JP2016127242A - Manufacturing method of solar battery module and trimming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing method of a solar battery module, capable of stably obtaining the quality of a module substrate 1 after the cutting of a sealing surplus member.SOLUTION: A manufacturing method of a solar battery module includes: a sealing step of forming a module substrate 1 obtained by sealing a solar battery cell with a seal member, the solar battery cell being arranged on a transparent substrate; and a trimming step of cutting a sealing surplus member by a pair of cutting means 33a, 33b while the module substrate 1 is carried, the sealing surplus member being a portion projecting from an end face of the transparent substrate in a seal member of the module substrate 1 carried by a carrying conveyor 12, the cutting means 33a, 33b including a rotation mechanism and a cutting tool rotated by the rotation mechanism and having a plurality of cutting blades formed at an outer peripheral surface of a cylinder, and the cutting means 33a, 33b also being arranged so as to sandwich the carrying conveyor 12 therebetween in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction A of the carrying conveyor 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a solar cell module and a trimming apparatus.

  In a method for manufacturing a solar cell module, a solar cell placed on a transparent substrate is sealed with a sealing member to form a module substrate, and then the module substrate is sealed beyond the end surface of the transparent substrate. There is a process (trimming process) of cutting the sealing surplus member which is a member. The trimming process in the conventional solar cell module manufacturing method uses a heating wire that generates heat as a cutting means, and blows the surplus sealing member by moving the heating wire while pressing the heating wire against the end face of the transparent substrate. (For example, Patent Document 1). There is also a method of cutting the surplus sealing member by moving the cutting edge while continuously pressing the same portion of the cutting edge of the blade portion against the end face of the transparent substrate (for example, Patent Document 2).

JP 2006-245265 A JP 2010-258131 A

  In such a solar cell module manufacturing method, there is a problem that the quality of the module substrate after cutting the sealing excess member cannot be obtained stably. This is because when the heating wire that generates heat is used as the cutting means, the molten sealing member adheres to the heating wire during cutting of the excess sealing member, and it is difficult to maintain the performance of the cutting means. Even if the blade edge is moved and the sealing surplus member is cut while continuously pressing the same portion of the blade edge of the blade portion, the blade edge of the blade portion that cuts the sealing surplus member is fixed in one place. During the cutting, heat is continuously generated in the corresponding part. Therefore, the temperature of the blade edge of the blade portion rises and the sealing member is melted. This is because the melted sealing member adheres to the cutting edge, and it is difficult to maintain the performance of the cutting means.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a solar cell module that can stably obtain the quality of the module substrate after cutting the sealing surplus member. And

  The manufacturing method of the solar cell module according to the present invention includes a sealing step for forming a module substrate in which solar cells arranged on a transparent substrate are sealed with a sealing member, and the conveyance conveyor is orthogonal to the traveling direction of the conveyance conveyor. A pair of cutting means arranged so as to be sandwiched in a direction to be cut by a cutting mechanism having a rotating mechanism and a cutting tool that is rotated by the rotating mechanism and has a plurality of cutting blades formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder, A trimming step of cutting a sealing surplus member that is a portion protruding from the end face of the transparent substrate among the sealing members of the module substrate being transported by the transport conveyor, while transporting the module substrate. To do.

  According to the method for manufacturing a solar cell module according to the present invention, the quality of the module substrate after cutting the sealing surplus member can be stably obtained. Since the cutting tool of the cutting means has a structure in which a plurality of cutting blades are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder and is rotated by a rotation mechanism, the cutting part of the sealing surplus member in the cutting tool is not fixed at one place, Since the heat generated at the time of cutting is easily radiated, the temperature of the cutting tool is hardly increased, and the sealing member can be prevented from melting. Thereby, since it can suppress that a sealing member adheres to a cutting tool, it is because the performance of a cutting means can be maintained.

It is a top view which shows the structure of the module board manufactured with the manufacturing method of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the module board manufactured with the manufacturing method of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a top view which shows roughly the structure of the trimming apparatus used in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows schematically the structure of the cutting means used in Embodiment 1 of this invention, Comprising: The left cutting means is shown with respect to the conveyance direction of a module board | substrate. It is a top view which shows the cutting tool used in Embodiment 1 of this invention, and shows the cutting tool of the cutting means of FIG. FIG. 6 is an enlarged top view showing the cutting tool used in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and is an enlarged view of FIG. 5. It is a figure which shows the formation angle of the blade edge | tip of the cutting blade used in Embodiment 1 of this invention, and shows the cutting blade of the cutting tool of the cutting means of FIG. It is a figure which shows the formation space | interval of the blade edge | tip of the cutting blade used in Embodiment 1 of this invention, and shows the cutting blade of the cutting tool of the cutting means of FIG. It is a figure which shows schematically the structure of the cutting means used for Embodiment 1 of this invention, Comprising: The cutting means on the right with respect to the conveyance direction of a module board is shown. It is a side view which shows a mode that the cutting tool used in Embodiment 1 of this invention cut | disconnects a sealing surplus member. It is a top view which shows a mode that the cutting tool used in Embodiment 1 of this invention cut | disconnects a sealing surplus member, (a) is the time of a cutting | disconnection start, (b) shows that it is cutting. It is a side view which shows the cut | disconnected module board manufactured in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a top view which shows roughly the structure of the trimming apparatus used in Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a figure which shows schematically the structure of the cutting means used in Embodiment 2 of this invention, Comprising: The left cutting means is shown with respect to the conveyance direction of a module board | substrate. It is a top view which shows roughly the structure of the trimming apparatus used in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the finishing tool used in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows roughly the structure of the cooling device used in Embodiment 4 of this invention.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
First, the configuration of the module substrate 1 manufactured by the manufacturing method according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a configuration of a module substrate 1 manufactured in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of the module substrate 1 manufactured in the first embodiment of the present invention, and represents a cross section taken along line II in FIG. 1 is a view of FIG. 2 as viewed from below.

