Patent Application
20160064575
The present invention relates to the field of photovoltaic modules including back-contact cells. In particular, the present invention relates to novel back-contact back-sheets for a photovoltaic module and manufacturing methods thereof. Yet more in detail, the present invention relates to a back-contact back-sheet and a manufacturing method thereof which allow the electric signal to be transferred outside the photovoltaic module in a simple and effective manner. Yet more in particular, the present invention relates to a back-contact back-sheet and a manufacturing method thereof which allow the terminals for electrical connection towards the outside of the photovoltaic module to contact the connecting circuit to the photovoltaic cells from the surface exposed towards the inside of the photovoltaic module.
Solar cells are used for converting solar light into electrical energy by means of the photovoltaic effect. Solar cells are, thus, one of the most promising alternative energy sources for replacing fossil fuels. Solar cells are formed of semiconductor materials and are assembled so as to form so called photovoltaic modules, which are in turn grouped in order to form photovoltaic plants to be typically installed on building roofs or the like.
In order to form a photovoltaic module, groups of solar cells are typically encapsulated by means of an encapsulating material such as a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate, commonly known as EVA. The encapsulating material enclosing the solar cells is then inserted between a surface layer and a base layer or back-sheet, so as to complete the photovoltaic module.
The surface layer, or main surface of the module, typically made of glass, covers the surface of the module exposed to the sun and allows the solar light to reach the cells. On the other hand, the back-sheet carries out a multiplicity of tasks. It guarantees protection of the encapsulating material and of the solar cells from environmental agents, while simultaneously preventing the electrical connections from oxidizing. In particular, the back-sheet prevents moisture, oxygen and other factors depending on the atmospheric conditions from damaging the encapsulating material, the cells and the electrical connections. The back-sheet also provides for electrical insulation for the cells and the corresponding electrical circuits. Furthermore, the back-sheet has to have a high degree of opacity due to esthetic reasons and high reflectivity in the part oriented toward the sun for functional reasons.
The electrical connection in photovoltaic modules comprising traditional solar cells occurs on both the front and the rear side of the cell. In particular the front electrode, i.e. the electrode exposed to the sun light, is electrically contacted by means of a technique called “H-patterning”, which causes shading problems of the surface exposed to the sun light. These shading problems are due to the presence of metallic traces screening the light incident upon the front surface of the cell. Traditional electric contacts thus cause the efficiency of solar cells and modules to decrease.
Back-contact cells are a new, more efficient and cost-effective generation of photovoltaic cells, wherein the contacts with both electrodes of the cell are transferred to the rear side of the cell, i.e. onto the side not exposed to the light radiation.
Metallization Wrap Through (MWP) cells turn out to be a particularly efficient and easy-to-implement type of back-contact cell. In MWT cells, the contact to the front electrode is transferred to the rear side of the cell by means of a through-hole extending through the entire thickness of the semiconductor substrate.
Back-contact cells pose new technological problems concerning the design and the structure of the modules adapted to accommodate them. For example, the back-sheet has to be designed so as to support a connecting circuit which is brought into electrical contact with the ohmic contacts formed on the rear side of the cell. These ohmic contacts are connected to both electrodes (base and emitter) of the cell. One of the solutions to this problem is the so called back-contact back-sheet, which is an evolution of the traditional back-sheet, wherein the connecting circuit is implemented directly on the surface of the back-sheet facing the cell.
In
Back-contact cell 600 is arranged between an upper encapsulating material layer 450 and a lower encapsulating material layer 400. Cell 600 and encapsulating material layers 400 and 450 are then enclosed between a surface layer 800 typically made of glass or of a transparent and antireflective material and the back-sheet 200, which may be a back-contact back-sheet.
In
The connecting circuit 220c is used so as to ensure an electrical contact with both electrodes (i.e. with the base and the emitter) of solar cell 600. In particular, the paths of electrically conductive material are provided with pads 222 marking the points of the connecting circuit which are to be electrically connected with a contact area on one of the electrodes formed on the rear surface of cell 600.
The procedure of assembling a photovoltaic module such as that shown in
The lower encapsulating material layer 400 to be arranged between the cell 600 and the back-contact or back-contact back-sheet 200 is pierced so that, after the module has been completed, the holes formed in the lower encapsulating layer 400 correspond to areas where pads 222 for contact with the electrodes are arranged.
The pierced encapsulating material layer 400 is then laid on top of the inner face of back-sheet or back-contact back-sheet 200, i.e. onto the face of the back-sheet or back-contact back-sheet 200 exposed towards the inside of the photovoltaic module. When applying lower encapsulating material layer 400, the encapsulating material foil is aligned to back-sheet or back-contact back-sheet 200 so that the holes in lower encapsulating material layer 400 correspond or are aligned to pads 222. In this manner, pads 222 are left exposed towards the inside of the photovoltaic module.
A lump or drop of an electrically conductive material, such as for example a conductive paste known as “Electro Conductive Adhesive” (ECA), is then deposited onto pads 222 of the conductive paths of connecting circuit 220c.
Subsequently, the cells 600 to be embedded in the module are placed onto the lower encapsulating material layer 400 so that each contact element on the electrodes formed on the rear surface of the cells comes into contact with a lump of conductive paste applied to one of the pads 222 and exposed to the contact with cells 600 through one of the holes of the lower encapsulating material layer 400. The upper encapsulating material layer 450 is then placed onto the upper surface of the cell 600, opposite the rear surface in contact with the conductive paste applied to pads 222. Finally, a layer 800 of a transparent and antireflective material is laid onto the upper encapsulating material layer 450.
After the structure has been prepared as described above, this can be turned upside-down and subsequently laminated in vacuum at a temperature between 145° C. and 165° C. for a time interval variable between 8 and 18 minutes.
a shows the structure of the module before the lamination process. The components of the module, stacked as previously described, are singularly distinguishable. In particular,
The electrical connection to the electrodes (base and emitter) of cell 600 is guaranteed by contact points 620 and 640 formed on the rear side of cell 600, i.e. on the side facing connecting circuit 220c and back-sheet 200. Contact points 620 and 640 may be connected to the positive and negative electrode of the photovoltaic cell, respectively.
b schematically shows the structure of the module after the lamination process has taken place. During the first lamination stage, the structure is arranged into a vacuum chamber from which the air is evacuated by means of pumps. A pressure is then applied to the structure so as to compact the layers of which the photovoltaic module structure is comprised, while simultaneously maintaining a vacuum in the area in which the module is situated. The whole cycle has preferably a total duration less then 18 minutes. The cycle preferably occurs at a temperature between 140° C. and 165° C.
