Photovoltaic module encapsulation method, photovoltaic module and folding heating device

Abstract

The application provides a photovoltaic module packaging method, a photovoltaic module and a folding heating device. The method comprises the following steps: laying a glue film on a cover plate, so that at least part of the edge of the glue film extends beyond the edge of the cover plate; the part of the glue film extending beyond the edge of the cover plate constitutes an extension part, and the part of the glue film adhering to the cover plate constitutes a body part; folding the extension part away from the cover plate, so that the extension part is laminated to the surface of the body part away from the cover plate; and heating the extension part by spot pressing, so that the extension part, the body part and the cover plate are bonded. On the one hand, the application greatly simplifies the process, saves special equipment and manual links such as loading, cutting and laying of the gasket, improves the production efficiency and reduces the material and operation and maintenance costs. On the other hand, since the extension part and the body part are the same piece of glue film, the two parts form an integrated structure after being fused, so that the edge sealing of the packaged module is more reliable, and the waterproof and moisture permeation effect is better.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of photovoltaic module manufacturing technology, and in particular to a photovoltaic module encapsulation method, a photovoltaic module, and a folding heating device. Background Technology

[0002] In the lamination and encapsulation process of photovoltaic modules, a spacer strip is commonly added to the short side of the glass to improve the sealing effect and optimize the stress distribution during lamination. This spacer strip is usually laid by specialized equipment or manually after the glass is loaded.

[0003] However, the aforementioned method introduces a separate padding installation process, resulting in a complex workflow and higher material, equipment, and labor costs. How to simplify the process and reduce costs while retaining edge sealing, support, and stress optimization functions has become a pressing issue in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a photovoltaic module encapsulation method, a photovoltaic module, and a folding heating device, so as to eliminate the independent padding process, simplify the process flow, and reduce production costs while retaining the edge sealing, support, and stress optimization functions.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a photovoltaic module encapsulation method, comprising: An adhesive film is laid on a cover plate, such that at least a portion of the edge of the adhesive film extends beyond the edge of the cover plate. The portion of the adhesive film extending beyond the edge of the cover plate constitutes an extension, and the portion of the adhesive film that adheres to the cover plate constitutes a body portion. The extension is folded away from the cover plate, so that the extension is stacked on the surface of the main body away from the cover plate; The extension is heated by hot spot to bond the extension, the main body, and the cover plate together.

[0006] In one possible implementation, folding the extension away from the cover plate specifically includes: The extension is fixed by adsorption using a negative pressure adsorption module; The extension is folded using a folding module.

[0007] In one possible implementation, before hot-heating the extension, the method further includes: The extension is preheated at a temperature lower than that of the hot spot heating.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the temperature of the hot spot heating is T1, where 110℃≤T1≤130℃.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the preheating temperature is T2, where 60℃≤T2≤100℃.

[0010] Secondly, this application also provides a photovoltaic module, wherein the photovoltaic module is prepared using the photovoltaic module encapsulation method provided in the first aspect of this application, and the photovoltaic module includes: Cover plate; The adhesive film includes a body portion and an extension portion. The body portion is disposed on the cover plate, and the extension portion is disposed on the surface of the body portion away from the cover plate, and the extension portion is located at the edge of the body portion.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the cover plate is rectangular, the cover plate includes a short side, and the extension is disposed on the edge of the body portion near the short side of the cover plate.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the width of the extension is H, where 15mm ≤ H ≤ 25mm.

[0013] Thirdly, this application also provides a folding and heating device, wherein the extension provided in the second aspect of this application is used to fold and heat the extension, the folding and heating device comprising: Folding module; A negative pressure adsorption module is connected to the folding module, and the negative pressure adsorption module is provided with a vacuum groove; The first heating module is connected to the folding module.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the first heating module is disposed at the end of the folding module along its length.

[0015] In one possible implementation, a second heating module is further included, which is connected to the folding module, and the heating area of ​​the second heating module is larger than that of the first heating module.