  1 and 2, the module substrate 1 includes a transparent substrate 2, a sealing resin 3 and a surface protection sheet 5 as sealing members, and solar cells 4. In addition, in FIG. 1, the sealing resin 3 and the surface protection sheet 5 which protruded from the transparent substrate 2 were illustrated, and the illustration of the solar battery cell 4 was omitted for simplification. In FIG. 2, a surface orthogonal to the surface on which the solar cells 4 of the transparent substrate 2 are disposed is referred to as an end surface 7. That is, when viewed in FIG. 1, the end surface 7 is the outer peripheral surface of the transparent substrate 2. 2, that is, the portion of the sealing resin 3 and the surface protective sheet 5 that protrudes beyond the end surface 7 is referred to as a sealing surplus member 6. In FIG. 1, the surplus sealing member 6 is a portion of the sealing resin 3 and the surface protection sheet 5 that protrudes beyond the outer peripheral surface of the transparent substrate 2. However, in FIG. 1, the reference numerals of the sealing surplus member 6 are not illustrated because they are complicated.

  A transparent material such as glass or plastic is used for the transparent substrate 2.

  The sealing resin 3 is made of a transparent synthetic resin such as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA: Ethylene Vinyl Acetate, hereinafter abbreviated as EVA), polyvinyl butyral (PVB), silicon, or the like.

As the surface protection sheet 5, it is known that there are a single sheet structure and a laminated structure. As a single-sheet structure, there is a sheet using a fluorine-based resin, polyethylene terephthalate (PET: Poly Ethylene Terephthalate, hereinafter abbreviated as PET), or the like. As a laminated structure, a laminated sheet in which a metal film such as aluminum or a thin film such as silicon dioxide (SiO ₂ ) is laminated on one surface of a sheet material made of fluorine-based resin or PET, an aluminum alloy thin film There are a laminated sheet in which EVA is laminated on both sides, a laminated sheet in which EVA is laminated on PET, and the like. Here, the surface protection sheet 5 may be either a single sheet structure or a laminated structure.

  As the solar cell 4, for example, a crystalline cell is used. Examples of the crystalline solar battery cell include, but are not limited to, a single crystal silicon solar battery cell and a polycrystalline silicon solar battery cell using a semiconductor wafer.

  The process of the manufacturing method of the solar cell module of Embodiment 1 of this invention WHEREIN: The sealing process which forms the module board | substrate 1 which sealed the photovoltaic cell 4 arrange | positioned at the transparent substrate 2 mentioned above with the sealing member. There is. This sealing process will be described in more detail. In the sealing process, the sealing resin 3 is disposed on the transparent substrate 2, a plurality of the solar cells 4 are disposed thereon, and the sealing resin 3 and the surface protection sheet 5 are further disposed, so that the whole is heated. A heat treatment is added. Thereby, the module substrate 1 is formed. Since the sealing resin 3 is melted by applying heat, the solar battery cell 4 can be sealed.

  The sealing resin 3 is deformed when heat is applied. Therefore, in order to sufficiently seal the solar battery cell 4 with the sealing resin 3, it is necessary to use a cell having a size that protrudes from the outer periphery of the transparent substrate 2. Then, after the heat treatment, the sealing resin 3 and the surface protection sheet 5 protruding from the outer periphery of the transparent substrate 2 become unnecessary members and must be removed. The unnecessary member that must be removed is the sealing surplus member 6 shown in FIG.

  In addition, the sealing resin 3 and the surface protection sheet 5 are cut to the specified dimensions at the stage of delivery from the vendor, but have a certain tolerance, and are sealed on the transparent substrate 2. The amount of the sealing member that protrudes from the end surface 7 of the transparent substrate 2 of the module substrate 1 may change depending on the assembly accuracy when the stop resin 3 and the surface protection sheet 5 are stacked. Further, the amount of the sealing member that protrudes may change depending on the melting state of the sealing resin 3 by the heat treatment. For this reason, it is necessary to cut | disconnect the sealing resin 3 and the surface protection sheet 5, ie, the sealing surplus member 6, which protruded from the outer periphery of the transparent substrate 2. FIG.

  Next, the trimming apparatus used in Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described. This is a device for cutting the sealing surplus member 6 of the module substrate 1. FIG. 3 is a top view schematically showing the configuration of the trimming apparatus used in the first embodiment of the present invention. The trimming apparatus used in Embodiment 1 of the present invention is transported by a transport conveyor 12 for transporting a module substrate 1 in which solar cells 4 arranged on a transparent substrate 2 are sealed with a sealing member, and transported by the transport conveyor 12. Among the sealing members of the module substrate 1, the sealing surplus member 6, which is a portion protruding from the end surface 7 of the transparent substrate 2, is cut while the module substrate 1 is transported, and the transport conveyor 12 is transported by the transport conveyor 12. And a pair of cutting means 33a and 33b arranged so as to be sandwiched in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction. 3 is a top view schematically showing the configuration of the trimming apparatus, the illustration of specific external shapes of the solar battery cell 4, the transparent substrate 2, and the sealing surplus member 6 is omitted, and the module substrate 1 and cutting means are omitted. The shapes of 33a and 33b are also simplified.

  Here, the module substrate 1 is transported by the transport conveyor 12 in the direction of arrow A. Further, the trimming apparatus includes two positioning guides 14 and a speed detection device 15 in front of the cutting means 33a and 33b in the conveyance direction A of the module substrate 1. The conveyance conveyor 12 includes a conveyance roller 12a, a rotation shaft 12b, and a driving device 12c. The module substrate 1 has long sides 1a and 1b and short sides 1c and 1d.