The lamination results in hardening of the conductive paste 300 induced by polymerization, thereby causing cells 600 to attach to back-sheet 200. Furthermore, a task of the lamination process is also causing melting and subsequent polymerization of the upper and lower encapsulating material layers 450 and 400.
After the photovoltaic module has been assembled by following the process described above, interconnection terminals, or busbars, are applied between the assembled module and other modules included in the photovoltaic plant.
Subsequently, an interconnection terminal or busbar 700 is introduced into each window 215. A portion of each busbar 700 is fixed by means of soldering or other technique to the surface of connecting circuit 220c left exposed by hole 215 formed in substrate 210 of back-contact back-sheet 200. The operation briefly described above entails considerable technical problems.
For example, the operation of forming windows 215 is critical in that substrate 210 must be pierced with an extreme precision, so as to expose connecting circuit 220c, while simultaneously ensuring that the portion of circuit 220c to be exposed is not damaged during the operation of opening the windows. Therefore, when forming windows 215, an excess of ablation of substrate 210 should be avoided, which would cause connecting circuit 220c to be undesirably damaged or eroded. An undesired ablation of connecting circuit 220c would turn out to be particularly detrimental due to the limited thickness of connecting circuit 220c, usually in the range of 25 μm to 70 μm. On the other hand, if the ablation performed in order to form windows 215 is not deep enough, the entire thickness of insulating substrate 210 cannot be ablated and a residual insulating layer would remain in correspondence to windows 215 on the surface of connecting circuit 220c facing substrate 210. This would hinder the electrical contact with circuit 220c.
A solution has been proposed in the Italian Patent Application having filing number VI2012A000292 consisting in using the process of mechanical milling for forming windows 215 in substrate 210 of back-contact back-sheet 200. Although this method permits a remarkable precision when engraving substrate 210, controlling the mills in order to reach the desired ablation depth requires rather sophisticated and not trivial techniques.
Furthermore, it may be hard to fix busbars 700 to connecting circuit 220c. For example, it may well be difficult to fix an end of busbar 700 to connecting circuit 220c within a window 215, since it might be hard to reach the portion of lower surface of connecting circuit 220c exposed towards window 215. It should be understood that it is crucial to reliably fix busbars 700 to the connecting circuit, in order to ensure that the electric contact between the two elements is as effective as possible.
Attaching busbars 700 to connecting circuit 220c is particularly critical when the two elements to be attached to each other comprise aluminum. In this case, the traditionally used techniques include brazing or braze welding processes requiring high temperatures. However, excessively heating the back-contact back-sheet is extremely undesirable, in that this could result in profile bending which would jeopardize the reliability of the back-contact back-sheet inside the photovoltaic module.
In the Italian patent application filing number VI2012A000292, a solution has been proposed as an alternative to aluminum brazing. The solution consists of using spot welding or ultrasonic welding, which restricts application of heat to extremely small areas of the back-contact back-sheet. However, these techniques require application of electrodes or sonotrodes which might be hard to apply to a busbar 700 through a window 215. It should be also considered that spot welding or ultrasonic welding are hard to be used when two components have to be joined with thicknesses ranging from a few tenths to a few hundredths of micrometers, such as in the typical case of busbars 700 to be joined to a connecting circuit 220c.
Furthermore, when the connecting circuit is implemented in aluminum, according to common technique, the aluminum surface is covered by a protective thin metal film in order to prevent the exposed surface of the circuit from oxidizing, thereby permitting a correct electrical connection to the photovoltaic cell through electrically conductive paste ECA. This plating technique, rather costly and cumbersome, should be repeated on the lower surface of the conductor in order to permit an easy connection with the busbars. However, due to the high cost involved, metallization of the lower surface of the aluminum layer is preferably omitted.
In view of the mentioned problems and the drawbacks described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a back-contact back-sheet and a method of manufacturing thereof, such that the electrical contact between the busbars and the connecting circuit may be implemented in an effective, fast and reliable manner, thus obviating the problems referred to above and related to the prior art.
According to the present invention, a back-contact back-sheet and a method of manufacturing thereof are proposed, based on the concept that a connecting terminal may contact the connecting circuit on the upper surface of the circuit, i.e. on the surface opposite the surface fixed to the substrate of the back-contact back-sheet.
Based on these considerations, a back-contact back-sheet for photovoltaic modules as claimed in independent claim 1 is proposed. The back-contact back-sheet according to the present invention comprises a region indented towards the air-side of the photovoltaic module. The indentation is formed in a portion of the back-contact back-sheet comprising the connecting circuit. A through-hole is then formed within the indented region. The through-hole brings into communication the surface of the connecting circuit exposed towards the inside of the photovoltaic module with the face of the back-contact back-sheet facing the air-side of the photovoltaic module.
A transport portion of a connecting element, e.g. a rivet stem, can be inserted into the through-hole in such a way that the contact portion of the connecting element, e.g. the head of the rivet, is attached to and in electrical contact with the surface of the connecting circuit exposed towards the inside of the photovoltaic module. The connecting element thus allows the photovoltaic module in which the back-contact back-sheet is included to exchange an electrical signal with the outside. For example, current coming from another photovoltaic module in the plant may be brought into the photovoltaic module wherein the back-contact back-sheet is included. Furthermore, the current collected from the connecting circuit may be transferred outside of the photovoltaic module and sent to a junction-box.
The contact portion of the connecting element can then be housed in the cavity defined by the indented region.
The size dimensions of the indented region can be chosen based on the size dimensions of the contact portion of the connecting element. In particular, the size dimensions of the indented region can be chosen so as to be slightly greater than the respective size dimensions of the contact portion. Thus, the contact portion of the connecting element (e.g. the rivet head) may be attached to the portion of connecting circuit included in the indented portion in such a way that, given a cross-section of the system comprising the back-contact back-sheet and the connecting element attached thereto, the contact portion of the connecting circuit is completely included in the cavity defined by the indented region.