[0016] The technical solution provided in this application can achieve the following beneficial effects: The photovoltaic module encapsulation method, photovoltaic module, and folding heating device provided in this application greatly simplify the process, eliminating the need for specialized equipment and manual labor for feeding, cutting, and laying the gaskets, thus improving production efficiency and reducing material and maintenance costs. Furthermore, since the extension and the main body are made of the same adhesive film, they fuse to form an integrated structure, eliminating the physical interface between the separate gaskets and the adhesive film. This results in more reliable edge sealing of the encapsulated module and better water vapor penetration resistance.

[0017] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 A flowchart of a photovoltaic module encapsulation method provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the encapsulant film being laid on the cover plate during the manufacturing process of a photovoltaic module provided in this application embodiment; Figure 3 for Figure 1 Sectional view at point AA; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the extension portion of a photovoltaic module folded over during the manufacturing process, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the folding heating device provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 6 A schematic diagram illustrating the application of the folding heating device provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a photovoltaic module provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure label: 10-Cover plate; 20 - Adhesive film; 21 - Main body; 22 - Extension; 1-Glass front panel; 2- Front adhesive film; 3- Battery string; 4- Backing adhesive film; 5-Back panel; 6-Folding module; 7-Negative pressure adsorption module; 71-Vacuum bath; 8-First heating module; 9-Second heating module.

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0022] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance; unless otherwise specified or explained, the term "multiple" refers to two or more; the terms "connected," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connected" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, an integral connection, or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0023] In the description of this specification, it should be understood that the directional terms such as "upper" and "lower" used in the embodiments of this application are used to describe the angles shown in the accompanying drawings and should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of this application. Furthermore, in the context, it should also be understood that when it is mentioned that an element is connected "upper" or "lower" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element "upper" or "lower," or indirectly connected to the other element "upper" or "lower" through an intermediate element.

[0024] In existing photovoltaic module encapsulation processes, to improve the sealing effect on the short side of the module and optimize lamination stress, it is usually necessary to lay an additional independent gasket on the short side of the glass cover. This process requires specialized gasket materials, cutting and laying equipment, and manual intervention for material loading and adjustment, resulting in cumbersome procedures, low production efficiency, and high material and labor costs. Moreover, as a separate structure, the gasket is prone to displacement or detachment on the production line, affecting product yield.

[0025] In view of this, this application provides a photovoltaic module encapsulation method that eliminates the need for a separate padding process while retaining the functions of edge sealing, support and stress optimization, thereby simplifying the process and reducing production costs.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown in the embodiments of this application, the photovoltaic module encapsulation method includes the following steps: Step S1: Lay the adhesive film 20 onto the cover plate 10, so that at least a portion of the edge of the adhesive film 20 extends beyond the edge of the cover plate 10. The portion of the adhesive film 20 extending beyond the edge of the cover plate 10 constitutes the extension portion 22, and the portion of the adhesive film 20 that adheres to the cover plate 10 constitutes the body portion 21.

[0027] Step S2: Fold the extension 22 away from the cover plate 10, so that the extension 22 is stacked on the surface of the main body 21 away from the cover plate 10.

[0028] Step S3: Apply spot heating to the extension 22 to bond the extension 22, the main body 21, and the cover plate 10 together.

[0029] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in the photovoltaic module encapsulation process, the first step is to lay the encapsulating film 20. The cover plate 10 can specifically be the front glass of the photovoltaic module. A complete encapsulating film 20 is laid on the surface of the cover plate 10. The material of the encapsulating film 20 can be ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), polyolefin elastomer (POE), or a multilayer composite encapsulating film 20 (EPE) formed by co-extrusion of EVA and POE, etc.

