Photovoltaic tile for a roof

• US 8,776,455 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2010
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alexandre Azoulay
• Original Assignee: Alexandre Azoulay
• Inventors: Azoulay, Alexandre
• Primary Examiner(s): Glessner, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): FIGUEROA, LUZ ADRIANA
• Application Number:
  US13/379,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20120151856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 521/733, 126/621, 126/622, 126/623, 136/246, 136/251
• US Class Current: 52/173.3
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/25 Roof tile elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/36 characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module connection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/52 PV systems with concentrators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49355 Solar energy device making

Abstract

A photovoltaic tile for a roof includes a plurality of tiles, at least two adjacent tiles of which at least partially overlap each other, including a body (12) having overlapping edges constituting a top edge (20) and a bottom edge (22), the top edge (20) being formed so as to cover the bottom edge (22) of at least one of the adjacent tiles, a photovoltaic layer (40), and electrical connectors (52) which are connected to the photovoltaic layer (40) through electrical conductors (54). The electrical connectors (52) are provided in assembly elements (57, 58) by nesting, the assembly elements being provided on the overlapping edges (20, 22) to enable the overlapping edges to be mutually positioned during the placement of two of the adjacent tiles (10) and the electrical contact of the electrical connectors (52) with each other. The invention also relates a method for manufacturing such tile.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic tile for a roof comprising a plurality of said tiles, at least two adjacent tiles of which at least partially overlap each other, said photovoltaic tile including

a body having overlapping edges constituting a top edge and a bottom edge, the top edge being formed so as to cover the bottom edge of at least one of the adjacent tiles,

a photovoltaic layer placed on a free part of an upper surface of the body outside the bottom edge,

respective male and female electrical connectors which are connected to the photovoltaic layer by electrical conductors in order to electrically connect one to another the photovoltaic layers of at least two adjacent tiles of the roof,

respective assembly elements provided on the respective overlapping edges so as to enable said overlapping edges to be mutually positioned during the placement of the two adjacent tiles by nesting of said adjacent assembly elements of the two adjacent tiles,

wherein the assembly elements of the tile comprise:

respective blocking assembly elements provided on the respective overlapping edges, said blocking assembly elements comprising at least one shoulder forming a recess in one of the top edge and the bottom edge so as to enable said shoulder to be positioned against the other of the top edge and the bottom edge,

respective centering assembly elements provided on the respective blocking assembly elements, said centering assembly elements comprising (i) at least one lug that protrudes from one of the top edge and the bottom edge, and (ii) at least one housing recessed in the other of the top edge and the bottom edge,

so as to enable adjacent tiles to be centered relative to one another during the placement of two adjacent tiles by nesting of adjacent assembly elements of the two adjacent tiles,

wherein each of the male and female electrical connectors is provided in a respective entirely recessed position in a respective one of the lug and the housing of the tile, so that, through the nesting of the adjacent assembly elements of the two adjacent tiles, the electrical connectors contained in the adjacent assembly elements of the two adjacent tiles simultaneously come into electrical contact with each other.

2. The tile according to claim 1, wherein the conductors are embedded inside the molded body of the tile in their travel between the photovoltaic layer and their electrical connector.

3. The tile according to claim 1, wherein the lug forms a plug protruding from its overlapping edge and the housing forms a tap formed recessed from its overlapping edge, and the male and female electrical connectors in the assembly elements assemble by fitting.

4. The tile according to claim 3, wherein the lug and the housing are substantially perpendicular to the median plane of the tile, that plane being provided to be parallel to the plane of a roof surface receiving the tile.

5. The tile according to claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic layer is in direct contact with the environment.

6. The tile according to claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic layer is a film adhered to the body of the tile using a flexible adhesive making it possible to absorb the differential expansions between the body and the film.

7. The tile according to claim 6, wherein the film making up the photovoltaic layer is housed in a cavity recessed from the upper surface of the body at the free part thereof, the depth of the cavity being such that the upper surface of the film is flush with a peripheral part of the free edge of the upper surface of the body.

8. The tile according to claim 6, wherein the area of the upper surface of the body covered by the photovoltaic film is at least partially hollowed with cooling channels allowing a local passage of air between the body and the photovoltaic film.

9. The tile according to claim 8, wherein the cooling channels are grooves and the body defines air discharge conduits emerging on the one hand in one of the grooves and on the other hand at the lower surface of the tile.

10. The tile according to claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic layer is a layer of photovoltaic nanoparticles.

11. The tile according to claim 1, wherein the body of the tile is made from a polymer-based material.

12. The tile according to claim 11, characterized in that the polymer-based material comprises a ceramic filler.

13. The tile according to claim 1, wherein the body of the tile is made from a wood-based material.

14. The tile according to claim 1, wherein the body has a base of a material adapted to polymerize upon cooling after molding or during press forming.

15. The tile according to claim 11, wherein the upper surface of the body of the tile is covered with a protective mineral layer, in particular protecting it from ultraviolet rays.

16. The tile according to claim 1, wherein the tile includes a thermally insulating layer on the lower surface of the body.

17. The tile according to claim 16, wherein the thermally insulating layer is covered with a lower finishing layer.

18. The tile according to claim 1, wherein the body includes an upper half-shell and a lower half-shell defining an inner space.

19. The tile according to claim 18, wherein the inner space between the upper half-shell and the lower half-shell is filled with a foam.

20. The tile according to claim 1, wherein the body thereof contains at least one inner thermally insulating layer.

21. The tile according to claim 1, wherein the body contains an electronic unit for converting direct current into alternating current.

22. A method for manufacturing a photovoltaic tile according to claim 2, the method including:

positioning conductors in a mold, wherein at least one end of the conductors is provided with an electrical connector, and

molding the body of the tile in the mold containing the conductors.

23. The method according to claim 22, including positioning a photovoltaic layer in the mold before molding the body.

24. The method according to claim 22, including positioning a photovoltaic layer on the upper surface of the body after the molding and after removing the body from the mold.

25. A method for covering a frame with photovoltaic tiles according to claim 1, the method including:

after placing at least a first of said tiles on a frame face, bringing a second tile closer so as to position its top edge opposite the bottom edge of the first tile, and

placing the second tile adjacent to the first tile by bringing it substantially perpendicular to the plane of said frame face with (i) the top edge of the second tile overlapping the bottom edge of the first tile, and (ii) nesting of the assembly elements substantially perpendicular to said frame face by nesting to mechanically maintain said tiles and connect them electrically.

26. A covering assembly for a roof, comprising a plurality of photovoltaic tiles according to claim 1, the top edge of one of the tiles overlapping the bottom edge of at least one of the adjacent tiles while having their electrical connectors electrically connected.

27. A tile according to claim 1, wherein the blocking assembly elements of the tile comprise (i) a lateral blocking rib that protrudes from one of the top edge and the bottom edge, and (ii) a lateral blocking slot recessed in the other of the top edge and the bottom edge.

28. A tile according to claim 27, wherein the male connectors are recessed in the housing and the female connectors are recessed in the lug.

29. The tile according to claim 27, wherein the lug forms a plug protruding from its overlapping edge and the housing forms a tap formed withdrawn from its overlapping edge, and the male and female connection elements in the assembly elements assemble by fitting.

30. A tile according to claim 1, wherein the lug is located in the recess.