Furthermore, the depth of the cavity defined by the indented region can be advantageously chosen based on the thickness of the contact portion of the connecting element. In particular, the cavity defined by the indented region can be formed so that its depth is equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of the contact portion of the connecting element. In this manner, when the connecting element is attached to the back-contact back-sheet in the final operating position, the surface of the contact portion of the connecting element exposed towards the outside lies on the same plane as that defined by the portion of the inner face of the back-contact back-sheet not included in any indented regions. In other words, the system comprising the back-contact back-sheet and the connecting element exposes towards the inside of the photovoltaic module a substantially flat surface.
In this manner, no tensions can arise due to non-planarity of the surface of the back-contact back-sheet. This type of tensions may cause the cell to be damaged when subject to lamination pressure.
The present invention further proposes the method of manufacturing a photovoltaic module as claimed in claim 14.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention are provided by the dependent claims and by the following description.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly from the following description of the embodiments of the device and method according to the present invention shown in the figures. In the figures identical and/or similar and/or corresponding parts are identified by the same reference numerals or letters. In particular, in the in the figures:
a shows a cross-sectional view of the structure of a photovoltaic module of the type shown in
b shows a cross-sectional view of a photovoltaic module of the type shown in
a shows a top view of a back-contact back-sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention in the manufacturing process stage shown in
b shows a bottom view of a back-contact back-sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention in the manufacturing process stage shown in
a shows a front view of a connecting element adapted to be used in conjunction with a back-contact back-sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention;
b shows the connecting element shown in
a shows a perspective view of a system comprising a back-contact back-sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention in a non-final manufacturing process stage and a connecting element cooperating with the back-contact back-sheet;
b shows a cross-sectional view of a system comprising a back-contact back-sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention and a connecting element cooperating with the back-contact back-sheet;
In the following, the present invention will be described with reference to particular embodiments as shown in the attached figures. However, the present invention is not restricted to the particular embodiments described in the following detailed description and shown in the figures. Rather, the described embodiments simply show several aspects of the present invention whose scope is defined by the claims.
Further modifications and variations of the present invention will be clear for the person skilled in the art. Consequently, the present description is to be considered as comprising all modifications and/or variations of the present invention, whose scope is defined by the claims.
The attached figures show a right-handed system of Cartesian axes, wherein the oriented z-axis indicates the vertical direction and the xy-plane should be understood as a horizontal plane, orthogonal to the direction of the z-axis. Therefore, a direction, an axis, or a plane will be referred to as “vertical” (“horizontal”) when parallel (orthogonal) to the direction of the z-axis.
In the following and in the whole application, local expressions such as “above” or “below” are always referred to an oriented axis indicating the vertical direction. Therefore, given a system of three Cartesian axes wherein the z-axis indicates the vertical direction, the expression “point A above (below) point B” should be understood as expressing the concept that the segment included in the z-axis and oriented in the direction going from the orthogonal projection of point B onto the z-axis to the orthogonal projection of point A onto the z-axis lies along the same direction as (the opposite direction to) the direction of the z-axis. Furthermore, when a constituent part or an object are defined as “upper”, thus implicitly comparing them to a second “lower” constituent part or object, it should be understood that the upper constituent part or object lie above the lower constituent part or object.
Analogously, local expression such as “up” or “down” should always be referred to a reference system of Cartesian axes shown in the figures. Thus, the expression “upwards” (“downwards”) will indicate a direction or an axis with the same direction as (the opposite direction to) the direction of z-axis.
The back-contact back-sheet according to the present invention is an evolution of the back-contact back-sheet already proposed in the previous Italian patent applications having reference numbers VI2012A000132 and VI2012A000264.
The back-contact back-sheet according to the present invention is substantially planar. In the figures from 6 to 12, the back-contact back-sheet, or a major portion thereof, extend across a substantially parallel plane parallel to the xy-plane.
The air-side of the photovoltaic module is the side at the bottom of
With reference to
Back-contact back-sheet 200 further comprises an insulating complex or substrate 210 exposed to the air-side of the photovoltaic module, as well as an electrically conductive material layer 220.
Insulating substrate 210 has an outer surface 210os facing the air-side of the photovoltaic module and substantially coincident with the outer face 200of of back-contact back-sheet 200. Furthermore, substrate 210 has an inner surface 210is opposite outer surface 210os and facing the inside of the photovoltaic module.
In the embodiment of the back-contact back-sheet shown in
The first insulating layer 212 has a surface exposed toward the air-side of the photovoltaic module substantially coincident with outer surface 210os of substrate 210. First insulating layer 212 is used as a barrier against moisture, UV rays, oxygen and other external environmental agents which might penetrate into the module, thereby damaging some constituent parts thereof or causing the polyurethane-like or polyester-like adhesive to degrade and turn yellow. First insulating layer 212 may comprise a polymer such as polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyethylene terephtalate (PET), or other polymers. First insulating material 212 may also comprise other materials known in the state of the art. First insulating layer 212 may have a thickness in a range of approximately 25 to 75 μm or greater.
The second insulating layer 216 is then applied to the inner surface of first insulating layer 212, opposite the surface exposed to the air-side. Second insulating layer 216 acts as an electrical insulator and a further barrier. Second insulating layer 216 typically comprises a polymer such as, for example, polyethylene terephtalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyimide (PI), or the like. Second insulating layer 216 may have a thickness in the range of approximately 125 to approximately 350 μm or greater.
In other embodiments not shown in the figures, insulating substrate 210 is comprised of a single layer comprising, for example, one or more polymers such as PET, PE, PVF, PVDF, PEN, PI, similar polymers and combinations thereof.
According to a further embodiment shown in
Insulating portion 211 of substrate 210 comprises a lower face 211lf exposed towards the air-side of the photovoltaic module and substantially coincident with outer surface 210os of substrate 210 and, thus, with outer face 200of of back-contact back-sheet 200. Insulating portion 211 further comprises an upper face opposite lower face 211lf. Insulating portion 211 may be implemented in any of the ways in which substrate 210 can be implemented according to the embodiments described above with reference to
In particular, according to the embodiment shown in
Primer layer 218 is applied to the upper surface of insulating portion 211, opposite lower face 211lf, so that the inner face of primer layer 218, opposite the face facing insulating portion 211, substantially coincides with inner surface 210is of substrate 210. Primer layer 218 is arranged between lower insulating portion 211 of substrate 210 and conductive material layer 220 within which connecting circuit 220c is formed.