  In order to explain the trimming device used in Embodiment 1 of the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, although not shown in FIG. 3, the sealing surplus member 6 forming the long side 1a of the module substrate 1 is used as the surplus sealing member. 6a, the sealing surplus member 6 forming the long side 1b of the module substrate 1 is the sealing surplus member 6b, the sealing surplus member 6 forming the short side 1c of the module substrate 1 is the sealing surplus member 6c, The surplus sealing member 6 forming the short side 1d of the module substrate 1 is referred to as a surplus sealing member 6d. The sealing surplus member 6 is a general term for the sealing surplus members 6a, 6b, 6c, and 6d. In FIG. 3, the cutting means 33a cuts the sealing surplus member 6a, and the cutting means 33b cuts the sealing surplus member 6b.

  The transport conveyor 12 has a structure in which one of the plurality of transport rollers 12a is rotated when one of the plurality of rotating shafts 12b is rotated by a driving device 12c such as a motor. Since the adjacent ones of the plurality of rotating shafts 12b are connected by a timing belt or the like, the module substrate 1 is conveyed on the conveying roller 12 on the conveying roller 12a. The conveyance speed of the module substrate 1 can be arbitrarily changed by changing the rotational speed of the driving device 12c. Further, the material of the transport roller 12a is appropriately changed to a viscous material in order to keep the frictional force between the transport roller 12a and the transparent substrate 2 so that the module substrate 1 is not displaced when the sealing surplus member 6 is cut. May be.

  The positioning guide 14 is arranged in front of the cutting means 33a and 33b with respect to the conveyance direction A of the module substrate 1. Then, the module substrate 1 is positioned with respect to the cutting means 33a and 33b so that the sealing surplus members 6a and 6b are correctly cut by the cutting means 33a and 33b.

  The speed detection device 15 is arranged in front of the cutting means 33a and 33b with respect to the conveyance direction A of the module substrate 1. Here, it is arranged between the positioning guide 14 and the cutting means 33a, 33b, but it may be located in front of the cutting means 33a, 33b with respect to the transport direction A of the module substrate 1, and therefore the transport direction of the module substrate 1 It may be in front of the positioning guide 14 with respect to A.

  For the speed detection device 15, a sensor such as a photoelectric sensor and a control device are used. When the conveyance speed of the module substrate 1 is detected by the photoelectric sensor, the control device issues a command to change the rotation speed of the drive device 12c of the conveyance conveyor 12 so that the conveyance speed of the module substrate 1 set by the control device is reached. 12c to accelerate and decelerate the conveyance speed of the module substrate 1. Thereby, before the module board | substrate 1 contacts the cutting | disconnection means 33a and 33b, the conveyance speed of the module board | substrate 1 can be reliably made into a regulation speed.

  The cutting means 33a and 33b are arranged as a pair so as to sandwich the conveyor 12 in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the conveyor 12. Therefore, the cutting means 33a and 33b can cut | disconnect the sealing surplus member 6a and the sealing surplus member 6b simultaneously.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the cutting means 33a used in the first embodiment of the present invention, and shows the configuration of the cutting means 33a on the left with respect to the conveyance direction A of the module substrate 1. It is the figure which looked at the cutting | disconnection means 33a in the direction of the A direction of FIG. In FIG. 4, the cutting means 33 a includes a rotating mechanism 16 and a cutting tool 13 a that is rotated by the rotating mechanism 16 and has a plurality of cutting blades 20 a formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder obliquely with respect to the rotation axis. Further, the cutting means 33 a has a spring 17. Here, the cutting blade 20a of the cutting tool 13a of the cutting means 33a in FIG. 4 is drawn in a simplified manner to schematically show the configuration of the cutting means 33a.

  Here, the cutting tool 13a of the cutting means 33a rotates clockwise when viewed from above. The cutting tool 13b of the cutting means 33b rotates counterclockwise when viewed from above. The trimming apparatus used in the first embodiment of the present invention has a reverse direction to the conveying direction A of the module substrate 1 applied to the module substrate 1 by the rotation of the cutting tool 13a of the cutting means 33a and the cutting tool 13b of the cutting means 33b. The force toward the transport direction A of the module substrate 1 is larger than the force. Therefore, the module substrate 1 always goes in the transport direction A even if it contacts the cutting means 33a and the cutting means 33b.

  By changing the rotation speed of the rotation mechanism 16, the rotation speed of the cutting tool 13a, that is, the rotation speed of the cutting tool 13a can be arbitrarily changed.

  The spring 17 is for pressing the cutting tool 13a against the end surface 7 of the transparent substrate 2 of the module substrate 1 with an equal pressure. Thereby, the finish after cutting | disconnection of a sealing surplus member can be made uniform.

  The excess sealing members 6a and 6b cut by the cutting means 33a and 33b are called cut pieces. Under the cutting means 33a, there are a tray 231 for receiving the cut pieces, a dust collector 23 for collecting the cut pieces collected on the tray 231, and a tube 232 that connects the tray 231 and the dust collector 23 and through which the cut pieces pass.

  FIG. 5 is a top view showing the cutting tool 13a used in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and shows the cutting tool 13a of the cutting means 33a of FIG. The cutting tool 13a seen in the direction of the Y direction of FIG. 4 is shown, and this is also the cutting tool 13a seen in the direction of the Y direction of FIG. The direction in the Y direction in FIG. 4 and the direction in the Y direction in FIG. 10 are the same. The cutting tool 13a has a plurality of cutting blades 20a formed on the outer peripheral surface of a cylinder obliquely with respect to the rotation axis. In FIG. 5, 18 cutting blades 20a are formed, but the present invention is not limited to this. The number of cutting blades 20a is appropriately determined depending on the thickness of the module substrate 1, the material of the sealing resin 3 and the surface protection sheet 5, and the like.

