Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8191599B2/en
Timestamp: 2020-06-01 17:34:34
Document Index: 345937436

Matched Legal Cases: ['§119', 'Application No. 08405284', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art.\n5']

US8191599B2 - Apparatus for laminating a solar module - Google Patents
Apparatus for laminating a solar module Download PDF
US8191599B2
US8191599B2 US12/589,385 US58938509A US8191599B2 US 8191599 B2 US8191599 B2 US 8191599B2 US 58938509 A US58938509 A US 58938509A US 8191599 B2 US8191599 B2 US 8191599B2
US12/589,385
US20100126672A1 (en
Roger Doudin
2008-11-21 Priority to EP08405284A priority Critical patent/EP2189283A1/en
2008-11-21 Priority to EP08405284.4 priority
2008-11-21 Priority to EP08405284 priority
2009-10-22 Application filed by Komax Holding AG filed Critical Komax Holding AG
2009-12-02 Assigned to KOMAX HOLDING AG reassignment KOMAX HOLDING AG ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: BUCHER, MARKUS, DOUDIN, ROGER, MEISSER, CLAUDIO
2010-05-27 Publication of US20100126672A1 publication Critical patent/US20100126672A1/en
2012-06-05 Publication of US8191599B2 publication Critical patent/US8191599B2/en
238000010030 laminating Methods 0 title claims abstract description 81
238000007789 sealing Methods 0 claims abstract description 159
238000004089 heat treatment Methods 0 claims abstract description 73
The apparatus for laminating a solar module includes a press for pressing and heating the solar module including: a first press part and a second press part between which an evacuable cavity is formed; a bearing surface for the solar module disposed in the cavity; a heater being disposed in the cavity and being movable relative to the bearing surface so that the solar module can be pressed via the heater against the bearing surface. The press includes one or more sealing bodies being disposed in an intermediate space between the heater and the first press part and/or in an intermediate space between the heater and the second press part and being brought into contact with the heater and at least one of the press parts so that the cavity is divided into at least two chambers being separated from one another in an airtight manner.
Applicants claim priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of European Application No. 08405284.4 filed on Nov. 21, 2008.
a) a first press part and a second press part which press parts are movable relative to one another and can be brought into a predetermined position in which a cavity is formed between the first and the second press part, which cavity can be evacuated,
b) a bearing surface for the respective solar module disposed in the cavity,
c) a heater which is disposed in the cavity and which is movable relative to the first press part and to the second press part and to the bearing surface in such a manner that the respective solar module can be pressed by means of the heater with respect to the bearing surface.
According to the invention, the press comprises one or more sealing bodies, wherein the respective sealing bodies are disposed in an intermediate space between the heater and the first press part and/or in an intermediate space between the heater and the second press part and are brought into contact or can be brought into contact with the heater and at least one of the press parts in such a manner that the cavity is divided by the heater and the respective sealing bodies into at least two chambers which are separated from one another in an airtight manner, wherein one of the chamber comprises the bearing surface.
The lifting elements which are disposed in the receiving shafts 9 are configured as cylinders 10 and are pneumatically operated. On an upper side 11 of the cover 5, devices 12 in which the cylinders 10 are mounted are provided in each case above the receiving shafts 9. The devices 12 are dimensioned in such a manner that pistons 13 of the cylinders 10 are substantially disposed in the receiving shafts 9 and mount the cylinder 10 in the devices 12. The pistons 13 are configured to be longer than the receiving shafts 9 and extend into the recess 6 of the cover 5. A seal 14 which seals the receiving shaft 9 with respect to the recess 6 is disposed in an end region of the receiving shafts 9. In the present exemplary embodiment the seal 14 is configured as an annular seal which laterally encloses the piston 13 of the lifting element.
The first press part 3 comprises cover 5 and a sealing apparatus 39.
The sealing apparatus 39 is disposed in the region of the projections 7, this apparatus comprising:
a sealing frame 20, hereinafter called for simplicity “frame 20”, having a first contact surface 20.1 for the cover 5 of the first press part 3 and having a second contact surface 20.2 for the second press part 4,
a seal 24 disposed on the first contact surface 20.1 between the cover 5 and the frame 20 and
a seal 25 disposed on the second contact surface 20.2 between the frame 20 and the second press part 4.
The frame 20 is held by bolts 21 which are articulated on an outer side 22 of the cover 5. The bolts 21 hold the sealing frame 20 in position in the region of the projections 7 in such a manner that they are held at a distance from the end region 23 of the projections 7. The frame 20 is thus disposed between the cover 5 of the first press part 3 and the second press part 4.
The second press part 4 has a bearing plate 28 which is located below the cover 5. On a side of the bearing plate 28 pointing towards the cover 5, a bearing surface 29 for the respective solar module 2 is formed and a supporting frame 30 is provided. The supporting frame 30 approximately corresponds to a height of the solar module 2 and spans a surface between individual frame sections which is larger than a solar module 2 to be laminated. The dimensions of the supporting frame 30 approximately correspond to the extension of the heater 15 parallel to the bearing surface 29. The supporting frame 30 serves as a mechanical stop for the heater 15 and in the present case has the function of a spacer which limits the distance between the heater 15 and the bearing surface 29 and blocks a movement of the heater 15 directed towards the bearing surface 29 when the distance between the heater 15 and the bearing surface 29 reaches a predetermined value which in the present case corresponds to the extension of the supporting frame 30 vertically to the bearing surface 29.
