A laminated assembly and laminating machine

Abstract

The application provides a laminating assembly and laminating machine, which comprises a heating plate, a pressing frame, a floating plate, a floating connecting piece and an elastic sealing ring. The pressing frame is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the heating plate, and the upper surface of the heating plate is formed with a laminating cavity in the pressing frame. The floating plate is supported on the heating plate through the floating connecting piece. The elastic sealing ring is arranged on the lower surface of the heating plate. The pressing frame and / or the heating plate is provided with a ventilation hole. When two adjacent laminating assemblies are combined, the elastic sealing ring of the upper laminating assembly is pressed against the pressing frame of the lower laminating assembly. When the laminating cavity is vacuumized, the upper laminating assembly is lowered, and the heating plate is pressed downward to tightly press the photovoltaic assembly in the laminating cavity. When the heating plate is pressed downward, the side part of the heating plate is supported by the elastic sealing ring, and the part of the heating plate in contact with the photovoltaic assembly is supported by the photovoltaic assembly. Therefore, the heating plate can be kept horizontal during the laminating process, and the pressure surge area can be avoided at the periphery of the photovoltaic assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of photovoltaic cell string production, specifically a laminated module and a laminator. Background Technology

[0002] Lamination is a crucial step in the photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing process, accomplished using a laminator. A traditional laminator consists of a lamination chamber and a laminating plate within that chamber, dividing the chamber into an upper and lower compartment. During lamination, the PV module is first conveyed to the lower compartment. The laminator is then closed, and the module is heated to melt the encapsulant film inside. Simultaneously, a vacuum is created in the lamination chamber to remove air bubbles from the module. Next, the upper compartment is inflated, causing the laminating plate to deform downwards and compress the PV module, fulfilling the physicochemical requirements of the lamination process.

[0003] Currently, softer silicone sheets are generally used as laminates. When the upper chamber of the lamination chamber is filled with air, the peripheral area of ​​the silicone sheet that is not in contact with the photovoltaic module bends and deforms downward under atmospheric pressure, thus creating a pressure surge zone at the edges of the photovoltaic module. This will squeeze out the adhesive at the edges of the photovoltaic module, resulting in a lack of adhesive at the edges of the photovoltaic module, which ultimately affects the quality of the photovoltaic module. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a laminator, the detailed technical solution of which is as follows:

[0005] A laminated assembly includes a heating plate, a pressure frame, a floating plate, a floating connector, and an elastic sealing ring, wherein:

[0006] The pressure frame is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the heating plate, and a lamination cavity located inside the pressure frame is formed in the upper space of the heating plate.

[0007] The floating plate is supported on the heating plate and located in the lamination cavity by several floating connectors;

[0008] An elastic sealing ring is provided on the lower surface of the heating plate and surrounds the periphery of the heating plate;

[0009] Ventilation holes are provided in the pressure frame and / or heating plate to connect the outside world with the lamination chamber.

[0010] When two adjacent laminated modules are closed, the elastic sealing ring of the upper laminated module presses against the pressure frame of the lower laminated module, thereby sealing the lamination cavity of the lower laminated module. Subsequently, a vacuum is applied to the lamination cavity, and the upper laminated module descends under atmospheric pressure, thereby causing the heating plate of the upper laminated module to press down and tighten on the photovoltaic module supported on the floating plate inside the lamination cavity.

[0011] As the heating plate is pressed down, its peripheral parts are supported on the pressure frame by elastic sealing rings, while the parts in contact with the photovoltaic modules are supported by the photovoltaic modules. Therefore, it is ensured that the heating plate remains horizontal during the lamination process, thus avoiding the formation of pressure surge zones around the edges of the photovoltaic modules.

[0012] In some embodiments, the elastic sealing ring is a solid sealing ring, or the elastic sealing ring has an annular air cavity inside, and the side wall of the air cavity is provided with an inflation / deflation port.