  FIG. 6 is an enlarged top view of the cutting tool 13a used in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and is an enlarged view of FIG. The structure of the cutting blade 20a of the cutting tool 13a is shown, and the portion D surrounded by the dotted line in FIG. 5 is shown enlarged. As shown in FIG. 6, the cutting blade 20a includes a blade edge 21a and a recess 22a.

  The cutting edge 21a is a part of the cutting tool 13a of the cutting means 33a that comes into contact with the sealing surplus member 6a first when cutting the surplus sealing member 6a and directly cuts the surplus sealing member 6a. The recess 22a discharges the cut sealing surplus member 6a to the outside. That is, the cut piece is discharged from the cutting tool 13a to the tray 231. The concave portion 22a is concave in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the blade edge 21a.

  FIG. 7 is a view showing the forming angle of the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 20a used in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and shows the cutting blade 20a of the cutting tool 13a of the cutting means 33a of FIG. The dashed-dotted line C in FIG. 7 shows the rotating shaft of the cutting tool 13a. Here, the cutting tool 13a is formed with a plurality of cutting blades 20a obliquely with respect to the rotation axis on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 20a is formed with a forming angle 18 obliquely with respect to the cylindrical rotation axis. The formation angle 18 is preferably 90 degrees, that is, it is preferably formed obliquely in the range of 10 to 80 degrees so as not to be perpendicular, and is appropriately determined depending on the thickness of the module substrate 1, the material of the sealing resin 3 and the surface protection sheet 5, and the like. change. Of course, the forming angle 18 may be 0 degrees, that is, the plurality of cutting blades 20a may be formed not parallel to the rotation axis but in parallel. The shape of the cutting tool 13a in FIG. 5 is drawn in an easy-to-understand manner to show the cutting blade forming angle 18.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the formation interval of the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 20a used in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and shows the cutting blade 20a of the cutting tool 13a of the cutting means 33a of FIG. 8 also shows the rotation axis of the cutting tool 13a. Here, in the cutting tool 13a, a plurality of cutting blades 20a are formed obliquely with respect to the rotation axis on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder, so that the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 20a is connected to the rotation axis of the cylinder as shown in FIG. On the other hand, it is formed with a formation interval 19. This formation interval 19 is also for the purpose of discharging the excess sealing member 6a after cutting, and at least a formation interval equivalent to the material dimensions of the sealing resin 3 and the surface protection sheet 5 is required. Moreover, you may change a formation space | interval suitably so that the thermal radiation performance of the cutting blade 20a may be maintained. The shape of the cutting tool 13a in FIG. 8 is drawn in an easy-to-understand manner to show the formation interval 19 as in FIG.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the cutting means 33b used in the first embodiment of the present invention, and shows the cutting means 33b on the right side with respect to the transport direction A of the module substrate 1. FIG. It is the figure which looked at the cutting | disconnection means 33b in the direction of A direction of FIG. In FIG. 9, the cutting means 33 b includes a rotating mechanism 16 and a cutting tool 13 b that is rotated by the rotating mechanism 16 and has a plurality of cutting blades 20 b formed on the outer peripheral surface of a cylinder. Further, the cutting means 33 b has a spring 17. The cutting means 33b is symmetrical to the cutting means 33a. The cutting blade 20a of the cutting tool 13a is formed obliquely with respect to the rotation axis on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder. Therefore, although the cutting blade 20b of the cutting tool 13b is also formed obliquely with respect to the rotation axis on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder, the forming direction is symmetrical to the forming direction of the cutting blade 20a of the cutting tool 13a. .

  The cutting blade 20b includes a blade edge 21b and a recess 22b. Since the forming direction of the cutting blade 20b is symmetrical with the forming direction of the cutting blade 20a, the direction of the cutting edge 20b is also symmetrical with the direction of the cutting edge 20a. The recess 22b discharges the cut piece from the cutting tool 13b to the tray 231. The concave portion 22a is concave in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the blade edge 21b.

  Since the cutting means 33b has a symmetrical structure with the cutting means 33a, and the cutting tool 13b has a symmetrical structure with the cutting tool 13a, other detailed description is omitted. Here, the cutting blade 20b of the cutting tool 13b of the cutting means 33b in FIG. 9 is drawn in a simplified manner to schematically show the configuration of the cutting means 33b.

  One tray 231 may be provided for each of the cutting means 33a and the cutting means 33b, or one tray 231 may be provided for each of the cutting means 33a and the cutting means 33b. The same applies to the dust collector 23. The number and length of the tubes 232 are appropriately determined depending on the numbers and sizes of the trays 231 and the dust collectors 23.

  For example, when one tray 231 is provided for each of the cutting means 33a and the cutting means 33b, and one dust collector 23 is provided for each of the cutting means 33a and the cutting means 33b, the tube 232 is connected to the cutting means 33a. There are two types, one that connects the receiving tray 231 and the dust collector 23 provided to each other and one that connects the receiving tray 231 and the dust collector 23 provided to the cutting means 33b.

  The above is the configuration of the trimming apparatus used in the first embodiment of the present invention.

  Next, while explaining the cutting of the sealing surplus member 6 by the trimming device used in the first embodiment of the present invention, the steps of the method for manufacturing the solar cell module according to the first embodiment of the present invention are described above. The next process of the sealing process will be described. That is, it is the next step of the sealing step for forming the module substrate 1 in which the solar cells 4 arranged on the transparent substrate 2 are sealed with a sealing member.

  FIG. 10 is a side view showing how the cutting tool 13a used in Embodiment 1 of the present invention cuts the sealing surplus member 6a. It is the figure seen in the direction of A direction in FIG. Here, in order to explain how the cutting tool 13a cuts the sealing surplus member 6a, the important parts are illustrated in an easy-to-understand manner. Therefore, the module substrate 1 includes the transparent substrate 2 and the sealing surplus member 6a. Only the end surface 7 of the transparent substrate 2 is shown in a simplified manner. The cutting tool 13a is installed so as to have a gap of about 0 to 0.5 mm between the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 20a and the end surface 7 of the transparent substrate 2 in consideration of dimensional variations of the transparent substrate 2. ing.

