SOLAR PANEL

• US 20160276509A1
• Filed: 03/14/2016
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: MITSUZAWA, Hideyuki, OKUMURA, Kazumasa, INABA, Hirotaka
• Granted Patent: US 10,205,039 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/048 Encapsulation of modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/049 Protective back sheets
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/05 Electrical interconnection means between PV cells inside the PV module, e.g. series connection of PV cells electrodes H01L31/0224; electrical interconnection of thin film solar cells formed on a common substrate H01L31/046; particular structures for electrical interconnecting of adjacent thin film solar cells in the module H01L31/0465; electrical interconnection means specially adapted for electrically connecting two or more PV modules H02S40/36
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A solar panel includes a protection plate, a back cover, photovoltaic battery cells, a conductive member that electrically connects the photovoltaic battery cells to one another, and an encapsulant that is integrated with and located between the protection plate and the back cover. The encapsulant encapsulates the photovoltaic battery cells and the conductive member and fixes the photovoltaic battery cells and the conductive member to the protection plate and the back cover. The protection plate includes a resin transparent member, which is translucent from a front surface to a rear surface, and a resin opaque member, which is located at an outer side of each of the photovoltaic battery cells, shields the conductive member, and is arranged on the rear surface of the transparent member and integrated with the transparent member.

Claims

1. A solar panel comprising:

a protection plate;

a back cover;

photovoltaic battery cells;

a conductive member that electrically connects the photovoltaic battery cells to one another; and

an encapsulant that is integrated with and located between the protection plate and the back cover, wherein the encapsulant encapsulates the photovoltaic battery cells and the conductive member and fixes the photovoltaic battery cells and the conductive member to the protection plate and the back cover, wherein

the protection plate includes a resin transparent member, which is translucent from a front surface to a rear surface, and a resin opaque member, which is located at an outer side of each of the photovoltaic battery cells, shields the conductive member, and is arranged on the rear surface of the transparent member and integrated with the transparent member.

2. The solar panel according to claim 1, wherein

the transparent member includes an opposing portion that opposes each of the photovoltaic battery cells, and

the opaque member projects from the rear surface of the transparent member toward the encapsulant and surrounds the opposing portion.

3. The solar panel according to claim 1, wherein the rear surface of the transparent member and the rear surface of the opaque member are coplanar.

4. The solar panel according to claim 1, wherein

the transparent member includes an opposing portion that opposes each of the photovoltaic battery cells,

the opaque member surrounds the opposing portion, and

the opaque member includes a rear surface that is coplanar to a rear surface of the opposing portion.

5. The solar panel according to claim 1, wherein the opaque member includes a restriction portion that restricts movement of the conductive member, wherein the restriction portion projects toward the encapsulant.

6. The solar panel according to claim 1, wherein the opaque member includes a wall that surrounds the encapsulant.