Primer layer 218 may be deposited by means of extrusion coating onto the upper face of the lower insulating portion 211. Primer layer 218 may also be attached by using an adhesive system. Primer layer 218 has a thickness in the range of about 50 to about 350 μm and, preferably, in the range of about 50 to about 150 μm. Primer layer 218 carries out the main task of guaranteeing an improved adhesion of inner face 200if of the back-contact back-sheet with encapsulating material layers 400 and 450 shown in
Primer layer 218 thus comprises materials which are chemically or functionally akin to the materials constituting the encapsulating material layers 400 and 450 shown in
As shown in
Conductive material layer 220 may have a thickness approximately ranging from 25 to 70 μm. Conductive material layer 220 comprises a metal with a high electrical conductivity such as copper or aluminium. Conductive material layer 220 may also comprise an alloy of copper and aluminium. The advantage with using aluminium instead of copper is substantially due to the lower cost of the former with respect to the latter. However, the problem with aluminium is the oxide layer, known as alumina (Al2O3), which promptly forms as an aluminium surface is exposed to gases normally present in the atmosphere at standard pressure. Formation of an oxide layer on the upper surface of conductive layer 220 is particularly undesirable, since this surface of conductive layer 220 is to contact the electrodes of photovoltaic cells 600 through conductive adhesive 300, as describe above with reference to
Again with reference to
A connecting circuit 220c is formed within conductive material layer 220. Circuit 220c is comprised of metallic paths separated by channels 224. As previously said, connecting circuit 220c is adapted to be brought into contact with both electrodes, i.e. with both base and emitter, of solar cells 600. In particular, pads 222 formed on conductive material paths mark the points of connecting circuit 220c which are to be electrically connected to an electrode contact formed on the surface of cell 600.
Still with reference to
Upper surface 226 of connecting circuit 220c may comprise a protective film of an organic material (Organic Solderability Preservative) not shown in the figures. The organic protective film, aimed at protecting the exposed surface 226 of the connecting circuit from abrasion and chemical reactions with external agents, is particularly advantageous when the connecting circuit comprises copper.
Back-contact back-sheet 200 resulting from the intermediate stage of manufacturing shown in
Back-contact back-sheet 200 shown in
Thus, in correspondence to an indented region 250, inner face 200if of back-contact back-sheet 200 defines a cavity 251 which, when back-contact back-sheet 200 is embedded in the photovoltaic module, communicates with the inner space of the photovoltaic module.
According to the embodiment shown in
Indented region 250 is formed in correspondence to connecting circuit 220c and so as to include a portion thereof. Thus, the portion of inner face 200if of back-contact back-sheet 200 included in indented region 250 comprises a portion of connecting circuit 220c. More precisely, the portion of inner face 200if of back-contact back-sheet 200 included in indented region 250 comprises a portion of upper surface 226 of connecting circuit 220c.
Preferably, the whole portion of inner face 200if of back-contact back-sheet 200 included in indented region 250 includes a portion of connecting circuit 220c. That is to say, the portion of inner face 200if of back-contact back-sheet 200 included in indented region 250 does not preferably contain any portions of inner surface 210if of substrate 210.
Indented region 250 comprises a first, substantially flat portion 252, which lies on a substantially horizontal plane P2. More precisely, the portion of upper surface 226 of connecting circuit 220c included in substantially flat portion 252 of indented region 250 lies on a substantially horizontal plane P2 parallel to the xy-plane. Furthermore, the inner surface 210is of substrate 210 included in substantially flat portion 252 of indented region 250 also lies on a plane parallel to plane P2 and, thus, on a substantially horizontal plane.
According to the embodiment shown in
Indented region 250 shown in
One can observe that the region of back-contact back-sheet 200 not included in any indented regions 250 is substantially planar, as indicated with reference to
In particular,
In particular,
As will be more clearly explained in the following with reference to
Again with reference to
Still with reference to
According to other embodiments and depending on the shape and dimension of connecting element 700, hole 256 may also advantageously be formed in a non-central position.
Through-hole 256 is formed through the thickness of back-contact back-sheet 200 so as to extend from upper surface 226 of connecting circuit 220c to outer face 200of of back-contact back-sheet 200. It should be noticed that through-hole 256 is preferably formed in an area of back-contact back-sheet 200 such that a part of hole 256 is formed within connecting circuit 220c. Therefore, hole 256 is preferably formed so that it does not communicate with a channel 224 between two adjacent paths of connecting circuit 220c.
As will be clarified in the following with reference to
Again with reference to
As shown in
a and 7b show, respectively, a top view and a bottom view of a back-contact back-sheet 200 according to the present invention comprising indented region 250. According to the embodiment shown in
The only interruption of conductive layer 220 shown in
b shows that outer face 200of of back-contact back-sheet 200 forms a relief or a protruding portion in correspondence to indented region 250.
The height of the relief formed by indented region 250 on outer face 200of corresponds and is about equal to depth H of cavity 251 formed by inner face 200if in correspondence to indented region 250.
In the following, the expression “upper surface” of indented region 250 will indicate the portion of inner face 200if of the back-contact back-sheet included in indented region 250. Analogously, the expression “lower surface” of indented region 250 will indicate the portion of outer face 200of of the back-contact back-sheet included in indented region 250.
According to the embodiment shown in
In other embodiments not shown in the figures, indented region 250 has an upper surface or a lower surface having a form different from a square. In particular, the indented region may have, depending on usage requirements, the shape of a circle, a regular polygon, an irregular polygon. In particular, the shape of the upper surface of indented region 250 may be advantageously chosen based on the shape of contact portion 720 of connecting element 700 to be used in cooperation with the considered indented region 250, as will be explained in the following with reference to
Again with reference to
According to the embodiment shown in
Two of the four indented regions, for example the two regions 250b, may be used as points of connecting circuit 220c through which an electrical signal can be exchanged with the outside of the photovoltaic module. The two remaining indented regions, for example regions 250a, may then be used so as to permit an electrical connection to electrical components or apparatuses outside the photovoltaic module. For example, each of the two remaining indented regions may be adapted to be connected to a respective diode. Typically, the diode is a by-pass diode. It is pointed out that the upper surface of indented regions 250a is smaller than the upper surface of indented regions 250b. For example, the upper surface of indented regions 250a may be approximately square, with the square formed by each indented region 250a having a size length of about 6 mm. The upper surface of indented regions 250b may also be approximately square, with the square formed by each indented region 250b having a size length of about 8 mm.