FIG. 2 shows the laminating press 1 in a closed state. In this case, the first press part 3 is lowered onto the second press part 4. Due to the special formation of the first press part 3 with the recess 6 and the projections 7, a cavity 37, also called pressing chamber, is formed in which the solar module 2 is laminated. The cavity 37 is divided into two partitions, that is into a first chamber 37 a and a second chamber 37 b, wherein the first chamber 37 a is disposed in the region of the first press part 3 and the second chamber 37 b is disposed in the region of the second press part 4. The division of the cavity 37 into the two chambers 37 a and 37 b is substantially achieved by the heater 15 and the sealing body 26, wherein in the present case the sealing body 26 is brought into contact with the heater 15 via the angle element 27 and with the first press part 3 via the frame 20. The sealing body 26 and the heater 15 accordingly form an airtight boundary between the first chamber 37 a and the second chamber 37 b.
The first chamber 37 a and the second chamber 37 b can each be evacuated and subjected to compressed air. For this purpose, the cover 5 has the ventilation and venting channel 8 via which air can be withdrawn and supplied to the first chamber 37 a. When the first press part 3 is lowered, the second chamber 37 b is also closed in an airtight manner and only accessible via at least one ventilation and venting channel 31. The ventilation channel 31 is disposed in the frame 20 and runs approximately horizontally from the second chamber 37 b and opens into the space outside the laminating press 1. In the present example, the second chamber 37 b is bounded by the bearing plate 28, the frame 20 and the means which separate the first chamber 37 a from the second chamber 37 b (i.e. heater 15 and sealing body 26).
Since the cavity 37 is divided by means of the sealing body 26 and the heater 15 into two chambers 37 a and 37 b separated from one another in a gastight manner, the two chambers 37 a and 37 b can be evacuated or subjected to pressure independently of one another. Thus, for example, a vacuum can be generated in both chambers in order to degas the solar module 2 before the laminating process. The vacuum in the first chamber 37 a serves as compensation for the vacuum in the second chamber 37 b. The vacuum in the first chamber 37 a prevents the heater 15 together with the heating element 16 from being pulled down onto the solar module 2. FIG. 2 shows a process section in which no pressure is yet applied to the solar module 2 by the heater 15.
The supporting frame 30 is used for supporting the heater 15, in particular for supporting the heating element 16 during the pressing process. Due to the height of the supporting frame 30 and the solar module 2 being approximately the same, the heater 15 is lowered to a defined height so that no punctiform or linear forces act on the solar module 2.
In a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, it is also feasible to prevent contamination of the body 19 when the solar module 2 is laminated. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 4, a protective film 32 is positioned between the heater 15 or the body 19 and the solar module 2. The protective film 32 is advantageously guided between supporting frame 30 and the bearing plate 28 and is clamped by the frame 20 in end regions of the bearing plate 28. The supporting frame 30 is only loosely disposed on the bearing plate 28 and is positioned during the preparation of the laminating process as soon as the solar module 2 is applied to the bearing plate 28. Thus, during this process step it is easily possible to arrange a protective film 32 so that the desired protection is achieved and at the same time, the protective film 32 is held in the desired position.
a sealing frame 60, hereinafter called for simplicity “frame 60”, comprising a first contact surface 60.1 for the cover 5 of the first press part 3 and comprising a second contact surface 60.2 for the second press part 4,
a seal 24 disposed on the first contact surface 60.1 between the cover 5 and the frame 60 and
a seal 25 disposed on the second contact surface 60.2 between the frame 60 and the second press part 4.
When the laminating press 1, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, is brought into the closed position, the sealing apparatus 59 is then brought into contact both with the cover 5 of the first press part 3 and also with the second press part 4 in order to seal the cover 5 with respect to the second press part 4. In the present example, the sealing apparatus 59 is fastened to the cover 5 (by means of bolts 21) and can therefore be removed together with the cover 5 from the second press part 4 in order to bring the laminating press 1 into an open position and allow loading of the laminating press 1 with the respective solar module 2. For this reason, for the sake of simplicity the sealing apparatus 59 is considered in this connection as part of the first press part 3. It should be noted that this assignment of the sealing apparatus 59 to the first press part 3 is arbitrary and does not limit the invention. The sealing apparatus 59 could alternatively also be fastened to the bearing plate 28 and be considered as part of the second press part 4 or it can be fastened neither to the cover 5 nor to the bearing plate 28 and in this case, considered neither as part of the first press part 3 nor as part of the second press part 4.
In order to advantageously configure the sealing body 61 and furthermore to develop advantageous possible applications of the laminating press 1 according to FIGS. 7 and 8, a number of measures are possible.
