US 12,002,895 B2Granted

Structuring of a photovoltaic apparatus

AssigneeFlisom AG

InventorsLouis Schar, Thomas Netter

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Abstract

A photovoltaic apparatus is provided including a back sheet and a photovoltaic device disposed over the back sheet. The photovoltaic device includes an array of photovoltaic cells extending in a first direction; and a plurality of serial interconnects having a length that extends in a second direction, wherein each serial interconnect is disposed between and electrically connects consecutive photovoltaic cells of the array. The photovoltaic apparatus further includes a front sheet disposed over the photovoltaic device, the front sheet having a plurality of structures, wherein each structure has one or more edges aligned with one of the serial interconnects.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method of forming a photovoltaic apparatus, comprising:

placing a release sheet over a front sheet of a photovoltaic assembly, wherein:
the release sheet comprises a first plurality of fibers spaced apart in a first direction, and
the photovoltaic assembly comprises a photovoltaic device including an array of photovoltaic cells extending in the first direction;
and
forming a plurality of structures on a first surface of the front sheet by performing a laminating process on the release sheet, the front sheet, and the photovoltaic assembly, wherein
the release sheet includes an outer frame disposed around the first plurality of fibers,
the outer frame includes a first surface extending from the front sheet at a first location to a back sheet of the photovoltaic assembly at a second location,
the release sheet is spaced apart from the front sheet and the back sheet of the photovoltaic assembly between the first location and the second location, and
an edge seal is molded between a first surface of the release sheet and the back sheet during the lamination process.

6 more elements

A method of forming a photovoltaic apparatus, comprising:

placing a release sheet over a front sheet of a photovoltaic assembly, wherein:
the release sheet comprises a first plurality of fibers spaced apart in a first direction and an outer frame disposed around the first plurality of fibers, and wherein the outer frame includes a first surface extending from the front sheet at a first location to the back sheet of the photovoltaic assembly at a second location, and wherein the release sheet is spaced apart from the front sheet and the back sheet of the photovoltaic assembly between the first location and the second location, and
the photovoltaic assembly comprises:
the back sheet;
and
a photovoltaic device comprising:
an array of photovoltaic cells extending in the first direction;
and
a plurality of serial interconnects having a length that extends in a second direction, the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the first direction and the second direction are parallel to a surface of the photovoltaic cells, wherein each serial interconnect is disposed between and electrically connects consecutive photovoltaic cells of the array;
and
an edge seal comprising a front overlap, the edge seal extending between the back sheet and the front sheet;
and
forming a first plurality of structures on a first surface of the front sheet and molding the edge seal between a first surface of the release sheet and the back sheet by performing a laminating process on the release sheet, the front sheet, and the photovoltaic assembly.

10 more elements

A method of forming a photovoltaic apparatus, comprising:

placing a release sheet over a front sheet of a photovoltaic assembly, wherein:
the release sheet comprises a first plurality of fibers spaced apart in a first direction and an outer frame disposed around the first plurality of fibers, and wherein the outer frame includes a first surface extending from the front sheet at a first location to the back sheet of the photovoltaic assembly at a second location, and wherein the release sheet is spaced apart from the front sheet and the back sheet of the photovoltaic assembly between the first location and the second location, and
the photovoltaic assembly comprises:
the back sheet;
a photovoltaic device comprising:
an array of photovoltaic cells extending in the first direction;
and
a plurality of serial interconnects having a length that extends in a second direction, the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the first direction and the second direction are parallel to a surface of the photovoltaic cells, wherein each serial interconnect is disposed between and electrically connects consecutive photovoltaic cells of the array;
and
a back-side adhesive disposed between the back sheet and the photovoltaic device;
and
an edge seal comprising a front overlap, the edge seal extending between the back sheet and the front sheet;
and
forming a first plurality of structures on a first surface of the front sheet and molding the edge seal between a first surface of the release sheet and the back sheet by performing a laminating process on the release sheet, the front sheet, and the photovoltaic assembly.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/926,581Filed 10 Jul 2020 · division
Priority: 15 Dec 2015
Published: US 2020/0343396 A129 Oct 2020
Granted: 4 Jun 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

H10F 19/35
Having multiple laterally adjacent thin-film photovoltaic cells deposited on the same substrate: structures for the connecting of adjacent…
B32B 37/26
Characterised by the properties of the layers: with at least one layer which influences the bonding during the lamination process, e.g. release…
H10F 19/00
Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one photovoltaic
H10F 19/80
Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one photovoltaic cell covered by group H10F10/00, e.g. photovoltaic…

Family

Application62/267,685Us provisional application · filed 15 Dec 2015
PCT/IB2016/001761Parent of this division · filed 13 Dec 2016
US 2020/0343396 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Oct 2020
Application16/060,087Parent of this division
US 10,734,538 B2Parent of this division
US 2018/0358505 A1Published application
US 12,002,895 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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