According to the present invention, the number of indented regions 250 formed in back-contact back-sheet 200 is at least two. However, the indented regions 250 do not necessarily have to be four. In general, any number equal to or greater than two of indented regions 250 may be formed in back-contact back-sheet 200.
During the manufacturing stage of back-contact back-sheet 200 according to the present invention following the stage shown in
a to 11 show some examples of how a connecting element 700 may cooperate with the back-contact back-sheet 200 according to the present invention, in order to allow the photovoltaic module including back-contact back-sheet 200 to exchange an electric signal with the outside.
a and 9b show an example of a connecting element 700 which may be used so as to cooperate with back-contact back-sheet 200 according to the present invention. Connecting element 700 comprises a contact portion 720 and a transport portion 740 connected to contact portion 720. Contact portion 720 and transport portion 740 are connected by means of a connecting portion 760.
Connection portion 760 is arranged between contact portion 720 and transport portion 740 so as to allow one to distinguish between contact portion 720 and transport portion 740. The surface portion of connection portion 760 extends by a width (dimension along the y-axis in
Contact portion 720 is adapted to be attached to upper surface 226 of connecting circuit 220c in correspondence to an indented region 250. Contact portion 720 is attached to connecting circuit 220c so as to be in electrical contact thereto.
Transport portion 740 of connecting element 700 is instead adapted to be partially housed in one of holes 256 and, more exactly, in the hole 256 formed in the indented region 250 in which contact portion 720 of connecting element 700 is attached.
Connecting element 700 is made from a material having a high electrical conductivity. For example, connecting element 700 may comprise a metal such as copper, tinned copper, aluminium, aluminium plated with a noble metal, silver, gold. Connecting element 700 may also comprise a metal alloy, for example an alloy of copper and aluminium.
Connecting element 700 may comprise a rivet such as that shown in
In the example shown in
Contact portion 720 of connecting element 700 shown in
Preferably, length 720l and width 720w of surfaces 722 and 724 are approximately equal, thereby making surfaces 722 and 724 of slab 720 substantially square. For example, length 720l and width 720w may be in the range of approximately 5 to 10 mm. However, main surfaces 722 and 724 of contact portion 720 do not necessarily have to be either square or rectangular. The main surfaces 722 and 724 of contact portion 720 may instead have the shape of any regular or irregular polygon.
It is possible to use contact portions 720 of connecting elements 700 which are not planar. For example, contact portion 720 may comprise a spherical cap, such as in the case of a nail head.
In
For example, in the example shown in
Due to this bending, the plane upon which contact portion 720 lies forms an angle different from 0 with the longitudinal axis of transport portion 740. When connecting element 700 is inserted into back-contact back-sheet 200, the angle between the plane defined by contact portion 720 and transport portion 740 is preferably close to 90°, as shown in
a and 10b show an example of how a connecting element 720 may be coupled to a back-contact back-sheet according to the present invention. In particular, connecting element 720 is initially introduced into hole 256 and subsequently attached to upper surface 226 of connecting circuit 220c, as will be described in the following.
With reference to
b shows that the process of inserting transport 740 of connecting element 700 ends when contact portion 720 abuts onto the portion of upper surface 226 of connecting circuit 220c included in indented region 250. Preferably, lower surface 724 of contact portion 720 facing transport portion 740 abuts onto connecting circuit 220c. Thus, upper surface 722, opposite lower surface 724, is exposed towards the space included in the photovoltaic module.
Still with reference to
Contact portion 720 of connecting element 700 may be fixed to upper surface 226 of connecting circuit 220c so as to guarantee an electrical contact between connecting element 700 and connecting circuit 220c. Appropriate fixing means 770 may be provided for this purpose between surface 724 of contact portion 720 and upper surface 226 of connecting circuit 220.
For example, fixing means 770 may comprise an electrically conductive adhesive, such as for example ECA. Alternatively or additionally, contact portion 720 may be fixed by means of welding, brazing or braze welding. If contact portion 720 of connecting element 700 and connecting circuit 220c comprise aluminum, techniques such as spot welding or ultrasonic welding may be used, as already described in Italian Patent Application Nr. VI2012A000292.
It should be noted that an advantage of the present invention is the fact that, when inserting a connecting element 700 in a through hole 256 of a respective indented region 250, contact portion 720 is easily accessible, since it is exposed towards the same side of back-contact back-sheet 200 towards which inner face 200if of the back-contact back-sheet 200 is exposed. This is in contrast to the conventional approach, wherein the portion of connecting element 700 to be fixed to connecting circuit 220c is at the bottom of a window formed within a substrate 210 of back-contact back-sheet 200 and, consequently hardly accessible. In particular, if electrodes or sonotrodes are to be applied to contact portion 720 of connecting element 700, this operation can be carried out more easily with respect to the method known in the state of the art, wherein the electrodes or sonotrodes are to be introduced into the windows formed in the substrate of the back-contact back-sheet.
Furthermore, one more advantage offered by the present invention lies in the fact that the electrical connection is established on the upper surface 226 of connecting circuit 220c. The upper surface 226 is commonly designed and processed in order to offer as high a degree of electrical conductivity as possible. This is due to the fact that the upper surface 226 of connecting circuit 220c is responsible for the electrical connection between the circuit 220c and the photovoltaic cells through for example an electrically conductive adhesive such as ECA. Hence, the electrical connection between connecting element 700 and connecting circuit 220c is rendered particularly effective, since it is established on a surface of circuit 220c which is already highly conductive.
Again with reference to
In this manner, contact portion 720 and, in particular, main surfaces 722 and 724 are entirely included in cavity 251 defined by indented region 250. More precisely, the orthogonal projection of contact portions 720 onto a horizontal plane is included in the orthogonal projection of indented region 250 onto the same horizontal plane. The property of the system shown in
Advantageously, main surfaces 722 and 724 of contact portion 720 are included in flat portion 252 of indented region 250. More exactly, the orthogonal projection of contact portion 720 onto a horizontal plane is included in the orthogonal projection of flat portion 252 of indented region 250 onto the same horizontal plane.
