A solar cell surface coating device and method

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of solar cell piece surface film coating devices, including rotating platform, feed conveying line, vision system, feed transfer machine, inkjet printing system, discharge conveying line and discharge transfer machine.Rotating platform includes rotating motor and the cross type platform installed on rotating motor;Cross type platform includes center round plate and four pieces of supporting plate, and each supporting plate carries two pieces of battery in parallel;At the periphery of center round plate, every 90 ° is set up feed station, reserved station, printing station and discharge station;Feed conveying line is aligned with feed station;Vision system is installed above feed station;Feed transfer machine is installed on the side of feed station;Inkjet printing system is installed above printing station;Discharge conveying line is installed on the side of discharge station;Discharge transfer machine is installed between above discharge station and the import end of discharge conveying line.The application can realize complex pattern instant printing, and can guarantee printing quality, reduce production cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a coating device and method for the surface of a solar cell. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of photovoltaic solar cell technology, the requirements for reducing physical damage to the surface of solar cells during production and transportation are constantly increasing, especially for high-efficiency solar energy technologies such as IBC solar cells and perovskite tandem solar cells. Currently, solar cells are generally produced using screen printing, which involves printing a protective film (such as a colloid) onto the surface of the solar cell. Screen printing requires screen printing equipment, as well as auxiliary materials such as screen printing stencils and squeegees. Furthermore, the screen printing process involves contact with the surface of the solar cell, making it prone to surface contamination. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide an apparatus and method for coating the surface of solar cells, which can realize the instant printing of complex graphics, ensure printing quality, reduce production costs, and reduce the area occupied in the manufacturing plant.

[0004] One technical solution to achieve the objective of this invention is: a coating device for the surface of a solar cell, comprising a rotating platform, a feeding conveyor line, a vision system, a feeding transfer machine, an inkjet printing system, an output conveyor line, and an output transfer machine; wherein, The rotating platform includes a rotating motor and a cross-shaped platform mounted on the rotating motor; the cross-shaped platform includes a central circular plate and four trays that extend radially along the outer edge of the central circular plate, each tray bearing two battery cells in parallel; a station is set every 90° around the central circular plate corresponding to the position of the tray, namely a feeding station, a reserved station, a printing station, and a discharging station. The feed conveyor line is installed at the outlet end of the rotating platform and aligned with the feed station; The vision system is installed above the material feeding station of the rotating platform; The feeding transfer machine is installed between the side of the feeding conveyor line and the side of the feeding station of the rotating platform; The inkjet printing system is installed above the printing station of the rotating platform. The inkjet printing system includes a horizontal motion module, a vertical motion module installed on the horizontal motion module, and an inkjet printer installed on the vertical motion module. The discharge transmission line is installed beside the discharge station of the rotating platform and is perpendicular to the discharge station. The material discharge transplanter is installed above the discharge station of the rotating platform and above the inlet end of the discharge transmission line.

[0005] In the aforementioned coating device for the surface of solar cells, the cross-shaped platform of the rotating platform is mounted on a rotating motor via a low-torque rotary joint.

[0006] The aforementioned coating device for the surface of solar cells includes an infeed conveyor line comprising two parallel conveyor stations, each conveyor station comprising a frame, two conveyor belts mounted on the top of the frame, and a conveyor belt drive mechanism consisting of a stepper motor and a synchronous belt drive mechanism; the structure of the outfeed conveyor line is the same as that of the infeed conveyor line.

[0007] The aforementioned coating device for solar cell surfaces includes a vision system comprising four high-definition cameras mounted above the feeding station of the rotating platform via brackets.

[0008] The aforementioned coating device for solar cell surfaces includes a feeding and transfer machine comprising a base with a lower linear motion module mounted on top, a C-shaped support mounted on the lower linear motion mechanism, two upper and lower telescopic cylinders mounted on the top of the C-shaped support, and two suction cups mounted one-to-one on the piston rod ends of the two upper and lower telescopic cylinders; the distance between the two upper and lower telescopic cylinders is adapted to the distance between the two solar cells at each station of the rotating platform. The lower linear motion module includes a lower linear drive stator mounted on the base and a lower linear drive mover mounted on the lower linear drive stator; the C-shaped support is mounted on the lower linear drive mover.

[0009] The aforementioned coating device for the surface of a solar cell includes an inkjet printer comprising a hexahedral printing chamber, a printhead, and a UV curing lamp; the printing chamber is divided into an inkjet chamber and a UV light source chamber by a partition; the inkjet chamber contains photosensitive ink or photoresist; the printhead is installed at the bottom of the inkjet chamber; and the UV curing lamp is installed at the bottom of the UV light source chamber.

