Protective device for solar cell electroplating process

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of solar energy, in particular to a protection device for a solar cell electroplating process, which comprises a plurality of guide protection supports arranged on a conveying steel belt at equal intervals, and a limiting notch is arranged on the surface of a guide supporting part of each guide protection support. A limiting notch is formed in the movable clamping point electroplating device, fixing clamping grooves are formed in the opposite faces of the limiting notch in a mirror image mode, buffering flexible pipes are arranged in the fixing clamping grooves in the two sides of the limiting notch in a penetrating mode, a protection distance is formed between the buffering flexible pipes, and the guiding protection support supports the buffering flexible pipes. The battery piece is inserted between the buffering flexible pipes, when the battery piece swings back and forth on the two moving sides, the buffering flexible pipes effectively protect the battery piece, the battery piece is prevented from colliding with the edge of the support in the running process and warping, and therefore the risk that a silicon wafer or the battery piece is broken is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of solar energy, in particular to a protective device for the electroplating process of a solar cell sheet. Background Art

[0002] Solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells, are semiconductor devices that use the photovoltaic effect to convert solar energy into electrical energy. In order to concentrate the electrical energy converted from the light energy absorbed by the cells, it is often necessary to electroplate grid lines on the surface of the cells. In order to reduce the production cost of cells, the current mainstream process in the industry is copper grid line electroplating. The process of copper grid electroplating on cells is as follows: a plating tank of sufficient length is provided in the copper grid copper electroplating equipment, and the plating tank is filled with a plating solution for electroplating. A mobile clamping point plating device arranged above the plating tank clamps multiple cells at a time, and immerses the cells in the plating solution in the plating tank, and moves slowly along the length of the plating tank. When the electroplating is completed after moving to a certain position, the mobile clamping point plating device removes the clamped multiple cells from the plating solution and transfers them to the next process.

[0003] As the battery cell moves in the electroplating liquid, the resistance of the liquid causes the battery cell to swing back and forth continuously. This can easily cause the battery cell or original silicon wafer to collide with other hard objects, causing the battery cell to break or crack, increasing the battery cell fragmentation rate; secondly, with the thinning of the silicon wafer, if the battery cell is not effectively protected during the battery cell electroplating process, the possibility of the battery cell breakage will further increase; at the same time, during the transmission process of the silicon wafer or battery cell being vertically clamped, the battery cell is likely to warp, and the more uncontrollable impact fragmentation rate will also increase, all of which will increase the risk of original silicon wafer or battery cell fragmentation. Utility Model Content

[0004] The utility model aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the utility model proposes a protective device for the electroplating process of a solar cell.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a protective device for a solar cell electroplating process, comprising:

[0006] Conveyor belt;

[0007] A plurality of guide protection brackets are installed at intervals on the top surface of the conveyor steel belt along the length direction, wherein the guide protection bracket comprises a guide support portion, the guide support portion is in the shape of a rectangular body, a limited notch is provided on its surface, and a fixed card slot is provided on the opposite surface of the limited notch in a mirror image;

[0008] The buffer flexible tube is passed through and installed in the fixed slot along the length direction of the conveyor steel belt.