[0030] The cut length of the adhesive film 20 needs to be greater than the length of the cover plate 10 in the corresponding direction. Specifically, the cover plate 10 is rectangular, with a long side and a short side, and the adhesive film 20 extends beyond the edge of the cover plate 10 along both short sides. The portion extending beyond the edge of the cover plate 10 is the extension 22. This extension 22 is suspended in a free state and, due to the physical properties of the adhesive film 20 itself, is approximately horizontal to the surface of the cover plate 10. The width of the extension 22 extending beyond the edge of the cover plate 10, i.e., the extension length (also referred to as the width of the extension 22), can be set to 20 mm. In practical applications, this width can also be adjusted between 15 mm and 25 mm depending on the encapsulation effect of the laminated component. The area on the adhesive film 20 that directly contacts and adheres to the surface of the cover plate 10 constitutes the body portion 21.

[0031] like Figure 4 As shown, after the adhesive film 20 is laid, a folding step can be performed. The suspended extension 22 is folded away from the cover plate 10, so that it rolls up and covers the main body 21. After folding, the extension 22 is stacked and adhered to the surface of the main body 21 on the side away from the cover plate 10, and close to the edge of the cover plate 10. At this time, the adhesive film 20 itself folds to form a two-layer thickened structure, which replaces the traditional independent pad strip.

[0032] Finally, a spot heating step is performed. After the extension 22 is stacked on the body 21, the extension 22 is heated locally using a spot heating method. The heat source of the spot heating acts directly on the upper surface of the extension 22, and the heat is transferred through the extension 22 to the body 21 and the cover plate 10. The heating causes the adhesive film 20 (extension 22 and body 21) in this local area to reach a molten or softened state, generating adhesion, thereby bonding the extension 22, body 21, and cover plate 10 together at the spot heating location to form a preliminary fixed connection. In some other embodiments, the extension 22 may be spot heated first, and then the spot-heated extension 22 may be folded. Alternatively, the spot heating and folding of the extension 22 may be performed simultaneously, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0033] The photovoltaic module encapsulation method provided in this application greatly simplifies the process, eliminating the need for specialized equipment and manual labor for feeding, cutting, and laying the spacer strips, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing material and maintenance costs. Furthermore, since the extension 22 and the main body 21 are made from the same adhesive film 20, their fusion forms an integrated structure, eliminating the physical interface between the separate spacer strips and the adhesive film 20. This results in more reliable edge sealing of the encapsulated module and better water vapor penetration resistance.

[0034] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in a specific embodiment, step S2 specifically includes: Step S21: Use negative pressure adsorption module 7 to adsorb and fix the extension 22.

[0035] Step S22: Fold the extension 22 using the folding module 6.

[0036] The folding action can be accomplished by two modules working together. First, a negative pressure adsorption module 7 is used to adsorb and fix the extension 22. This negative pressure adsorption module 7 has a long and thin vacuum groove 71, the length of which matches the length of the extension 22. During operation, the negative pressure adsorption module 7 approaches the extension 22 from below, generating negative pressure through the vacuum groove 71 to evenly adsorb the area near the edge of the lower surface of the extension 22. This surface adsorption method ensures uniform and stable gripping force, avoids local deformation that may be caused by mechanical clamping, and ensures that the extension 22 is flat and wrinkle-free.

[0037] After the extension 22 is adsorbed, a folding module 6 can be used to perform the folding action. This folding module 6 can be a drive mechanism, such as a cylinder or a motor-driven robotic arm, which folds the extension 22, which has been fixed by the negative pressure adsorption module 7, together with the adsorption module, or drives the adsorption module itself, along a preset trajectory upwards towards the cover plate 10. The folding module 6 drives the extension 22 to smoothly flip upwards and inwards until the extension 22 covers and adheres to the upper surface of the main body 21. During the folding process and after folding, the negative pressure adsorption module 7 maintains the adsorption state, thereby ensuring that the extension 22 remains flat, wrinkle-free, and without local bulges throughout the entire operation.