[0013] Two types of elastic sealing rings are provided. The solid sealing ring is easy to install, low in cost, and has a long service life. The elastic sealing ring with an internal air chamber allows for control of the inflation amount, ensuring both a good seal and sufficient support for the periphery of the heating plate.

[0014] In some embodiments, the floating connector includes a guide post and a spring arranged in a vertical direction, wherein one end of the guide post is fixedly connected to one of the heating plate and the floating plate, and the other end is movably connected to the other of the heating plate and the floating plate, and the spring is sleeved on the guide post, with both ends of the spring abutting against the heating plate and the floating plate respectively.

[0015] A simple floating connector is provided, which provides floating support for a floating plate through the extension and contraction of a spring. Specifically, when the downward pressure on the floating plate increases and the floating plate descends, the spring contracts under pressure. When the downward pressure on the floating plate decreases, the spring extends, thereby pushing the floating plate upward.

[0016] In some embodiments, mounting holes are provided on the floating plate at the positions corresponding to each floating connector. The mounting holes include a first hole section and a second hole section that pass through vertically, wherein the diameter of the first hole section is larger than the diameter of the second hole section. The lower end of the guide post is screwed and fixed to the heating plate. The upper end of the guide post is slidably connected to the floating plate through the mounting holes, wherein the upper end of the guide post is provided with a limiting head located in the first hole section, and the diameter of the limiting head is larger than the diameter of the second hole section.

[0017] By setting mounting holes on the floating plate and configuring guide posts, the upper end of the guide posts can be moved up and down to connect to the floating plate without detaching from it.

[0018] In some embodiments, the lamination assembly further includes a second sealing ring, which seals the pressure frame and the heating plate together.

[0019] It improves the airtightness between the pressure frame and the heating plate, and enhances the sealing of the lamination chamber when the laminator is closed.

[0020] In some embodiments, the lamination assembly further includes a drive member, a drive shaft, a driven shaft, and a conveyor belt, wherein: the drive shaft is disposed at a first end of the pressure frame and / or the heating plate, the driven shaft is disposed at a second end of the pressure frame and / or the heating plate, the conveyor belt is wound around the drive shaft and the driven shaft, and covers the heating plate, the pressure frame, the floating plate, and the elastic sealing ring, the drive end of the drive member is connected to the drive shaft, and the drive member is configured to drive the drive shaft to rotate so as to drive the conveyor belt to operate.

[0021] The conveyor belt is driven by a drive unit, a drive shaft, and a driven shaft, enabling the conveyor belt to automatically transport the photovoltaic modules to be laminated to the predetermined lamination position on the laminated module, and to automatically output the laminated photovoltaic modules from the laminated module.

[0022] In some embodiments, a raised strip is provided on the upper surface of the pressure frame, and the raised strip surrounds the periphery of the pressure frame; the projection of the raised strip on the horizontal plane surrounds the projection of the elastic sealing ring on the horizontal plane.

[0023] When the laminator is closed, the heating plate of the upper laminator is pressed against the protrusion of the lower laminator to prevent the elastic sealing ring from being damaged by excessive pressure.

[0024] In some embodiments, the elastic sealing ring is bonded to the lower surface of the heating plate, or the elastic sealing ring is screwed to the lower surface of the heating plate by a plurality of first screws spaced apart along the length of the elastic sealing ring.

[0025] Two installation methods for the elastic sealing ring are provided, both of which ensure that the elastic sealing ring is tightly attached to the lower surface of the heating plate, improving airtightness.

[0026] In some embodiments, a buffer layer is provided on the upper surface of the floating plate.

[0027] To avoid rigid compression between the photovoltaic module and the upper surface of the floating plate during lamination, which could damage the floating plate or the photovoltaic module.

