JP2018077242A - Solar panel and electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic device that allows a light reception unit of the solar panels to be broadly ensured without reducing power generation capacity of the solar panels.SOLUTION: A timepiece comprises a solar panel that has a solar cell including: a first light reception area 501; a second light reception area 502; and a connected area 503 having narrower width than those of the first light reception area 501 and the second light reception area 502 and connecting the first light reception area 501 and the second light reception area 502. In the connected area 503, a conductive reinforcement member R consisting of conductive material is provided, and the conductive reinforcement member R is electrically connected to a transparent electrode 56 of the first light reception area 501 and the transparent electrode 56 of the second light reception area 502.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device, and more particularly to an electronic device that receives light and generates electric power.

  Conventionally, a watch provided with a solar panel, a so-called solar watch, is widely known as an electronic device that receives light and generates power (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Electronic devices such as solar timepieces can be used for a long time without battery replacement by generating power with a solar panel and charging a secondary battery.

JP 2010-96707 A

By the way, the power generation capability of the solar panel depends on the light receiving area, and the amount of power generation can be increased by ensuring a wide light receiving portion (light receiving surface) on the solar panel.
However, if an attempt is made to provide the light receiving part to every corner on the solar panel, a light receiving part having a narrow width is formed due to various restrictions on the shape. In such a narrow light-receiving part, the electrical resistance value of the internal electrode layer is higher than that of a wider light-receiving part, so that the electrical resistance value of the electrode layer locally increases for the entire light-receiving part. As a result, the power generation capacity is reduced. Such a decrease in power generation capability is particularly noticeable under high illuminance conditions in which a larger current flows.

  The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances as described above, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic device capable of ensuring a wide light receiving portion without reducing the power generation capacity of a solar panel. is there.

In order to solve the above-described problems, an electronic device according to the present invention includes:
A solar panel having a solar cell including a plurality of light receiving regions, and a connection region that connects the plurality of light receiving regions while having a width narrower than the plurality of light receiving regions,
The connection region is provided with a conductive reinforcing material made of a conductive material, and is electrically connected to the plurality of light receiving regions.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to ensure a wide light receiving portion without reducing the power generation capacity of the solar panel.

It is a disassembled perspective view of the timepiece in the first embodiment. It is a top view of the solar panel in a 1st embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the solar panel which follows the III-III line in FIG. It is sectional drawing of the solar panel which follows the IV-IV line in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the solar panel shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the solar panel shown in FIG. It is a top view of the solar panel in 2nd Embodiment.

[First Embodiment]
A first embodiment of an electronic apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.
The embodiments described below are given various technically preferable limitations for carrying out the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.

In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which the electronic device is an analog timepiece that displays the time and the like by moving the hands.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a timepiece according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the timepiece 100 according to this embodiment includes a dial 1, a module 3 including a circularly polarized antenna 4, and a solar panel 5.
In addition, the timepiece 100 includes a secondary battery (not shown) that is charged with power generated by the solar panel 5 and constitutes a power supply unit of the timepiece 100.
The dial 1, the module 3, the circularly polarized antenna 4, the solar panel 5, and the secondary battery are accommodated in a case (not shown).

In the present embodiment, the dial plate 1 is an analog dial plate that is arranged on the viewing side of the timepiece 100 and displays the time by the hands 2 such as the hour hand and the minute hand.
A through-hole 11 through which a pointer shaft 31 to which the pointer 2 is attached is inserted is formed at a substantially central portion of the dial 1.
The timepiece 100 of this embodiment includes a circularly polarized antenna 4 that receives GPS radio waves, which are microwaves, as will be described later. For this reason, the dial 1 is preferably formed of a non-metallic material that transmits microwaves, and is formed of, for example, resin or glass.
The timepiece 100 also includes a solar panel 5 that receives light and generates power. For this reason, the dial 1 is formed of a transparent or translucent light-transmitting material.
Note that the dial 1 is formed by depositing a metal film having a thickness that does not attenuate the microwave and does not hinder the transmission of light on the surface of a substrate formed of, for example, a transparent or translucent resin or glass. It may have been subjected to various printing.

