# US 2018/0323322 A1 · Electrical connectors of building integrable photovoltaic modules

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- Number: US 2018/0323322 A1
- Document ID: US20180323322A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/939,655
- Filed: 2018-03-29
- Published: 2018-11-08
- Earliest claimed: 2011-03-11
- Applicants: Miasolé Hi-Tech Corp.
- Inventors: Jason Stephen Corneille; Michael C. Meyers; Adam C. Sherman; Nazir Ahmad
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180323322A1

## CPC

- H10F 19/902: {for series or parallel connection of photovoltaic cells}
- H02S 20/23: specially adapted for roof structures
- H02S 20/25: Roof tile elements
- H02S 40/36: characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module connection
- H02S 40/42: Cooling means
- H10F 19/35: Structures for the connecting of adjacent photovoltaic cells, e.g. interconnections or insulating spacers
- H10F 19/804: {Materials of encapsulations}
- 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 77/63: Arrangements for cooling directly associated or integrated with photovoltaic cells, e.g. heat sinks directly associated with the photovoltaic cells or integrated Peltier elements for active cooling
- H10F 77/939: {Output lead wires or elements}
- Y02B 10/10: Photovoltaic [PV]
- Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- 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)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Provided are novel building integrable photovoltaic (BIP) modules and methods of fabricating thereof. A module may be fabricated from an insert having one or more photovoltaic cells by electrically interconnecting and mechanically integrating one or more connectors with the insert. Each connector may have one or more conductive elements, such as metal sockets and/or pins. At least two of all conductive elements are electrically connected to the photovoltaic cells using, for example, bus bars. These and other electrical components are electrically insulated using a temperature resistant material having a Relative Temperature Index (RTI) of at least about 115° C. The insulation may be provided before or during module fabrication by, for example, providing a prefabricated insulating housing and/or injection molding the temperature resistant material. The temperature resistant material and/or other materials may be used for mechanical integration of the one or more connectors with the insert.

## Claims

### Claim 1

(canceled)

### Claim 2

A photovoltaic module comprising:
a front sealing sheet;
a back sealing sheet;
a plurality of electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells sealed in a sealed space between the front sealing sheet and the back sealing sheet;
a first bus bar electrically connected to the photovoltaic cells and extending outside the sealed space;
a first conductive element outside the sealed space and electrically connected to the first bus bar; and
an insulating housing that:
comprises a temperature resistant material having a Relative Temperature Index (RTI) of at least about 115° C.,
covers the electrical connection between the first bus bar and the first conductive element, and
includes an extension flap that insulates at least a portion of the first bus bar that is outside the sealed space.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The photovoltaic module of claim 2, wherein the extension flap comprises a flexible material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The photovoltaic module of claim 3, wherein the flexible material comprises one or more of a polyethylene, a polypropylene, a thermoplastic olefin, a thermoplastic rubber, a thermoplastic elastomer, an ethylene propylene diene, a monomer (EPDM), a fluoroelastomer or a thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV), and a flexible cast thermoset material, such as an urethane or a silicone.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The photovoltaic module of claim 2, wherein the insulating housing is offset from the front sealing sheet and from the back sealing sheet.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The photovoltaic module of claim 2, the temperature resistant material has a RTI of at least about 125° C.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The photovoltaic module of claim 6, the temperature resistant material has a RTI of at least about 135° C.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The photovoltaic module of claim 2, wherein a section of the insulating housing is positioned over one of: the front sealing sheet and the back sealing sheet.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The photovoltaic module of claim 2, wherein the insulating housing is comprises a polyamide.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The photovoltaic module of claim 9, wherein the insulating housing further comprises glass fibers.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

The photovoltaic module of claim 2, further comprising an outer portion, wherein the outer portion:
comprises a temperature resistant material having a RTI of at least about 115° C.,
covers the insulating housing, and
is positioned over one of: the front sealing sheet and the back sealing sheet.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The photovoltaic module of claim 11, wherein the outer portion provides mechanical support between the insulating housing, the front sealing sheet, and the back sealing sheet.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The photovoltaic module of claim 11, wherein:
a first section of the outer portion is positioned over the front sealing sheet, and
a first section of the insulating housing is positioned over front sealing sheet and interposed between the front sealing sheet and the outer portion.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The photovoltaic module of claim 13, wherein a second section of the outer portion is positioned over the back sealing sheet.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The photovoltaic module of claim 11, wherein:
a first section of the outer portion is positioned over the back sealing sheet, and
a first section of the insulating housing is positioned over back sealing sheet and interposed between the back sealing sheet and the outer portion.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The photovoltaic module of claim 15, wherein a second section of the outer portion is positioned over the back sealing sheet.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The photovoltaic module of claim 11, wherein the outer portion includes a top section positioned over a first part the front sealing sheet and a bottom section positioned over a first part of the back sealing sheet.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The photovoltaic module of claim 11, wherein the temperature resistant material of the outer portion has a RTI of at least about 135° C.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The photovoltaic module of claim 11, wherein the outer portion comprises a polyamide.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The photovoltaic module of claim 19, wherein the outer portion further comprises glass fibers.

### Claim 21 (depends on 2)

The photovoltaic module of claim 2, further comprising:
a second bus bar electrically connected to the photovoltaic cells and extending outside the sealed space; and
a second conductive element outside the sealed space and electrically connected to the second bus bar, wherein:
the insulating housing covers the electrical connection between the second bus bar and the second conductive element, and
the insulating housing further includes a second extension flap that insulates at least a portion of the second bus bar that is outside the sealed space.