JP2013062452A - Terminal box for solar cell module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve good insulation performance when an insulation resin closely adheres to a heat sink.SOLUTION: A terminal box 10 includes: a diode 70 having a heat generation source; a heat sink 60 contacting with the diode 70; a housing 20 where a part of the heat sink 60 is disposed at the inner side and having a side wall 22 arranged along a direction that erects relative to a main surface 101 of a solar cell module 100; an extension part 40 extending outward from the side wall 22 and formed by an insulation resin closely adhering to the other part of the heat sink 60; and a protection cover 80 covering the extension part 40 from the outer side.

Description

  The present invention relates to a terminal box for a solar cell module.

  A conventional solar cell module terminal box is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This thing is provided with the housing | casing and the diode and heat sink which are accommodated in the inside. The casing is made of an insulating resin and has a bottom wall and a side wall rising from the outer peripheral edge thereof. The heat sink is placed on the top surface of the bottom wall, and the diode is in contact with the top surface of the heat sink. Moreover, the extension part is formed in the lower end part of the side wall so as to extend outward. The extending portion is configured to be continuous with the bottom wall along the planar direction. A part of the heat radiating plate is disposed so as to be exposed in the housing while being supported by the bottom wall, and the other part of the heat radiating plate is disposed so as to be in close contact with the insulating resin of the extending portion. Here, when the diode generates heat, the heat is not limited to the inside of the casing, but is transferred to the extending portion and can be released therefrom to the surrounding atmosphere.

Utility Model Registration No. 3124624

  By the way, according to the above-described conventional configuration, it is possible to improve the heat dissipation efficiency by thinly attaching the insulating resin of the extending portion to the other portion of the heat dissipation plate. However, when the insulating resin is thinned, there is a situation that the strength of the extending portion becomes weak. For this reason, when an impact is applied, for example, by foreign matter interfering with the extended portion, the insulating resin is cracked and the other portion of the heat sink is exposed, which may impair the insulating performance.

  This invention is completed based on the above situations, Comprising: It aims at enabling insulation performance to be exhibited favorable, when a heat sink is closely_contact | adhered with insulating resin.

  As means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 is a solar cell module terminal box attached to a solar cell module, comprising a diode having a heat generation source, a heat dissipation plate in contact with the diode, A casing having a part of the heat sink disposed inside and having a side wall extending in a direction rising from the main surface of the solar cell module, and extending outward from the side wall, and the other part of the heat sink It is characterized in that it is composed of an extending portion made of an insulating resin that is in close contact with and a protective cover that covers the extending portion from the outside.

  The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the apparatus of claim 1, a ventilation portion is formed between the protective cover and the extension portion so that the extension portion faces the atmosphere. Have.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the protective cover includes a cover main body that covers a surface of the extension portion, and protrudes from the cover main body and is locked to a side edge of the extension portion. And the ventilation portion is formed between the opposing surfaces of the cover body and the extension portion and between the plurality of leg portions.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the protective cover has a cover main body that covers a surface of the extension portion, and the ventilation portion is formed by opening the cover main body. It has the characteristics where it is done.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the one according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the housing has an insertion hole for drawing the interconnector of the solar cell module into the heat radiating plate. The protective cover is characterized in that it closes the opening of the insertion hole as it covers the extension.

  The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that, in the apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, a heat-radiating fin is formed on the outer surface of the protective cover.

<Invention of Claim 1>
Since the extension part is made of an insulating resin that is in close contact with the other part of the heat sink, the insulation resin may break when an impact is applied to the extension part. However, according to the present invention, since the extending portion is covered from the outside by the protective cover, the insulating resin is prevented from being broken. As a result, the insulation performance is exhibited well.

<Invention of Claim 2>
A ventilation part is formed between the protective cover and the extension part so that the extension part can be exposed to the atmosphere. Therefore, heat is prevented from staying between the protection cover and the extension part, and heat dissipation is improved. Good performance.

<Invention of Claim 3>
The protective cover has a cover body that covers the surface of the extension part, and a plurality of legs that are locked to the side edges of the extension part, and the ventilation part is between the opposing surfaces of the cover body and the extension part and each leg. Since it is formed between the parts, the heat dissipation is more satisfactorily exhibited.

