Buss bar strip

• US 8,222,523 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2011
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Antaya Technologies Corporation (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Antaya Technologies Corporation (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Antaya, Stephen C., Machado, Manuel H., Scherer, Matthew Jarod
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Dhirubhai R
• Application Number:
  US13/015,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20110132428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 174/72.A, 174/68.1, 174/68.3, 174/135, 136/244, 136/245, 136/246, 136/251, 439/142, 439/571, 439/786, 439/796, 439/271
• US Class Current: 174/72.A
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0201 comprising specially adapted module bus-bar structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0508 the interconnection means having a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/65 characterised by the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/022 comprising preapplied solder
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/02 for soldered or welded connections
• 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: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49169 Assembling electrical component directly to terminal or elongated conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49179 by metal fusion bonding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 by assembling plural parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49213 Metal

Abstract

A buss bar strip for mounting to a solar panel to electrically connect to a series of electrical lines extending from solar cells. The buss bar strip can include a thin elongate flat flexible strip of insulative material having a longitudinal length. A predetermined pattern of elongate conductors can be longitudinally disposed on the insulative strip in at least two rows along the longitudinal length and electrically isolated from each other. Each conductor can have a predetermined position, length, and spacing from each other on the insulative strip for laterally electrically connecting to selected electrical lines from the solar cells at lateral electrical connection points located along the length of the conductor on exposed surfaces on the conductor.

Claims

1. A solar panel comprising:

a series of solar cells having a series of electrical lines extending therefrom at laterally spaced intervals; and

a buss bar assembly mounted to the solar panel adjacent to the series of solar cells and electrically connected to the series of electrical lines extending from the solar cells, the buss bar assembly comprising at least one elongate conductor laterally electrically connected to selected said electrical lines from the solar cells at lateral electrical connection points located along a length of the at least one conductor on exposed surfaces on the at least one conductor, the at least one conductor including an electrical connection region for electrically connecting to an external device, at least one male circular connector being soldered to the electrical connection region.

2. The solar panel of claim 1 in which the at least one conductor comprises a generally flat metallic ribbon.

3. The solar panel of claim 2 in which the generally flat metallic ribbon is coated with a layer of solder.

4. The solar panel of claim 1 in which the buss bar assembly further comprises at least two spaced elongate conductors extending along a common longitudinal axis.

5. The solar panel of claim 4 further comprising lamination materials extending over the buss bar assembly.

6. The solar panel of claim 1 in which the buss bar assembly further comprises a thin elongate flat flexible strip of insulative material having a longitudinal length, and the at least one conductor being longitudinally disposed on the insulative strip.

7. The solar panel of claim 6 in which the buss bar assembly includes a predetermined pattern of elongate conductors longitudinally disposed on the insulative strip along the longitudinal length and electrically isolated from each other, each of said conductors having a predetermined position, length and spacing from each other on the insulative strip.

8. The solar panel of claim 7 in which the insulative strip is formed of flexible polymeric material.

9. The solar panel of claim 1 in which the external device is an electrical connector having at least one female terminal that engages the at least one male circular connector.

10. A buss bar strip for mounting to a solar panel to electrically connect to a series of electrical lines extending from solar cells comprising:

at least one elongate conductor for laterally electrically connecting to selected said electrical lines from the solar cells at lateral electrical connection points located along a length of the at least one conductor on exposed surfaces on the at least one conductor, the at least one conductor including an electrical connection region for electrically connecting to an external device, at least one male circular connector being soldered to the electrical connection region.

11. The buss bar strip of claim 10 in which the at least one conductor comprises a generally flat metallic ribbon.

12. The buss bar strip of claim 11 in which the flat metallic ribbon is coated with a layer of solder.

13. The bus bar strip of claim 10 further comprising a thin elongate flat flexible strip of insulative material having a longitudinal length, and the at least one conductor being longitudinally disposed on the insulative strip.

14. The buss bar strip of claim 13 in which the insulative strip is formed of flexible polymeric material.

15. The buss bar strip of claim 14 further comprising at least two spaced elongate conductors extending along a common longitudinal axis.

16. A method of electrically connecting a solar panel, the solar panel including a series of solar cells having a series of electrical lines extending therefrom at laterally spaced intervals, the method comprising:

mounting a buss bar strip to the solar panel adjacent to the series of solar cells, the buss bar assembly comprising at least one elongate conductor laterally electrically connected to selected said electrical lines from the solar cells at lateral electrical connection points located along a length of the at least one conductor on exposed surfaces on the at least one conductor, the at least one conductor including an electrical connection region for electrically connecting to an external device, at least one male circular connector being soldered to the electrical connector region.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising forming the at least one conductor from a generally flat metallic ribbon.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising providing the generally flat metallic ribbon with a layer of solder.

19. The method of claim 16 in which the buss bar assembly further comprises at least two spaced elongate conductors, the method further comprising extending the conductors along a common longitudinal axis.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising laminating lamination materials over the buss bar assembly.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing the buss bar assembly with a thin elongate flat flexible strip of insulative material having a longitudinal length, and the at least one conductor being longitudinally disposed on the insulative strip.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising providing a predetermined pattern of elongate conductors longitudinally disposed on the insulative strip along the longitudinal length and electrically isolated from each other, each of said conductors having a predetermined position, length and spacing from each other on the insulative strip.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising forming the insulative strip from flexible polymeric material.

24. The method of claim 23 in which the external device is an electrical connector having at least one female terminal, the method further comprising engaging the at least one female terminal of the electrical connector with the at least one male circular connector.

25. A method of forming a buss bar strip for mounting to a solar panel for electrically connecting to a series of electrical lines extending from solar cells comprising:

forming at least one elongate conductor for laterally electrically connecting to selected said electrical lines from the solar cells at lateral electrical connection points located along a length of each of the at least one conductor on exposed surfaces on the at least one conductor;

forming the at least one conductor to include an electrical connection region for electrically connecting to an external device; and

soldering at least one male circular connector to the electrical connection region.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising forming the at least one conductor from a generally flat metallic ribbon.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising providing the flat metallic ribbon with a layer of solder.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising providing a thin elongate flat flexible strip of insulative material having a longitudinal length, and the at least one conductor being longitudinally disposed on the insulative strip.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising forming the insulative strip from flexible polymeric material.

30. The method of claim 29 in which the bus bar strip further comprises at least two spaced elongate conductors, the method further comprising extending the conductors along a common longitudinal axis.