The module 3 is disposed below the dial 1 (that is, on the back surface side of the timepiece 100) and connected to a timepiece movement including a wheel train mechanism and a motor for moving the hands 2, for example, to the circularly polarized antenna 4. The communication module, a circuit board (not shown) on which various electronic components such as a control circuit for performing time display by the hands 2 are mounted (not shown) are housed in a housing (not shown) formed of resin or the like. It is a thing.
The control circuit provided in the timepiece 100 of this embodiment has a function of correcting the time in the timepiece 100 to an accurate time using time information included in the GPS radio wave.

In the present embodiment, a pointer shaft 31 that protrudes upward from the movement side is provided at a substantially central portion of the module 3.
The pointer shaft 31 has a plurality of rotating shafts for hour hand, minute hand, second hand, and the like arranged on the same shaft. The through hole 51 of the solar panel 5 and the through hole 11 of the dial 1 described later. , And a corresponding pointer 2 (for example, hour hand, minute hand, second hand) is connected to each rotating shaft.
When the pointer shaft 31 is rotated by the movement of the movement, the various pointers 2 attached to the rotary shafts of the pointer shaft 31 are individually rotated on the upper surface of the dial 1 around the axis of the pointer shaft 31. .

Further, an antenna fitting portion 32 into which the circularly polarized antenna 4 is fitted is formed at one end portion along the outer periphery of the module 3.
The antenna fitting portion 32 is a cutout portion or a recess portion having a shape along the outer shape of the circularly polarized antenna 4.
In the state where the circularly polarized antenna 4 is fitted in the antenna fitting portion 32, it is preferable that the upper surface of the module 3 and the upper surface of the circularly polarized antenna 4 are substantially flush with each other.

The circularly polarized antenna 4 is capable of receiving GPS radio waves (that is, radio waves including time information transmitted from GPS satellites) that are circularly polarized microwaves. For example, a patch antenna is preferably used.
GPS radio waves include time information from high-precision atomic clocks mounted on each GPS satellite, an ephemeris (ie, orbit information) with approximate accuracy of all satellites updated about every 6 days, and about every 90 minutes. Data including the ephemeris of the satellite itself to be updated is included, and each GPS satellite transmits these information by radio waves (microwaves) having a frequency of L1 (1575.42 MHz) or L2 (1222.70 MHz). Sending to the ground.
The timepiece 100 receives GPS radio waves from at least one of a plurality of GPS satellites by the circularly polarized antenna 4, and uses the time information included therein to accurately set the time in the timepiece 100. Can be corrected.
The GPS radio wave also includes orbit information indicating the position of each GPS satellite in the orbit as described above. Therefore, the watch 100 can receive GPS radio waves transmitted from a plurality of GPS satellites by the circularly polarized antenna 4 and perform positioning calculation using time information and orbit information included therein. is there.

As shown in FIG. 1, the circularly polarized antenna 4 of the present embodiment includes a base 41 and a radiation electrode 42 (radiation element) disposed on the base 41 and formed in a rectangular shape in plan view. Yes. The shape of the circularly polarized antenna 4 is not limited to the illustrated example.
The base 41 is made of a dielectric material such as ceramic.
The radiation electrode 42 is made of, for example, a silver foil, a metal plate, or a metal film having a predetermined thickness.
The size of the radiation electrode 42 (the length of each side, etc.) is optimized based on the frequency of the radio wave to be received by the circularly polarized antenna 4. In this embodiment, the frequency band of the GPS radio wave is used. Is adjusted to show the highest antenna characteristics.
A feeding point 43 for feeding power to the radiation electrode 42 is provided at a position having circular polarization characteristics in the circularly polarized antenna 4, that is, a position where impedance matching can be achieved.
The method for supplying power to the radiation electrode 42 is not particularly limited.
In addition, a through-hole (not shown) through which a feed member (not shown) that feeds the radiation electrode 42 (for example, a feed pin or a coaxial cable) is inserted at a position corresponding to the feed point 43 is penetrated in the thickness direction of the circularly polarized antenna 4. May be formed.