<Invention of Claim 4>
Since the protective cover has a cover main body that covers the surface of the extending portion, and the ventilation portion is formed to open to the cover main body, the ventilation portion can be installed at a position near the heat source of the diode. As a result, the heat generated in the diode is quickly and satisfactorily released from the ventilation portion to the atmosphere.

<Invention of Claim 5>
As the protective cover covers the extension part, the opening of the insertion hole formed in the housing is closed, so that it is not necessary to separately provide a lid material for closing the opening of the insertion hole, and the number of parts can be reduced. .

<Invention of Claim 6>
Since the heat radiating fins are formed on the outer surface of the protective cover, the heat dissipation is further improved.

It is a top view of the terminal box for solar cell modules concerning Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a side view of the terminal box for solar cell modules. It is sectional drawing of the terminal box for solar cell modules. It is a rear view of the terminal box for solar cell modules. It is a top view of the terminal box for solar cell modules in the state before a protective cover is attached.

<Embodiment 1>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. A terminal box for a solar cell module according to Embodiment 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as a terminal box 10) is attached to the solar cell module 100, and includes a housing 20, an extension 40, a heat sink 60, A diode 70 and a protective cover 80 are provided. The housing 20 and the extending portion 40 are both made of an insulating resin material, and the extending portion 40 is integrally formed to extend rearward (outward) from the rear end of the housing 20.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the housing 20 includes a bottom wall 21 disposed substantially along a planar direction of a main surface 101 (a back surface opposite to the light receiving surface) of the solar cell module 100, and the solar cell module 100. The side wall 22 is disposed along the direction of rising with respect to the main surface 101. The bottom wall 21 has a substantially rectangular outer shape in plan view, and is angularly extended in the four corner directions from the lower end of the outer periphery of the side wall 22.

  The side wall 22 has a bottomless cylindrical shape rising from the inner peripheral edge of the bottom wall 21 and has an oblong shape elongated in the width direction. The inside of the side wall 22 is an insertion hole 23 into which the interconnector 102 of the solar cell module 100 is inserted from below. A fitting groove 24 into which a cover portion 82 (described later) of the protective cover 80 is fitted is formed in a stepped shape on the inner peripheral portion of the upper end (rising end) of the side wall 22. A pair of through holes 25 are formed at both ends of the side wall 22 in the width direction. Both through-holes 25 are configured to penetrate both side portions of the side wall 22 coaxially in the width direction. A pair of cables 200 are inserted into both through holes 25 from both sides, and the end portions of the inserted cables 200 face the insertion holes 23. The conductor 202 made of a core wire is exposed at the end of the cable 200 by removing the covering portion 201.

  Here, the heat sink 60 is formed by bending a conductive metal plate or the like, and a plurality of the heat sinks 60 are arranged in the width direction. As shown in FIG. 3, each heat radiation plate 60 has a strip-like base 61 that is elongated in the front-rear direction, and a front end 62 (part) of the base 61 is disposed on the housing 20 side. A rear portion 63 (other portion) that is a portion excluding the portion 62 is disposed on the extending portion 40 side. A step portion 69 in the height direction is formed between the front end portion 62 and the rear portion 63 in the base portion 61, and the front end portion 62 with the step portion 69 as a boundary is disposed at a position higher than the rear portion 63.

  A rectangular plate-like connector connecting portion 64 to which the interconnector 102 is connected by soldering is formed at the front end portion 62 of the base portion 61. The heat radiating plates 60 are electrically connected to each other through a diode 70. The diodes 70 are bypass diodes for preventing backflow, and a plurality of the diodes 70 are installed between the heat sinks 60 adjacent in the width direction on the extending portion 40 side. In the case of the first embodiment, the diode 70 includes a bare chip portion 71 serving as a heat generation source and a pair of leads 72 extending from the bare chip portion 71 to both sides in the width direction. The leading ends of both leads 72 are connected to the rear portion 63 of the corresponding base portion 61 by soldering.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, of each heat sink 60, the pair of heat sinks 60 positioned at both ends in the width direction are configured as cable connection terminals 65 to which the cable 200 is connected, and between the cable connection terminals 65. The pair of heat radiating plates 60 positioned in the are configured as relay terminals 66 that relay the output from the solar cell module 100 to both cable connection terminals 65.

