JPS6249674A - Series-connecting method for solar battery - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily series-connect a plurality of solar battery elements by a method wherein one end part of a plurality of solar battery elements is fixed by punching it from the upper and the lower sides using an insulative flexible sheet whereon a conductive material is coated in a prescribed form. CONSTITUTION:A conductive material is patterned in the prescribed form on the inner surface of a flexible sheet 1 to be twofolded along its longitudinal direction. Each end part of a plurality of solar battery elements 3 is pinched and fixed between the twofolded sheet 1, and said end part is adhered under heat and pressure from both sides of the sheet 1. As a result, each solar battery element 3 can be electrically connected in series.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connection method for connecting in series a plurality of solar cell elements formed on a conductive substrate.

Conventional technology For use in applications such as small consumer electronic devices, solar cell elements are connected in series and are made by successively laminating a transparent conductive film, an amorphous silicon layer, and a vapor-deposited metal film such as aluminum on an insulating substrate such as glass. Regarding the connection method, conventionally, JP-A-55-1
The structure shown in Japanese Patent No. 07276 is generally well known. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, a transparent conductive film 7, a solar cell element 8, and a metal vapor deposition film 9 on an insulating substrate 6 are patterned by a metal mask method or etching, and an amorphous silicon layer is formed. The elements are electrically connected in series at 10 except for the solar cell element 8.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the case of a solar cell element that has only been cut into small pieces without patterning, the conductive substrate and the transparent conductive film must be electrically connected by some means. However, there is currently no highly practical and effective method.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method that allows easy series connection of unpatterned solar cell elements formed on a conductive substrate as described above.

Means for Solving the Problem The technical means of the present invention to achieve this object is to divide a plurality of solar cell elements into an upper half and a lower half along the length by folding them in half. After placing a conductive material on the lower half of the insulating flexible sheet whose inner surface is patterned in a predetermined shape, the upper half of the flexible sheet is bent and the conductive substrate of one of the adjacent solar cell elements and the transparent substrate of the other are placed. A conductive film is electrically connected in series with a conductive material patterned on a flexible sheet as a conductive member.

Function: With this method, an insulating flexible sheet is folded in half along its length, and no conductive parts are patterned on the multiple solar cell elements sandwiched between the sheets. Even if the elements are not formed, series connections between the elements can be easily established by patterning a conductive material on the inner surface of an insulating flexible sheet that sandwiches the elements from above and below.

Embodiment Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1(a), 1
is an insulating flexible sheet made of a polyester film or the like and coated with a heat-sealing paint on the portions other than the portion 2.2' where the conductive material is formed. 2. The conductive material 2' is not a paint mixed with powder such as silver or carbon, and is formed into a suitable pattern on the flexible sheet 1, for example, when it is folded in half along the length, the top and bottom They are formed in a staggered manner so that some of them are in considerable contact with each other. FIG. 1(b) shows the insulating flexible sheet 1
It is a figure which shows a mode that three solar cell elements 3 are arrange|positioned on the top. This solar cell element 3 is made by depositing an amorphous silicon layer as an electromotive layer on a conductive substrate, and further providing a transparent conductive film as an upper electrode thereon. As shown in FIG. 1(B), the conductive substrate is placed on the conductive material 2 in the lower half of the flexible sheet 1 so as to face the back side. Next, as shown in FIG. 1(C), fold the upper half of the flexible sheet 1 along the broken line along the length of the flexible sheet 1 shown in FIG. 1(b). Fold. Then, the flexible sheet 1 folded in half is heat-pressed from both sides. Through the above operations, the solar cell element 3 is fixed to the flexible sheet 1 with the heat-sealing paint, and the conductive substrate of the solar cell element 3 is made of the conductive material of the lower half of the flexible sheet 1 shown in FIG. 1(a). 2 and the transparent conductive film of the solar cell element 3 is connected to the flexible sheet 1.
A single electrical connection is made with the conductive material 2' of the upper half of the wafer.

The respective conductive materials 2, 2' are shown in FIG. 1(C).

Since the solar cell elements are connected at the connecting portion 4, the individual solar cell elements 3 are electrically connected in series. However, in the above-mentioned embodiments, a connecting portion 4 for series connection is required between the elements 3, and the spacing between the solar cell elements cannot be narrowed. Another embodiment of the present invention which solves this problem is shown in FIG. In Figure 2 (,), the first
The difference from this embodiment is that the center part, which is a part of the conductive material 2 formed in an L shape spanning the upper and lower halves of the flexible sheet to be folded in half, is made of an insulating material such as resin. This is what was covered in 6. By using such an insulating flexible sheet, the steps shown in FIG. 2(b) and FIG. 2(C) are performed in the same manner as (b) and (0) of the first embodiment. , since the conductive substrates of the plurality of adjacent solar cell elements 3 and the transparent conductive film can be connected by the conductive material 2 coated in an L-shape and partially coated with an insulating material. , series connection can be performed without providing the connection part 4 between conductive materials, which was necessary in the first embodiment, and the interval between the solar cell elements can be made sufficiently narrow.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention uses an insulating flexible sheet coated with a conductive material in a predetermined shape as a connecting member to sandwich and fix one end of a plurality of solar cell elements from above and below. Particularly, a plurality of solar cell elements can be easily connected in series.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 ra) l (b) + Cc) is the first
Figure 2 (a), (b), and (C) are process diagrams for achieving the series connection of solar cells in the embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is the conventional series connection. FIG. 1... Insulating flexible sheet, 2...
...Conductive material, 3...Solar cell element, 4...
... Connection part, 6 ... Insulator. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person1”
1j---4ka, a, yaa7). Point Fig. 2 5- Insulator (α) Fig. 3

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) Multiple solar cell elements constructed by sequentially stacking an amorphous silicon layer and a transparent conductive film on a conductive substrate, and a conductive material in a predetermined shape on the inner surface that is folded in half along the length direction. Each end of the plurality of solar cell elements is sandwiched and fixed between two folded insulating flexible sheets, and the plurality of solar cell elements are made of a patterned conductive material. A solar cell series connection method that connects solar cell elements in series. (2) The method for connecting solar cells in series according to claim 1, wherein the conductive material is patterned in a staggered manner on the upper half and lower half of the insulating flexible sheet that is folded in half. (3) Claim 1, in which a conductive material is applied in an L-shape across the upper and lower halves of an insulating flexible sheet that is folded in half, and the central part thereof is covered with an insulating material. How to connect solar cells in series.