  FIG. 11 is a top view showing a state in which the cutting tool 13a used in Embodiment 1 of the present invention cuts the excess sealing member 6a, (a) at the start of cutting and (b) during cutting. Indicates. Here, as in FIG. 9, in order to explain the manner in which the cutting tool 13a cuts the sealing surplus member 6a, the important portions are illustrated in an easy-to-understand manner. Only the sealing surplus member 6a and the end surface 7 of the transparent substrate 2 are shown.

  In FIG. 10, an arrow B indicates the rotation direction of the cutting tool 13a, and the rotation of the cutting tool 13a is clockwise. In the step of cutting the sealing surplus member 6a by the cutting tool 13a, as shown in FIG. 11A, the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 20a of the cutting tool 13a first comes into contact with the sealing surplus member 6a. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 11B, the sealing surplus member 6a is cut so as to be scraped off from the end by the rotation of the cutting tool 13a and the conveyance of the module substrate 1.

  The manner in which the cutting tool 13b of the cutting means 33b cuts the sealing surplus member 6b is the same as that of the cutting tool 13a. Since the cutting tool 13b has a symmetrical structure with the cutting tool 13a, the rotation direction of the cutting tool 13b is opposite to the rotation direction of the cutting tool 13b and is counterclockwise.

  Thus, the trimming apparatus used in Embodiment 1 of the present invention uses the cutting means 33a provided with the cutting tool 13a that rotates the sealing surplus member 6a of the module substrate 1 to remove the surplus sealing member 6b of the module substrate 1 By the cutting means 33b provided with the rotating cutting tool 13b, the module substrate 1 is cut while being conveyed without being stopped.

  Here, since the surplus sealing members 6a and 6b of the module substrate 1 are cut first, the surplus sealing members 6c and 6d of the module substrate 1 are then cut. In order to cut the sealing surplus members 6c and 6d of the module substrate 1, a mechanism for rotating the module substrate 1 cut from the sealing surplus members 6a and 6b by 90 degrees is separately provided, and the sealing surplus members 6a and 6b of the module substrate 1 are provided. The sealing surplus members 6c and 6d of the module substrate 1 are cut by the same method as the method of cutting 6b. Thereby, the cutting of the sealing surplus member 6 of the module substrate 1 is completed.

  The module substrate 1 after cutting the sealing surplus member 6 is referred to as a cut module substrate 11. FIG. 12 is a side view showing the cut module substrate 11 manufactured in the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 12, the cut module substrate 11 has no sealing member protruding from the transparent substrate 2, and the end surface of the cut module substrate 11 is referred to as a finished end surface 8. The finished end surface 8 corresponds to the outer peripheral surface when viewed from the surface where the solar cells 4 of the cut module substrate 11 are sealed.

  As described above, the trimming device used in Embodiment 1 of the present invention is a pair of cutting means 33a and 33b arranged so as to sandwich the transport conveyor 12 in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the transport conveyor 12, A module that is transported by the transport conveyor 12 by the cutting mechanism 33a and 33b that includes the rotating mechanism 16 and the cutting tools 13a and 13b that are rotated by the rotating mechanism 16 and have a plurality of cutting blades 20a formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder. The trimming process which cuts the sealing surplus members 6a and 6b which are the part which protruded from the end surface 7 of the transparent substrate 2 among the sealing members of the board | substrate 1 while conveying the module board | substrate 1 can be performed.

  Therefore, in the process of the method for manufacturing the solar cell module according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, the next process after the above-described sealing process includes the above-described trimming process. That is, the manufacturing method of the solar cell module according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention includes a sealing step of forming the module substrate 1 in which the solar cells 4 arranged on the transparent substrate 2 are sealed with the sealing member, and conveyance. A pair of cutting means 33a and 33b arranged so as to sandwich the conveyor 12 in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the transport conveyor 12, and are rotated by the rotating mechanism 16 and the rotating mechanism 16, and a plurality of cutting means 33a and 33b are arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder. The cutting means 33a and 33b having the cutting tools 20a and 13b formed with the cutting blade 20a protrude beyond the end surface 7 of the transparent substrate 2 among the sealing members of the module substrate 1 being conveyed by the conveyor 12. A trimming step of cutting the surplus sealing members 6a and 6b, which are the portions, while the module substrate 1 is conveyed.

  The trimming apparatus used in the first embodiment of the present invention has a structure in which both the rotation speed of the cutting tools 13a and 13b and the conveyance speed of the module substrate 1 are arbitrarily determined. Accordingly, the rotation speed of the cutting tools 13a and 13b and the conveyance speed of the module substrate 1 are appropriately determined depending on the thickness of the module substrate 1, the material of the sealing resin 3 and the surface protection sheet 5, the size of the cutting tools 13a and 13b, and the like. .

  Here, the rotational speed of the cutting tools 13a and 13b, that is, the moving speed of the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 20a of the cutting tool 13a and the moving speed of the cutting edge 21b of the cutting blade 20b of the cutting tool 13b are based on the conveyance speed of the module substrate 1. Was also faster. Thereby, the finished end surface 8 of the cut module substrate 11 can be made smoother. Here, as an example, since the diameters of the cutting tools 13a and 13b are 10 mm, the rotational speed of the cutting tools 13a and 13b is 2000 rpm, the transport speed of the module board 1 is 500 mm / s, and the sealing surplus of the module board 1 The members 6a and 6b were cut.

