A device for single-sided tin plating of a triangular conductive wire

Abstract

This invention provides a single-sided tin coating device for triangular conductive wires, including a tin furnace, a conductive wire conveying section, and a molten solder conveying pump section. The molten solder conveying pump section has a pump body, within which a molten solder return channel and a molten solder main channel are arranged. The molten solder return channel is located above the molten solder main channel, and its inlet is connected to the molten solder main channel in the forward direction of the driving pump. A molten solder diverting device is arranged in front of the inlet of the molten solder return channel to divert a portion of the molten solder into the molten solder return channel. The molten solder return channel is an arched channel with its top exposed above the molten solder bath, and the exposed part is open to allow the conductive wire to contact the molten solder. Using this device, the problems of tin layer thickness control and production efficiency in the single-sided tin coating process of triangular conductive wires are solved. The tin coating thickness is achieved by controlling the tin flow rate in the return channel of the pump body. Even when increasing the take-up and undo speed, the tin layer thickness can still be controlled by controlling the tin flow rate in the return channel, thus greatly improving production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of photovoltaic technology, specifically to a device for single-sided tin coating of triangular conductive wires. Background Technology

[0002] With the escalating global greenhouse gas emissions and the severe problem of climate change, the international community's demand and pressure to reduce carbon emissions are increasing year by year. Traditional fossil fuels face problems such as price fluctuations, resource depletion, and environmental pollution, making energy transition imperative. Solar energy, as a clean and renewable energy source, has broad application prospects, and photovoltaic power generation is the ultimate direction for new energy in the long term. In the long run, photovoltaic power generation, due to its enormous potential, will become the mainstay of the world's energy supply. Therefore, the production of photovoltaic modules is the most important link in photovoltaic power generation. How to improve the power generation efficiency of modules has always been a research topic for major manufacturers. Among them, conductive wires, as the connection of cells, have been continuously updated and developed, resulting in various specifications and shapes of conductive wires, such as rectangular, circular, elliptical, and triangular conductive wires. Among them, triangular conductive wires are more conducive to improving the power generation of solar cells. In order to increase emissivity and reduce production costs, we have adopted a single-sided tin coating technology to achieve this goal. However, the key issues in single-sided tin coating are controlling the thickness of the tin layer and the production efficiency, so a new type of tin coating device needs to be developed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a device for single-sided tin coating of triangular conductive wires, so as to satisfy the single-sided tin coating of triangular conductive wires and control the thickness of the tin layer and production efficiency.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A single-sided tin coating device for triangular conductive wires includes a tin furnace, a conductive wire conveying section, and a molten tin conveying pump section. The tin furnace has a molten tin tank, and the molten tin conveying pump section has a pump body. A molten tin return channel and a molten tin main channel are arranged in the pump body. A drive pump is arranged in the molten tin main channel, and the molten tin main channel is completely immersed in the molten tin tank. The molten tin return channel is located above the molten tin main channel. The inlet of the molten tin return channel is connected to the molten tin main channel in the forward direction of the drive pump. A molten tin diversion device is arranged in front of the inlet of the molten tin return channel to divert a portion of the molten tin to the molten tin return channel. The molten tin return channel is an arched channel with its top exposed above the molten tin tank. The exposed part has an opening to allow the conductive wire to contact the molten tin. The opening forms the conductive wire tin coating tank.

[0005] Preferably, the solder slurry diversion device is a current limiting device installed in the main solder slurry channel.

[0006] More preferably, the flow limiting device is a flow regulating valve.

[0007] Preferably, the inlet and outlet of the molten solder return channel are both connected to the main molten solder channel, wherein the inlet is located in front of the drive pump and the outlet is located behind the drive pump.

[0008] Preferably, the drive pump is a common normal gear pump.

[0009] Preferably, a pressure relief valve is provided on the molten solder return channel, and the pressure relief valve is located between the feed port and the conductive wire soldering bath.

[0010] Preferably, the conductive wire conveying section includes a conductive wire protection wheel, which is located above the conductive wire tin coating tank. The conductive wire is partially wound around the protection wheel, and the protection wheel descends to bring the conductive wire into contact with the molten solder.

[0011] More preferably, the surface of the conductive wire tin coating tank is arc-shaped to facilitate the contact of the conductive wire protection wheel with the surface.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the conductive wire protection wheel, a conductive wire receiving groove is formed on the side of the conductive wire protection wheel, and the size of the receiving groove is designed so that only one side of the conductive wire is exposed to the molten solder contact.

[0013] Furthermore, the cross-section of the receiving groove is triangular in order to better fit the triangular conductive wire.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: by using the device of the present invention, the problems of tin layer thickness control and production efficiency in the single-sided tin coating process of triangular conductive wire are solved. The tin coating thickness is achieved by the tin flow rate of the pump body return channel. When the take-up and unwinding speed is increased, the tin layer thickness can also be controlled by the tin flow rate of the return channel, which greatly improves the production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the triangular conductive wire single-sided tin coating device of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the sagittal cross-section of the conductive wire protection wheel on the single-sided tin coating device for the triangular conductive wire of the present invention. Figure 3 for Figure 2 An enlarged schematic diagram of the circled area shows the receiving groove on the protective wheel.

