The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 14, 1995
Filed:
Jun. 29, 1994
Milfred D Hammerbacher, Dallas, TX (US);
Russell R Schmit, Plano, TX (US);
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
A flexible cover (14) for a flexible solar cell (12) protects the cell from the ambient and increases the cell's efficiency. The cell (12)includes silicon particles (16) held in a flexible aluminum sheet matrix (20,22). The cover (14) is a flexible, protective layer (60) of a light-transparent material such as a fluoropolymer, preferably TEFZEL.RTM. film having a relatively flat upper, free surface (64) and an opposed surface (66) coated with an adhesive, preferably EVA. The surface (66) is applied to the particles (16) so as to include first portions (68) which conform to the poles (31 P) and the polar regions (31R) of the particles (16) and second, projecting convex (72) or concave (90) prism-like portions which define spaces (78) in conjunction with the reflective surface (20T) of one aluminum sheet (20). Without the cover (14), light (50) falling on the surface (20T) between the particles (16) is wasted, that is, it does not fall on a particle (16). The surfaces of the second portions (72,90) are non-parallel to the direction of the otherwise wasted light (50), which, together with a selected relationship between the refractive indices of the cover 14 and the spaces (78), results in sufficient diffraction of the otherwise wasted light (50) so that about 25% of it is reflected from the surface (20T) onto a particle (16).