JP2000357811A - Solar battery module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a solar battery module that allows a surplus sealing material to flow to the outside from a small hole, indicates that the sealing material has been coated fully, allows the sealing material to be injected from the small hole, and is capable of secure sealing. SOLUTION: The solar battery module consists of a solar battery panel 12 and a gasket 13 as a frame body with a U-shaped section being mounted to the outer periphery of the solar battery panel 12. In the solar battery module, a sealing material 18 is applied to the inside of the gasket 13 in advance, the gasket 13 is engaged to the outer periphery of the solar battery panel 12 for mounting, and at the same time, a small hole 19 is provided on the side wall of the gasket 13 for letting out the surplus sealing material 18 and for injecting the sealing material 18 in shortage.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a solar cell module having a gasket comprising a frame attached to the outer periphery of a solar cell panel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional solar cell module sealing structure is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 59-112960 and Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No.
0-6254 and JP-A-8-148710. These are configured as shown in FIG. 11, FIG. 12, and FIG. That is, the solar cell panel 5 includes a transparent cover 1 made of a glass plate or the like, an encapsulating material 3 made of EVA or the like, a solar cell element 2 made of silicon single crystal, silicon polycrystal or amorphous silicon, and a vinyl fluoride resin. And a damp-proof sheet 4 made of the same.

The end of the solar cell panel 5 is supported by being inserted into a groove of an outer frame 6 made of aluminum or plastic such as FRP through a gasket 8 made of rubber or plastic and a sealing material 9 such as butyl rubber in some cases. ing.

[0004]

However, in such a conventional sealing structure, the sealing between the outer frame 6 and the solar cell panel 5 is performed by using butyl rubber and a U-shaped or substantially L-shaped gasket 8. Since this is performed, dimensional accuracy is required for the clearance between the transparent cover glass 1 and the outer frame 6. If the clearance is not appropriate, sealing failure occurs, and water or the like enters the inside of the solar cell panel 5 to deteriorate the solar cell element 2, or the sealing material 9 such as butyl rubber protrudes from the surface. There was a problem of coming.

[0005] Further, since the linear expansion coefficient of the outer frame 6 and the solar cell panel 5 are different from each other, the outer frame 6 has a 100
Due to a thermal cycle having a temperature difference close to ° C., a sealing failure may occur due to a difference in expansion at this time.

[0006] In particular, in a salt-damaged area such as along the coast, the poor sealing may cause a drop in the output of the solar cell, which may lead to an inability to operate the solar power generation system.

Also, in the process of assembling the solar cell module by attaching the outer frame 6 to the outer end of the solar cell panel 5, since the soft gasket 8 is used, the fastening of the outer frame 6 is uneven. In some cases, the outer shape became drum-shaped. Further, when the member is forcibly tightened to correct this, there is a problem that the sealing material 9 protrudes.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object a good sealing effect irrespective of the accuracy of the clearance and even when a temperature difference occurs. It is to provide a solar cell module which is easy to operate.

[0009]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention is to apply a sealant in advance to a solar cell panel and a frame having a U-shaped cross section. In a solar cell module in which a frame is fitted and mounted on the outer periphery of the solar cell panel, a surplus sealing material out of a sealing material previously applied to a side wall of the frame can flow out to the outside, and the sealing material is insufficient. Has a small hole into which a sealing material can be injected.

A second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the frame body of the first aspect is a gasket having a spring function which is biased in a direction to clamp the outer periphery of the solar cell panel.

A third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that a soft plastic pad is provided at a portion in contact with the solar cell panel inside the gasket of the second aspect.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the gasket of the second or third aspect is a composite molded product of a hard plastic and a soft plastic.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the sealing material according to any one of the first to fourth aspects is a rubber having fluidity.

According to the above construction, the solar cell panel and the frame can be assembled with the sealant inside the frame while the outer periphery of the solar cell panel is sandwiched and held by the frame. The sealing material flows out of the small hole, and when the sealing material is insufficient, the sealing material can be injected from the small hole.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 show a first embodiment. FIG. 1 (a) is a perspective view of the entire solar cell module 11, and FIG. 1 (b) is a sectional view taken along line AA. The solar cell module 11 includes a rectangular solar cell panel 12 and a gasket 13 as a frame attached to the outer periphery of the solar cell panel 12.

The solar cell panel 12 includes a transparent cover 14,
It is composed of a solar cell element 15, an encapsulant 16, and a moisture-proof sheet 17. The transparent cover 14 has a function of protecting the surface of the solar cell panel 12 using, for example, a transparent glass plate. The encapsulant 16 is made of EVA resin, PVB resin, PIB resin, or the like, and has a function of protecting the solar cell element 15 and bonding the transparent cover 14 and the moisture-proof sheet 17 at the same time. The moisture-proof sheet 17 is
VF. A resin sheet such as PET or a laminate of the resin sheet and an aluminum foil is used, and has a function of preventing moisture from entering the inside.