Still with reference to
Again with reference to
It should be observed that depth H of cavity 251 may conveniently be as low as allowed by the structural features of connecting element 700. It is preferable to form as shallow as possible an indented region 250, in that, as previously described with reference to
With reference to
Due to the above, it is advantageous to choose a value of depth H of cavity 251 which is a reasonable compromise between the need to reduce depth H of indented region 250 as much as possible and the necessity of using connecting element 700 whose contact portion 720 has a thickness which is not less than a minimum allowed value.
b also shows that the size dimensions of through hole 256 are chosen in relation to the dimensions of the cross section of the subportion of transport portion 740 housed in hole 256. In particular,
Analogously,
As shown in
It should be noted that the back-contact back-sheet lies at the bottom of the stack of components shown in
The present invention provides a back-contact back-sheet which, when cooperating with one or more suitable connecting elements, offers a substantially flat surface towards the inside of the photovoltaic module. In this manner, the components of the photovoltaic module may be assembled on a flat support, thus preventing tensions from arising in stiff module components.
The present invention cleverly solves the problem of the electrical contact between the connecting circuit of the back-contact back-sheet and the connecting elements or busbars which are responsible for the exchange of the electrical current between the photovoltaic module and the rest of the photovoltaic plant. The back-contact back-sheet is provided with one or more regions indented towards the air-side of the photovoltaic module. These regions comprise a through hole which brings a connecting circuit into communication with the external face of the back-contact back-sheet. Each indented region is adapted to house a respective connecting element which comprises a contact portion fixed to the connecting circuit and a transport portion adapted to bring the signal coming from the photovoltaic cells from the connecting circuit to the outside of the photovoltaic module or vice versa. In particular, the part of the transport portion of the connecting element is adapted to lie outside of the photovoltaic module and to be electrically connected to an appropriate control unit or a junction box of the photovoltaic plant.
The connecting element can be easily induced to cooperate with the back-contact back-sheet, since it is sufficient to introduce its transport portion into the through hole of a predetermined indented region.
The contact portion of that connecting element is then attached to a portion of the connecting circuit included in the indented region wherein the through hole partially housing the transport portion is formed. Since the side dimensions and depth of the indented region are chosen based on the side dimension and depth of the contact portion, the contact portion is entirely included in the cavity defined by the indented region when this is fixed to the connecting circuit. Since the contact portion of each connecting element is housed within the cavity formed by a respective indented region, the system comprising the back-contact back-sheet and the connecting elements exposes towards the outside of the photovoltaic module a substantially flat, planar and smooth face. This provides a reliable support upon which the constituent parts of the photovoltaic module may be assembled or stacked.
Furthermore, according to the present invention the contact portion of the connecting element is attached to the upper surface of the connecting circuit, i.e., to the surface of the connecting circuit exposed towards the inside of the photovoltaic module. Conversely, in the state of the art the connecting element is attached to the surface of the connecting circuit exposed towards the substrate of the back-contact back-sheet, as shown for example in
According to the present invention the connecting element is instead fixed to the upper surface of the connecting circuit adapted to be exposed towards the inside of the photovoltaic module. The surface may have been previously treated in order to increase its conductivity and improve the electrical contact with the photovoltaic cells. For example, a treatment may have been performed on the upper surface aimed at removing the surface oxide film and forming a conductive protection layer comprising a metal having a high conductivity and substantially stainless. In particular, if the circuit comprises aluminum, the surface of the aluminum layer to be exposed may have been treated so as to deposit a thin silver film thereupon or a film of a different noble metal.
Hence, the electrical connection between the connecting element and the upper surface of the circuit may be established in a simply and reliable manner, due to the advantages resulting from the surface treatment previously carried out. For example, in the case of a circuit comprising aluminum, the connecting element may be simply and effectively fixed to the surface of aluminum plated with the thin metal film of silver, gold or copper by means of welding or an electrically conductive adhesive. The reliability of the electrical contact between a connecting element and the circuit is thus guaranteed by a surface treatment. Since the surface of the connecting element to be fixed to the connecting circuit may advantageously comprise copper or a noble metal, lengthy techniques such as spot welding or ultrasonic welding do not have to be used, which would instead be required for joining two components exposing aluminum surfaces. Furthermore, one does not have to treat the lower surface of the connecting circuit, i.e., the surface facing the insulating substrate, in order to improve its electrical conductivity.
The present invention further eliminates a need for windows 215 through the insulating substrate 210 according to the state of the art and shown in
Furthermore, according to the present invention, when connecting element 700 is inserted into hole 256 of the back-contact back-sheet and attached to the connecting circuit 220c in operating position, the contact portion 720 of the connecting element 700 faces the face of the back-contact back-sheet opposite the face faced by the free subportion of transport portion 740 not housed in hole 256. Therefore, the electrical contact between connecting element 700 and back-contact back-sheet 200 according to the present can withstand tensile stresses to a much greater extent than the surface contact shown in
It should also be noted that the present invention allows one to use connecting elements having several shapes and dimensions. In particular, one can choose the thickness of the connecting element at will. Yet more specifically, thickness 720t of contact portions 720 may be chosen within a wide range. After choosing the thickness 720t of contact portion 720, indented regions 250 may be formed defining each a respective concavity having a predetermined depth H matching the thickness 720t of contact portion 720. Furthermore, the width 256w of through hole 256 can be adjusted depending on thickness 740t of transport portion 740 of connecting element 700.
In
It should be observed that according to these embodiments, the protrusion or convexity formed by outer face 200of of back-contact back-sheet 200 in correspondence to an indented region has typically a height of a few hundred micrometers, which is a much smaller order of magnitude than the typical size dimensions of a back-contact back-sheet (approximately 1 meter×1.7 meters). Therefore, from a macroscopic point of view, the protrusion on outer face 200of of the back-contact back-sheet is barely perceptible. In this manner, outer face 200of may be considered to be almost flat, even after indented regions 250 have been formed. In this regard, it should also be observed that the height of a protrusion formed by outer face 200of of the back-contact back-sheet in correspondence to indenter region 250 may advantageously be reduced down to an allowed minimum limit by reducing the depth H of cavity 251 formed by indented region 250.