  In the first embodiment of the present invention, the quality of the cut module substrate 11 can be obtained stably. First, the trimming apparatus used in Embodiment 1 of the present invention can maintain the performance of the cutting means 33a and 33b during cutting of the sealing surplus members 6a and 6b even during cutting of the sealing surplus members 6a and 6b. Because. Since the cutting tool 13a of the cutting means 33a has a structure in which a plurality of cutting blades 20a are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder and is rotated by the rotating mechanism 16, the cutting portion of the sealing surplus member 6a in the cutting tool 13a is one. Since the heat generated at the time of cutting the sealing surplus member 6a is not easily fixed, the heat of the cutting tool 13a is hardly increased. Thereby, since melting | fusing of a sealing member can be suppressed and it can suppress that a sealing member adheres to the blade edge | tip 21a of the cutting blade 20a of the cutting tool 13a, the performance of the cutting | disconnection means 33a can be performed even during cutting of the sealing surplus member 6a. Can be maintained.

  In addition, there is a space between the adjacent cutting blades 20a, and the heat applied to the blade edge 21a that directly cuts the sealing surplus member 6a is further radiated.

  Furthermore, since the cutting blade 20a is provided with the recessed part 22a, the space between the adjacent cutting blades 20a is large, and the surface area of the cutting blade 20a is also large. Therefore, since the heat applied to the cutting edge 21a that directly cuts the sealing surplus member 6a is more easily dissipated, melting of the sealing member can be suppressed and adhesion of the sealing member to the cutting edge 21a can be suppressed. .

  Next, the trimming apparatus used in Embodiment 1 of the present invention has a structure in which the cutting tool 13a of the cutting means 33a is rotated by the rotating mechanism 16 and a plurality of cutting blades 20a are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder. Therefore, the use frequency of the cutting blade 20a can be dispersed by using a plurality of cutting blades 20a, instead of continuing to use one cutting blade 20a. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the loss of the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 20a. Even if one cutting edge 21a is lost and the cutting blade 20a cannot be used, there are a plurality of cutting blades 20a, so that the function can be supplemented by the other cutting blades 20a.

  Furthermore, the life of the cutting means 33a is also improved. Since the usage frequency of the cutting blade 20a is dispersed, it is possible to reduce the wear of the cutting edge 21a in addition to reducing the loss of the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 20a. In addition, since the cutting tool 13a is likely to dissipate heat generated when cutting the sealing surplus member 6a, the temperature is unlikely to rise and the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 20a of the cutting tool 13a is reduced from becoming brittle. Therefore, the life of the cutting tool 13a of the cutting means 33a can be improved, and the life of the cutting means 33a is improved.

  Further, here, the cutting blade 20a is formed obliquely with respect to the rotation axis on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder. Thereby, as shown to Fig.11 (a), the blade edge | tip 21a which cut | disconnects the sealing surplus member 6a directly makes point contact with the sealing surplus member 6a first. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), the cutting edge 21a changes the contact with the sealing surplus member 6a to line contact and cuts the sealing surplus member 6a so as to slide the line contact diagonally. Go. Therefore, when the cutting edge 21a enters the sealing surplus member 6a, the cutting edge 13a can apply a large stress to the sealing surplus member 6a at a time by point contact, so that the cutting tool 13a has the cutting edge 21a on the sealing surplus member 6a. The structure is easy to enter. After that, the line contact between the blade edge 21a and the sealing surplus member 6a is slid obliquely, so that the cutting tool 13a has a structure in which the sealing surplus member 6a can be easily cut.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG.11 (b), the blade edge | tip 21a which cut | disconnects the sealing excess member 6a directly has only point contact with the end surface 7 of the transparent substrate 2 with hardness. Therefore, the cutting tool 13a can suppress the area | region where the blade edge | tip 21a lacks to the minimum compared with the case where the cutting blade 20a is formed in parallel with a rotating shaft.

  The trimming apparatus used in Embodiment 1 of the present invention has a structure in which the cutting tool 13a of the cutting means 33a easily discharges the cut piece to the outside. This is because the cutting tool 13a has the cutting blade 20a formed obliquely with respect to the rotation axis on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder. Moreover, since the cutting blade 20a of the cutting tool 13a includes the recess 22a, it is easier to discharge the cut piece to the outside. Thereby, the state that the cut piece has adhered to the finished end surface 8 of the cut module board 11 can be reduced, and the quality of the cut module board 11 can be improved.

  Although the above effect was demonstrated using the cutting tool 13a of the cutting means 33a, it is the same also about the cutting tool 13b of the cutting means 33b.

  In addition, the method for manufacturing the solar cell module according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention can improve the productivity of the solar cell module. Excess sealing members 6a and 6b of the module substrate 1 being transported by the transport conveyor 12 by a pair of cutting means 33a and 33b disposed so as to sandwich the transport conveyor 12 in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the transport conveyor 12. This is because the module substrate 1 is cut without being stopped while the module substrate 1 is being transported, so that the time required for cutting the sealing surplus member 6 can be shortened. Further, since the equipment can be simplified, the equipment introduction cost can be reduced, and the service life of the cutting means 33a and 33b is improved, so that the maintenance cost can also be reduced.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the second embodiment of the present invention, portions that are different from the first embodiment of the present invention will be described, and descriptions of the same or corresponding portions will be omitted. The second embodiment of the present invention is different from the first embodiment of the present invention in that the trimming device used includes a detection device.

  Various types of solar cell modules are manufactured according to the output form and the installation surface shape in order to meet various market demands such as for housing and for industry. Therefore, there are various types of solar cell modules. The trimming apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention is a trimming apparatus provided for manufacturing such a plurality of models on the same production line.

