Process and apparatus for producing a substrate having a coating resin layer

Abstract

A coating apparatus process for producing a coating resin layer on a substrate includes a fastening table for fastening the substrate and a spout for spouting a resin layer precursor onto the substrate.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 10 / 323,893, filed Dec. 20, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,953,599.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to a process and an apparatus for producing a substrate having a coating resin layer which excels in the weather resistance and durability and which also excels in productivity. [0004] 2. Related Background Art [0005] In the case where a substrate such as a plastic plate, a steel plate or a galvanized steel plate is used outdoors, there is often adopted such a manner that prior to using said substrate, decorative coating is performed so that the substrate has improved weather resistance and improved durability. In this case, for instance, when the substrate is a steel plate or a galvanized steel plate, it is important that a coating material which is satisfactory in terms of the weather resistance and the durability is used for the decorative coating and the inter...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018] An object of the present invention is to provide a process which enables to efficiently produce a substrate having a coating resin layer which resin-seals said substrate and which excels in the weather resistance and durability (this process will be hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate production process”).

[0019] Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which enables to efficiently produce a substrate having a coating resin layer which resin-seals said substrate and which excels in the weather resistance and durability (this apparatus will be hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate production apparatus”).

[0041] The present invention has significant advantages which cannot be easily expected from the prior art. Particularly, for instance, in order to resin-seal a substrate having a photovoltaic element as a typical example of the substrate which is used outdoors, by making the fastening table and the conveying system to be smaller than said substrate as above described, when the resin layer precursor is applied on the substrate to coat the substrate, the fastening table and the conveying system are prevented from being stained with the resin layer precursor. Because of this, the maintenance frequency of the apparatus can be diminished, and the operating efficiency of the apparatus is improved.

[0042] In addition, because the fastening table and the conveying system are not stained as above described, there is not such an occasion that contaminants are transferred to the photovoltaic element as the substrate from the fastening table or the conveying system to deteriorate the yield. Further, by using a resin layer precursor having a viscosity in a range of from 10 to 1000 mPa.s as the resin layer precursor, the edge portions of the photovoltaic element can be resin-sealed in a desirable state.

[0043] Further, in addition, by making the waste liquid pan to function in the same manner as the weir member does, the constitution of the apparatus can be simplified and the maintenance of the apparatus can be also simplified. These factors make it possible to efficiently resin-seal the substrate having the photovoltaic element. Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to continuously produce a photovoltaic element (or a solar cell) having a resin-sealed structure which has an excellent exterior appearance and which excels in the weather resistance and durability.

Problems solved by technology

However, these solar cell production processes using such lamination have disadvantages such that a plurality of lamination materials are necessary to be used and a large investment in plant and equipment is required, and therefore, the resulting solar cell unavoidably becomes costly, and this results in a raise in the power generation cost of the solar cell.

However, any of the resin-sealing methods has such disadvantages as will be described in the following.

This makes the apparatus complicated, and an extra investment therefor is necessitated.

When the resin sealing of the photovoltaic element is continuously performed while disregarding the incidence in that the conveyor belt is stained, the yield of a product is disadvantageously decreased.

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