According to other embodiments of the invention not shown in the figures, the indented portion 250 of the back-contact back-sheet 200 is only formed in correspondence to inner face 200if of the back-contact back-sheet and not on outer face 200of. Hence, inner face 200if forms a concavity facing upwards in correspondence to indented region 250, whereas outer face 200of remains substantially flat. According to this embodiment, the depth H of the concavity formed by the indented region 250 is less than the thickness of back-contact back-sheet 200.
The external connecting element 900 is placed outside with respect to back-contact back-sheet, for example underneath the back-contact back-sheet, in contact with the outer side of the back-contact back-sheet and may for example be adapted to connect the system with a junction box.
The connecting element 700 is in electrical contact with the external connecting element 900 so as to allow electrical contact between the circuit 220c and the external connecting element 900. In particular, the transport portion 740 of the connecting element 700 goes through the hole 901 of the external connecting element 900. Moreover, the transport portion 740 is safely kept in its position by means of locking element 750. In particular, locking element 750 guarantees stability of the system by locking the connecting element 700 in the position shown in the figure, thus keeping the external connecting element 900 firmly fastened to the back-contact back-sheet 200.
The locking element 750 may comprise any kind of element known to the skilled person. For example, locking element 750 may be part of the connecting element 700 and may thus comprise for example an enlargement of the transport portion 740 of the connecting element 700, for example an enlargement of the stem of a rivet. Alternatively, the locking element may consist of a further element which is independent from the connecting element 700.
The docking element 750 is particularly advantageous because it allows the replacement of the fixing means 770 with an element which optimizes the electrical conductivity between the contact portion 720 of the connecting element 700 and the connecting circuit 220c but which does not necessarily guarantees the structural fixing, since this functionality is guaranteed by the locking element 750. In particular, whereas in some embodiments of the present invention the fixing means 770 comprises an electrically conductive adhesive, such as ECA, which optimizes the conduction and, at the same time, guarantees the fixing of the connecting element 700 to the system, in the embodiments wherein a locking element 750 is provided, it is possible to employ a conductive ring, made for example of copper or of aluminium or of a conductive elastomer, or a conductive paste, for example a carbon paste or a copper paste, instead of the fixing means 770. This allows avoiding the need of the polymerization of the electrically conductive adhesive, thus reducing production costs and time. In particular, electrically conductive adhesives must be polymerized with a procedure of about 15 minutes at a temperature comprised between 145° C. and 160° C. so as to guarantee the fixing functionality. On the contrary, when the system comprises a locking element 750, such as for example, the one schematically shown in
The external connecting element 900 may comprise one or more holes 901 for housing the transport portion 740 of the connecting element 700. The external connecting element 900 may be punched in advance, so as to exhibit one or more holes 901 prior to the assembly in the system as shown in
Alternatively, holes 901 may be made by means of the connecting element 700 itself. In particular, transport portion 740 of the connecting element 700 may be adapted to punch the external connecting element 900. For example, if the connecting element 700 comprises a rivet, the stem of the rivet may advantageously be pointed so as to punch the external connecting element 900. This embodiment is particularly advantageous because it is no longer necessary to align the holes of the external connecting element 900 to the through holes 256 of the back-contact back-sheet. In particular, the external connecting element 900 is placed underneath the back-contact back-sheet 200 and when the transport portion 740 of the connecting element 700 is inserted into the through hole 256, the external connecting element 900 is punched as well, thus forming the hole 901.
The present invention also proposes a method of manufacturing a back-contact back-sheet according to the embodiments discussed above.
During the first stage of the method according to the present invention, an insulating substrate 210 is provided in one of the forms described above with reference to
We now refer back to
A treatment may be applied to the upper surface of conductive material layer 220 in order to remove the layer of native oxide therefrom, thereby increasing the electrical conductivity. For example, after removing the oxide, a conductive protective layer may be deposited on the upper surface comprising a metal having a high conductivity and much less prone to oxidation than the metal constituting electrically conductive material 220. For example, a treatment aimed at removing the layer of native oxide may be applied to the upper surface followed by a deposition, preferably performed in a vacuum, of a thin protective metal layer. The treatment consisting of an oxide removal followed by deposition of the thin film may be advantageously performed onto conductive material layer 220 before this is coupled with substrate 210. This treatment has been described in Italian Patent Application Nr. VI2012A000266.
The treatment aimed at removing the oxide may comprise a wet or dry chemical etch. For example, a plasma may be used in order to remove the oxide layer from the upper surface of the electrically conductive layer. Advantageously, a hydrogen plasma may be used.
The deposition of the thin protective layer can be advantageously carried out by means of a chemical vapor deposition. Alternatively, well-established thin film deposition techniques may be used such as, for example, chemical vapor deposition, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, metal organic chemical vapor deposition, molecular beam epitaxy, etc. If the conductive material layer comprises aluminum, the protective layer preferably comprises silver or a metal alloy comprising silver. Together with or in alternative to silver, other metals may be deposited such as nickel, tin, tantalum, cobalt or even copper, or aluminum-copper alloys. Silver is an advantageous choice due to its high electrical conductivity. As a noble metal, silver is then particularly stable in air, since an exposed silver surface barely reacts with those gases (oxygen, water vapor, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, etc.) normally present in air at standard pressure. Furthermore, silver is compatible with the electrically conductive adhesives (such as ECA) which are typically silver based.
Electrically conductive material layer 220 may be attached to inner surface 210is of substrate 210 by means of adhesives. If inner surface 210is of substrate 210 comprise's a thermal adhesive material, such as for example in one of the embodiments described with reference to
Still with reference to
Alternatively, conductive material layer 220 is provided as a pre-printed foil wherein connecting circuit 220c has been previously formed. The foil printed in the form of a circuit is then attached to the inner surface 210is of insulating substrate 210 of the back-contact back-sheet 200.
On the upper surface 226 of connecting circuit 220c a thin layer of an organic material (organic solderability preservative, OSP) may be formed. An OSP layer may be formed, for example, by means of screen printing. OSP layers are particularly advantageous in the case of a connecting circuit comprising copper.
According to the method according to the present invention, after applying conductive layer 220 to substrate 210, one or more indented regions 250 are formed in predetermined areas of back-contact back-sheet 200, as shown in
In order to form an indented region 250, a plastic deformation of a predetermined area of the back-contact back-sheet 200 may be performed by using a well-established technique. For example, according to an embodiment of the invention, the deformation is performed by using a press comprising a pressing element and a matrix containing a housing for each pressing element. The pressing element comprises a protruding portion having the same shape, size dimensions and height of the indented region 250 to be formed. In particular, the protrusion of the pressing element comprises a flat portion extending on a horizontal plane adapted to form flat portion 252 of indented region 250 shown in
The plastic deformation of back-contact back-sheet 200 is thus a rather easy task to be accomplished, since well-established techniques are available.