[0009] According to a protective device for a solar cell electroplating process according to an embodiment of the present application, a conveyor steel belt is installed at the bottom of an electroplating tank in a copper electroplating device, and a plurality of guide protection brackets are installed on the conveyor steel belt at equal intervals, a limiting notch is provided on the surface of a guide support portion of each guide protection bracket, and a fixed card slot is opened on the opposite surface of the limiting notch in a mirror image, and buffer flexible tubes are inserted into the fixed card slots on both sides of the limiting notch to form a protective spacing between the buffer flexible tubes, and the guide protection brackets support the buffer flexible tubes. When a mobile clamping point electroplating device clamps the cell and immerses it in the electroplating solution for mobile electroplating, the cell is inserted between the buffer flexible tubes, and when the cell swings back and forth on both sides of the movement, the setting of the buffer flexible tubes effectively protects the cell, preventing the cell from hitting the edge of the bracket and warping during operation, thereby reducing the risk of silicon wafers or cell fragmentation.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present application, the limiting notch is set downward from the top surface opening of the guide support part, and its shape is "V" type. Since the movement of the battery cell in the electroplating tank is along a straight line, by setting the two inner surfaces opposite to each other of the limiting notch into a "V" shape, when the battery cell is inserted between the buffer flexible tubes, the distance between the battery cell and the buffer flexible tubes on both sides is ensured to be equal, thereby further reducing the risk of silicon wafer or battery cell breakage.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present application, the buffer flexible tube is respectively installed in each of the fixed slots on the opposite sides of the limiting notch, wherein a protective distance is preset between the two buffer flexible tubes. By presetting the protective distance between the two buffer flexible tubes, the protective distance further limits the swinging range of the battery cell on both sides, thereby preventing the battery cell from warping during the transmission process of the silicon wafer or the battery cell being vertically clamped.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present application, the protective spacing between the buffer flexible tubes is smaller than the distance between the opposite surfaces in the limiting notch; by setting the protective spacing between the buffer flexible tubes to be smaller than the distance between the opposite surfaces in the limiting notch, the battery cells can be prevented from colliding with the edge of the guide protective bracket during the electroplating movement process, thereby protecting the battery cells.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present application, the surface of the conveyor steel belt is provided with mounting screw holes at equal intervals, and each of the mounting screw holes is fixedly connected to the guide protection bracket. The provision of the mounting screw holes facilitates the installation and fixation of the guide protection bracket. At the same time, since the conveyor steel belt is a structure in the existing electroplating equipment, the structural improvement on the original conveyor steel belt reduces the production cost of the guide protection bracket and makes the installation more convenient.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present application, the guide protection bracket also includes a fixed mounting portion, which is fixedly arranged on the bottom surface of the guide support portion, and the fixed mounting portion is used to cooperate with the mounting screw hole to achieve a fixed connection. By setting the fixed mounting portion on the guide protection bracket, the fixed mounting portion cooperates with the mounting screw hole to achieve a fixed connection, thereby facilitating the installation of the guide protection bracket.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present application, the buffer flexible tube is a solid flexible tube, or the buffer flexible tube is a hollow flexible tube. By setting the buffer flexible tube to a solid flexible tube or a hollow flexible tube, wherein the material of the buffer flexible tube is a corrosion-resistant flexible material, for example, polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) and other polymer materials, it can effectively buffer the battery cell and further reduce the risk of silicon wafers or battery cells breaking.

[0016] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description, and in part will become apparent from the following description, or will be learned through the practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the utility model, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the utility model. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the principle of a cell electroplating process equipment according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of a clamping assembly and a protective device for a cell electroplating process according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 3 It is a partial structural schematic diagram of a protective device for a solar cell electroplating process according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a guide protection bracket according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a guide protection bracket according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a guide protection bracket and a buffer flexible tube according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 7This is another cross-sectional view of the guide protection bracket and the buffer flexible tube according to the embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Reference numerals:

[0026] 100. Electroplating tank;

[0027] 200, conveyor steel belt; 210, steel belt body; 211, mounting screw hole;

[0028] 300, guide protection bracket; 310, fixed installation part; 311, fixed screw hole; 320, guide support part; 321, limit notch; 322, fixed slot;

[0029] 400, buffer flexible tube;

[0030] 500, clamping assembly; 510, clamping frame; 520, battery cell clamping claw;

[0031] 600. Battery cells. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. The embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0033] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be an intermediate element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element at the same time.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art in the technical field of the present invention. The terms used herein in the specification of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific implementations and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.

[0035] In the electroplating process of solar cell wafers or raw silicon wafers, the existing electroplating equipment is provided with an electroplating tank of sufficient length in the equipment, and a conveyor steel belt is installed at the bottom of the electroplating tank. The conveyor steel belt is a ring-shaped structure, and the conveyor steel belt can move along the axial direction according to the set trajectory in the electroplating equipment. A simple structure is provided on the surface of the conveyor steel belt to limit the cell, which can protect the cell to a certain extent. However, in the actual cell electroplating process, the inventor found that as the thickness of the solar cell becomes thinner and thinner, the fragmentation rate of the solar cell electroplating process becomes higher and higher. A major factor leading to the increase in the fragmentation rate is that when the cell moves in the electroplating liquid, it will cause the cell to swing back and forth to both sides due to the resistance of the liquid, making the solar cell or raw silicon wafer easy to collide with other hard objects, thereby causing the cell to be fragmented or cracked, increasing the cell fragmentation rate. Based on this, the inventor improved the original structure and proposed a protective device for the electroplating process of solar cells.