[0010] In the aforementioned apparatus for coating the surface of a solar cell, the lateral motion module includes a lateral linear drive stator and a lateral linear drive mover; the vertical motion module is mounted on the lateral linear drive mover and includes a vertical linear drive stator and a vertical linear drive mover; the inkjet printer is mounted on the vertical linear drive mover.

[0011] The aforementioned coating device for solar cell surfaces includes a material transfer machine comprising a top linear motion module mounted on a top frame, a rotating mechanism mounted on the top linear motion module, and a vacuum suction cup mounted on the rotating mechanism. The top linear motion module comprises a top linear drive stator mounted on the top frame and a top linear drive mover mounted on the top linear drive stator. The rotating mechanism is mounted on the top linear drive mover. The rotating mechanism comprises a rotating bracket, a rotating drive motor, and a rotor. The rotating bracket comprises a mounting plate and a rotor frame mounted on one side of the top surface of the mounting plate. The rotating drive motor is mounted downwards on the other side of the top surface of the mounting plate. The rotor is mounted within the rotor frame and comprises a rotor housing, a slip ring, and a gas conduit. The rotor housing is mounted within the rotor frame. The slip ring is mounted within the inner cavity of the rotor housing, and its upper part has a gas inlet extending out of the rotor housing. The gas conduit is connected to a gas outlet located at the lower part of the slip ring. The vacuum suction cup is connected to the bottom of the gas conduit. The lower part of the rotor housing is connected to the rotating drive motor via a belt drive mechanism. Another technical solution to achieve the objective of this invention is: a coating method for the surface of a solar cell, using the coating device for the surface of a solar cell of this invention, the coating method comprising the following steps: S1: Two battery cells are conveyed to the outside of the feeding station of the rotating platform via the feeding conveyor line; S2: The two battery cells are transferred to a pallet located at the feeding station by the feeding transfer machine; S3: The vision system takes pictures of the two battery cells at the feeding station and transmits the image information to the computer system of the equipment, which then calculates the position coordinates of the two battery cells. S4: Rotate the platform 180° to move the two battery cells to the printing station; S5: Based on the position coordinates of the two battery cells, the inkjet printer is moved to the position of the two battery cells through the horizontal motion module and the vertical motion module, and the inkjet printer is started to spray a coating on the surface of the two battery cells, while UV light is used to cure the coating. S6: Rotate the two battery cells to the discharge station using a rotating platform; S7: The two solar cells are transferred to the discharge conveyor line by the discharge transfer machine.

[0012] In the above-described method for coating the surface of solar cells, during step S5, the distance between the printhead and the surfaces of the two solar cells is adjusted by the vertical motion module in the inkjet printing system, and the printhead is aligned with the surfaces of the two solar cells by the horizontal motion module.

[0013] The coating device and method for the surface of solar cells of the present invention have the following characteristics: 1. This invention applies digital inkjet printing technology to solar cells. Compared with traditional screen printing technology, it eliminates the need for auxiliary materials such as screens, squeegees, and ink return blades, thereby reducing production costs.

[0014] 2. This invention enables the instant printing of complex graphics, allowing for the replacement of different graphics as needed, achieving "one image per piece" printing.

[0015] 3. The coating device of the present invention can be combined with other testing equipment for photovoltaic solar cells without adding space to install screen printing or coating equipment, thus reducing the area occupied in the manufacturing plant.

[0016] 4. Unlike other coating methods, the coating device of the present invention is equipped with a UV curing device, which can cure the coating in a short time, greatly reducing the deformation of the coating due to rheology during processing or deformation of the coating during transportation, thus ensuring printing quality. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a plan view of the coating device on the surface of the solar cell of the present invention (with the visual system removed). Figure 2 This is a side view of the coating device for the surface of a solar cell according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the rotating platform in the coating device for the surface of a solar cell of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the transmission line in the coating device for the surface of the solar cell of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the feeding and transfer machine in the coating device for the surface of solar cells of the present invention; Figure 5a yes Figure 5 A perspective view of the linear motion module in the transfer machine; Figure 6 This is a side view of the inkjet printing system in the coating apparatus for the surface of a solar cell of the present invention; Figure 6a yes Figure 6 A perspective view of the inkjet printer in an inkjet printing system, facing forward. Figure 6b yes Figure 6 A top-down perspective view of an inkjet printer in an inkjet printing system; Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the material transfer machine in the coating device for the surface of solar cells of the present invention; Figure 7a yes Figure 7A perspective view of the rotating mechanism in the middle-discharge transplanter. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] Please see Figures 1 to 7a The coating device for the surface of solar cells of the present invention includes a rotating platform 4, a feeding conveyor line 2, a vision system 6, a feeding transfer machine 3, an inkjet printing system 5, an output conveyor line 8, and an output transfer machine 7.