The solar cell element 15 has a function of directly converting light energy of the sun into electric energy, and includes silicon single crystal, silicon polycrystal, amorphous silicon, and CI.
It is formed from a compound such as S. In the case of a compound such as amorphous silicon or CIS, it may be formed directly on the transparent cover 14 as a substrate,
In that case, the distance between the solar cell element 15 and the transparent cover 14 is lost.

The gasket 13 is made of PVC, PC, P
A hard plastic such as P is extruded to form a substantially U-shaped cross section. On the upper and lower outer surfaces of the gasket 13, a plurality of small holes 19 through which a sealing material 18 described later can flow.
And a projection 13a for fitting with an outer frame 20 described later is provided.

The solar cell panel 1 configured as described above
The outer periphery of 2 is sealed with a gasket 13 via a sealing material 18. As described above, the gasket 13 has a substantially U-shaped cross section, and is designed so as to sandwich the outer periphery of the solar cell panel 12 and fit into the groove provided in the outer frame. The seal member 18 is made of butyl rubber, silicone resin, or the like, and has a function of protecting the outer periphery of the solar cell panel 12 and preventing moisture.

However, the sealing material 18 may not be used when the solar cell panel 12 has sufficient moisture-proof performance. The outer frame 20 is made of an aluminum molded product or an FRP molded product.
The overall strength is ensured. However, if the mechanical strength is not so required depending on the use, a plastic molded product or a metal curved plate may be used as the outer frame 20 in some cases.

Next, a method of assembling the solar cell module will be described. First, a gasket 13 having a length adapted to the four sides of the solar cell panel 12 is prepared, and an appropriate amount of a sealing material 18 such as butyl rubber or silicone rubber is applied to the inside thereof. The gaskets 13 are attached to the four sides of the solar cell panel 12 so that the sealing material 18 is pressed on the outer periphery of the solar cell panel 12.

At this time, if the sealant 18 previously applied to the gasket 13 is excessive, the excess sealant 1
Since 8 flows out of the small hole 19 to the outside, it can be seen that the sealing material 18 has spread to every corner between the inner peripheral surface of the gasket 13 and the outer peripheral surface of the solar cell panel 12. The small hole 19
Excess seal material 18 that has flowed out is wiped off. If the sealing material 18 does not flow out of the small holes 19, the application amount of the sealing material 18 may be insufficient.
The sealing material 18 can be injected from the small holes 19.

Further, since the gasket 13 sandwiches the thickness direction of the solar cell panel 12 with an appropriate strength by elastic force, it does not fall off. The gasket 13 has a small hole 1
By providing the rubber plug 9 in the small hole 19, the rubber plug also serves as a spacer between the solar cell modules.

FIG. 2 shows a solar cell module 20.
The outer frame 20 is provided with a concave groove 21 having a U-shaped cross section. When the outer periphery of the solar cell module 11 in which the gaskets 13 are respectively mounted on the four sides of the solar cell panel 12 is pressed toward the concave groove 21 of the outer frame 20, the gasket engaging corners 22 and the gasket 13 provided on the outer frame 20 are pressed. Is engaged with the projection 13a.

At this time, two or four sides of the solar cell module 11 can be simultaneously assembled to the outer frame 20 using a jig. Further, the gasket 13 fitted in the concave groove 21 of the outer frame 20 can be easily slid in the length direction, and the overlapping state of the corners can be corrected. Alternatively, the gasket 13 previously coated with an appropriate amount of the sealing material 18 is fitted into the concave groove 21 of the outer frame 20, and the solar cell panel 12 is later inserted into the opening of the gasket 13 to assemble the solar cell module 11. Can also.

FIGS. 3 to 5 show a second embodiment. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. The gasket 13 shown in FIG. P
C. It is made by co-extrusion of hard plastic such as PP and soft plastic such as PVC and TPO. The protrusion 13a is molded of hard plastic,
The fin portion 13b is molded from soft plastic. Outer projections 13c and inner projections 13
d is provided integrally.

FIG. 4 shows a state in which the solar cell module 11 in which the gasket 13 is mounted on the outer periphery of the solar cell panel 12 is fitted into the concave groove 21 of the outer frame 20. The fin portion 13b provided inside the gasket 13 is
2 is bent inward by the insertion of 2 and serves as a seal and cushioning material. Therefore, the solar cell panel 12 can be elastically sandwiched, and the outflow of the sealing material 18 can be prevented. In addition, the inner protrusion 13d plays a role in positioning the solar cell panel 12. The outer protrusion 13c is provided in the groove 2 of the outer frame 20.
1 to form a free space inside the concave groove 21 of the outer frame 20 and play a role of relaxing stress and buffering impact due to thermal expansion and the like.