[0036] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the principle of the cell electroplating process equipment shown in the embodiment of the present application, a conveyor steel belt 200 is installed at the bottom of the electroplating tank 100, and the electroplating solution is stored in the electroplating tank 100. During the electroplating process of the solar cell, the cell is clamped by a mobile clamping electroplating device for electroplating and transfer, wherein the mobile clamping electroplating device moves along the length direction of the electroplating tank 100, and can also move up and down. It should be noted that the mobile clamping electroplating device is a prior art device, and no further details are given here. The conveyor steel belt 200 is an annular shape connected end to end. During the electroplating process, the conveyor steel belt 200 moves along the axial direction, and the conveyor steel belt 200 and the mobile clamping electroplating device can be differential motion or uniform motion. The specific moving speed can be set according to actual needs and is not limited here.

[0037] In some embodiments, a plurality of guide protection brackets 300 are spaced apart on the surface of the conveyor steel belt 200. Preferably, the spacing distance between each two guide protection brackets 300 is equal. Setting the spacing distance to be equal can better support the buffer flexible tube 400. Of course, it is understandable that the spacing distance between the guide protection brackets 300 can be unequal while satisfying the supporting and fixing effect of the buffer flexible tube 400. The buffer flexible tube 400 is fixed on the protection bracket 300, wherein the buffer flexible tube 400 is connected at the first end, and the connecting ends thereof can be connected by welding. When the conveyor steel belt 200 moves, the buffer flexible tube 400 will also move with it, and the battery cells are located between the buffer flexible tubes 400 during the electroplating process.

[0038] The structures and connection relationships of the conveyor steel belt 200, the guide protection bracket 300, the buffer flexible tube 400, etc. corresponding to the protection device of the solar cell electroplating process of this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0039] In order to facilitate the description of the following embodiments, an XYZ three-axis rectangular coordinate system is established, and the length direction along the conveyor steel belt 200 is defined as the Y-axis direction, the width direction along the conveyor steel belt 200 is defined as the X-axis direction, and the vertical height direction along the cargo box conveyor steel belt 200 is defined as the Z-axis direction. It should be understood that the X-axis direction includes the positive direction of the X-axis and the negative direction of the X-axis, and the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction are the same. The coordinate system of the conveyor steel belt 200 can be flexibly set according to actual needs. This application only gives an example and cannot be considered as a special limitation to this application.

[0040] See also Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 1 and Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a protective device for a solar cell electroplating process according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 The schematic diagram of the structure of the guide protection bracket 300 shown in the embodiment of the present application, the clamping assembly 500 includes a clamping frame 510 and a battery cell clamping claw 520 arranged below the clamping frame 510. It should be noted that a power actuator (not shown in the figure) is also arranged on the top of the clamping frame 510. The power actuator can enable the clamping frame 510 to move up and down in the Z-axis direction and transfer the battery cell. A power mechanism for longitudinally clamping the battery cell clamping claw 520 is arranged inside the clamping frame 510. Since the clamping assembly 500 is an existing device, the specific structure and power realization principle are not repeated here.

[0041] In some embodiments, the conveyor steel belt 200 is installed at the bottom of the electroplating tank 100, and a plurality of guide protection brackets 300 are installed at intervals on the top surface of the conveyor steel belt 200 along the length direction of the conveyor steel belt 200 (i.e., the Y-axis direction). In order to better protect the solar cell, it should be noted that the straight section of the electroplating tank 100 is the electroplating process area of ​​the cell 600, that is, during the electroplating process of the cell 600, the plurality of guide protection brackets 300 in the electroplating tank 100 are arranged in a straight line, and the two buffer flexible tubes 400 fixedly installed on the top of the guide protection bracket 300 are also linear in the electroplating area. At this time, the bottom of the cell 600 moves slowly between the two buffer flexible tubes 400 and is electroplated.