[0038] This embodiment decouples the gripping and motion functions through the precise coordination of the negative pressure adsorption module 7 and the folding module 6. The adsorption module provides a uniform and non-destructive gripping force, while the folding module 6 provides a smooth and precise motion trajectory, together completing a high-quality folding action. This ensures that the adhesive film 20 is subjected to uniform force during the folding process, and the surface of the folded extension 22 has extremely high flatness, allowing it to tightly adhere to the body 21. This effectively avoids defects such as wrinkles and bulges caused by manual or simple mechanical folding, thereby eliminating the risk of cell fragmentation or microcracks in subsequent lamination processes and improving the yield and reliability of the module encapsulation.

[0039] Before hot-heating the extension 22, the encapsulation method further includes preheating the extension 22 at a temperature lower than that of hot-heating.

[0040] After the extension 22 is folded into place and stacked on the main body 21, a preheating step is added before the hot stamping heating step begins. The purpose of preheating is to gently and uniformly preheat the entire area of ​​the extension 22, rather than localized point-heating. The heat source for preheating can be a large-area heating module that provides heat through contact or non-contact methods. The preheating temperature is precisely controlled within a range lower than the subsequent hot stamping heating temperature, specifically between 60°C and 100°C, for example, set to 80°C. Within this temperature range, commonly used adhesive film materials such as EVA and POE begin to soften and become more flexible, but have not yet reached a cross-linked or rapidly melting state.

[0041] The preheating step serves as a transitional thermal buffer process. First, it uniformly raises the extension 22 and the adjacent body 21 from room temperature or ambient temperature to a softened state, allowing them to fit more closely to the body 21, eliminating minor gaps, and preparing the material state for the upcoming local high-temperature hot stamping.

[0042] Preheating softens the adhesive film 20, providing a good temperature base for subsequent heat sealing. This significantly improves the instantaneous adhesion between the adhesive film 20 and the cover plate 10 during heat sealing, resulting in a stronger bond. Simultaneously, it avoids the risks of material aging and brittleness caused by sudden heating of the adhesive film 20, ensuring the long-term reliability of the adhesive material. The step-by-step temperature control of preheating and heat sealing makes the entire thermal bonding process smoother and more controllable.

[0043] The temperature of the hot stamping process needs to meet the preset temperature range. If the temperature is too low, the adhesive film 20, such as EVA, cannot fully melt to a viscous state, resulting in insufficient surface adhesion and inability to effectively wet the glass cover plate 10. This will directly cause insufficient adhesion, resulting in low initial bonding strength, making it impossible to fix the adhesive film 20 during the conveyor belt process, and making it prone to deviation, slippage, or rebound.

[0044] However, if the temperature is too high, the adhesive film 20 will undergo thermal decomposition, carbonization, or excessive cross-linking. This will not only damage the molecular structure of the adhesive film material itself but also reduce the bonding strength. Carbonized adhesive film 20 will also contaminate the soldering iron tip, affecting the stability of subsequent continuous operations and product quality.

[0045] Therefore, in this embodiment, the heating temperature is T1, where 110℃≤T1≤130℃. For example, in a preferred embodiment, the heating temperature T1 is precisely controlled at 120℃. This temperature is achieved by a temperature control system of the heating module integrated in the folding heating device, such as the heating tip of the soldering iron, with a temperature control accuracy within ±10℃. The heating module can maintain the set temperature through a closed-loop control system composed of the soldering iron core and a thermistor. When the soldering iron tip presses down to contact the surface of the extension 22, its temperature T1 is instantly transferred to the local area of ​​the adhesive film 20.

[0046] During operation, under the aforementioned temperature range, EVA and other adhesive film materials rapidly reach above their melting point, entering a viscous flow state and exhibiting excellent fluidity and wettability. This allows them to fully wet the surface of the glass cover plate 10, forming effective physical and chemical adhesion. Simultaneously, this temperature is lower than the rapid crosslinking temperature and thermal decomposition carbonization temperature of the EVA film 20; therefore, the film 20 will not undergo irreversible degradation or carbonization during the short contact period.