As described above, the circularly polarized antenna 4 of the present embodiment is fitted to the antenna fitting portion 32 provided in the module 3.
In the state of being fitted to the antenna fitting portion 32, the circularly polarized antenna 4 is disposed at a position avoiding the pointer shaft 31 (see FIG. 2). Note that the position where the circularly polarized antenna 4 is provided and the direction in which the circularly polarized antenna 4 is arranged are not limited to the illustrated example.

In the circularly polarized antenna 4, the radiation pattern spreads from the end portion (peripheral portion) of the radiation electrode 42.
In the present embodiment, the radiation electrode 42 is formed in a substantially square shape, and the radiation pattern spreading from each side (peripheral portion) greatly affects the antenna characteristics (the radio wave reception performance of the antenna) of the circularly polarized antenna 4.
For this reason, in order to improve the antenna characteristics of the circularly polarized antenna 4, it is important not to inhibit the spread of the radiation pattern from each side of the radiation electrode 42.

The solar panel 5 receives light and generates electric power, and the electric power generated by the solar panel 5 is charged in the secondary battery.
The solar panel 5 of the present embodiment is disposed between the dial 1 and the module 3 and has an area corresponding to the area in the surface direction of the dial 1.
The dial plate 1 of the present embodiment is formed of a light transmissive material as described above, and the solar panel 5 receives light by making the area of the solar panel 5 correspond to the area of the dial plate 1 in the surface direction. The area can be secured as wide as possible.
In addition, the shape etc. of the solar panel 5 are not specifically limited. The solar panel 5 has an area substantially corresponding to the area in the surface direction of the dial 1 and may be any one that substantially overlaps the dial 1, and the area and shape thereof coincide with the area and shape of the dial 1. It does not have to be.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the solar panel 5 in the present embodiment, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views of the solar panel 5 taken along lines III-III and IV-IV in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a through-hole 51 through which the pointer shaft 31 is inserted is provided in a substantially central portion of the solar panel 5.
In the present embodiment, the solar panel 5 includes a plurality of solar cells 50 (in this embodiment, seven solar cells 50a to 50g) that are light receiving units. The plurality of solar cells 50 includes a solar cell 50 (in this embodiment, solar cells 50c and 50e) having a light receiving surface (surface capable of receiving and generating power) disposed above the radiation electrode 42 of the circularly polarized antenna 4. ) Is included.
The solar cells 50c and 50e include a first light receiving region 501 disposed above the radiation electrode 42 of the circularly polarized antenna 4, a second light receiving region 502 disposed at a position away from the upper side of the radiation electrode 42, and Each of the first light receiving area 501 and the second light receiving area 502 is connected to a connection area 503.
In the following description, among the first light receiving area 501, the second light receiving area 502, and the connection area 503 on the solar panel 5, the solar cell 50c is given the suffix “c”, and the solar cell The reference numeral “e” is attached to the reference numeral of 50e to identify each.

As described above, since the radiation pattern of the circularly polarized antenna 4 spreads from the end portion (peripheral portion) of the radiation electrode 42, when the end portion of the radiation electrode 42 is covered with a member that inhibits transmission of radio waves, The antenna characteristics (radio wave reception performance) of the circularly polarized antenna 4 deteriorate.
Therefore, in this embodiment, for the solar cell 50 having the light receiving surface disposed above the radiation electrode 42, the light receiving surface overlaps the radiation electrode 42 so as not to cover the end of the radiation electrode 42, or It is assumed that the first light receiving region 501 formed smaller than this is provided. Then, the first light receiving region 501 and the second light receiving region 502 arranged at a position deviated from above the radiation electrode 42 are connected as a continuous light receiving unit by a connection region 503 straddling the end of the radiation electrode 42. By doing so, the first light receiving region 501 effectively functions as a light receiving portion.
Here, the connection region 503 is a position that avoids the midpoint portion of each side of the radiation electrode 42 (for example, a corner portion of the radiation electrode 42), and is located as far as possible from the feeding point 43 of the circularly polarized antenna 4. Is provided. Further, the connection region 503 is a narrowed portion having a width W narrower than that of the first light receiving region 501 and the second light receiving region 502. The width W of the connection region 503 affects the power generation capacity of the solar panel 5 as will be described later. The light transmittance of the dial 1 and the total area of the solar cell 50 having the connection region 503 are as follows. It is below a predetermined value based on it. This “predetermined value” means that when the conductive reinforcing material R, which will be described later, is not provided in the connection region 503, the amount of current flowing in the connection region 503 is limited during power generation of the solar panel 5. Width. Thus, by making the connection area | region 503 into a constriction part, the spread of the radiation pattern from the edge part of the radiation electrode 42 can be stopped to the minimum.
The connecting region 503 only needs to be a constricted portion across the end of the radiation electrode 42. That is, if the connecting region 503 includes a constricted portion straddling the end of the radiation electrode 42, the shape is There is no particular limitation.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the solar panel 5 is a laminate in which a metal electrode 54 is formed on a resin substrate 53, and a semiconductor layer 55, a transparent electrode 56, and a protective layer (protective film) 58 are further laminated thereon. It has a structure. An insulating layer 59 is disposed on the side surface of the laminated structure.