1. An apparatus for laminating a solar module, comprising a press for pressing and heating the respective solar module which press comprises:
c) a heater which is disposed in the cavity and which is movable relative to the first press part and to the second press part and to the bearing surface in such a manner that the respective solar module can be pressed by means of the heater with respect to the bearing surface,
wherein the press comprises a sealing body, the sealing body being disposed in an intermediate space between the heater and the first press part or in an intermediate space between the heater and the second press part and the sealing body forming a closed ring extending along a closed curve surrounding the heater,
wherein the sealing body comprises a flexible hose, said hose having a volume that can be varied—by varying a pressure prevailing in the hose—in such a manner that, at a first predetermined volume, the sealing body is not in contact with the heater or at least one of the first press part and the second press part, and, at a second predetermined volume, the sealing body is brought into contact with the heater and at least one of the first press part and the second press part in such a manner that the cavity is divided by the heater and the sealing body into at least two chambers which are separated from one another in an airtight manner, wherein one of the chambers comprises the bearing surface.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the chambers is formed between the first press part, the sealing body and the heater and another of the chambers is formed between the second press part, the sealing body and the heater.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hose is inflatable and the apparatus has means for varying a gas pressure prevailing in the hose.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first press part comprises a cover which delimits the cavity and a sealing apparatus which sealing apparatus comprises:
a frame surrounding the first solar module having a first contact surface for the cover and having a second contact surface for the second press part,
a seal disposed on the first contact surface between the cover and the frame and
a seal disposed on the second contact surface between the frame and the second press part.
5. The apparatus according to claim 4, comprising fastening means for fastening the frame on the cover.
6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sealing body abuts in an airtight manner against the frame or is embedded in an airtight manner in a groove formed in the frame.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising means for varying a gas pressure prevailing in one of the chambers and comprising means for varying a gas pressure prevailing in another one of the chambers, wherein the gas pressures prevailing in the respective chambers can be varied independently of one another.
8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a vacuum or an excess pressure can be generated in the respective chamber.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heater is movably fastened to one of the press parts, with means for moving the heater perpendicularly to the bearing surface.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heater comprises: a plate and at least one first heating element for heating the plate, wherein the respective heating element is disposed on a side of the plate facing away from the bearing surface.
11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein an elastically deformable body is disposed on the plate on a side facing the bearing surface in such a manner that on pressing the solar module the respective solar module is separated from the plate by means of this elastically deformable body, wherein the elastically deformable body has a stiffness which is less than the stiffness of the plate.
12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the elastically deformable body is configured as a mat formed from an elastic material or as a cushion filled with a liquid.
13. The apparatus according to claim 11, comprising a protective film which is disposed between the elastically deformable body and the respective solar module.
14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first heating element has a plurality of heating means which are disposed in a spatially distributed manner on the side of the plate facing away from the bearing surface.
15. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first heating element comprises: one or more tubes, wherein the respective tubes are filled or can be filled with a heating fluid; and/or one or more electrical resistance heating elements; and/or one or more inductive heating elements; and/or one or more radiation sources; and/or one or more means for introducing hot air.
16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the press parts comprises a bearing plate for the respective solar module, the bearing surface for the respective solar module is formed on one side of the bearing plate and the apparatus comprises at least a second heating element for heating the bearing plate.
17. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising one or more spacers for limiting a distance between the heater and the bearing surface, wherein the respective spacer is disposed in such a manner that the respective spacer blocks a movement of the heater directed to the bearing surface when the distance between the heater and the bearing surface reaches a predetermined value.
18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hose forms an annular closed structure surrounding the heater.
19. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising means for varying the pressure prevailing in the hose.
20. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sealing element comprises a sealing strip that is disposed on a side of the hose facing the heater and that is connected to the hose, said sealing strip being brought into contact with a side surface of the heater, if the volume of the hose is equal to the second predetermined volume.
US12/589,385 2008-11-21 2009-10-22 Apparatus for laminating a solar module Expired - Fee Related US8191599B2 (en)
EP08405284A EP2189283A1 (en) 2008-11-21 2008-11-21 Apparatus for laminating a solar cell modul
EP08405284.4 2008-11-21
EP08405284 2008-11-21
US20100126672A1 US20100126672A1 (en) 2010-05-27
US8191599B2 true US8191599B2 (en) 2012-06-05
ID=40600194
US12/589,385 Expired - Fee Related US8191599B2 (en) 2008-11-21 2009-10-22 Apparatus for laminating a solar module
US (1) US8191599B2 (en)
EP (2) EP2189283A1 (en)
JP (1) JP5068800B2 (en)
CN (1) CN101733994B (en)
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2009-10-12 EP EP09012864.6A patent/EP2189284B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
2009-10-22 US US12/589,385 patent/US8191599B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
2009-10-26 JP JP2009245384A patent/JP5068800B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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EP2189284A2 (en) 2010-05-26
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Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:MEISSER, CLAUDIO;DOUDIN, ROGER;BUCHER, MARKUS;REEL/FRAME:023597/0522