[0016] In the diagram: 1. Solder furnace; 2. Solder bath; 3. Pump body; 4. Main channel; 5. Gear pump; 6. Front section of return channel; 7. Rear section of return channel; 8. Wheel core; 9. Wheel disc; 10. Conductive wire; 11. Soldering bath; 12. Flow regulating valve; 13. Pressure relief valve; 14. Receiving tank. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0018] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "front end," "rear end," "both ends," "one end," and "the other end," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0019] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "equipped with," "connected," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0020] To meet the requirements of single-sided tin coating of triangular conductive wires while controlling the tin layer thickness and production efficiency, this invention proposes a novel single-sided tin coating device for triangular conductive wires. This device first protects two sides of the triangular conductive wire from tin contamination, then reacts the third side with tin to achieve single-sided tin coating. Secondly, the tin layer thickness needs to be controlled, maintaining a thickness between 0.1μm and 10μm within a manageable range. Since component manufacturing requires a large number of conductive wires, production efficiency is crucial. This device can produce the required qualified products at different conductive wire routing speeds.

[0021] See Figure 1 The core components of the triangular conductive wire single-sided tin coating device of the present invention include a triangular conductive wire double-sided protective wheel, an adjustable flow and pressure delivery pump, and an adjustable temperature tin furnace.

[0022] The adjustable temperature solder bath 1 melts the solder block and maintains a certain temperature, keeping the solder in the solder bath 2 in a molten state. Glycerin is preferably placed on the surface of the solder bath as a protective liquid to isolate the solder from the air.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, the pump body 3 of the transfer pump is immersed in the molten solder bath 2. The self-made transfer pump with adjustable flow and pressure control uses a gear pump 5 as the drive pump. This invention employs a different gear pump principle than conventional ones, using a common normal gear pump, which is simple and compact in structure, small in size, light in weight, easy to manufacture, inexpensive to produce, has strong self-priming force, is insensitive to oil contamination, has a wide speed range, can withstand impact loads, is easy to maintain, and is reliable in operation. The most unique design feature of this transfer pump is the pump body 3. In this invention, in addition to the main flow channel 4, a return flow channel is added to the pump body 3. The return flow channel is arched, and its inlet and outlet are connected to the main flow channel 4 at the front and rear of the gear pump 5, respectively. The reflux channel is divided into two sections. The first section 6, from the inlet to the top of the arch, has a diameter of 3mm and an upward angle of 10 degrees to ensure that the molten solder can be sprayed onto the conductive wire 10. Then, it enters the second section 7, which has a diameter of 6mm to completely retract the solder. A groove is cut at the top of the junction of the first and second sections 6 to allow the bottom edge of the protective wheel to enter the reflux channel and contact the solder. This groove is called the solder coating groove 11, and its cross-section is preferably arc-shaped to ensure a complete fit between the bottom edge of the protective wheel and the groove opening. Two valves are added to the pump body 3: a pressure relief valve 13 located on the first section 6, which controls the flow rate of the molten solder in the reflux channel, thereby controlling the solder head; and a flow regulating valve 12 located at the outlet of the main flow channel of the pump body, which controls the output flow rate of the pump body, thereby controlling the amount of solder entering the reflux channel. Since tin has a melting point of 231.88℃ and a boiling point of 2270℃, and does not react with steel, all components of the pump are preferably made of stainless steel.

[0024] When the device of the present invention is in operation, firstly, tin blocks are placed in the tin furnace 1 and brought to a molten state. Then, the gear pump 5 is started to allow the tin to flow in the furnace. The flow rate of the pump is adjusted by the flow regulating valve 12 on the pump body 3. The cooperation between the flow regulating valve 12 and the gear pump 5 ensures that the tin can flow back, so that there will be tin flowing in the return channel. Then, the flow rate and head of the tin in the return channel are controlled by adjusting the pressure relief valve 13. The amount of tin in the return channel is observed from the tin coating tank 11 at the upper end of the return channel. When the flow rate and head are stable, the conductive wire 10 is embedded in the isosceles triangular groove 14 of the protective wheel. The protective wheel is lowered to embed it into the arc-shaped groove above the pump body, and the wire feeding and take-up mechanism is started to work. In this way, a tin layer can be coated on one side of the conductive wire. After adjusting a section of conductive wire, remove it and test the thickness of the tin layer to see if it meets the product requirements. If it does not meet the requirements, the thickness of the tin layer can be controlled by adjusting the pressure relief valve and the flow control valve. If the flow control valve is opened wider and the pressure relief valve is kept unchanged, the tin layer will become thinner. If the flow control valve is kept unchanged and the pressure relief valve is increased, the tin layer will become thicker.

