Collector grid and interconnect structures for photovoltaic arrays and modules
DCFirst Claim
1. In combination, two electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells and an interconnecting component wherein,each of said cells has transparent top light incident surface regions,said interconnecting component comprises a polymeric sheetlike substrate having a top upward facing side and a bottom downward facing side,a first portion of said sheetlike substrate comprises multiple transparent polymeric layers, a first of said transparent layers comprises a polymeric adhesive forming the downward facing side of said first portion, and a second of said transparent layers comprises a structural polymer overlaying at least a portion of said first adhesive layer,said first adhesive layer positioned over at least a portion of a first cell, such that said adhesive is in direct physical contact with a transparent top light incident surface region of said first cell,and wherein said sheetlike substrate extends beyond said first cell such that a second portion of said sheetlike substrate is positioned beneath a second of said cells,an wherein the upward facing side of said second portion of said sheetlike substrate is formed by a layer of additional polymeric adhesive,and wherein said structural polymer layer overlays a preponderance of the light incident surface of said first cell and does not overlay the light incident surface of said second cell.
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Abstract
An interconnected arrangement of photovoltaic cells is achieved using laminating current collector electrodes. The electrodes comprise a pattern of conductive material extending over a first surface of sheetlike substrate material. The first surface comprises material having adhesive affinity for a selected conductive surface. Application of the electrode to the selected conductive surface brings the first surface of the sheetlike substrate into adhesive contact with the conductive surface and simultaneously brings the conductive surface into firm contact with the conductive material extending over first surface of the sheetlike substrate. Use of the laminating current collector electrodes allows facile and continuous production of expansive area interconnected photovoltaic arrays.
275 Citations
38 Claims
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1. In combination, two electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells and an interconnecting component wherein,
each of said cells has transparent top light incident surface regions, said interconnecting component comprises a polymeric sheetlike substrate having a top upward facing side and a bottom downward facing side, a first portion of said sheetlike substrate comprises multiple transparent polymeric layers, a first of said transparent layers comprises a polymeric adhesive forming the downward facing side of said first portion, and a second of said transparent layers comprises a structural polymer overlaying at least a portion of said first adhesive layer, said first adhesive layer positioned over at least a portion of a first cell, such that said adhesive is in direct physical contact with a transparent top light incident surface region of said first cell, and wherein said sheetlike substrate extends beyond said first cell such that a second portion of said sheetlike substrate is positioned beneath a second of said cells, an wherein the upward facing side of said second portion of said sheetlike substrate is formed by a layer of additional polymeric adhesive, and wherein said structural polymer layer overlays a preponderance of the light incident surface of said first cell and does not overlay the light incident surface of said second cell.
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7. In combination, two electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells and an interconnecting component wherein,
each of said cells has a top light incident surface formed by a transparent conductive material and an oppositely facing bottom surface formed by a conductive material, said interconnecting component comprises a sheetlike substrate having a top, upward facing side and a bottom downward facing side, a first portion of said sheetlike substrate comprises multiple polymeric layers positioned beneath at least a portion of a first of said cells, and a first of said polymeric layers comprises a polymeric adhesive forming the upward facing side of said first portion, said polymeric adhesive in direct physical contact with the bottom surface of said first cell, and a second of said polymeric layers comprises a structural polymer underlying at least a portion of said first adhesive layer. and wherein said sheetlike substrate extends beyond said first cell such that a second portion of said sheetlike substrate is positioned over a preponderance of the top light incident surface of a second of said cells, and wherein said structural polymer layer does not extend under said second of said cells.
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13. In combination two electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells and an interconnecting component wherein,
each of said cells has transparent top light incident surface regions and an oppositely facing bottom surface formed by a conductive material, said interconnecting component comprises a sheetlike substrate having a top upward facing side and a bottom downward facing side, p1 a first portion of said sheetlike substrate comprises multiple transparent polymeric layers overlaying a first of said cells, a first of said multiple polymeric layers being formed by a transparent polymeric adhesive forming the downward facing side of said first portion in direct physical contact with said transparent top light incident surface region of a first of said cells, said sheetlike substrate extends outwardly of said first cell such that a portion of said top upward facing side is positioned beneath a second cell, and wherein said portion of said top upward facing side is formed by additional polymeric adhesive in direct physical contact with said bottom surface of the second cell, and wherein said first layer of transparent polymeric adhesive overlays a preponderance of the light incident surface of said first cell and does not overlay the light incident surface of said second cell.
Specification