[0028] This application also provides a laminator, which includes a lifting drive mechanism and n laminating components as described in any one of the above claims, wherein:

[0029] n laminated components are arranged in layers from top to bottom;

[0030] The lifting drive mechanism is connected to each lamination component for driving each lamination component to move synchronously up and down towards each other to close the lid, and to drive each lamination component to move synchronously up and down away from each other to open the lid.

[0031] When two adjacent laminated components are closed, the elastic sealing ring of the upper laminated component is pressed against the pressure frame of the lower laminated component.

[0032] n≥2.

[0033] The laminator provided in this application consists of n laminator components arranged vertically at intervals. When the laminator components are closed, each adjacent laminator component can laminate the photovoltaic module between them, thereby improving the lamination efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 This is a top view of the laminated assembly in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 2 This is a bottom view of the laminated component in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a bottom view of the lamination assembly in the embodiment of this application after removing components such as the drive roller and the driven roller;

[0037] Figure 4 This is a half-sectional schematic diagram of the lamination component in the embodiments of this application;

[0038] Figure 5 This is a partially enlarged half-section view of the lamination assembly in the embodiments of this application;

[0039] Figure 6 This is a partially enlarged half-section view of two adjacent laminated components in the closed state in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figures 1 to 6 Includes:

[0041] Heating plate 1, pressure frame 2, floating plate 3, floating connector 4, elastic sealing ring 6, lamination cavity 7, second sealing ring 8, driving component 9, drive shaft 10, driven shaft 110, buffer layer 120, protruding strip 21, guide post 41, spring 42. Mounting hole 31, first hole section 31a, second hole section 31b, limit head 41a. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0043] As described in the background section, currently, soft silicone sheets are generally used as laminates. When the upper chamber of the lamination chamber is filled with air, the peripheral area of ​​the silicone sheet that is not in contact with the photovoltaic module bends and deforms downward under atmospheric pressure, thereby forming a pressure surge zone at the edges of the photovoltaic module. This will squeeze out the adhesive at the edges of the photovoltaic module, resulting in a lack of adhesive at the edges of the photovoltaic module, which ultimately affects the quality of the photovoltaic module.

[0044] In view of this, this application provides a laminated assembly that ensures the heating plate remains horizontal during the lamination process, thereby avoiding the formation of pressure surge zones at the periphery of the photovoltaic assembly.

[0045] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the lamination assembly 10 of this application includes a heating plate 1, a pressure frame 2, a floating plate 3, a floating connector 4, and an elastic sealing ring 6, wherein:

[0046] The pressure frame 2 is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the heating plate 1, and a lamination cavity 7 is formed in the upper space of the heating plate 1 within the pressure frame 2.

[0047] The floating plate 3 is supported on the heating plate 1 by several floating connectors 4 and is located in the lamination cavity 7.

[0048] The elastic sealing ring 6 is disposed on the lower surface of the heating plate 1 and surrounds the periphery of the heating plate 1.

[0049] Ventilation holes are provided in the pressure frame 2 and / or heating plate 1 to connect the outside world with the lamination chamber 7.

[0050] The lamination assembly 10 of this application can be applied to a laminator, which includes multiple lamination assemblies 10 arranged in layers from top to bottom, and the lamination process is as follows:

[0051] The control laminator opens its cover, and adjacent lamination components 10 are separated.

[0052] The photovoltaic modules to be laminated are transported to each lamination module 10, that is, each floating plate 3 of each lamination module 10 carries a photovoltaic module.

[0053] Then, the laminator is opened. In the adjacent laminator assembly 10, the elastic sealing ring 6 of the upper laminator assembly 10 is elastically pressed against the pressure frame 2 of the lower laminator assembly 10, thereby sealing the laminator cavity 7 of the lower laminator assembly 10.

[0054] Subsequently, a vacuum is applied to the corresponding lamination chamber 7 through the vent holes of each lamination component 10. This causes the upper lamination component 10 to descend under atmospheric pressure, compressing the elastic sealing ring 6, and pressing the heating plate 1 of the upper lamination component 10 downwards to press the photovoltaic module located in the lamination chamber 7.