  FIG. 13 is a top view schematically showing a configuration of a trimming apparatus used in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The trimming apparatus used in Embodiment 2 of the present invention is conveyed by a conveyor 12 for conveying a module substrate 1 in which solar cells 4 are sealed with a transparent substrate 2 and a sealing member, and by a conveyor 12. The sealing surplus member 6, which is a portion protruding from the end surface 7 of the transparent substrate 2 among the sealing members of the module substrate 1, is cut while the module substrate 1 is transported, and the transport conveyor 12 is advanced by the transport conveyor 12. A pair of cutting means a and b arranged so as to be sandwiched in a direction perpendicular to the direction. Since FIG. 13 is a top view schematically showing the configuration of the trimming apparatus, illustration of specific external shapes of the solar battery cell 4, the transparent substrate 2, and the sealing surplus member 6 is omitted, and the module substrate 1 and cutting means are omitted. The shapes of 34a and 34b are also simplified.

  The conveyance conveyor 12 includes a conveyance roller 12a, a rotation shaft 12b, and a driving device 12c. Here, the module substrate 1 is transported by the transport conveyor 12 in the direction of arrow A. Furthermore, the trimming apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes two positioning guides 14 and a speed detection device 15 before the cutting means 34a and 34b with respect to the conveyance direction A of the module substrate 1. . Further, a detection device 24 that is disposed in front of the positioning guide 14 with respect to the conveyance direction A of the module substrate 1 and detects the model of the module substrate 1 is further provided.

  The detection device 24 detects the size of the module substrate 1. As the detection device 24, a photoelectric sensor, a laser displacement meter, or the like can be used.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the cutting means 33a used in the second embodiment of the present invention, and shows the left cutting means 33a with respect to the conveyance direction A of the module substrate 1. FIG. It is the figure which looked at the cutting | disconnection means 33a in the direction of A direction of FIG. In FIG. 14, the cutting means 34 a includes a rotation mechanism 16 and a cutting tool 13 a that is rotated by the rotation mechanism 16 and has a plurality of cutting blades 20 a formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder obliquely with respect to the rotation axis. Further, the cutting means 34 a has an air cylinder 25. Here, the cutting blade 20a of the cutting tool 13a of the cutting means 34a in FIG. 14 is drawn in a simplified manner to schematically show the configuration of the cutting means 34a. The cutting means 34b has a symmetrical structure with the cutting means 33a, as in the relationship between the cutting means 33a and the cutting means 33b.

  The trimming device used in the second embodiment of the present invention detects the size of the module substrate 1 with the detection device 24, drives the air cylinder 25 based on the result, and moves the cutting means 34a, 34b. is there. Further, the two positioning guides 14 also move. The means for moving the cutting means 34a, 34b is shown here as the air cylinder 25, but is not limited thereto.

  In the second embodiment of the present invention, the operation of aligning the positions of the two positioning guides 14 and the cutting means 34a and 34b of the trimming device is not necessary. Furthermore, mixed production of different types of solar cell modules on the same line becomes possible. Needless to say, the same effects as those of the first embodiment of the present invention can be obtained.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
In the third embodiment of the present invention, portions that are different from the first embodiment of the present invention will be described, and descriptions of the same or corresponding portions will be omitted. The third embodiment of the present invention is different from the first embodiment of the present invention in that the trimming device to be used includes a polishing means.

  FIG. 15 is a top view schematically showing a configuration of a trimming apparatus used in the third embodiment of the present invention. In addition to the trimming apparatus used in the first embodiment of the present invention, the trimming apparatus used in the second embodiment of the present invention is further ahead of the cutting means 33a and 33b with respect to the transport direction A of the module substrate 1. There are provided polishing means 36a and 36b for polishing the end face of the module substrate 1 which are disposed and cut off the sealing surplus members 6a and 6b by the cutting means 33a and 33b. FIG. 15 is a top view schematically showing the configuration of the trimming apparatus, and therefore, illustration of specific external shapes of the solar battery cell 4, the transparent substrate 2, and the sealing surplus member 6 is omitted, and the module substrate 1 and cutting means are omitted. The shapes of 33a, 33b and polishing means 36a, 36b are also simplified.

  FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a polishing tool 26 used in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The polishing tool 26 has a plurality of grindstones 261 formed on the outer peripheral surface of a cylinder. For example, the polishing means 36a, 36b includes a polishing tool 26 as shown in FIG.

  The trimming apparatus used in the third embodiment of the present invention is a module in which the end surface of the module substrate 1 that has cut the surplus sealing member 6a by the cutting means 33a is cut by the polishing means 36a, and the surplus sealing member 6b is cut by the cutting means 33b. The end surface of the substrate 1 can be further polished by the polishing means 36b. That is, the manufacturing method of the solar cell module according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention is the next step of the trimming process described in Embodiment 1 of the present invention in addition to the manufacturing method of the solar cell module according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As a further step, the method further comprises a step of polishing the end face of the module substrate 1 obtained by cutting the surplus sealing members 6a and 6b.

  In the third embodiment of the present invention, the end surface of the module substrate 1 obtained by cutting the surplus sealing members 6a and 6b can be polished. Therefore, the surplus sealing member 6 remaining on the finished end surface 8 of the cut module 11 is obtained. The cutting flaws can be removed, and a good finished state can be obtained. Furthermore, since the finished state of the finished end face 8 can be arbitrarily changed by selecting the size of the grindstone 261, the quality of the solar cell module can be improved. Needless to say, the same effects as those of the first embodiment of the present invention can be obtained.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
In the fourth embodiment of the present invention, portions that are different from the first embodiment of the present invention will be described, and descriptions of the same or corresponding portions will be omitted. The fourth embodiment of the present invention is different from the first embodiment of the present invention in that the cutting tool used has a cooling device inside.

