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:
Jun. 13, 2000
Filed:
Apr. 28, 1998
Masahiro Mori, Soraku-gun, JP;
Akiharu Takabayashi, Nara, JP;
Toshihiko Mimura, Nara, JP;
Takeshi Takada, Kyotanabe, JP;
Ayako Komori, Joyo, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A solar-cell module is provided which comprises a photovoltaic device sealed on a reinforcing sheet with a filler material, wherein the reinforcing sheet has unevenness formed by plastic deformation, on its surface at least on the side of the photovoltaic device and at least partly on the surface, and a space defined by the unevenness and the photovoltaic device is filled with the filler material. The solar-cell module is produced by a process comprising the steps of superposing at least a thermoplastic-resin sheet member and a photovoltaic device on a reinforcing sheet having unevenness on its surface, and heating the thermoplastic-resin sheet member, the photovoltaic device and the reinforcing sheet while removing air from a space between the reinforcing sheet and the thermoplastic-resin sheet member and a space between the thermoplastic resin sheet member and the photovoltaic device, to bring them into close contact to fix to each other. A solar-cell module can thereby be provided which has no trapped air portions that may be formed between the filler material and the reinforcing sheet when the photovoltaic device is sealed with the filler material and fixed onto the reinforcing sheet to produce the solar-cell module.