[0047] By maintaining the heat exchange temperature between 110℃ and 130℃, a better balance was achieved between the adhesive strength, material stability, and process safety of the adhesive film 20. This ensures that the heat exchange process can form a sufficiently strong initial bond to resist vibration and displacement of components during assembly line transport, preventing the adhesive film 20 from shifting or slipping, while also ensuring that the service life and performance of the adhesive film material itself are not compromised.

[0048] The preheating temperature also needs to meet the preset temperature range. If the temperature is too low, the adhesive film 20 cannot be effectively softened, and the material remains in a relatively hard state. This results in poor flexibility of the folded extension 22, which cannot adhere tightly to the body 21 and is prone to curling, tiny wrinkles, or bubbles, failing to achieve the ideal state of a smooth and flawless surface.

[0049] If the temperature is too high, the adhesive film 20 will prematurely enter a near-molten viscous state, causing uncontrollable thermal shrinkage or premature surface melting. This will not only disrupt the already shaped flat form of the extension 22, but may also cause its viscosity to increase sharply, resulting in unnecessary adhesion to adjacent components before final heat treatment, interfering with subsequent precise operations, and even causing pre-crosslinking or thermal aging of the adhesive film material, affecting the final encapsulation performance.

[0050] Therefore, in this embodiment, the preheating temperature is T2, where 60℃≤T2≤100℃. For example, the preheating temperature T2 is controlled at 90℃. This temperature is provided by a heating module independent of the hot-pressing module, which has a larger heating area and can cover most or all of the extension 22 area. The heating module's internal constant temperature control system, such as PID temperature control, stabilizes the heating surface temperature at the preset T2 value. When the heating surface is in contact with or near the adhesive film 20 of the extension 22, non-contact or contact heat transfer occurs to the adhesive film 20.

[0051] Under temperatures ranging from 60°C to 100°C, the adhesive film 20 softens as a whole, releasing internal stress, reducing elasticity, and increasing plasticity. This allows the folded extension 22 to adhere more smoothly to the surface of the body 21, spontaneously expelling tiny air bubbles between them, and effectively eliminating slight curling or wrinkles generated during the folding process. This preheating temperature range ensures that the adhesive film 20 reaches an ideal plasticized and softened state before heat sealing, resulting in a smooth and wrinkle-free surface. This not only creates favorable process conditions for subsequent precise and secure heat sealing but also avoids heat shrinkage or pre-crosslinking issues of the adhesive film 20 due to excessively high temperatures, ensuring the stability of the entire encapsulation process and the consistency of the final product.

[0052] like Figure 7 As shown, this application also provides a photovoltaic module, which is manufactured by the photovoltaic module manufacturing method provided in any embodiment of this application. The photovoltaic module includes a cover plate 10 and an encapsulant film 20. The encapsulant film 20 includes a body portion 21 and an extension portion 22. The body portion 21 is disposed on the cover plate 10, and the extension portion 22 is disposed on the surface of the body portion 21 away from the cover plate 10, and the extension portion 22 is located at the edge of the body portion 21. Specifically, the aforementioned cover plate 10 can serve as a front glass panel 1 or a back glass panel 5, and the aforementioned encapsulant film 20 can serve as a front encapsulant film 2 or a back encapsulant film 4. When the cover plate 10 serves as the front glass panel 1, the encapsulant film 20 serves as the front encapsulant film 2. When the cover plate 10 serves as the back glass panel 5, the encapsulant film 20 serves as the back encapsulant film 4. A battery string 3 is stacked between the front encapsulant film 2 and the back encapsulant film 4, that is, the photovoltaic module is sequentially stacked from front to back with the front glass panel 1, the front encapsulant film 2, the battery string 3, the back encapsulant film 4, and the back glass panel 5.

