Solar cell module manufacturing apparatus and solar cell module manufacturing method

{
  "publication_number": "US9023736B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Solar cell module manufacturing apparatus and solar cell module manufacturing method",
  "abstract": "A solar cell module manufacturing apparatus includes a stage, a holding member, a moving mechanism, and a pushing member. The stage suctions a plurality of elongated solar cells that is arranged to form a solar cell module. The holding member releasably holds a portion of a solar cell to be placed on the stage. The moving mechanism moves the holding member forward and backward with respect to the stage. The moving mechanism moves the holding member backward in a state that an end portion in a front side of the cell held by the holding member that has been moved forward is suctioned on the stage, and then the portion of the cell is released by the holding member. The pushing member moves over the cell such that the pushing member pushes a lift portion of the cell down to the stage while the holding member moves backward.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A solar cell module manufacturing apparatus comprising: a stage configured to suction a plurality of elongated solar cells that is arranged to form a solar cell module such that edge portions in longer sides of each of adjacent pairs of the cells vertically overlap with each other; a holding member configured to releasably hold a portion of a solar cell to be placed on the stage; a moving mechanism configured to move the holding member forward and backward with respect to the stage in a movement direction of the holding member corresponding to a longer direction of the cell, the moving mechanism being further configured to move the holding member backward in a state that an end portion in a front side of the cell held by the holding member that has been moved forward is suctioned on the stage, and then the portion of the cell is released by the holding member; and a pushing member configured to move over the cell such that the pushing member pushes a lift portion of the cell down to the stage while the holding member moves backward.",
    "2. The solar cell module manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding member has a suction part that is configured to suction a back surface of the cell.",
    "3. The solar cell module manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sheet member removable with respect to the stage, the stage having a plurality of suction holes through which the stage is configured to suction a back surface of the cell, the suction holes being arranged in the movement direction of the holding member, and the sheet member being configured to sequentially cover the stage to close the suction holes arranged in the movement direction while the holding member moves forward, the sheet member being further configured to be removed from the suction holes that has been closed while the holding member moves backward.",
    "4. A solar cell module manufacturing method for manufacturing a solar cell module having a plurality of elongated solar cells that is arranged such that edge portions in longer sides of each of adjacent pairs of the cells vertically overlap with each other, the solar cell module manufacturing method comprising: moving a holding member forward to a predetermined position with resect to a stage in a movement direction of the holding member corresponding to a longer direction of the cell while the holding member holds a portion of a solar cell to be placed on a top surface of the stage; and moving the holding member backward from the predetermined position in a state that an end portion in a front side of the cell held by the holding member that has been moved forward to the predetermined position is suctioned on the stage, and then the portion of the cell is released by the holding member, such that the cell is placed and suctioned on the stage from the end portion in the front side of the cell, the moving of the holding member backward further including a pushing member moving over the cell such that the pushing member pushes a lift portion of the cell down to the stage.",
    "5. The solar cell module manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a sheet member removable with respect to the stage, the stage having a plurality of suction holes through which the stage is configured to suction a back surface of the cell, the suction holes being arranged in the movement direction of the holding member, and the sheet member being configured to sequentially cover the stage to close the suction holes arranged in the movement direction while the holding member moves forward, the sheet member being further configured to be removed from the suction holes that has been closed while the holding member moves backward."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Field of the Invention\n\nThe present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a solar cell module in which plural numbers of solar cells are arranged side by side, and a method for manufacturing thereof.\n\n2. Background Information\n\nAs a solar cell module, a slatted structure that plural numbers of elongated solar cells are arranged and connected side by side is well known (see PCT International Publication No. WO2010/023264 (Patent Document 1), for example), and for example, the solar cell module is manufactured as follows.\n\nAfter various types of film-forming are performed for a photoelectric conversion on a band-shaped metal material, the elongated solar cells are obtained by cutting it in a predetermined length. And, the plural numbers of the cells are arranged on a stage by overlapping edge portions in the longer side of the cells, which are adjacent to each other, and the overlapped edge portions are bonded so as to become a single solar cell module. The solar cell module manufactured in the above described way provides the state that the plural numbers of the cells are electrically connected in series so that a voltage can be generated for a practical use.\n\nAs an apparatus that the edge portions in a longer side of the plural numbers of cells are overlapped and arranged on the stage, as shown in FIG. 7, a suction head 84 to suction a top surface of a cell 81 is provided, and the suction head 84 can move in an array direction of cells 81 on a stage 83 (horizontal direction in FIG. 7).",
  "cpc": [
    "H10F 71/00",
    "B65G 47/261",
    "H01L 31/0488",
    "H01L 31/0504",
    "H01L 31/18",
    "H01L 31/188",
    "H10F 19/807",
    "H10F 19/902",
    "H10F 71/1375",
    "Y02E 10/50"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B65G 47/26",
    "H01L 21/31",
    "H01L 31/048",
    "H01L 31/05",
    "H01L 31/18"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Toray Engineering Co Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Takashi Iwade",
    "Toyoharu Terada",
    "Kazunori Nakakita"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2012-02-13",
  "publication_date": "2015-05-05",
  "grant_date": "2015-05-05",
  "priority_date": "2011-03-18",
  "application_number": "US-201214004779-A",
  "family_id": "46879097",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "JPS60143676A",
    "JPH0529640A",
    "JP2009010355A",
    "JP2009130193A",
    "WO2010023264A2"
  ]
}