# US 10,770,607 B2 · Interconnected photovoltaic module configuration > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,770,607 B2 - Document ID: US10770607B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/067,086 - Filed: 2017-01-04 - Published: 2019-01-24 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-01-06 - Assignees: Flisom AG - Applicants: Flisom AG - Inventors: Stephan Stutterheim; Andreas Bogli; Ivan Sinicco - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10770607B2 ## CPC - A61B 1/126: {provided with means for cleaning in-use} - A61B 1/00087: {Tools (A61B17/00234 takes precedence)} - A61B 1/00098: {Deflecting means for inserted tools} - A61B 1/00135: {Oversleeves mounted on the endoscope prior to insertion} - A61B 17/00234: {for minimally invasive surgery (A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence)} - A61B 90/70: Cleaning devices specially adapted for surgical instruments - H02S 40/36: characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module connection - H10F 10/167: comprising Group I-III-VI materials, e.g. CdS/CuInSe2 [CIS] heterojunction photovoltaic cells - H10F 19/00: Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one photovoltaic cell covered by group H10F10/00, e.g. photovoltaic modules - H10F 19/31: having multiple laterally adjacent thin-film photovoltaic cells deposited on the same substrate - H10F 71/00: Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass (patterning processes to connect thin photovoltaic cells in integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/33; manufacture or treatment of encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/80; manufacture or treatment of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00) - H10F 77/1698: {the metallic or insulating substrates being flexible} - A61B 1/00142: {with means for preventing contamination, e.g. by using a sanitary sheath} - A61B 2090/701: {for flexible tubular instruments, e.g. endoscopes} - G02B 23/2476: {Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports} - Y02E 10/541: CuInSe2 material PV cells - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00) - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to an apparatus and method of forming a photovoltaic module assembly that contains a plurality of interconnected photovoltaic modules that are used to generate an amount of power when exposed to electromagnetic radiation. The formed photovoltaic module assembly will generally include two or more photovoltaic modules that can generate and deliver power to an external grid, external network or external device. The photovoltaic module assembly can be a stand alone power generating device or be disposed within an array of interconnected photovoltaic devices. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A photovoltaic module assembly, comprising: a front sheet; a back sheet; an array of photovoltaic modules disposed between the front sheet and the back sheet, each of the photovoltaic modules are separated from one another by a first length, wherein each photovoltaic module comprises two or more sub-modules that each have a cathode region and an anode region, and wherein the anode region is disposed at an opposite end of the photovoltaic module from the cathode region, adjacent sub-modules within each photovoltaic module are separated by a second length, and the first length is greater than the second length; a first busbar that is aligned in a first direction, and is electrically coupled to the cathode region of each sub-module; and a second busbar that is aligned in the first direction, and is electrically coupled to the anode region of each sub-module. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic module assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the photovoltaic modules further comprise: a flexible substrate; and the two or more sub-modules each comprise a plurality of thin-film layers that are disposed on the flexible substrate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The photovoltaic module assembly of claim 2, wherein the front sheet and the flexible substrate comprise a polymer, and the back sheet comprises a flexible material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The photovoltaic module assembly of claim 3, further comprising: a third layer disposed between the back sheet and the photovoltaic module, wherein the third layer comprises a polymer; and a fourth layer disposed between the front sheet and the photovoltaic module, wherein the fourth layer comprises a polymer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic module assembly of claim 1, wherein: the two or more sub-modules each include an array of photovoltaic cells, and the array of photovoltaic cells extends in a second direction from the cathode region to the anode region, the second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic module assembly of claim 1, further comprising a junction box disposed at a first end of the array of photovoltaic modules. ### Claim 7 A photovoltaic module assembly, comprising: a front sheet; a back sheet; an array of photovoltaic modules disposed between the front sheet and the back sheet, each of the photovoltaic modules are separated from one another by a first length, wherein each photovoltaic module comprises two or more sub-modules that each have a cathode region and an anode region, wherein adjacent sub-modules within each photovoltaic module are separated by a second length, the first length is greater than the second length, and the anode region is disposed at an opposite end of the photovoltaic module from the cathode region, each sub-module comprising: an array of photovoltaic cells extending in a second direction from the cathode region to the anode region, each of the photovoltaic cells separated from one another by a third length, wherein the third length is smaller than the second length; a first busbar that is aligned in a first direction, and is electrically coupled to the cathode region of each sub-module; and a second busbar that is aligned in the first direction, and is electrically coupled to the anode region of each sub-module. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The photovoltaic module assembly of claim 7, wherein the photovoltaic modules each further comprise: a flexible substrate; and the two or more sub-modules each comprise a plurality of thin-film layers that are disposed on the flexible substrate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The photovoltaic module assembly of claim 8, wherein the front sheet and the flexible substrate comprise a polymer, and the back sheet comprises a flexible material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The photovoltaic module assembly of claim 9, further comprising: a third layer disposed between the back sheet and the photovoltaic module, wherein the third layer comprises a polymer; and a fourth layer disposed between the front sheet and the photovoltaic module, wherein the fourth layer comprises a polymer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The photovoltaic module assembly of claim 7, wherein: the two or more sub-modules each include an array of photovoltaic cells, and the array of photovoltaic cells extends in a second direction from the cathode region to the anode region, the second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The photovoltaic module assembly of claim 7, further comprising a junction box disposed at a first end of the array of photovoltaic modules. ### Claim 13 A photovoltaic module assembly, comprising: a front sheet having a first end and a second end, which is opposite to the first end; a back sheet having a first end and a second end, which is opposite to the first end; an array of photovoltaic modules disposed between the front sheet and the back sheet, wherein the array of photovoltaic modules are positioned in a first direction between the first end of the front sheet and the back sheet and the second end of the front sheet and the back sheet, a gap is formed in the first direction between adjacent edges of adjacent photovoltaic modules disposed within the array, an edge of a first photovoltaic module of the array of photovoltaic modules, disposed closest to the first end of the front sheet and the back sheet, is positioned a first end length from the first end of the front sheet and the back sheet, the first end length is larger than the gap, and each photovoltaic module comprises two or more sub-modules that each have a cathode region and an anode region, and wherein the anode region is disposed at an opposite end of the photovoltaic module from the cathode region; a first busbar that is aligned in the first direction, and is electrically coupled to the cathode region of each sub-module; and a second busbar that is aligned in the first direction, and is electrically coupled to the anode region of each sub-module. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The photovoltaic module assembly of claim 13, wherein each of the photovoltaic modules further comprise: a flexible substrate, and two or more sub-modules that comprise a plurality of thin-film layers that are disposed on the flexible substrate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The photovoltaic module assembly of claim 14, wherein the front sheet and the flexible substrate comprise a polymer, and the back sheet comprises a flexible material. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The photovoltaic module assembly of claim 15, further comprising: a third layer disposed between the back sheet and the photovoltaic module, wherein the third layer comprises a polymer; and a fourth layer disposed between the front sheet and the photovoltaic module, wherein the fourth layer comprises a polymer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The photovoltaic module assembly of claim 13, wherein: the two or more sub-modules each include an array of photovoltaic cells, and the array of photovoltaic cells extends in a second direction from the cathode region to the anode region, the second direction substantially parallel to the first direction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The photovoltaic module assembly of claim 13, further comprising a junction box disposed at the first end of the front sheet and the back sheet. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The photovoltaic module assembly of claim 13, wherein at least one of the photovoltaic modules is configured to be removed from the photovoltaic module assembly. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The photovoltaic module assembly of claim 13, wherein the first and second busbar each comprise a plurality of conductive strips.