of the first and second photovoltaic components such that the connector is coplanar or located below the plane defined by the top surfaces of the photovoltaic components, wherein the partial recess of the photovoltaic component and the partial recess of the adjacent photovoltaic component form a combined recess with a shape corresponding to a shape of the connector, the connector including:
one or more insulated conductors;
a housing defining opposing first and second ends, wherein the insulated conductors are received within the housing and the housing is biased toward a U shaped configuration;
one or more connection ports at each of the first and second ends, the one or more connection ports electrically connected to the one or more insulated conductors;
and
one or more flexible regions defined in the housing between the first and second ends allowing movement of the first and second ends relative to each other in a plurality of directions;
wherein the one or more connection ports at the first end of the connector and the one or more connection ports at the second end of the connector form respective connections with the connector receptors of the first and second photovoltaic components to electrically connect the first and second photovoltaic components together.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/898,608Filed 4 Jun 2014 · us provisional application
Priority: 19 Jul 2013
Published: US 2016/0156307 A12 Jun 2016
Granted: 12 May 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

H02S 40/34
Electrical components: comprising specially adapted electrical connection means to be structurally associated with the PV module, e.g. junction boxes
H02S 20/25
Specially adapted for roof structures: roof tile elements
H02S 40/36
Electrical components: characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module…
Y02B 10/10
Integration of renewable energy sources in buildings: photovoltaic [PV]