[0020] The rotating platform 4 includes a rotating motor 41 and a cross-shaped platform mounted on the rotating motor 41 via a low-torque rotary joint 42. The cross-shaped platform includes a central circular plate 40 and four radially extending support plates 400 evenly distributed along the outer edge of the central circular plate 40. Each support plate 400 carries two battery cells 10 in parallel. A station is set every 90° around the central circular plate 40 and corresponding to the position of the support plates 400, namely, the feeding station 401, the reserved station 402, the printing station 403, and the unloading station 404.

[0021] The feeding conveyor line 2 is installed on the front side of the rotating platform 4 and aligned with the feeding station 401. The feeding conveyor line 2 includes two parallel conveyor stations. Each conveyor station includes a frame 23, two conveyor belts 22 installed on the top of the frame 23, and a conveyor belt drive mechanism consisting of a stepper motor 20 and a synchronous belt drive mechanism 21.

[0022] The vision system 6 includes four high-definition cameras 60, which are mounted above the feed station 401 of the rotating platform 4 via brackets 600.

[0023] The feeding transfer machine 3 is installed between the outlet end of the feeding conveyor line 2 and the feeding station 401 of the rotating platform 4. The feeding transfer machine 3 includes a base 30 with a lower linear motion module 31 mounted on top, a C-shaped support 32 mounted on the lower linear motion module, two upper and lower telescopic cylinders 33 mounted on the top of the C-shaped support 32, and two suction cups 34 mounted one-to-one on the piston rod ends of the two upper and lower telescopic cylinders 33. The lower linear motion module 31 includes a lower linear drive stator 311 mounted on the base 30 and a linear drive mover 312 mounted on the lower linear drive stator 311. The C-shaped support 32 is mounted on the lower linear drive mover 312. The distance between the two upper and lower telescopic cylinders 32 is adapted to the distance between the two battery cells 10 on the support plate 400 of the rotating platform 4.

[0024] The inkjet printing system 5 is installed on the rear side of the rotating platform 4. The inkjet printing system 5 includes a horizontal motion module 51, a vertical motion module 52 installed on the horizontal motion module 51, and an inkjet printer 50 installed on the vertical motion module 52 and located above the printing station 403 of the rotating platform 4. The horizontal motion module 51 includes a horizontal linear drive stator and a horizontal linear drive mover. The vertical motion module 52 is installed on the horizontal linear drive mover and includes a vertical linear drive stator and a vertical linear drive mover. The inkjet printer 50 is installed on the vertical linear drive mover. The inkjet printer 50 includes a hexahedral printing chamber 500, a printhead 501, and a UV curing lamp 502. The printing chamber 500 is divided into an inkjet chamber and a UV light source chamber by a longitudinal partition. The inkjet chamber contains photosensitive ink or photoresist. The printhead 501 is installed at the bottom of the inkjet chamber. The UV curing lamp 502 is installed at the bottom of the UV light source chamber.

[0025] The discharge conveyor line 8 is installed on the side of the discharge station 404 of the rotating platform and is perpendicular to the discharge station 404; the structure of the discharge conveyor line 8 is the same as that of the feed conveyor line 2.

[0026] The discharge transplanter 7 is installed above the discharge station 404 of the rotating platform and above the inlet end of the discharge transmission line 8. The discharge transplanter 7 includes a top linear motion module 71 mounted on the top frame 70, a rotating mechanism 72 mounted on the top linear motion module 71, and a vacuum suction cup 73 mounted on the rotating mechanism 72. The top linear motion module 71 includes a top linear drive stator mounted on the top frame 70 and a top linear drive mover mounted on the top linear drive stator. The rotating mechanism 72 is mounted on the top linear drive mover. The rotating mechanism 72 includes a rotating bracket, a rotating drive motor 720, and a rotor 721. The rotating bracket includes a mounting plate 72A and a rotor frame 72B mounted on one side of the top surface of the mounting plate 72A. The rotating drive motor 72A... 20 is mounted downwards on the other side of the top surface of the mounting plate 72A; the rotor 721 is mounted on the rotor frame 72B, and the rotor 721 includes a rotor housing 7210, a slip ring 7211, and a gas conduit 7213; the rotor housing 7210 is installed inside the rotor frame 72B, and the lower part of the rotor housing 7210 is located below the mounting plate 72A. The lower part of the rotor housing 7210 is connected to the rotary drive motor 720 through a belt drive mechanism 7200; the slip ring 7211 is installed in the inner cavity of the rotor housing 7210, and the upper part of the slip ring 7211 is provided with a gas inlet 7212 that extends out of the rotor housing 7210; the gas conduit 7213 is connected to the gas outlet located at the lower part of the slip ring 7211; and the vacuum suction cup 73 is connected to the bottom of the gas conduit 7213. The slip ring 7211 can introduce compressed air from the upper part of the slip ring 7211 to the lower part of the slip ring 7211 during rotation, and then the compressed air is led out by the gas conduit 7213 and connected to the vacuum suction cup 73.

