Interconnector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9564546-B2
Application number	US-99451509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2009
Priority date	Jul 16, 2008
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

An interconnector for electrically connecting a first electronic device element and a second electronic device element includes first and second connection portions which are respectively connected to electrodes of the first and second electronic device elements. A plurality of strip-like intermediate portions are each connected to both the first connection portion and the second connection portion to electrically connect the first connection portion and the second connection portion. The intermediate portions are mutually separated from one another in the width direction and mutually extending in parallel directions. Each intermediate portion has a first curved portion which is curved to be concave at one side of the respective intermediate portion in the width direction, and a second curved portion which is curved to be concave at another side of the respective intermediate portion in the width direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An interconnector electrically connecting a first planar electronic device element and a parallel arranged second planar electronic device element which is separated from the first planar electronic device element in a direction of separation that is parallel to the planes of the first and second electronic device elements, wherein a width direction is perpendicular to the direction of separation, the interconnector comprising:
a first connection portion which is structurally connected directly to an electrode of the first electronic device element;
a second connection portion which is structurally connected directly to an electrode of the second electronic device element; and
a first plurality of strip-like intermediate portions which are each structurally connected directly to both the first connection portion and the second connection portion and which each extends from the first connection portion to the second connection portion to electrically connect the first connection portion and the second connection portion, the intermediate portions of all of the first plurality of strip-like intermediate portions being mutually separated from one another in the width direction and mutually extending in parallel directions;
a second plurality of strip-like intermediate portions which are each structurally connected directly to both the first connection portion and the second connection portion and extend between the first connection portion and the second connection portion to electrically connect the first connection portion and the second connection portion, the second plurality of strip-like intermediate portions being mutually separated in the width direction and mutually extending in substantially parallel directions, wherein the second plurality of strip-like intermediate portions form a mirror image of the first plurality of strip-like intermediate portions with respect to a center line of the interconnector in the width direction,
wherein, in each of the first plurality of strip-like intermediate portions and second plurality of strip-like intermediate portions, each intermediate portion has a plurality of first curved portions which are curved to be concave at one side of the respective intermediate portion in the width direction, and a plurality of second curved portions which are curved to be concave at another side of the respective intermediate portion in the width direction, wherein two of the second curved portions of each intermediate portion are arranged along the length of the respective strip-like intermediate portion and are provided between two of the first curved portions along the length of the respective strip-like intermediate portion, with no first curved portion being provided between the two of the second curved portions along the length of the respective strip-like intermediate portion, and wherein only end portions of the interconnector are structurally fixed to either of the first electronic device element or the second electronic device element through the first interconnection portion or the second interconnection portion,
wherein, in any two adjacent intermediate portions of the first plurality of intermediate portions, a first curved portion of one intermediate portion and a first curved portion of another intermediate portion are adjacent to each other and a second curved portion of one intermediate portion and a second curved portion of the another intermediate portion are adjacent to each other,
wherein any two adjacent first curved portions are shaped into arcs that have the same center of curvature, and a difference in radius of curvature between any two adjacent first curved portions is constant,
wherein any two adjacent second curved portions are shaped into arcs that have the same center of curvature, and a difference in radius of curvature between any two adjacent second curved portions is constant, and
wherein the intermediate portions each have a straight line portion between one first curved portion and a second curved portion, which straight line portions run in the width direction, and the length of the straight line portions in all of the intermediate portions is equal.

2. An interconnector according to claim 1 , wherein an angle formed between a straight line that connects a start point and a center of curvature and a straight line that connects an end point and the center of curvature is equal in the first curved portion and the second curved portion of each intermediate portion of the first plurality of intermediate portions.

3. An interconnector electrically connecting a first planar electronic device element and a parallel arranged second planar electronic device element which is separated from the first planar electronic device element in a direction of separation that is parallel to the planes of the first and second electronic device elements, wherein a width direction is perpendicular to the direction of separation, the interconnector comprising:
a first connection portion which is structurally connected directly to an electrode of the first electronic device element;
a second connection portion which is structurally connected directly to an electrode of the second electronic device element; and
a first plurality of strip-like intermediate portions which are each structurally connected directly to both the first connection portion and the second connection portion and which each extends from the first connection portion to the second connection portion to electrically connect the first connection portion and the second connection portion, the intermediate portions of all of the first plurality of strip-like intermediate portions being mutually separated from one another in the width direction and mutually extending in parallel directions;
a second plurality of strip-like intermediate portions which are each structurally connected directly to both the first connection portion and the second connection portion and extend between the first connection portion and the second connection portion to electrically connect the first connection portion and the second connection portion, the second plurality of strip-like intermediate portions being mutually separated in the width direction and mutually extending in substantially parallel directions, wherein the second plurality of strip-like intermediate portions form a mirror image of the first plurality of strip-like intermediate portions with respect to a center line of the interconnector in the width direction,
wherein, in each of the first plurality of strip-like intermediate portions and second plurality of strip-like intermediate portions, each intermediate portion has a plurality of first curved portions which are curved to be concave at one side of the respective intermediate portion in the width direction, and a plurality of second curved portions which are curved to be concave at another side of the respective intermediate portion in the width direction, wherein two of the second curved portions of each intermediate portion are arranged along the length of the respective strip-like intermediate portion and are provided between two of the first curved portions along the length of the respective strip-like intermediate portion, with no first curved portion being provided between the two of the second curved portions along the length of the respective strip-like intermediate portion, and wherein only end portions of the interconnector are structurally fixed to either of the first electronic device element or the second electronic device element through the first interconnection portion or the second interconnection portion,
wherein a combined value of a third power of the radius of curvature of the first curved portion and a third power of the radius of curvature of the second curved portion is equal in each intermediate portion of the

Assignees

• Okubo Mitsuru
• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Okubo Mitsuru

Classifications

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• H01L31/0508 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/1421

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10F19/75

  the bypass diodes being integrated or directly associated with the photovoltaic cells, e.g. formed in or on the same substrate · CPC title

• H10F19/904 Primary

  characterised by the shapes of the structures · CPC title