  Both cable connection terminals 65 have a cable connection portion 67 protruding from the side edge of the base portion 61 to the side. The cable connecting portion 67 has a bent shape that protrudes in the width direction and then extends forward, and further protrudes in the width direction from the front end thereof. Thereby, the front-end | tip part of the cable connection part 67 is arrange | positioned facing the through-hole 25 of the side wall 22 in the width direction. A pair of barrel portions 68 having an open barrel shape is formed at the tip of the cable connection portion 67 so as to rise. The barrel portion 68 is crimped and connected to the conductor 202 of the cable 200.

  The extending portion 40 is made of an insulating resin that is in close contact with the rear portion 63 of the base portion 61 and has a rectangular plate shape. In the case of the first embodiment, the extending part 40 is molded on the entire rear part 63 of the base part 61. The front end of the extending portion 40 is integrally connected to the lower edge of the rear portion 26 of the side wall 22, and the bottom surface of the extending portion 40 is substantially flush with the bottom surface of the bottom wall 21 as shown in FIG. Yes. As shown in FIG. 3, a curved surface portion 27 is formed in a concave curved surface in a region extending from the rear surface of the rear portion 26 of the side wall 22 to the upper surface of the front end portion of the extending portion 40. The connecting portion between the side wall 22 and the extending portion 40 is reinforced by increasing the thickness of the portion corresponding to the curved surface portion 27.

  A stepped portion 41 protrudes at a position corresponding to each diode 70 at a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction of the extending portion 40. The step portion 41 covers the surface of each diode 70 and extends in a strip shape over the entire width of the extension portion 40. Further, a pair of front and rear engaging portions 42 are formed on both side edges of the extending portion 40 so as to protrude. Each locking portion 42 can be locked with each locking piece 88 (described later) of the protective cover 80.

  Next, the protective cover 80 will be described. The protective cover 80 is made of a synthetic resin and has a plate shape as a whole. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the protective cover 80 includes a cover main body 81 disposed so as to cover the entire extension portion 40 from above, and an opening of the insertion hole 23 of the housing 20. The lid portion 82 is disposed so as to be closed from above, and the connecting portion 83 is disposed between the cover body 81 and the lid portion 82 and is disposed so as to straddle the upper end side of the rear portion 26 of the side wall 22 from above. ing.

  The connecting portion 83 is configured to rise substantially vertically from the front end of the cover body 81 to the rear end of the lid portion 82. As shown in FIG. 3, a rectangular U-shaped fitting groove 84 into which the upper end side of the rear portion 26 of the side wall 22 is fitted is formed in the upper end portion of the connecting portion 83 so as to open downward.

  The cover main body 81 is in the form of a rectangular plate corresponding to the extended portion 40, and has a space portion 50 in the height direction between the extended portion 40 as shown in FIG. That is, the cover main body 81 is disposed so as to be separated from the upper surface of the extending portion 40 (including the upper surface of the stepped portion 41) through the space portion 50. In addition, a plurality of heat radiation fins 85 project from the upper surface of the cover main body 81 at intervals in the width direction. Each fin 85 is plate-shaped and has a triangular shape that gradually increases in height from the rear end to the front end of the cover body 81. The front ends of the fins 85 are integrally connected to the rear surface of the connecting portion 83 over the entire height.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a circular opening 86 is formed through the cover body 81. A plurality of openings 86 are arranged side by side at a predetermined interval in the width direction. The opening 86 is disposed at a position facing the stepped portion 41, and specifically, disposed at a position facing each diode 70.