[0042] It can be understood that the conveyor steel belt 200, the guide protection bracket 300 and the buffer flexible tube 400 are completely immersed in the plating solution in the plating tank 100, wherein the guide protection bracket 300 can be made of corrosion-resistant polymer materials, such as: PE material, and of course it can also be other materials that meet this requirement. The specific selection is based on actual requirements and is not limited here. Of course, the material for preparing the guide protection bracket 300 needs to meet a certain hardness to ensure that the buffer flexible tube 400 installed on the guide protection bracket 300 will not fall off or loosen during the operation and movement process.

[0043] It can also be understood that the buffer flexible tube 400 can be made of corrosion-resistant polymer soft material, such as polytetrafluoroethylene polymer material or Teflon material, which has good softness and good acid and alkali corrosion resistance. Of course, while meeting the requirements of good softness and acid and alkali corrosion resistance, other types of materials can be selected according to actual needs, and there is no limitation here. It should be noted that the buffer flexible tube 400 passes through the installation limit hole of each guide protection bracket 300 in turn during installation, and then the head and tail ends of the buffer flexible tube 400 are connected. The specific connection method can be selected according to the characteristics of the material used, and there is no limitation here.

[0044] In some embodiments, the guide protection bracket 300 includes a guide support part 320, and a limiting notch 321 is provided on the top surface of the guide support part 320, and a fixed slot 322 is mirrored on the opposite surface of the limiting notch 321; the buffer flexible tube 400 is passed through and installed in the fixed slot 322 along the length direction of the conveyor steel belt 200. It should be noted that the buffer flexible tube 400 is respectively installed in each fixed slot 322 on the opposite side of the limiting notch 321, wherein a protective spacing is preset between the two buffer flexible tubes 400. By presetting a protective spacing between the two buffer flexible tubes 400, the protective spacing further limits the swinging amplitude of the battery cell on both sides, thereby preventing the battery cell from warping during the transmission process of the silicon wafer or the battery cell being vertically clamped.

[0045] It should be noted that the opening from the top surface of the guide support portion is set downward in a "V" shape. Since the battery cell moves along a straight line in the electroplating tank, by setting the two opposite inner surfaces of the limiting notch 321 into a "V" shape, when the battery cell is inserted between the buffer flexible tubes 400, it is ensured that the distance between the battery cell and the buffer flexible tubes 400 on both sides is equal, thereby further reducing the risk of silicon wafers or battery cells breaking.

[0046] In some embodiments, the guide protection bracket 300 also includes a fixed mounting portion 310, which is fixedly arranged on the bottom surface of the guide support portion 320, and the fixed mounting portion 310 is used to cooperate with the mounting screw hole 211 to achieve a fixed connection. The fixed mounting portion 310 is arranged on the guide protection bracket 300, and the fixed mounting portion 310 is provided with a fixing screw hole 311. The fixing screw hole 311 cooperates with the mounting screw hole 211 to achieve a fixed connection through bolts, which facilitates the installation of the guide protection bracket 300.

[0047] Optionally, the protective spacing between the buffer flexible tubes 400 is smaller than the distance between the opposite surfaces in the limiting notch 321; by setting the protective spacing between the buffer flexible tubes 400 to be smaller than the distance between the opposite surfaces in the limiting notch 321, the battery cells can be prevented from colliding with the edge of the guide protective bracket 300 during the electroplating movement process, thereby protecting the battery cells.

[0048] In some embodiments, the surface of the conveyor steel belt 200 is provided with mounting screw holes 211 at equal intervals, and each mounting screw hole 211 is respectively fixedly connected with a guide protection bracket 300. The provision of the mounting screw holes 211 facilitates the installation and fixation of the guide protection bracket 300. At the same time, since the conveyor steel belt 200 is a structure in the existing electroplating equipment, the structural improvement on the original conveyor steel belt 200 reduces the production cost of the guide protection bracket 300, and at the same time, the installation is more convenient. Of course, the guide protection bracket 300 and the conveyor steel belt 200 can also be fixed by bolts. The specific connection method can be selected according to actual needs and is not limited here.

[0049] In some embodiments, see Figures 5 to 7 , Figures 5 to 7 The cross-sectional view of the protective bracket and the buffer flexible tube shown in the embodiment of the present application shows that the opening angle a of one side end of the fixed slot 322 on the guide protective bracket 300 is preferably 10°-85°, for example, the opening angle a is 80°, 75° or 45°, etc. This arrangement ensures that the side end portion of the buffer flexible tube 400 close to the limiting notch 321 is partially exposed, that is, the end face of the buffer flexible tube 400 close to the limiting notch 321 is higher than the inner surface of the limiting notch 321; this arrangement further prevents the battery cell 600 from colliding with the edge of a solid structure such as a bracket, thereby solving the problem of silicon wafers or battery cells being easily broken due to swinging and impacting in the tank solution.

