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:
Apr. 10, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 20, 1998
Ayako Komori, Joyo, JP;
Akiharu Takabayashi, Nara, JP;
Toshihiko Mimura, Nara, JP;
Masahiro Mori, Soraku-gun, JP;
Takeshi Takada, Kyotanabe, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
In order to ensure long-term reliability when a photovoltaic element is bent or curved to be deformed: (1) In a method for manufacturing a solar cell module having a photovoltaic element encapsulated with a resin on a support member, the step is adopted which forms a bent portion in the photovoltaic element and in the support member, wherein the formation of the bent portion is performed while reducing a working pressure in the normal direction to a surface of the photovoltaic element; and (2) In a solar cell module comprising a photovoltaic element comprising at least one photoactive semiconductor layer on a flexible substrate, at least a part of the flexible substrate is subjected to tensile deformation in the direction parallel to a surface of the substrate with a strain less than a critical strain to lower the fill factor of the photovoltaic element, whereby the photovoltaic element is deformed.