Method for making a curved solar panel for an automobile

• US 5,149,351 A
• Filed: 07/22/1991
• Issued: 09/22/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited (AGC, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited (AGC, Inc.)
• Inventors: Takigawa, Tomoya, Sato, Katsuhito, Kikugawa, Sinya, Omae, Masaru, Osada, Koichi, Yaba, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Woodard, Joye L.
• Application Number:
  US07/733,874
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 65/60.1, 65/60.2, 65/60.5, 65/60.51, 65/60.52, 65/106, 65/107, 65/104, 427/108-110, 427/165, 427/166, 427/74
• US Class Current: 65/60.2
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/002 with means for clear vision, e.g. anti-frost or defog panes, rain shields window heating in H05B3/84, H05B3/86
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/04 with rigid plate-like element or elements , e.g. open roofs with harmonica-type folding rigid panels B60J7/061 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/22 with other inorganic material C03C17/34, C03C17/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3441 comprising carbon, a carbide or oxycarbide
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3482 comprising silicon, hydrogenated silicon or a silicide
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/282 Carbides, silicides
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/152 by cvd
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03921 including only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/046 PV modules composed of a plurality of thin film solar cells deposited on the same substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0488 Double glass encapsulation, e.g. photovoltaic cells arranged between front and rear glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1884 Manufacture of transparent electrodes, e.g. TCO, ITO
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/90 Energy harvesting concepts as power supply for auxiliaries' energy consumption, e.g. photovoltaic sun-roof

Abstract

A method of making a curved glass surface with a solar panel formed thereon. A window for an automobile, especially for a sunroof is formed by heating a glass sheet from 500° to 600° C. A transparent electroconductive film is then formed on one side, such as by a CVD method and bending the sheet with the film after heating the temperature from 580° to 650° C.

Claims

1. A method of making a curved solar panel for an automobile, comprising the steps of:

heating a glass sheet;

coating a transparent electroconductive film on one side of said glass sheet;

heating and bending the coated glass sheet so as to make the coated surface concave while limiting the rise of the resistance value of said transparent electroconductive film;

forming a photoelectric conversion layer on said transparent electroconductive film on the concave surface of the glass sheet;

forming a back electrode on said photoelectric conversion layer so that electricity can be taken out between said transparent electroconductive film and the back electrode;

forming a protective layer on the photoelectric conversion layer which faces the inside of said automobile.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the electroconductive film is from 300 Å

to 10,000 Å

.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of applying an alkali barrier coating before coating on the one side of said glass sheet the glass sheet with the electroconductive film.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the coated glass sheet in the bending step is from 580°

C. to 650°

C.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the time of heating the glass sheet during bending is no longer than 2 minutes.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the glass sheet is bent to have a radius of curvature not less than 80 mm.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of strengthening said glass sheet after the step of bending.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of forming a light shielding colored layer on the glass sheet before coating the glass sheet with the electroconductive film.