Moldable photovoltaic solar cell module

US10243095B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-10243095-B2
Application numberUS-201816040190-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateJul 19, 2018
Priority dateSep 22, 2011
Publication dateMar 26, 2019
Grant dateMar 26, 2019

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  1. Title

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  2. Abstract

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  3. Assignees and inventors

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  4. Key dates

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  5. First independent claim

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  7. Citations and related patents

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Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

A method is provided for making a molded photovoltaic module. The module includes a flexible polymeric flex-circuit substrate having an electrically conductive printed wiring pattern and solder pads defined on it. Small photovoltaic cells are affixed to the flex-circuit substrate by back-surface contacts in electrical contact with the solder pads. At least one thermoformable polymeric film is joined to the flex-circuit substrate. Each said solder pad comprises a solder composition that, after an initial melt, has a melting point that lies above at least a portion of the temperature range for thermoforming the polymeric film.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

What is claimed is: 1. A method for making a photovoltaic module, comprising: providing a flexible polymeric flex-circuit substrate; joining a thermoformable polymeric film having a thermoforming temperature range to the flex-circuit substrate; printing an electrically conductive printed wiring pattern on the flex-circuit substrate; adding a plurality of solder-paste solder-pad precursors on the flex-circuit substrate in electrical continuity with portions of the printed wiring pattern; adding a plurality of photovoltaic cells to the flex-circuit substrate, each said cell having two back-surface electrical contacts, by affixing each said contact to a respective one of said solder-pad precursors; reflowing the solder paste of the solder-pad precursors at a reflow temperature; wherein the reflow temperature is below the thermoforming temperature range; and wherein the solder paste has a variable-temperature solder composition such that after the reflow, the solder pads have a melting point that lies above at least a portion of the temperature range for thermoforming the polymeric film; wherein the reflow temperature of the solder paste of the solder-pad precursors is at least 30° C. less than the melting point of the solder pads after the reflow. 2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising thermoforming the photovoltaic module into a three-dimensional shape at a thermoforming temperature below the solder-pad melting point. 3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing portions of the flex-circuit substrate so as to define gore panels therein that have outlines adapted to conform to a specified post-forming shape after the photovoltaic module is thermoformed.

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What does patent US10243095B2 cover?
A method is provided for making a molded photovoltaic module. The module includes a flexible polymeric flex-circuit substrate having an electrically conductive printed wiring pattern and solder pads defined on it. Small photovoltaic cells are affixed to the flex-circuit substrate by back-surface contacts in electrical contact with the solder pads. At least one thermoformable polymeric film is j…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Nat Tech & Eng Solutions Sandia Llc
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification H01L31/0516. Mapped technology areas include Electricity.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Mar 26 2019 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 3 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).