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.

Date of Patent:
Sep. 25, 2001

Filed:

Feb. 23, 1999
Applicant:
Inventors:

Tsuyoshi Uematsu, Kodaira, JP;

Terunori Warabisako, Nishitama-gun, JP;

Yoshiaki Yazawa, Houya, JP;

Yoshinori Miyamura, Nishitama-gun, JP;

Ken Tsutsui, Nishitama-gun, JP;

Shin-ichi Muramatsu, Kodaira, JP;

Hiroyuki Ohtsuka, Hachioji, JP;

Junko Minemura, Kokubunji, JP;

Assignee:

Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 3/10232 ; G02B 3/08 ; G02B 1/700 ; G01C 2/102 ; H01J 3/14 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 3/10232 ; G02B 3/08 ; G02B 1/700 ; G01C 2/102 ; H01J 3/14 ;
Abstract

Disclosed is a photovoltaic module including a plurality of concentrators each having a light-incident plane and a reflection plane, and photo detectors. Each photo detector is in contact with one of the concentrators. The module is capable of effectively trapping light and effectively generating power throughout the year even if the module is established such that sunlight at the equinoxes is made incident on the light-incident planes not in a perpendicular manner but instead obliquely, for example, in the case where the module is established in contact with a curved plane of a roof, or the like. In this module, each concentrator is formed into such a shape as to satisfy a relationship in which the light trapping efficiency of first incident light tilted rightwardly from the normal line of the light-incident plane in the cross-section including the light-incident plane, reflection plane and photo detector is larger than the light trapping efficiency of second incident light tilted leftwardly from the normal line in the above cross-section. Also, these concentrators are arranged in one direction.


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