  The trimming device used in the fourth embodiment of the present invention further includes a cooling device for cooling the cutting tools 13a and 13b inside the cutting tools 13a and 13b of the trimming device used in the first embodiment of the present invention. It is what. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of the cooling device used in Embodiment 4 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 14, the cooling device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention has a water channel 27 in which cooling water circulates inside a cylinder, and is cooled from a chiller 28 including a temperature control device 28a and a circulation pump 28b. Water is flowed to the cooling water inlet 29, passes through the water channel 27, and is discharged from the cooling water outlet 30. The temperature of the cooling water that has exited from the cooling water outlet 30 is adjusted by the temperature control device 28 a and travels again to the cooling water inlet 29. The rotary joint 31 and the seal member 32 are used when connecting to a cutting tool.

  Although the cutting tools 13a and 13b of the trimming device used in Embodiment 4 of the present invention rotate, the cooling device included therein does not rotate. The cooling device included in the cutting tools 13a and 13b of the trimming device used in Embodiment 4 of the present invention controls the cutting tools 13a and 13b to, for example, 70 ° C. or less, which is a temperature at which the sealing surplus member 6 does not soften. can do. The reason why the temperature is set to 70 ° C. is that it is assumed that a single-sheet structure in which EVA is used for the sealing resin 3 and PET is used for the surface protection sheet 5 is used. That is, when other materials are used, the temperature to be controlled appropriately by the temperature control device 28a may be changed.

  Thereby, in the manufacturing method of the solar cell module according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention, in addition to the manufacturing method of the solar cell module according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, the module substrate 1 is cooled while cooling the cutting tools 13a and 13b. The excess sealing members 6a and 6b can be cut.

  If the production line is in an environment that is susceptible to the influence of other equipment during the season, there is a possibility that temperature changes will occur in the cutting tools 13a and 13b. As a result, the state of the finished end face 8 of the cut module substrate 11 may change. However, in Embodiment 4 of the present invention, since the cooling devices for cooling the cutting tools 13a and 13b are provided inside the cutting tools 13a and 13b, the cutting tools 13a and 13b are prevented from having heat, and the cutting tools 13a and 13b are cut. The state of the finished end face 8 of the finished module substrate 11 can be further stabilized.

  Note that the present invention can be freely combined with each other within the scope of the invention, and each embodiment can be modified or omitted as appropriate.

  1 module substrate, 1a, 1b long side, 1c, 1d short side, 2 transparent substrate, 3 sealing resin, 4 solar cell, 5 surface protection sheet, 6 sealing surplus member, 7 end surface, 8 finished end surface, 11 Cut module substrate, 12 Conveyor, 12a Conveyor roller, 12b Rotating shaft, 12c Drive device, 13a, 13b Cutting tool, 14 Positioning guide, 15 Speed detector, 16 Rotating mechanism, 17 Spring, 18 Forming angle, 19 Forming interval , 20a, 20b Cutting blade, 21a, 21b Cutting edge, 22a, 22b Recess, 23 Dust collector, 24 Detector, 25 Air cylinder, 26 Polishing tool, 27 Water channel, 28 Chiller, 28a Temperature controller, 28b Circulation pump, 29 Cooling water Inlet port, 30 Cooling water outlet port, 31 Rotary joint, 32 Seal member, 3a, 33b, 34a, 34b the cutting means, 36a, 36b polishing means, 231 pan, 232 tube, 261 grinding stone.

Claims (14)

A sealing step of forming a module substrate in which solar cells arranged on a transparent substrate are sealed with a sealing member;
A pair of cutting means arranged so as to sandwich the conveyor in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the conveyor, and a rotating mechanism and a plurality of cutting blades rotated on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder by the rotating mechanism. A sealing surplus member which is a portion protruding from the end surface of the transparent substrate among the sealing members of the module substrate being conveyed by the conveying conveyor by the cutting means having the formed cutting tool, A trimming step of cutting while transporting the module substrate;
A method for manufacturing a solar cell module comprising: The method for manufacturing a solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the cutting blade is formed obliquely with respect to the rotation axis. The method of manufacturing a solar cell module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a moving speed of a cutting edge of the cutting blade is faster than a conveying speed of the module substrate. The manufacturing method of the solar cell module of any one of Claims 1-3 further equipped with the process of grind | polishing the end surface of the said module board | substrate which cut | disconnected the said sealing surplus member. The manufacturing method of the solar cell module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sealing excess member of the module substrate is cut while cooling the cutting tool. A transport conveyor for transporting a module substrate in which solar cells arranged on a transparent substrate are sealed with a sealing member;
Of the sealing member of the module substrate being transported by the transport conveyor, a sealing surplus member that is a portion protruding beyond the end surface of the transparent substrate is cut while transporting the module substrate, and the transport conveyor A pair of cutting means arranged so as to sandwich the conveying conveyor in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the conveyor,
A trimming device comprising:
The cutting means is
A rotation mechanism;
A cutting tool that is rotated by the rotating mechanism and has a plurality of cutting blades formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder,
A trimming apparatus comprising: The trimming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the cutting blade is formed obliquely with respect to the rotation axis. The trimming apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the cutting blade includes a recess for discharging the cut surplus sealing member to the outside. The trimming device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, further comprising a dust collector that collects the excess sealing member cut by the cutting means. The trimming device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, further comprising a speed detection device that is disposed in front of the cutting unit with respect to a transport direction of the module substrate and detects a transport speed of the module substrate. . The trimming according to any one of claims 6 to 10, further comprising a positioning guide that is disposed in front of the cutting unit with respect to a conveyance direction of the module substrate and performs positioning of the module substrate with respect to the cutting unit. apparatus. The trimming device according to claim 11, further comprising: a detection device that is disposed in front of the positioning guide with respect to a conveyance direction of the module substrate and detects a model of the module substrate. 7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a polishing unit that is disposed before the cutting unit with respect to a conveyance direction of the module substrate and that polishes an end face of the module substrate that has cut the sealing surplus member by the cutting unit. Item 13. The trimming apparatus according to any one of Items 12 to 12. The trimming device according to any one of claims 6 to 13, further comprising a cooling device that cools the cutting tool.

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