[0055] As can be seen, when the heating plate 1 is pressed down, its peripheral parts are supported on the pressure frame 2 by the elastic sealing ring 6, and the part that contacts the photovoltaic module is supported by the photovoltaic module. Therefore, it can be ensured that the heating plate 1 remains horizontal throughout the lamination process, thereby avoiding the formation of pressure surge zones at the edges of the photovoltaic module.

[0056] In some embodiments, the elastic sealing ring 6 is a solid sealing ring. The solid sealing ring has a certain elasticity, can be compressed, is easy to install, has low cost, and has a long service life.

[0057] In other embodiments, the elastic sealing ring 6 has an internal annular air cavity with an inflation / deflation port on its side wall. The air cavity within the elastic sealing ring 6 is connected to an air pump or accumulator via the inflation / deflation port. The air pump or accumulator can control the amount of air injected into the elastic sealing ring 6 as needed, ensuring both a sealing effect and sufficient elastic support for the periphery of the heating plate 1. Even after inflation, the elastic sealing ring 6 retains a certain degree of elasticity and can be compressed.

[0058] like Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the floating connector 4 includes a guide post 41 and a spring 42 arranged in a vertical direction. One end of the guide post 41 is fixedly connected to one of the heating plate 1 and the floating plate 3, and the other end is movably connected to the other of the heating plate 1 and the floating plate 3. The spring 42 is sleeved on the guide post 41, and the two ends of the spring 42 abut against the heating plate 1 and the floating plate 3 respectively.

[0059] When the heating plate 1 of the upper laminate 10 presses down on the photovoltaic module, the downward pressure on the floating plate 3 increases, causing the floating plate 3 to descend and the spring 42 to contract under pressure. When the cover is opened, the heating plate 1 of the upper laminate 10 detaches from the photovoltaic module, the pressure on the floating plate 3 decreases, the spring 42 extends to return to its original position, thereby pushing the floating plate 3 to rise and return to its original position. To ensure uniform pressure on the photovoltaic module, the floating connectors 4 need to be evenly arranged below the floating plate 3 so that the floating plate 3 remains horizontal to horizontally support the photovoltaic module. For example, the floating connectors 4 can be distributed in multiple rows and columns.

[0060] Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the lower end of the guide post 41 is fixedly connected to the heating plate 1, and the upper end of the guide post 41 is movably connected to the floating plate 3. Specifically, the floating plate 3 is provided with mounting holes 31 corresponding to the positions of each floating connector 4. The mounting holes 31 include a first hole section 31a and a second hole section 31b that pass through vertically, wherein the diameter of the first hole section 31a is larger than the diameter of the second hole section 31b. The lower end of the guide post 41 is screwed and fixed to the heating plate 1. The upper end of the guide post 41 is slidably connected to the floating plate 3 through the mounting holes 31.

[0061] The upper end of the guide post 41 is provided with a limiting head 41a located within the first hole section 31a, and the diameter of the limiting head 41a is larger than the diameter of the hole in the second hole section 42. This arrangement allows the upper end of the guide post 41 to be movably connected to the floating plate 3 without detaching from the floating plate 3.

[0062] Specifically, the guide post 41 includes a post body and a second screw. A threaded rod extends downwards from the lower middle of the post body and is screwed into the heating plate 1. The lower end of the second screw is locked within the post body, and the shaft of the second screw passes through the second hole section 31b, causing the upper head of the second screw to extend into the first hole section 31a. The upper head of the second screw serves as the limiting head 41a. A spring 42 is sleeved on the post body. The height of the post body cannot be too long, so that the post body can guide the extension and retraction of the spring 42 without affecting the floating of the floating plate 3. When the floating plate 3 floats, the limiting head 41a moves relative to it within the first hole section 31a.