  A plurality of leg portions 87 are formed on both side edges and the rear edge of the cover body 81 so as to protrude downward. Each leg portion 87 has a rectangular plate shape, and is arranged on the outer peripheral edge of the cover main body 81 at intervals in the circumferential direction. Among them, the pair of front and rear leg portions 87 protruding from both side edges of the cover body 81 are flexible locking pieces 88 that hold both side edges of the extended portion 40 from the outside, as shown in FIG. ing. A locking hole 89 is opened at the lower end (tip) of each locking piece 88. When the cover main body 81 is attached to the extending portion 40, the locking portion 42 is fitted into the locking hole 89 after the locking pieces 88 are bent, whereby the cover main body 81 is extended to the extending portion. 40 is held in a retaining state.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the three leg portions 87 protruding from the rear end edge of the cover body 81 have a spacing holding piece 91 whose lower end is abutted and supported on the upper surface of the rear end portion of the extending portion 40. Has been. Each spacing holding piece 91 is disposed at both ends and the center of the cover main body 81 in the width direction, and holds the gap (height dimension of the space portion 50) between the cover main body 81 and the extending portion 40 substantially constant. To play a role.

  A plurality of insertion portions 95 are formed between the front locking piece 88 and the housing 20 and between the leg portions 87 at intervals in the circumferential direction. In the case of the first embodiment, each insertion portion 95, each opening 86, and the space portion 50 constitute a ventilation portion, and the extension portion 40 can communicate with the atmosphere through the ventilation portion. .

  The lid portion 82 has an oval plate shape corresponding to the opening shape of the insertion hole 23 of the housing 20 and protrudes substantially horizontally from the front end of the connecting portion 83 to the front as shown in FIG. . The lid portion 82 is connected to the upper end of the connecting portion 83 in a stepped manner, and the upper surface of the lid portion 82 is located below the upper surface of the connecting portion 83. The outer peripheral portion of the lid portion 82 is fitted and held in the fitting groove 24 of the housing 20. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 2, when viewed from the side, the lid 82 is hidden behind the side wall 22 of the housing 20 and cannot be seen.

Next, the operation of the terminal box 10 according to the first embodiment will be described.
First, in a state where the diodes 70 are connected to the respective heat radiating plates 60, the casing 20 and the extending portion 40 are integrally formed around each heat radiating plate 60 by insert molding. Thus, the insulating resin is applied to the rear portion 63 of each heat sink 60, the entire step portion 69, and the lower surface of the front end portion 62 of each heat sink 60. It will be in the state coat | covered with resin (refer FIG. 3). Further, the upper surface of the front end portion 62 of each heat radiating plate 60 is disposed so as to be exposed in the insertion hole 23 of the housing 20.

  Subsequently, the cable 200 is inserted into both the through holes 25 of the housing 20, and the conductor 202 of the cable 200 is placed on the cable connection portion 67 of the cable connection terminal 65 and is crimped and connected by the barrel portion 68. Then, the terminal box 10 (excluding the protective cover 80) is placed on the main surface 101 of the solar cell module 100, and the bottom wall 21 and the bottom surfaces of the extending portions 40 are fixed to the main surface 101 of the solar cell module 100 with an adhesive or the like. Secure by means. Further, in the process of placing the terminal box 10, the interconnector 102 of the solar cell module 100 is drawn into the insertion hole 23 of the housing 20, and the end of the interconnector 102 is soldered to the connector connection part 64 of each heat sink 60. Let In this state, a sealing material such as a potting material is introduced into the insertion hole 23 of the housing 20. When the sealing material is cured, the periphery of the connection region between the interconnector 102 and the cable 200 is resin-sealed.

  Thereafter, the protective cover 80 is placed on the terminal box 10 (the housing 20 and the extending portion 40) from above. When the protective cover 80 is properly placed on the terminal box 10, as shown in FIG. 2, each locking piece 88 elastically locks the corresponding locking portion 42, and the protective cover 80 is attached to the extended portion 40. 1 and 3, the cover main body 81 covers the upper surface of the extension portion 40 from above, and the lid portion 82 is fitted into the fitting groove 24 of the housing 20 so as to be inserted into the insertion hole. 23 opening 86 is closed.