[0025] Figure 2The structure of the protective wheel is shown. The triangular conductive wire protective wheel is generally made of PEEK (polyetheretherketone), a special engineering plastic with excellent properties such as high temperature resistance, self-lubrication, easy processing, and high mechanical strength, fully meeting the requirements of its working environment and wear resistance. In one embodiment, a wheel with a diameter of 44mm and a width of 1mm is made of PEEK material as the triangular conductive wire protective structure (protective wheel), which has a wheel core 8 and a wheel disc 9. Preferably, a receiving groove 14 for accommodating the conductive wire 10 is formed on the edge of the wheel disc 9; most preferably, it is an isosceles triangular groove with a base length of 0.2mm and a vertex angle of 55 degrees. Figure 3 As shown. The processing requirements for the receiving groove are high, and the bottom edge length error is controlled within 0.01mm-0.05mm, so that the triangular conductive wire can be embedded in the groove and fit tightly, thus protecting both sides of the triangular conductive wire while exposing one side.

[0026] This invention utilizes the pressure relief and backflow of a gear pump to coat the surface of conductive wires, achieving single-sided tinning, rather than the conventional method of using the gear pump's output port to impact the conductive wires for tinning. Furthermore, this invention differs from hot-dip tinning. While hot-dip tinning is advantageous for producing conventional conductive wires, where the entire wire is immersed in the tin, it is extremely difficult to control the tin layer thickness for single-sided tinning of triangular conductive wires, resulting in unstable production and low efficiency. In contrast, this invention's tinning device offers strong controllability and is highly stable, unaffected by temperature, vibration, or other factors. It expands the controllable range, effectively controlling the tin layer thickness and production speed, while also better ensuring product stability and improving production efficiency.

[0027] The device of this invention solves the problem of controlling the thickness of the tin layer on one side of the triangular conductive wire and improving production efficiency. The thickness of the tin coating is achieved by controlling the tin flow rate in the pump return channel. When increasing the take-up and unwinding speed, the thickness of the tin layer can also be controlled by controlling the tin flow rate in the return channel, thus greatly improving production efficiency.

[0028] It should be understood that although this invention is illustrated using a gear pump as an example, the spirit of this invention lies in the design of the return channel outside the main flow channel of the pump body. The specific driving method can be other than a gear pump. While specifications applicable to conventional conductive wires are shown in the embodiments, these are merely illustrative examples and not intended to limit the scope of protection of this invention. Those skilled in the art, understanding the principles, can easily use other specifications of equipment components for conductive wires of other specifications. Therefore, the specifications in the embodiments of this invention should not limit the scope of protection of the claims of this application. Furthermore, any aspects not detailed in this invention are well-known to those skilled in the art.

[0029] Finally, it should be noted that the above specific embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications and equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications and substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for single-sided tin coating of a triangular conductive wire, characterized in that, The device includes a solder furnace, a conductive wire conveying section, and a solder conveying pump section. The solder furnace has a solder molten tank, and the solder conveying pump section has a pump body. A solder return channel and a solder main channel are set in the pump body. A drive pump is set in the solder main channel, and the solder main channel is completely immersed in the solder molten tank. The solder return channel is located above the solder main channel. The inlet of the solder return channel is connected to the solder main channel in the forward direction of the drive pump. A solder diversion device is set in front of the inlet of the solder return channel to divert a portion of the solder to the solder return channel. The solder return channel is an arched channel with its top exposed above the solder molten tank. The exposed part has an opening to allow the conductive wire to contact the solder. The opening forms a conductive wire soldering tank.

2. The single-sided tin-coating device for triangular conductive wires as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The solder sliding device is a current limiting device installed in the main solder sliding channel.

3. The single-sided tin-coating device for triangular conductive wires as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The flow limiting device is a flow regulating valve.

4. The single-sided tin-coating device for triangular conductive wires as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inlet and outlet of the molten solder return channel are both connected to the main molten solder channel, with the inlet located in front of the drive pump and the outlet located behind the drive pump.

5. The single-sided tin-coating device for triangular conductive wires as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drive pump is a common normal gear pump.

6. The single-sided tin-coating device for triangular conductive wires as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A pressure relief valve is installed on the molten solder return channel, and the pressure relief valve is located between the feed port and the conductive wire soldering bath.

7. The single-sided tin-coating device for triangular conductive wires as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The conductive wire conveying section includes a conductive wire protection wheel, which is located above the conductive wire tin coating tank. The conductive wire is partially wound around the protection wheel, and the protection wheel descends to bring the conductive wire into contact with the molten solder.

8. The single-sided tin-coating device for triangular conductive wires as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The surface of the conductive wire tin coating tank is arc-shaped to facilitate the contact of the conductive wire protection wheel with the surface.

9. The single-sided tin-coating device for triangular conductive wires as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The conductive wire protection wheel has a conductive wire receiving groove on its side. The size of the receiving groove is designed so that only one side of the conductive wire is exposed to the molten solder.

10. The single-sided tin-coating device for triangular conductive wires as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The cross-section of the receiving groove is triangular.

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