[0053] Taking a cover plate 10 as the front glass panel 1 and an adhesive film 20 as the front adhesive film 2 as an example. The cover plate 10 can be a rectangular plate structure. The adhesive film 20 can be a one-piece structure, functionally divided into two continuous parts of the same material: a main body 21 and an extension 22. The main body 21 is directly laid and adhered to one surface of the cover plate 10, covering most or all of the area of ​​the cover plate 10. The extension 22 is a direct extension of the main body 21 at the edge of the cover plate 10, formed by folding and layering the same adhesive film 20 onto the main body 21. The extension 22 is located on the surface of the main body 21 away from the cover plate 10, and is adjacent to the edge of that surface. This structure is not formed by stacking two separate adhesive films 20 and a spacer strip, but rather by folding the same adhesive film 20 itself. Before the lamination process, an adhesive film 20 is laid on top of the cover plate 10. The extension 22 is fused with the main body 21 by folding and hot stamping, forming a pre-fixed, integrated double-layer adhesive film 20 thickened structure at the edge.

[0054] Because the extension 22 and the main body 21 are formed by folding and fusing the same adhesive film 20, there is no physical interface between them, creating a perfectly sealed whole. Compared to traditional split structures such as those consisting of an adhesive film 20 and a gasket, the integrated structure of this embodiment eliminates the risk of delamination and moisture penetration along the interface, significantly improving the long-term sealing reliability and weather resistance of the component. Furthermore, by eliminating the separate gasket, the component structure is more streamlined, resulting in lower material costs.

[0055] Specifically, the cover plate 10 is a rectangular glass plate, including two long sides and two short sides. To solve the sealing and cushioning problem of the short sides, the folded extensions 22 are specially provided on the body portion 21, corresponding to the edges of the two short sides of the cover plate 10. Specifically, when the adhesive film 20 is laid, only the two short sides of the cover plate 10 are cut with an allowance exceeding the glass edge, while in the long side direction it can be flush with the glass edge or have only a very small allowance. Therefore, only the adhesive film 20 at the short sides is folded to form the extensions 22.

[0056] During the encapsulation process, the film 20 can be cut to lengthen only in the two directions along the short side. Folding, preheating, and hot stamping can also be performed only on these two short sides, leaving the long sides untouched. This targeted design minimizes material consumption and further optimizes costs while meeting performance requirements.

[0057] The extension length of the extension portion 22 extending outward from the edge of the cover plate 10, also known as the width H of the extension portion 22, needs to meet a certain width range. If the width H is too small, the double-layer adhesive film 20 area formed after folding will be too narrow and cannot effectively replace the function of the traditional gasket. This will result in insufficient edge support and buffering for the lamination process, failure to fully optimize the stress distribution, and difficulty in forming a reliable sealing area, posing a risk of insufficient adhesive and seal failure.

[0058] However, if the width H is too large, it will significantly increase the material cost of the adhesive film 20, causing unnecessary material waste. An excessively wide extension 22 will also make it difficult to ensure the flatness of its overall surface after folding, and is prone to problems such as wrinkles and bulges. These flatness defects may be detrimental to uniform stress during lamination, and may even become a quality hazard that leads to microcracks or breakage of the battery cells.

[0059] Therefore, in this embodiment, as Figure 3 As shown, the width H of the extension 22 is between 15mm and 25mm. In one specific embodiment, the width H is designed to be 20mm. This width refers to the straight-line distance from the edge of the cover plate 10 to the end of the extension 22 away from the edge, that is, the dimension of the portion of the extension 22 that extends beyond the cover plate 10. This width can be precisely controlled by adjusting the allowance when cutting the adhesive film 20. For example, when cutting the adhesive film 20, its length in the corresponding short side direction can be 40mm longer than the length of the cover plate 10 itself, so that when the adhesive film 20 is laid in the center, the width of the extension 22 on each side is 20mm. The width H can be, but is not limited to, 15mm, 18mm, 20mm, 23mm, or 25mm.

[0060] Within this width range, edge support and anti-overflow adhesive effects are ensured during the lamination process. At the same time, compared to traditional padding solutions, this design saves material usage and significantly reduces the cost of the encapsulating film 20.