[0050] In some embodiments, the buffer flexible tube 400 can be a solid flexible tube or a hollow flexible tube. Under the condition that the shortest distance between the two buffer flexible tubes 400 is less than the shortest distance between the inner surfaces of the limiting notch 321 and the battery cell can be buffered and protected, the specific internal structure of the buffer flexible tube 400 can be selected according to different needs and is not limited here. The buffer flexible tube 400 is set to a solid flexible tube or a hollow flexible tube, wherein the material of the buffer flexible tube 400 is a corrosion-resistant flexible material, for example, made of polymer materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene Teflon, thereby effectively buffering the battery cell and further reducing the risk of silicon wafers or battery cells breaking.

[0051] In the protective device for the electroplating process of solar cells in the above technical scheme, a conveyor steel belt 200 is installed at the bottom of the electroplating tank in the copper electroplating equipment, and a plurality of guide protection brackets 300 are installed at equal intervals on the conveyor steel belt 200, and a limiting notch 321 is set on the surface of the guide support part 320 of each guide protection bracket 300, and a fixed card slot 322 is opened on the opposite surface of the limiting notch 321 in a mirror image, and buffer flexible tubes 400 are inserted into the fixed card slots 322 on both sides of the limiting notch 321. A protective spacing is formed between the buffer flexible tubes 400, and the guide protection bracket 300 supports the buffer flexible tubes 400. When the mobile clamping point electroplating device clamps the cell and immerses it in the electroplating solution for mobile electroplating, the cell is inserted between the buffer flexible tubes 400. When the cell swings back and forth on both sides of the movement, the setting of the buffer flexible tube 400 effectively protects the cell, avoids the cell from hitting the edge of the bracket during operation and the cell warping, thereby reducing the risk of silicon wafers or cell fragmentation.

[0052] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the utility model.

[0053] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the utility model. In this specification, the schematic expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.

[0054] Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Mentioning "embodiment" in this article means that the specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present embodiment application. The appearance of this phrase in various positions in the specification is not necessarily the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It can be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0055] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A protective device for a solar cell electroplating process, characterized in that: include: Conveyor belt (200); A plurality of guide protection brackets (300) are installed at intervals along the length direction on the top surface of the conveyor steel belt (200), the guide protection bracket (300) comprising a guide support portion (320), the guide support portion (320) being in the shape of a rectangular body, a surface of which is provided with a limiting notch (321), and a fixed slot (322) is provided in a mirror image on the opposite surface of the limiting notch (321); The buffer flexible tube (400) is installed in the fixed slot (322) along the length direction of the conveyor steel belt (200).

2. The protective device for the electroplating process of a solar cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting notch (321) is opened downward from the top surface of the guide support portion (320) and has a "V" shape.

3. The protective device for the electroplating process of a solar cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The buffer flexible tube (400) is respectively installed in each of the fixing slots (322) on the opposite side of the limiting notch (321), wherein a protective spacing is preset between two buffer flexible tubes (400).

4. The protective device for the electroplating process of a solar cell according to claim 3, characterized in that: The protective spacing between the buffer flexible tubes (400) is smaller than the distance between the opposite surfaces in the limiting notch (321).

5. The protective device for the electroplating process of a solar cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the conveyor steel belt (200) is provided with mounting screw holes (211) at equal intervals, and each mounting screw hole (211) is respectively fixedly connected to the guide protection bracket (300).

6. The protective device for the electroplating process of a solar cell according to claim 5, characterized in that: The guide protection bracket (300) further comprises a fixed installation portion (310), wherein the fixed installation portion (310) is fixedly arranged at the bottom of the guide support portion (320), and the fixed installation portion (310) is used to cooperate with the installation screw hole (211) to achieve a fixed connection.

7. The protective device for the electroplating process of a solar cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The buffer flexible tube (400) is a solid flexible tube, or The buffer flexible tube (400) is a hollow flexible tube.

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