The resin substrate 53 is a flexible film-like substrate. Although the material which forms the resin substrate 53 is not specifically limited, For example, it forms with a plastics etc.
The metal electrode 54 is formed including a metal material such as stainless steel or aluminum conductor. The material for forming the metal electrode 54 is not limited to this.
The semiconductor layer 55 is made of, for example, amorphous silicon (a-Si: H). As the semiconductor layer 55, for example, a pn junction type semiconductor in which a p-type semiconductor and an n-type semiconductor are joined is used.
The metal electrode 54 and the semiconductor layer 55 are laminated and formed on the resin substrate 53 by a technique such as vapor deposition, for example. The method of providing the metal electrode 54 and the semiconductor layer 55 on the resin substrate 53 is not limited to this.
The transparent electrode 56 is formed by crystallizing zinc oxide, indium oxide, tin oxide or the like on a substrate such as glass. In addition, the material and formation method which form the transparent electrode 56 are not limited to this.

In the present embodiment, in the solar panel 5, the metal electrode 54 around the first light receiving regions 501 c and 501 e (portions excluding the connecting regions 503 c and 503 e) disposed above the radiation electrode 42, the semiconductor layer 55, and A process for removing the transparent electrode 56 is performed, and an electrode removal portion 57 is formed around the first light receiving regions 501c and 501e.
The method for removing the metal electrode 54, the semiconductor layer 55, and the transparent electrode 56 is not particularly limited, and for example, a laser processing or the like is used.
The electrode removal portion 57 of the present embodiment is located along the outer shape of the radiation electrode 42 and at positions corresponding to the end portions of the radiation electrode 42 (that is, each side that defines the outer shape of the radiation electrode 42) from the end portions. Is also provided with a width of about 1 mm on the inside and about 2 mm on the outside of the end.
Note that the width, shape, and the like of the electrode removal portion 57 are not limited to those exemplified here, and are set as appropriate.
From the viewpoint of maintaining the antenna characteristics of the circularly polarized antenna 4, it is preferable that the electrode removal unit 57 be provided in the entire range that affects the spread of the radiation pattern from the end of the radiation electrode 42. If it is formed too wide, the light receiving area of the solar panel 5 is reduced and power generation efficiency is impaired. For this reason, it is preferable that the electrode removal part 57 is provided in the minimum width in the range which does not impair the antenna characteristic of the circularly polarized antenna 4.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, in the solar panel 5, the connection region 503 that connects the first light receiving region 501 and the second light receiving region 502 is made of a conductive material having high electrical conductivity. The conductive reinforcing material R is provided, and is electrically connected to the transparent electrode 56 of the first light receiving region 501 and the transparent electrode 56 of the second light receiving region 502. The conductive reinforcing material R is for reinforcing the electrical conductivity of the transparent electrode 56, and is laminated on the transparent electrode 56 in the connection region 503.
As described above, the connection region 503 is a narrowed portion narrower than the first light receiving region 501 and the second light receiving region 502, and thus has the same structure as the first light receiving region 501 and the second light receiving region 502. Then, the electrical resistance value of the transparent electrode 56 becomes higher than those of the first light receiving region 501 and the second light receiving region 502. And when there exists a part with a large electrical resistance value locally in this way, the power generation capability of the solar panel 5 will fall.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, by providing the conductive reinforcing material R on the transparent electrode 56 in the connection region 503, the electrical resistance value of the transparent electrode 56 in the connection region 503 is reduced, and the amount of energization in the connection region 503 is reduced. By making it not restricted, a decrease in the power generation capability of the solar panel 5 is suppressed. Unlike the transparent electrode 56, the metal electrode 54 is formed of a material having a high electrical conductivity such as an aluminum conductor, so that the necessity for supplementing the electrical conductivity is not so high.
The conductive reinforcing material R is not particularly limited as long as it is a conductive material (for example, silver) having high electrical conductivity, but it is transparent (has light transmittance) like the transparent electrode 56. More preferred. However, even if the conductive reinforcing material R is opaque, only a small amount of power is lost in the connection region 503 having a small light receiving area, so that there is no problem.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the seven solar cells 50a to 50g are formed in substantially equal areas so that their output currents are substantially equal.
The solar cells 50a to 50g are connected in series and function as one solar panel.
Specifically, the solar cell 50a is electrically connected to the adjacent solar cell 50b at the connection portion 52a, and the solar cell 50b is electrically connected to the adjacent solar cell 50c at the connection portion 52b. Similarly, the solar cells 50c to 50f are electrically connected to the adjacent solar cells 50d to 50g at the connection portions 52c to 52f.
For example, the connection part 52g on the solar cell 50a side and the connection part 52g on the solar cell 50g side are independent, and connectors (connection members) (not shown) are connected to the connection parts 52g and 52g, respectively. And this solar panel 5 is electrically connected with a circuit board by each connecting this connector to + electrode and-electrode on a circuit board which is not illustrated. Moreover, the connection part connected with a circuit board is not limited to the connection parts 52g and 52g, and any connection part should just have such a structure.
The positions and shapes of the connection parts 52a to 52g are not limited to the illustrated examples.