[0061] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, this application embodiment also provides a folding heating device for folding and heating the extension 22 in any embodiment of the photovoltaic module provided in this application. The folding heating device includes a folding module 6, a negative pressure adsorption module 7, and a first heating module 8. The negative pressure adsorption module 7 is connected to the folding module 6 and is provided with a vacuum groove 71. The first heating module 8 is connected to the folding module 6.

[0062] The device is an integrated electromechanical assembly that combines folding, adsorption, and heating functions, and can replace the single hot-heating equipment on the original packaging production line. In the main structure of the device, the folding module 6 serves as the driving and load-bearing base, and can be a multi-axis manipulator driven by a servo motor or a linkage mechanism driven by a cylinder, etc., which provides a precise and stable rotational or swinging motion trajectory.

[0063] The negative pressure adsorption module 7 is fixedly connected to the moving part of the folding module 6, allowing it to be driven by the folding module 6. The main body of the negative pressure adsorption module 7 can be a long strip-shaped block, on which a thin vacuum groove 71 is formed along its length to achieve uniform adsorption. In some embodiments, multiple vacuum micropores arranged in a straight line can also be provided along the length of the negative pressure adsorption module 7; this embodiment does not impose any limitations on this.

[0064] The first heating module 8 is also connected to the folding module 6, and more specifically, it can be integrated inside the block of the negative pressure adsorption module 7 or at a specific location. The first heating module 8 is used to perform the hot spot heating function, and its core component can be one or more soldering irons, which provide a high-temperature hot spot heat source through resistance heating.

[0065] When the device is in operation, the folding module 6 first drives the negative pressure adsorption module 7 to approach and adsorb the lower surface of the extension 22. Then, the folding module 6 drives the entire execution end to flip upward, folding the extension 22 into place. After or just before the extension is folded into place, the first heating module 8 integrated on the device extends or presses down with a soldering iron to perform a spot heating action at a specific position on the extension 22, making it adhere to the cover plate 10.

[0066] This device integrates three core functions: adsorption, folding, and heat sealing, achieving a high degree of multi-functional integration and greatly simplifying the equipment structure and production line layout. Negative pressure adsorption combined with mechanical folding ensures the flatness and precise positioning of the extension 22 of the adhesive film 20 during the repositioning process. The integrated heat sealing system allows for immediate fixation after folding and shaping, ensuring tight process connections and eliminating the risk of the folded adhesive film 20 springing back or shifting when components are transferred between different workstations. Ultimately, this achieves high-precision, high-efficiency automated packaging.

[0067] In one embodiment, the first heating module 8 is disposed at the end of the folding module 6 along its length.

[0068] The folding module 6 and its connected modules form a long, strip-shaped execution end roughly equivalent to the short side length of the photovoltaic module. The first heating module 8 is specifically installed at both ends of the negative pressure adsorption module 7 along its length. For example, a spot-heating soldering iron is embedded at each end of the negative pressure adsorption module 7 along its length.

[0069] After the folding module 6 completes the folding action, the two first heating modules 8 installed at both ends of the length direction press down simultaneously, and spot heat bond them to the cover plate 10 at the left and right end areas of the extension 22.

[0070] By placing the heat exchange points at both ends, the most critical end areas of the extension 22 are effectively fixed with minimal heat-affected zone and the fewest heat exchange cycles. This method of fixing at both ends can prevent the entire extension 22 from shifting, curling, or slipping due to thermal expansion and contraction, transmission vibration, etc., thus ensuring the stability of the film 20 before it enters the laminator.

[0071] In one embodiment, the folding heating device further includes a second heating module 9, which is connected to the folding module 6, and the heating area of ​​the second heating module 9 is larger than the heating area of ​​the first heating module 8.

