The present invention relates to a structure and method for connecting a junction box to a solar cell module, and more particularly to a method in which at least one support pin is used to assist in the connection of a junction box to a solar cell module.
Solar power has now been widely applied in people's daily life. Typical examples of environment-friendly application of solar power include solar energy water heaters, solar energy street lamps, and even grid-connected solar generating systems. With the grid-connected solar generating systems, a power company can integrate regular utility power with the solar power generated by individual solar cell modules for distributing to users in a large region. Following the increased solar cell efficiency, the reduced solar cell cost, and the rising awareness of environmental protection, the solar energy industry is now ready to boom with hopeful growth in the future.
A junction box is one of the most important components in a solar cell module. Power generated by individual solar cells is collected at the junction box before being output. Without the junction box, the solar cell module would not be able to work properly to achieve the power generation function thereof and would also have the problem of safety in use.
With the above-described first conventional connecting structure, the junction box is secured to the solar cell module via the fixing sealant externally applied on the end surface of the solar cell module. Since the fixing sealant requires a period of time to cure, the junction box tends to separate from the solar cell module before the fixing sealant is fully cured. Thus, with the first conventional connecting structure, a lot of time and labor will be consumed to connect the junction box to the solar cell module.
To overcome the problem in the first conventional connecting structure, there is developed a second conventional connecting structure for connecting a junction box to a solar cell module. Please refer to
To overcome the above problem, there is further developed a third conventional connecting structure is for connecting a junction box to a solar cell module. Please refer to
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a structure for connecting junction box to solar cell module. The connecting structure includes a solar cell module, a junction box, and at least one support pin. The support pin includes a plug section for plugging in and accordingly holding to a socket section provided on the junction box, a support section for embedding in laminated layers of the solar cell module, and a stop section for internally pressing against an end surface of the solar cell module.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for connecting junction box to solar cell module. The connecting method includes the steps of providing a socket section on a junction box; designing a support pin having at least a plug section, a stop section and a support section, so that the plug section has a configuration suitable for detachably plugging in and holding to the socket section of the junction box; embedding the support section of the support pin a plurality of laminated layers of the solar cell module during a laminating process thereof; and internally pressing the stop section of the support pin against an end surface of the solar cell module.
The connecting method further includes the following steps: externally applying a layer of fixing sealant on the stop section of the support pin and the solar cell module at areas for connecting to the junction box with the plug section exposed from the layer of fixing sealant; and finally, plugging the plug section into the socket section of the junction box to connect the junction box to an end surface of the solar cell module.
In the connecting structure and method of the present invention, the support pin is embedded in the laminated layers of the solar cell module for connecting the junction box to the solar cell module. With the support section of the support pin embedded in the laminated layers of the solar cell module, the support section can provide good supporting strength to the junction box. And, with the stop section of the support pin internally pressed against the end surface of the solar cell module, a limiting and lateral supporting effect can be provided to the junction box.
With the above arrangements, the structure and method for connecting junction box to solar cell module according to the present invention has one or more of the following advantages:
(1) The junction box connected to the solar cell module is protected against the risk of separating from the solar cell due to uncured fixing sealant; and
(2) The support pin can be easily designed to have a thickness smaller than that of the solar cell module, and can therefore be advantageously embedded in the solar cell module during the laminating process thereof. And, the junction box will not have an increased thickness due to any specially designed shape thereof.
The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein
The present invention will now be described with some preferred embodiments thereof and with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the purpose of easy to understand, elements that are the same in the preferred embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals.
Please refer to
In the first embodiment, the connecting structure includes a solar cell module 40, a junction box 42, and at least one support pin 44. The junction box 42 is provided with a socket section 420, and the support pin 44 includes at least a plug section 440, a support section 442, and a stop section 444 located between the plug section 440 and the support section 442. The support section 442 is located in one of a plurality of laminated layers 400 of the solar cell module 40 so as to provide support strength from inside of the solar cell module 40 to the junction box 42. The stop section 444 internally presses against an end surface of the solar cell module 40 to thereby enable a limiting and lateral supporting effect. The plug section 440 of the support pin 44 is exposed from a layer of fixing sealant 46 externally applied on the end surface of the solar cell module 40 for detachably plugging in and accordingly holding to the socket section 420 of the junction box 42. In the first embodiment, the socket section 420 of the junction box 42 includes two sockets, and the plug section 440 of the support pin 44 includes two projections configured corresponding to the two sockets, so that the two projections of the plug section 440 can be fitly plugged in the two sockets of the socket section 420.
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What is to be noted is the support pins are made of an engineering plastic material capable of resisting a high processing temperature more than 100° C., including but not limited to modified polyphenylene ether (PPE) or modified polyphenylene oxide (PPO). Further, the support sections of the support pins are respectively a flat plate with a predetermined length for embedding in the laminated layers of the solar cell module and can therefore provide support strength.
As can be seen from
What is to be further noted is that, in the case of a support pin having a plurality of support sections, the support sections can be separately located on different layers. In other words, while some of the support sections on the same one support pin are embedded between the face layer and the PV cell layer, other support sections thereof can be embedded between the PV cell layer and the back layer, so that support strength can be provided by the support sections at different layers of the solar cell module.
The present invention also provides a method for connecting a junction box to a solar cell module. Please refer to
S10: First, providing a socket section on the junction box to be connected to the solar cell module;
S20: Designing a support pin having at least a plug section, a support section and a stop section; wherein the plug section is configured for detachably plugging in and accordingly holding to the socket section of the junction box;
S30: Then, disposing the support section of the at least one support pin on one of a plurality of laminated layers of the solar panel module during a laminating process for forming the solar cell module, so that the support section is embedded in the laminated layers to provide support strength from inside of the solar cell module to the junction box;
S40: After embedding the support section in the laminated layers of the solar cell module, bringing the stop section to internally press against an end surface of the solar cell module to enable a limiting and lateral supporting effect;
S50: After embedding the support section of the support pin in the solar cell module and finishing the laminating process, bringing the stop section to contact with a layer of fixing sealant externally applied on the end surface of the solar cell module with the plug section exposed from the fixing sealant; and
S60: Finally, after the support pin is held to the solar cell module, plugging the plug section of the support pin into the socket section of the junction box to connect the junction box to the end surface of the solar cell module.
It is noted the support pins are made of an engineering plastic material capable of resisting a high processing temperature more than 100° C., including but not limited to modified polyphenylene ether (PPE) or modified polyphenylene oxide (PPO). Further, the support sections of the support pins are respectively a flat plate with a predetermined length for embedding in the laminated layers of the solar cell module and can therefore provide support strength.
In the present invention, by embedding the support section of the at least one support pin in the laminated layers of the solar cell module, the support section can provide support strength from inside of the solar cell module to the junction box, and the stop section can provide limiting and lateral supporting effect to enable effective support and connection of the junction box to the end surface of the solar cell module, protecting the junction box against the risk of separating from the solar cell module and becoming broken before the fixing sealant is fully cured. Further, since the support pin can be easily designed to have a thickness smaller than that of the solar cell module, the support section can be advantageously embedded in the solar cell module during the laminating process thereof. With these arrangements, the junction boxes will not have an increased thickness due to any specially designed shape thereof.
The present invention has been described with some preferred embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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098133432 | Oct 2009 | TW | national |