In the present embodiment, a date wheel (not shown) is arranged in the module 3, and the dial 1 is provided with a date display window 12 for displaying the date.
The solar panel 5 has a date display opening 511 at a position corresponding to the date display window 12 of the dial 1.
In this embodiment, the date display opening 511 is provided in the electrode removal portion 57 of the solar panel 5 that cannot be used for power generation.
Thus, the date display opening 511 can be provided without affecting the amount of power generation in the solar panel 5.

Next, the operation of the timepiece 100 in this embodiment will be described.
When assembling the timepiece 100 in the present embodiment, first, the solar panel 5 divided into a plurality of solar cells 50 is formed. Then, in the solar panel 5, the metal electrode 54, the semiconductor layer 55, and the transparent electrode 56 around the first light receiving regions 501c and 501e disposed above the radiation electrode 42 (portions excluding the connection regions 503c and 503e) are removed. Thus, the electrode removal portion 57 is formed. Further, the conductive reinforcing material R is laminated on the transparent electrode 56 in the connection region 503.
And while connecting the light-receiving surface of each solar cell 50a-50g in series in each connection part 52a-52g, any connection part 52a-52g (For example, the connection part 52g provided in the solar cell 50a side, and the solar cell 50g side) A connector (connection member) (not shown) is connected to each of the connection portions 52g) provided on the circuit board, and this connector is connected to a + electrode and a-electrode on a circuit board (not shown). As a result, the solar panel 5 is electrically connected to the circuit board, and the power generated in the solar panel 5 can be charged into the secondary battery.

The circularly polarized antenna 4 is fitted into the antenna fitting portion 32 of the module 3, and the solar panel 5 is mounted on the module 3 by aligning the positions so that the first light receiving regions 501 c and 501 e are arranged above the circularly polarized antenna 4. Place on top. And the dial 1 is laminated | stacked on the solar panel 5, and it accommodates in a case.
Furthermore, after attaching the pointer 2 to the pointer shaft 31 that penetrates the solar panel 5 and the dial 1 from the module 3 side and protrudes from the upper surface of the dial 1, the upper surface of the case (viewing side) A windshield member (not shown) formed of transparent glass or the like is mounted on the top. Thereby, the assembly of the timepiece 100 is completed.

