Smart junction box for solar cell module

• US 8,248,804 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Connex Electronics Co., Ltd., Hee Chang Rho, Yun Heui Han
• Original Assignee: Connex Electronics Co., Ltd., Hee Chang Roh, Yun Heui Han
• Inventors: Han, Yun Heui, Rho, Hee Chang, Kim, Hun Ho, Yoon, Yong Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Datskovskiy, Michail V
• Application Number:
  US12/921,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20110058337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.46, 361/679.54, 361704-712, 361714-728, 361/831, 361/641, 165/80.3, 165/104.21, 165/104.33, 165/185, 174/50, 174 5051- 5056, 174/50.64, 174/58, 174/59, 174/520, 174260-267, 439/441, 439/76.1, 439/76.2, 439/709, 439/535, 439/850, 439/852, 439/500, 439/856, 439/860, 439/861, 439/485, 439/487, 439110-116, 439/212, 439/216, 136243-245, 136/248, 136/251, 136/291, 136/293, 700/299, 702/64, 702/188
• US Class Current: 361/717
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/34 comprising specially adapted electrical connection means to be structurally associated with the PV module, e.g. junction boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/345 with cooling means associated with the electrical connection means, e.g. cooling means associated with or applied to the junction box cooling means for PV cells H01L31/052, for PV modules H02S40/42
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

The present invention relates to a smart junction box for a solar cell module, and provides a smart junction box for a solar cell module which enables an operator to easily connect and separate ribbon cables using the operation of the levers of pressing units, thereby being able to improve the contact stability of ribbon cables, and which has a heat sink structure, thereby effectively emitting the heat generated by the ribbon cables and the diodes to the outside. For this purpose, the smart junction box for a solar cell module of the present invention includes bus bars for transmitting electricity flowing from ribbon cables; and pressing units for selectively fastening and separating the ribbon cables located on contact portions of the bus bars depending on whether both ends of the lever projected by the manipulation of an operator are inserted into recesses formed in a body.

Claims

1. A smart junction box for a solar cell module, comprising:

bus bars for transmitting electricity flowing from ribbon cables;

pressing units for selectively fastening and separating the ribbon cables located on contact portions of the bus bars;

diodes each configured to have a hexahedral shape, provided with thermally conductive metal on one surface thereof, disposed so as to be in contact with a corresponding heat sink plate in a surface contact manner, and provided with two terminals so as to be disposed in contact with a corresponding bus bar;

heat sink plates disposed in contact with the bus bars, and configured to emit heat conducted through the bus bars and the metal of the diodes to an outside;

fastening means for fastening the bus bars, the diodes and the heat sink plates to each other; and

external cables for providing electricity transmitted from the bus bars to the outside.

2. The smart junction box according to claim 1, wherein a comb-teeth shaped knurling portion is formed on a contact portion of each of the bus bars on which a corresponding ribbon cable is located so as to improve reliability of contact between the bus bar and the ribbon cable.

3. The smart junction box according to claim 1, wherein each of the ribbon cables is connected to a solar cell module, so that electricity flows from the solar cell module.

4. The smart junction box according to claim 1, wherein each of the pressing units comprises an Ω

-shaped lever configured to selectively fasten or release a corresponding ribbon cable to or from a corresponding bus bar;

a lever fastening part configured to fasten the lever when fastening the ribbon cable; and

a metallic moving contact portion provided on a bottom of the pressing unit.

5. The smart junction box according to claim 4, wherein the pressing unit selectively fastens and separates the ribbon cable depending on whether both ends of the lever are inserted into recesses formed in a body of the smart junction box by manipulation of an operator.

6. The smart junction box according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of protrusions is formed on the metallic moving contact portion to come into contact with the ribbon cable so as to increase reliability of contact between the pressing unit and the ribbon cable.

7. The smart junction box according to claim 1, wherein the diodes provide bypasses for current transmitted from a corresponding ribbon cable to an external cable when an abnormality occurs in a cell of the solar cell module.

8. The smart junction box according to claim 1, wherein each of the external cables is fitted into a ring terminal and fastened to a corresponding bus bar through a through hole of an external cable connection part using a screw.

9. The smart junction box according to claim 1, wherein the external cable connection part comprises a rubber cable seal provided on an outer circumference of the external cable to realize waterproofing and a seal retainer fitted on an outside of the cable seal to prevent the cable seal from being separated and to keep the cable seal waterproof when the external cable is bent.

10. The smart junction box according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor module disposed inside the junction box and configured to detect current, voltage and temperature;

and a communication module configured to report data detected by the sensor module to an administrator via wireless communication, the sensor module comprising a current/voltage sensor and a temperature sensor.