Solar cell module having a surface side covering material with a specific nonwoven glass fiber member

• US 6,331,673 B1
• Filed: 10/16/1996
• Issued: 12/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamada, Satoru, Shiotsuka, Hidenori, Kataoya, Ichiro, Mori, Takahiro, Komori, Ayako
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miggins, Michael C.
• Application Number:
  US08/731,571
• Time in Patent Office: 1,889 Days
• Field of Search: 136/251, 136/259, 136/256, 257/433, 257/788, 257/789, 257/790, 438/64, 438/118, 438/127, 438/26, 438/29, 438/71, 156/285
• US Class Current: 136/259
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/04 bonded with or embedded in a plastic substance
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/067 of fibres or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10788 containing ethylene vinylacetate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/048 Encapsulation of modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0481 characterised by the composition of the encapsulation material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A solar cell module comprising a solar cell element and at least a surface side covering material positioned on the light receiving face side of said solar cell element, said surface side covering comprising at least a filler, a nonwoven glass fiber member, and a surface protective film, wherein said nonwoven glass fiber member has a texture bonded with an acrylic resin or is treated with a silane coupling agent.

Claims

1. A solar cell module comprising a solar cell element and at least a surface side covering material positioned on the light receiving face side of said solar cell element, said surface side covering material comprising at least a filler, a nonwoven glass fiber member, and a surface protective film, wherein said nonwoven glass fiber member has a thickness of 50 μ

m to 200 μ

m and a texture bonded with an acrylic resin.

2. A solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the nonwoven glass fiber member comprises a plurality of nonwoven glass fiber members.

3. A solar cell module according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of nonwoven glass fiber members are contacted with each other.

4. A solar cell module according to claim 2, wherein a weight ratio of the filler to the plurality of nonwoven glass fiber members is in a range of 4 to 12.

5. A solar cell module according to claim 2, wherein the acrylic resin contained in the nonwoven glass fiber member is of a content in a range of 2.0 wt. % to 6.0 wt. %.

6. A solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein a weight ratio of the filler to the nonwoven glass fiber member is in a range of 15 to 30.

7. A solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the filler contains a silane coupling agent.

8. A solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the filler comprises a resin selected from a group consisting of polyolefinic resins, urethane resins, and silicone resins.

9. A solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the surface protective film is composed of a resin selected from a group consisting of fluororesins and acrylic resins.

10. A solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the surface protective film comprises a non-oriented resin film.

11. A solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the surface protective film has a face contacted with the filler, said face having a wettability index of 32 to 45 dyne/cm.

12. A solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the surface protective film is of 200 to 800% in tensile elongation rate at break.

13. A solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the surface protective film has an uneven surface provided with a plurality of irregularities of 5 to 50 μ

m in difference of elevation.

14. A solar cell module according to claim 1 which further comprises a reinforcing member disposed on a rear face side of the solar cell element.

15. A solar cell module according to claim 14 which further comprises an insulating film interposed between the solar cell element and the reinforcing member.

16. A solar cell module according to claim 15, wherein the insulating member comprises a film of nylon, polyethylene terephthalate, or polycarbonate.

17. A solar cell module according to claim 14, wherein the reinforcing member comprises a member selected from a group consisting of steel members, plastic members and glass fiber reinforced plastic members.

18. A solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the solar cell element is an amorphous silicon solar cell element.

19. A solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the nonwoven glass fiber member is applied with a silane coupling treatment.

20. A process for producing a solar cell module, said process including the steps of:

(a) laminating an insulating film, a back side filler member, a solar cell element, a nonwoven glass fiber member having a thickness of 50 μ

m to 200 μ

m and a texture bonded with an acrylic resin, a surface side filler member, and a surface protective film in this order to obtain a stacked body, and

(b) subjecting said stacked body to thermocompression treatment to obtain said solar cell module.

21. The process according to claim 20, wherein in the step (a), a nonwoven glass fiber member is interposed between the surface side filler member and the surface protective film.

22. The process according to claim 20, wherein the step (a), a reinforcing member is laminated to an outer surface of the insulating film of the stacked body by means of an adhesive.

23. The process according to claim 20 which further comprises a step of subjecting the nonwoven glass fiber member to a silane coupling treatment.

24. The process according to claim 20, wherein prior to conducting the step (b), a step of arranging a mesh member on the surface protective film of the stacked body through a release member is conducted.