In the timepiece 100 of this embodiment, when light that has passed through the windshield member and the dial 1 from the viewing side enters the solar panel 5 including the solar cells 50 a to 50 g, the light passes through the transparent electrode 56 and enters the semiconductor layer 55. To do. When light enters the semiconductor layer 55, electrons and holes are generated near the junction between the p-type semiconductor and the n-type semiconductor. The generated electrons and holes move toward the n-type semiconductor and the p-type semiconductor, respectively, and an electromotive force (photoelectromotive force) is generated. As a result, a current flows through a circuit connected to the transparent electrode 56 and the metal electrode 54. At this time, although the connection region 503 of the solar panel 5 is a narrow constriction portion, the conductive reinforcing material R is provided on the transparent electrode 56 inside the connection region 503. Is kept low, and the amount of energization is not excessively limited in the connection region 503. Thus, the electric power generated by the solar panel 5 is charged in the secondary battery.
In the timepiece 100, GPS radio waves transmitted through the windshield member and the dial 1 are incident on the circularly polarized antenna 4.
As described above, the end portion of the radiation electrode 42 in the circularly polarized antenna 4 is hardly covered by the conductive member (the metal electrode 54, the semiconductor layer 55, the transparent electrode 56, etc. of the solar cell 50). The spread of the radiation pattern is not hindered and the circularly polarized antenna 4 can receive GPS radio waves satisfactorily.
The GPS radio wave received by the circularly polarized antenna 4 is sent to a control circuit (not shown) in the module 3, and the control circuit uses the time information included in the GPS radio wave to accurately set the time in the timepiece 100. To correct.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the solar panel 5, the first light receiving region 501 and the second light receiving region 502 are connected and the width is narrower than the first light receiving region 501 and the second light receiving region 502. The connection region 503 having W is provided with a conductive reinforcing material R made of a conductive material, and is electrically connected to the transparent electrode 56 of the first light receiving region 501 and the transparent electrode 56 of the second light receiving region 502. ing.
Therefore, the solar cell 50 that connects the first light receiving region 501 and the second light receiving region 502 through the connection region 503 while keeping the electric resistance value of the electrode (transparent electrode 56) inside the connection region 503 low. Can function effectively. Therefore, the light receiving part can be secured widely without reducing the power generation capacity of the solar panel 5.
In the present embodiment, the conductive reinforcing material R is laminated on the transparent electrode 56 in the connection region 503.
That is, with a simple configuration in which the conductive reinforcing material R is simply laminated on the transparent electrode 56 in the connection region 503, a wide light receiving portion can be secured without reducing the power generation capability of the solar panel 5.

Further, in the present embodiment, in the solar panel 5, the first light receiving region 501 disposed above the radiation electrode 42 of the circularly polarized antenna 4, and the second disposed at a position away from above the radiation electrode 42. The light receiving region 502 is connected by a connecting region 503 extending over the end of the radiation electrode 42.
As a result, the end of the radiation electrode 42 of the circularly polarized antenna 4 is only slightly covered by the connection region 503, so that the antenna characteristics of the circularly polarized antenna 4 are hardly deteriorated and time information and the like can be obtained. It is possible to satisfactorily receive GPS radio waves including it.

In the present embodiment, the conductive reinforcing material R is laminated on the transparent electrode 56 in the connection region 503, but the arrangement method of the conductive reinforcing material R is not limited to this.
For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a conductive reinforcing material R may be provided in the connection region 503 instead of the transparent electrode 56. In this case, the conductive reinforcing material R is of course made of a conductive material having a higher electrical conductivity than the transparent electrode 56.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, in the connection region 503, conductive reinforcing materials R are provided in place of the metal electrode 54 and the transparent electrode 56, respectively, and the metal electrode 54 or the transparent electrode 56 in the first light receiving region 501 and the second electrode. It may be electrically connected to the metal electrode 54 or the transparent electrode 56 in the light receiving region 502. In this case, it is needless to say that the conductive reinforcing material R is made of a conductive material having a higher electrical conductivity than the metal electrode 54 or the transparent electrode 56 connected thereto. Further, the conductive reinforcing material R replaced with the metal electrode 54 and the conductive reinforcing material R replaced with the transparent electrode 56 may be made of different conductive materials. For the semiconductor layer 55, an insulating layer made of another insulating material is used if light reception / power generation in the connection region 503 is not required because, for example, the conductive reinforcing material R does not have optical transparency. It may be replaced with S or may be left as it is.
With this configuration, the electrical resistance value of the metal electrode 54 can be kept low in addition to the transparent electrode 56 in the connection region 503. As described above, the metal electrode 54 is originally made of a material having a high electrical conductivity. Therefore, although the necessity for supplementing the electrical conductivity is not so high, by keeping the electrical resistance value low. For example, a case where the connection region 503 is formed to have a very narrow width W can be dealt with without any problem.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the electronic apparatus according to the invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, since this embodiment mainly differs in the structure of a solar panel from 1st Embodiment, below, especially a different point from 1st Embodiment is demonstrated and it is the same as 1st Embodiment. The same reference numerals are given to the components having the structure, and the description thereof is omitted.