[0027] The coating method for the surface of a solar cell according to the present invention uses the coating apparatus for the surface of a solar cell according to the present invention and includes the following steps: S1: Two battery cells 10 are conveyed to the front edge of the rotating platform 4 via the feeding conveyor line 2. The four trays 400 on the rotating platform 4 are rotated one by one to the feeding station 401, the reserved station 402, the printing station 403 and the discharging station 404. S2: The two battery cells 10 are transferred to a pallet 400 located at the feeding station 401 of the rotating platform 4 by the feeding transfer machine 3; S3: The vision system 6 takes pictures of the two battery cells 10 located at the feeding station 401 and transmits the image information to the computer system of the equipment. The computer system then calculates the position coordinates of the two battery cells 10. S4: Rotate platform 4 180° to rotate the two battery cells 10 to the printing station 403; S6: Based on the position coordinates of the two battery cells 10, the distance between the printhead 502 and the surface of the two battery cells 10 is adjusted by the vertical motion module 52 in the inkjet printing system 5. The printhead 502 is aligned with the two battery cells 10 by the horizontal motion module 51. Then, the printhead 502 is turned on to spray a coating on the surface of the two battery cells 10. At the same time, the UV curing lamp 503 is turned on to cure the coating on the surface of the two battery cells 10. The UV curing light source is swept across the surface of the two battery cells 10 by the horizontal motion module 51.

[0028] S7: Rotate the two battery cells 10 to the discharge station 404 by rotating the platform 4; S8: Two battery cells 10 are transferred to the discharge conveyor line 8 via the discharge transfer machine 7; that is, the vacuum suction cup 73 first adsorbs the two battery cells 10 on a tray 400 of the rotating platform 4 at the discharge station, and then the top linear motion module 71 moves the two adsorbed battery cells 10 from the rotating platform 4 to above the inlet of the discharge conveyor line 8. During the movement of the two battery cells 10 by the top linear motion module, the rotary drive motor 720 drives the rotating mechanism 72 to rotate the two battery cells 10 clockwise by 90°, and then the air is released from the vacuum suction cup 73 to place the two battery cells 10 on the inlet end of the discharge conveyor line 8, from which they are sent to the next process.

[0029] The main principle of the coating device and method for the surface of solar cells of the present invention is to use inkjet printing technology to coat the protective film material (such as photosensitive ink, photoresist, etc.) onto the surface of the solar cell according to a specific pattern. In order to prevent the ejected fluid material from undergoing plastic deformation due to rheology, the inkjet printer 50 is also equipped with a UV curing light source, which can complete the curing of the film material in a short time after inkjet printing, thereby playing a role in rapid shaping.

[0030] The above embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, all equivalent technical solutions should also fall within the scope of the invention and should be defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A coating apparatus for the surface of a solar cell, comprising a rotating platform, a feeding conveyor line, a vision system, a feeding transfer machine, an inkjet printing system, an output conveyor line, and an output transfer machine; characterized in that, The rotating platform includes a rotating motor and a cross-shaped platform mounted on the rotating motor; the cross-shaped platform includes a central circular plate and four trays that extend radially along the outer edge of the central circular plate, each tray bearing two battery cells in parallel; a station is set every 90° around the central circular plate corresponding to the position of the tray, namely a feeding station, a reserved station, a printing station, and a discharging station. The feed conveyor line is installed at the outlet end of the rotating platform and aligned with the feed station; The vision system is installed above the material feeding station of the rotating platform; The feeding transfer machine is installed between the side of the feeding conveyor line and the side of the feeding station of the rotating platform; The inkjet printing system is installed above the printing station of the rotating platform. The inkjet printing system includes a horizontal motion module, a vertical motion module installed on the horizontal motion module, and an inkjet printer installed on the vertical motion module. The discharge transmission line is installed beside the discharge station of the rotating platform and is perpendicular to the discharge station. The material discharge transplanter is installed above the discharge station of the rotating platform and above the inlet end of the discharge transmission line.