As shown in FIG. 5, as in the first embodiment, since the sealing material 18 is applied in advance to the inside of the gasket 13, if the sealing material 18 is excessive, the excess sealing material is used. Since 18 flows out of the small hole 19 to the outside, it can be seen that the sealing material 18 has spread to every corner between the inner peripheral surface of the gasket 13 and the outer peripheral surface of the solar cell panel 12. When the sealing material 18 does not flow out of the small hole 19,
Since it is conceivable that the application amount of the sealing material 18 is insufficient, the sealing material 18 can be injected from the small holes 19.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a third embodiment.
The same components as those of the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. The gasket 13 of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 6 has a pair of opening guides 13e made of soft plastic at the opening of the gasket 13 similar to the second embodiment.
have. The opening guide 13e is provided with a fin 13b.
When the fin 13d is pushed by the solar cell panel 12 and falls down, the opening guide 13e is pulled inward and deformed so as to sandwich the solar cell panel 12 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the solar cell panel 12 can be elastically sandwiched, and the outflow of the sealing material 18 can be prevented. In addition,
The operation of the sealing member 18 is the same as in the first and second embodiments.

FIG. 8 shows a fourth embodiment, in which the first to third embodiments are shown.
The same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. The gasket 13 of the present embodiment includes the second and third gaskets.
A pad 23 made of soft plastic is provided in the opening similar to that of the embodiment. The pad 23 is formed by simultaneous extrusion molding. Alternatively, the pad 23 may be formed by separately molding hard and soft and then bonding. The pad 23 plays the same role as the fin 13d of the second and third embodiments.

FIG. 9 shows a state where the solar cell module 11 in which the gasket 13 is mounted on the outer periphery of the solar cell panel 12 is fitted into the concave groove 21 of the outer frame 20.
The operation of 8 is the same as in the first to third embodiments.

FIG. 10 shows a modified example of the gasket 13, and FIG. 10A shows a structure in which a reinforcing metal piece 24 having a spring function is embedded inside the gasket 13 and integrated.
FIG. 2B shows a structure in which a reinforcing metal piece 24 having a spring function is attached to the outside of the gasket 13 so as to be integrated. Both can be simultaneously molded by being inserted or added during plastic molding. An iron plate is usually used as the reinforcing metal piece 24.
The tape-shaped raw material is freely bent, inserted into a plastic extruder and integrally molded. By changing the composition, thickness and bending shape of the iron plate used at this time,
It is possible to freely control the rigidity and spring performance. If a thick steel plate is used, a module without the outer frame 20 is also possible.

[0034]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a small hole is provided in the side wall of the frame, a sealing material is applied in advance to the inside of the frame, and this frame is attached to the solar cell panel. When fitted around the outer periphery, the surplus sealing material flows out of the small holes, indicating that the sealing material has been sufficiently applied. Can be injected, and a reliable seal can be obtained.

According to the second to fourth aspects, in addition to the above effects, it is possible to prevent the sealing material from leaking from the gap between the solar cell panel and the gasket as the frame. According to claim 5, in addition to the above effects, the application of the sealing material is easy,
There is an effect that a reliable seal can be formed over every corner of the gap.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a solar cell module, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing a state where the solar cell module of the embodiment is fixed to an outer frame.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a gasket according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional side view showing a state where the solar cell module of the embodiment is fixed to an outer frame.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional side view showing a state where the solar cell module of the embodiment is fixed to an outer frame.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a gasket showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional side view showing a state where the solar cell module of the embodiment is fixed to an outer frame.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a gasket showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a state where the solar cell module of the embodiment is fixed to an outer frame.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a modification of the gasket of the embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional front view showing a conventional solar cell module sealing structure.

FIG. 12 is a longitudinal sectional front view showing a conventional solar cell module sealing structure.

FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional front view showing a conventional solar cell module sealing structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Solar cell module 12 ... Solar cell panel 13 ... Gasket (frame) 18 ... Sealing material 19 ... Small hole

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A solar cell module comprising: a solar cell panel; and a sealing member applied in advance to a frame having a U-shaped cross section, and the frame is fitted and mounted on an outer periphery of the solar cell panel. A solar cell module characterized in that a small hole is provided on a side wall of a frame so that a surplus sealing material among pre-applied sealing materials can flow out to the outside, and a sealing material can be injected when the sealing material is insufficient. . 2. The solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the frame is a gasket having a spring function that is biased in a direction to sandwich the outer periphery of the solar cell panel. 3. The solar cell module according to claim 2, wherein a soft plastic pad is provided in a portion of the gasket that contacts the solar cell panel. 4. The solar cell module according to claim 2, wherein the gasket is a composite molded product of a hard plastic and a soft plastic. 5. The solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the sealing material is a rubber having fluidity.