In the present embodiment, a case where the electronic device is a watch with a liquid crystal screen will be described.
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the solar panel in the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 7, the solar panel 6 of this embodiment has a plurality of liquid crystal screen windows 61 (in this embodiment, liquid crystal screen windows 611 to 613) for exposing a liquid crystal screen provided in the module. ing.

Moreover, the solar panel 6 of this embodiment has a plurality of solar cells 60 (in this embodiment, six solar cells 60a to 60f). The plurality of solar cells 60 include a solar cell 60 (in this embodiment, solar cells 60a, 60c, 60d, and 60f) divided into two light receiving regions by the liquid crystal screen window 61 and the peripheral portion of the solar panel 5. It is out.
Specifically, the solar cells 60a, 60c, 60d, and 60f each have two light receiving regions 601 and a connecting region 603 that connects the two light receiving regions 601. Among these, the connection region 603 includes a narrowed portion between the liquid crystal screen window 61 and the peripheral portion of the solar panel 5, and has a narrower width than either of the two light receiving regions 601.

The solar panel 6 of the present embodiment has a laminated structure similar to that of the solar panel 5 in the first embodiment, although illustration is omitted. Each solar cell 60 includes a metal electrode, a semiconductor layer, and a transparent electrode. It is configured with.
Moreover, in this embodiment, the connection area | region 603 which connects the two light reception area | regions 601 among the solar panels 6 is made of a conductive material having a high electrical conductivity, like the connection area 503 in the first embodiment. A conductive reinforcing material is provided and is electrically connected to the two light receiving regions 601. Thereby, the electrical resistance value of the transparent electrode in the connection area | region 603 is reduced, and the fall of the power generation capability of the solar panel 6 is suppressed.

  Since other points are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.
That is, in the solar panel 6, the two light receiving regions 601 are connected and the connection region 603 having a narrower width than the two light receiving regions 601 is provided with the conductive reinforcing material R made of a conductive material. Since it is electrically connected to the light receiving region 601, the solar light that connects the two light receiving regions 601 through the connection region 603 while keeping the electric resistance value of the electrode (transparent electrode) inside the connection region 603 low. The cell 60 can function effectively. Therefore, the light receiving part can be secured widely without reducing the power generation capacity of the solar panel 5.
Further, in the present embodiment, the liquid crystal screen window 61 can be formed large while obtaining these effects, and as a result, a timepiece having excellent functionality and visibility can be realized.

  Needless to say, the embodiments to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to the first and second embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  For example, the method of dividing the solar panel (the number of divisions, the shape of each divided solar cell, etc.) is not limited to that exemplified in the above embodiments.

  Further, in each of the above embodiments, in the solar panel, the connection region of the light receiving portion formed when the end portion of the radiation electrode 42 of the circularly polarized antenna 4 is not covered or the liquid crystal screen window 61 is provided. Although (stenosis part) was illustrated, the connection area | region (stenosis part) of the light-receiving part which can apply this invention is not limited to these. The present invention can be widely applied if, for example, a sun window is provided and the solar panel has a connection region (constriction portion) of the light receiving portion.

Moreover, although each said embodiment illustrated the case where the electronic device which concerns on this invention was a timepiece, the said electronic device is not limited to this.
The electronic device according to the present invention only needs to generate electricity with a solar panel and operate using the generated power as a drive source. For example, a biological information display device such as a pedometer, a heart rate monitor or a pulse meter, a moving distance, etc. Or a display device that displays various information such as moving pace information, altitude information, and atmospheric pressure information.