2. The coating device for the surface of a solar cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cross-shaped platform of the rotating platform is mounted on the rotating motor via a low-torque rotary joint.

3. The coating device for the surface of a solar cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding conveyor line includes two parallel conveyor stations. Each conveyor station includes a frame, two conveyor belts mounted on the top of the frame, and a conveyor belt drive mechanism consisting of a stepper motor and a synchronous belt drive mechanism. The structure of the discharging conveyor line is the same as that of the feeding conveyor line.

4. The coating device for the surface of a solar cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vision system includes four high-definition cameras mounted on brackets above the feeding station of the rotating platform.

5. The coating device for the surface of a solar cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding and transfer machine includes a base with a lower linear motion module mounted on top, a C-shaped support mounted on the lower linear motion mechanism, two upper and lower telescopic cylinders mounted on the top of the C-shaped support, and two suction cups mounted one-to-one on the piston rod ends of the two upper and lower telescopic cylinders; the distance between the two upper and lower telescopic cylinders is adapted to the distance between the two battery cells at each station of the rotating platform. The lower linear motion module includes a lower linear drive stator mounted on the base and a lower linear drive mover mounted on the lower linear drive stator; the C-shaped support is mounted on the lower linear drive mover.

6. The coating apparatus for the surface of a solar cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inkjet printer includes a hexahedral printing chamber, a printhead, and a UV curing lamp; the printing chamber is divided into an inkjet chamber and a UV light source chamber by a partition; the inkjet chamber is filled with photosensitive ink or photoresist; the printhead is installed at the bottom of the inkjet chamber; and the UV curing lamp is installed at the bottom of the UV light source chamber.

7. The apparatus for coating the surface of a solar cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lateral motion module includes a lateral linear drive stator and a lateral linear drive mover. The vertical motion module is mounted on the lateral linear drive mover and includes a vertical linear drive stator and a vertical linear drive mover. The inkjet printer is mounted on the vertical linear drive mover.

8. The coating apparatus for the surface of a solar cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material discharge transplanter includes a top linear motion module mounted on a top frame, a rotating mechanism mounted on the top linear motion module, and a vacuum suction cup mounted on the rotating mechanism; the top linear motion module includes a top linear drive stator mounted on the top frame and a top linear drive mover mounted on the top linear drive stator; The rotating mechanism is mounted on a top linear drive actuator; the rotating mechanism includes a rotating bracket, a rotating drive motor, and a rotor; the rotating bracket includes a mounting plate and a rotor frame mounted on one side of the top surface of the mounting plate; the rotating drive motor is mounted downwards on the other side of the top surface of the mounting plate; the rotor is mounted inside the rotor frame, and the rotor includes a rotor housing, a slip ring, and a gas conduit; the rotor housing is mounted inside the rotor frame; the slip ring is mounted in the inner cavity of the rotor housing, and the upper part of the slip ring has a gas inlet that extends out of the rotor housing; the gas conduit is connected to a gas outlet located at the lower part of the slip ring; the vacuum suction cup is connected to the bottom of the gas conduit; the lower part of the rotor housing is connected to the rotating drive motor via a belt drive mechanism.

9. A method for coating the surface of a solar cell, employing the coating apparatus for the surface of a solar cell as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The coating method includes the following steps: S1: Two battery cells are conveyed to the outside of the feeding station of the rotating platform via the feeding conveyor line; S2: The two battery cells are transferred to a pallet located at the feeding station by the feeding transfer machine; S3: The vision system takes pictures of the two battery cells at the feeding station and transmits the image information to the computer system of the equipment, which then calculates the position coordinates of the two battery cells. S4: Rotate the platform 180° to move the two battery cells to the printing station; S5: Based on the position coordinates of the two battery cells, the inkjet printer is moved to the position of the two battery cells through the horizontal motion module and the vertical motion module, and the inkjet printer is started to spray a coating on the surface of the two battery cells, while UV light is used to cure the coating. S6: Rotate the two battery cells to the discharge station using a rotating platform; S7: The two solar cells are transferred to the discharge conveyor line by the discharge transfer machine.

10. The coating method for the surface of a solar cell according to claim 9, characterized in that, During step S5, the distance between the printhead and the surfaces of the two battery cells is adjusted by the vertical motion module in the inkjet printing system, and the printhead is aligned with the surfaces of the two battery cells by the horizontal motion module.

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