The plastic deformation of back-contact back-sheet 200 in order to form indented regions 250 may be performed either before or after processing conductive layers 220 in order to form connecting circuit 220c. Advantageously, the plastic deformation may be carried out after connecting circuit 220c has been formed in conductive material layer 220. In this manner, the area or the predetermined position of back-contact back-sheet 200 in which indented region 250 is to be formed can be more easily identified. As noted above, it is crucial that indented region 250 includes a portion of connecting circuit connecting circuit 220c. Hence, determining where an indented region is to be formed is easier after connecting circuit 220c has been formed.
According to the method according to the present invention, back-contact back-sheet 200 is pierced in order to form therein one or more through holes extending from upper surface 226 of connecting circuit 220c to lower face 200of of the back-contact back-sheet. Each through holes 256 is formed within a respect indented region 250. Preferably, a through hole 256 is formed in the central flat portion 252 of a respective indented region 250. Preferably, only one through hole 256 is formed in one indented region 250.
Through holes 256 may be formed by using well-established mechanical techniques such as for example punching or milling. The task of forming through holes 256 is thus also relatively easy, since well-established techniques are available in the state of the art for this kind of task.
The operation of forming holes 256 may be carried out both before and after performing the plastic deformation in order to form one or more indented regions 250. Furthermore, holes 256 may be formed either before or after processing conductive layer 220 in order to form the connecting circuit 220c. Advantageously, holes 256 may be formed after connecting circuit 220c has been formed. In this case, analogously to the discussion provided above in regard to formation of indented region 250, forming holes 256 in pre-determined position of the back-contact back-sheet is easier if a connecting circuit has been previously formed which can be used as a position reference.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, through holes 256 are formed during the same operation permitting formation of the respective indented regions 250. According to this embodiment, an apparatus such as that schematically shown in
The back-contact back-sheet 200 to be pierced and deformed in a plastic manner is laid on the surface of matrix 860 facing pressing element 800. When pressing element 800 is pushed towards matrix 860, punch 840 initially abuts onto back-contact back-sheet 200 and subsequently pierces back-contact back-sheet 200, thereby forming a through hole 256 shown in
Again with reference to
In this manner, hole 256 and respective indented regions 250 may be formed by means of a single process stage. Furthermore, by using the apparatus shown in
Hence, the method according to the present invention allows one to form indented regions 250 and through holes 256 in a back-contact back-sheet inside which the appropriate connecting elements may be housed. In this manner, the electrical signal collected from the electrodes of the photovoltaic cells may be easily transferred outside of the photovoltaic module through the connecting circuit connecting circuit 220c. Through holes 256 as well as indented regions 250 are easily, quickly and cost effectively formed. The need can thus be avoided for forming windows through substrate 210 which expose towards the outside the lower surface of connecting circuit 220c.
After connecting circuit 220c, indented regions 250 and through holes 256 have been formed in the back-contact back-sheet, one or more connecting elements 700 may be coupled with and attached to the back-contact back-sheet 200, as described above with reference to
Connecting element 700 is then fixed to the inside of the indented region 250 wherein through hole 256 is formed, so that its contact portion 720 is housed in the cavity 251 formed by connecting circuit 220c in correspondence to indented region 250. In particular, connecting element 700 is fixed to the exposed upper surface 226 of connecting circuit 220c so that the exposed surface 722 of its contact portion 720 is substantially coplanar with the portion of upper surface 226 of connecting circuit connecting circuit 220c not included in any indented regions 250. Thus, the face of the back-contact back-sheet facing the inside of the photovoltaic module is substantially flat after connecting elements 700 have been fixed to connecting circuit 220c.
Contact portion 720 of connecting element 700 may be easily fixed to upper surface 226 of connecting circuit 220c in the manner described above. In particular, the fixing operation is easier with respect to the state of the art in that it is carried out on the upper surface of the connecting circuit and not on its lower surface, as the method known from the state of the art requires. This enables an easier, more reliable and more effective connection of the connecting element to the connecting circuit.
After inserting a connecting element 700 into through hole 256 and after fixing the connecting element to the portion of connecting circuit 220c included in the indented region 250 in which hole 256 lies, transport portion 740 of connecting element 700 may be bent with respect to contact portion 720 so that the plain defined by transport portion 740 is parallel to the plain defined by those portions of outer face 200of of back-contact back-sheet 200 not included in any indented regions 250.
Advantageously, transport portion 740 is bent so as to adhere to outer face 200of of back-contact back-sheet 200. The system thus takes the final configuration shown in
This operation of bending transport portion 740 is preferably performed before laminating the photovoltaic module.
After all connecting elements 700 have been coupled to back-contact back-sheet 200 and fixed to connecting circuit connecting circuit 220c, the process of manufacturing the photovoltaic module continues as described with reference to
Again with reference to
After depositing a lump of conductive paste 300 onto each contact pad 222 of connecting circuit 220c, photovoltaic cells 600 are laid onto lower encapsulating material layer 400 or onto the multilayered structure which have been previously pierced. Cells are arranged onto lower encapsulating material layer 400 or the multilayered structure so that their electrodes 620 and 640 are electrically connected to contact pads 222 of connecting circuit 220c by means of the lumps of conductive paste 300.
Upper encapsulating material layer 450, arranged on the cells and upper protective layer 800, arranged on upper encapsulating material layer 450, then complete the stack. The stack thus formed is then laminated as described above so as to obtain the assembled photovoltaic module.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiment described above, it is clear for a skilled person that it is possible to design several modifications, variations and improvements of the present invention in view of the teachings described above and within the scope of the attached claims without departing from the object and the scope of protection of the invention. Furthermore, those aspects deemed to be known by a skilled person have not been described in order to unduly obfuscate the described invention. Consequently, the invention is not restricted to the embodiments described above and is exclusively limited by the scope of protection of the attached claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| VI2013A000117 | Apr 2013 | IT | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2014/060740 | 4/15/2014 | WO | 00 |