  By the way, in the above case, in order to improve the heat dissipation of the diode 70, the thickness of the extending portion 40 surrounding the diode 70 is relatively thin. For this reason, when a foreign substance interferes with the surface of the extension part 40, the surface of the extension part 40 may be cracked and predetermined insulation performance may not be ensured. However, according to the first embodiment, even if a foreign object advances toward the surface of the extension part 40, the foreign object contacts the upper surface of the cover body 81 of the protective cover 80 and contacts the extension part 40. There is no. For this reason, it is avoided that the extension part 40 is cracked, and predetermined insulation performance can be maintained.

  Further, since the space 50 is formed between the cover main body 81 and the extension part 40 of the protective cover 80, the impact force applied to the cover main body 81 due to interference with foreign matter is transmitted to the extension part 40. It is suppressed and the crack of the extension part 40 is avoided more reliably.

  Further, when the diode 70 generates heat during use, the heat is released from the surface of the extending portion 40 to the space portion 50, and further released from the space portion 50 through the openings 86 of the cover body 81 to the atmosphere. Heat dissipation is ensured. In this case, since each opening 86 of the cover body 81 is installed in the vicinity of the heat source (bare chip portion 71) of the diode 70, the heat generated by the diode 70 is quickly and satisfactorily introduced into the atmosphere from each opening 86. Released. Moreover, since the heat in the space part 50 flows in the plane direction and is released from the insertion parts 95 to the atmosphere, it is more reliably prevented that heat is accumulated in the space part 50. Further, better heat dissipation is ensured by the heat dissipation fins 85 formed on the outer surface of the protective cover 80.

  Further, as the cover body 81 of the protective cover 80 covers the extended portion 40, the lid portion 82 of the protective cover 80 closes the opening of the insertion hole 23 of the housing 20, so that the opening of the insertion hole 23 is blocked. There is no need to separately provide a lid member, the configuration is simplified, and the number of parts is reduced.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) It is also possible to omit the lid from the protective cover.
(2) The housing and the extending portion may be formed so as to be separable from each other.
(3) The protective cover may be in contact with the housing.
(4) It is also possible to use a package type diode in which the periphery of the element body is sealed with resin.
(5) It is possible to omit the heat radiation fin from the protective cover.
(6) The heat radiating plate may have only a heat radiating function without having a terminal function.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Terminal box 20 ... Housing 22 ... Side wall 23 ... Insertion hole 40 ... Extension part 50 ... Space part (ventilation part)
60 ... Radiator 62 ... Front end (part)
63 ... rear part (other part)
70 ... Diode 80 ... Protective cover 81 ... Cover body 86 ... Opening (ventilation part)
87 ... leg 95 ... insertion part (ventilation part)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Solar cell module 101 ... Main surface 102 ... Interconnector

Claims (6)

A solar cell module terminal box attached to a solar cell module,
A diode having a heat source;
A heat sink in contact with the diode;
A casing having a side wall along a direction in which a part of the heat radiating plate is arranged on the inner side and rising with respect to the main surface of the solar cell module;
An extension part composed of an insulating resin extending outward from the side wall and in close contact with the other part of the heat sink;
A terminal box for a solar cell module, comprising a protective cover that covers the extending portion from the outside.   The solar cell module terminal box according to claim 1, wherein a ventilation portion is formed between the protective cover and the extension portion so that the extension portion faces the atmosphere.   The protective cover includes a cover main body that covers a surface of the extension part, and a plurality of legs that protrude from the cover main body and are locked to side edges of the extension part, and the ventilation part includes The terminal box for a solar cell module according to claim 2, wherein the terminal box is formed between the opposing surfaces of the cover main body and the extending portion and between the plurality of leg portions.   4. The solar cell module according to claim 2, wherein the protective cover has a cover main body that covers a surface of the extension portion, and the ventilation portion is formed to open to the cover main body. Terminal box.   The housing is formed with an insertion hole for drawing the interconnector of the solar cell module into the heat radiating plate, and the protective cover has an opening of the insertion hole as the extension part is covered. The terminal box for a solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the terminal box is closed.   The solar cell module terminal box according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a fin for heat radiation is formed on an outer surface of the protective cover.

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