[0072] The folding heating device also integrates a second heating module 9. The second heating module 9 is also directly or indirectly connected to the folding module 6. The second heating module 9 is independent of the first heating module 8 in structure, function, and temperature range. Its core heating element can be a PTC thermistor, heating film, or heating rod, etc., which are embedded or attached to a heat-conducting plate with a large planar area, such as an aluminum plate. This heat-conducting plate is designed to be large enough that its heating area is much larger than the area of ​​the soldering iron tip of the first heating module 8, sufficient to completely cover or at least most cover the surface of the extension 22. The operating temperature of the second heating module 9 is precisely maintained between 60°C and 100°C, for example, 90°C, by a temperature control system.

[0073] After the folding action is completed and before the hot-pressing action begins, or simultaneously with the folding action, the heating surface of the second heating module 9 is close to or attached to the surface of the extension 22, and the entire extension 22 is preheated in a large area and evenly through heat conduction until it reaches the softening temperature. Afterwards, the first heating module 8 performs local hot-pressing on the softened adhesive film 20.

[0074] By adding an independent, large-area second heating module 9, large-area uniform preheating ensures that the extension 22 is flat and wrinkle-free, creating ideal conditions for spot heating. Meanwhile, small-area high-temperature spot heating achieves precise and firm pre-fixation. The two functions complement each other and work synergistically, making the entire heat processing of the adhesive film 20 more refined and controllable. The final folded and fused structure achieves excellent levels in flatness, bonding strength, and appearance quality.

[0075] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic module encapsulation method, characterized in that, include: The adhesive film (20) is laid on the cover plate (10) such that at least a portion of the edge of the adhesive film (20) extends beyond the edge of the cover plate (10), the portion of the adhesive film (20) extending beyond the edge of the cover plate (10) constitutes an extension (22), and the portion of the adhesive film (20) that adheres to the cover plate (10) constitutes a body portion (21). Fold the extension (22) away from the cover plate (10) so that the extension (22) is stacked on the surface of the body part (21) away from the cover plate (10); The extension (22) is heated by hot spot to bond the extension (22), the main body (21) and the cover plate (10).

2. The photovoltaic module encapsulation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Folding the extension (22) away from the cover plate (10) specifically includes: The extension (22) is adsorbed and fixed using a negative pressure adsorption module (7); The extension (22) is folded using a folding module (6).

3. The photovoltaic module encapsulation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before applying spot heating to the extension (22), the method further includes: The extension (22) is preheated at a temperature lower than that of the spot heating.

4. The photovoltaic module encapsulation method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The temperature of the hot spot heating is T1, where 110℃≤T1≤130℃.

5. The photovoltaic module encapsulation method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The preheating temperature is T2, where 60℃≤T2≤100℃.

6. A photovoltaic module, characterized in that, The photovoltaic module is prepared using the photovoltaic module encapsulation method according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the photovoltaic module comprises: Cover plate (10); The adhesive film (20) includes a body portion (21) and an extension portion (22). The body portion (21) is disposed on the cover plate (10), and the extension portion (22) is disposed on the surface of the body portion (21) away from the cover plate (10), and the extension portion (22) is located at the edge of the body portion (21).

7. The photovoltaic module according to claim 6, characterized in that, The cover plate (10) is rectangular and includes a short side. The extension (22) is disposed on the body part (21) near the edge of the short side of the cover plate (10).

8. The photovoltaic module according to claim 6, characterized in that, The width of the extension (22) is H, 15mm≤H≤25mm.

9. A folding heating device, characterized in that, For folding and heating the extension (22) according to any one of claims 6-8, the folding and heating device comprises: Folding module (6); The negative pressure adsorption module (7) is connected to the folding module (6), and the negative pressure adsorption module (7) is provided with a vacuum groove (71). The first heating module (8) is connected to the folding module (6).

10. The folding heating device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first heating module (8) is located at the end of the folding module (6) along its length.

11. The folding heating device according to claim 9, characterized in that, It also includes a second heating module (9), which is connected to the folding module (6), and the heating area of ​​the second heating module (9) is greater than the heating area of ​​the first heating module (8).

Images