As mentioned above, although several embodiment of this invention was described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, The range of the invention described in the claim, and its equivalent range Including.
The invention described in the scope of claims attached to the application of this application will be added below. The item numbers of the claims described in the appendix are as set forth in the claims attached to the application of this application.
[Appendix]
<Claim 1>
A solar panel having a solar cell including a plurality of light receiving regions, and a connection region that connects the plurality of light receiving regions while having a width narrower than the plurality of light receiving regions,
An electronic apparatus, wherein a conductive reinforcing material made of a conductive material is provided in the connection region and is electrically connected to the plurality of light receiving regions.
<Claim 2>
The dial is disposed on the solar panel and has a light transmitting property.
2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the connection region includes a narrow portion having a predetermined width or less based on a light transmittance of the dial and a total area of a light receiving surface of the solar cell.
<Claim 3>
The solar cell is configured by laminating a metal electrode, a semiconductor layer, and a transparent electrode in this order,
3. The connection region according to claim 1, wherein the conductive reinforcing material is stacked on the transparent electrode and is electrically connected to the transparent electrodes of the plurality of light receiving regions. Electronics.
<Claim 4>
The solar cell is configured by laminating a metal electrode, a semiconductor layer, and a transparent electrode in this order,
The connection region is provided with the conductive reinforcing material instead of the metal electrode and the transparent electrode, and is electrically connected to the metal electrode or the transparent electrode of the plurality of light receiving regions, respectively. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2.
<Claim 5>
The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein an insulating layer is provided in the connection region instead of the semiconductor layer.
<Claim 6>
A module including a circularly polarized antenna disposed under the solar panel and having a radiation electrode;
The plurality of light receiving regions include those disposed above the radiation electrode of the circularly polarized antenna and those disposed at positions deviated from above the radiation electrode,
The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the connection region is provided over an end portion of the radiation electrode of the circularly polarized antenna.

1 Dial 4 Circularly Polarized Antennas 5, 6 Solar Panels 50, 60 Solar Cell 54 Metal Electrode 55 Semiconductor Layer 56 Transparent Electrode 100 Clock 501 First Light Receiving Area 502 Second Light Receiving Area 503 Connection Area R Conductive Reinforcement Material S Insulating Layer W width (width of connected area)

The present invention relating solar panel, and electronic equipment.

In order to solve the above problems, the solar panel according to the present invention is:
A plurality of light receiving areas;
And a connecting area for connecting at least two light receiving areas of the plurality of light receiving regions,
With
To the connecting area, a conductive stiffener made of a conductive material is arranged, characterized in Rukoto.

Claims (6)

A solar panel having a solar cell including a plurality of light receiving regions, and a connection region that connects the plurality of light receiving regions while having a width narrower than the plurality of light receiving regions,
An electronic apparatus, wherein a conductive reinforcing material made of a conductive material is provided in the connection region and is electrically connected to the plurality of light receiving regions. The dial is disposed on the solar panel and has a light transmitting property.
2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the connection region includes a narrow portion having a predetermined width or less based on a light transmittance of the dial and a total area of a light receiving surface of the solar cell. The solar cell is configured by laminating a metal electrode, a semiconductor layer, and a transparent electrode in this order,
3. The connection region according to claim 1, wherein the conductive reinforcing material is stacked on the transparent electrode and is electrically connected to the transparent electrodes of the plurality of light receiving regions. Electronics. The solar cell is configured by laminating a metal electrode, a semiconductor layer, and a transparent electrode in this order,
The connection region is provided with the conductive reinforcing material instead of the metal electrode and the transparent electrode, and is electrically connected to the metal electrode or the transparent electrode of the plurality of light receiving regions, respectively. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2.   The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein an insulating layer is provided in the connection region instead of the semiconductor layer. A module including a circularly polarized antenna disposed under the solar panel and having a radiation electrode;
The plurality of light receiving regions include those disposed above the radiation electrode of the circularly polarized antenna and those disposed at positions deviated from above the radiation electrode,
The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the connection region is provided over an end portion of the radiation electrode of the circularly polarized antenna.

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