Patent ID: 8790951

Claim:
A carrier assembly for temporarily accommodating one or more solar cell laminates while said solar laminates are conveyed through a lamination plant having a conveying surface, wherein each of said solar cell laminates comprises a solar cell layer of silicon material, upper and lower encapsulating layers of EVA material covering the top and bottom of said solar cell layer, upper and lower protective layers covering said upper and lower encapsulating layers, respectively, said encapsulating layers having a specific melting temperature and a specific curing temperature, said melting temperature being lower than said curing temperature, said carrier assembly comprising: a carrier housing of heat conductive material defining an inner volume, said carrier housing having an upper plate adapted for receiving said solar cell laminates and an opposite lower plate defining a first plurality of apertures, said inner volume including one or more connecting elements interconnecting said first and second plates; an air supply system for providing a continuous outward air flow through said first plurality of apertures when said lower plate is received on the conveying surface of said lamination plant, wherein said airflow yields an elevated and substantially balanced air pressure on said lower plate for providing lift or buoyancy to said carrier housing allowing a substantially friction-free movement of said carrier housing in relation to said conveying surface of said lamination plant; and a thermal transfer system providing thermal energy to said upper plate for allowing said encapsulating layer to melt and subsequently cure, said thermal transfer system being operable to provide a temperature on said upper plate of 80-130° C.