[0063] like Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the lamination assembly 10 of this application further includes a second sealing ring 8, which seals the pressure frame 2 and the heating plate 1. By providing the second sealing ring 8, the airtightness between the contact point of the pressure frame 2 and the heating plate 1 can be improved, thereby enhancing the sealing degree of the lamination chamber 7 when the laminator is closed.

[0064] like Figures 1 to 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the laminating assembly 10 of this application further includes a drive member 9, a drive shaft 10, a driven shaft 110, and a conveyor belt (not shown), wherein: the drive shaft 10 is disposed at the first end of the pressure frame 2 and / or the heating plate 1, and the driven shaft 110 is disposed at the second end of the pressure frame 2 and / or the heating plate 1. The conveyor belt is wound around the drive shaft 10 and the driven shaft 110, and covers the heating plate 1, the pressure frame 2, the floating plate 3, and the elastic sealing ring 6. The drive end of the drive member 9 is connected to the drive shaft 10 for transmission, and the drive member 9 is configured to drive the drive shaft 10 to rotate, thereby driving the conveyor belt to operate. The drive member 9 may be, for example, a servo motor.

[0065] The drive unit 9 can be a motor. The drive unit 9, the drive shaft 10 and the driven shaft 110 drive the conveyor belt to operate, so that the conveyor belt can automatically transport the photovoltaic modules to be laminated to the predetermined lamination position on the lamination module 10, and automatically output the laminated photovoltaic modules from the lamination module 10.

[0066] like Figures 4 to 6 As shown, in some embodiments, a raised strip 21 is provided on the upper surface of the pressure frame 2, and the raised strip 21 surrounds the periphery of the pressure frame 2. The projection of the raised strip 21 on the horizontal plane surrounds the projection of the elastic sealing ring 6 on the horizontal plane.

[0067] When the laminator is closed, the heating plate 1 of the upper laminator 10 is pressed against the protrusion 21 of the lower laminator 10, thereby preventing the elastic sealing ring 6 from being damaged by excessive pressure.

[0068] To ensure that the elastic sealing ring 6 fits tightly against the lower surface of the heating plate 1 and improves airtightness, in some embodiments, the elastic sealing ring 6 is bonded to the lower surface of the heating plate 1.

[0069] In other embodiments, the elastic sealing ring 6 is screwed to the lower surface of the heating plate 1 by a plurality of first screws spaced apart along the length of the elastic sealing ring 6. Of course, to further improve airtightness, sealant can be applied to the contact surfaces of the elastic sealing ring 6 and the heating plate 1 between adjacent first screws.

[0070] In some embodiments, a buffer layer 120 is provided on the upper surface of the floating plate 3. By providing a buffer layer 120 on the upper surface of the floating plate 3, rigid compression between the photovoltaic module and the upper surface of the floating plate 3 during lamination can be avoided, which could cause damage to the floating plate 3 or the photovoltaic module.

[0071] This application also provides a laminator, which includes a lifting drive mechanism and n (n≥2) laminator components, wherein the laminator components are the laminator components 10 provided in any of the above embodiments.

[0072] n laminated components 10 are arranged in layers from top to bottom. A lifting drive mechanism is connected to each laminated component 10 for driving each laminated component 10 to move synchronously up and down towards each other to close the lid, and to drive each laminated component to move synchronously up and down away from each other to open the lid.

[0073] When two adjacent laminated components 10 are closed, the elastic sealing ring 6 of the upper laminated component 10 is pressed against the pressure frame 2 of the lower laminated component 10.

[0074] The laminator provided in this application consists of n laminator components 10 arranged vertically at intervals. When the laminator components are closed, two adjacent laminator components 10 can laminate the photovoltaic module between them, thereby improving the lamination efficiency.

[0075] In two adjacent laminated modules 10, when the heating plate 1 of the upper laminated module 10 is pressed down, its peripheral portion is supported by the pressure frame 2 of the lower laminated module 10 via the elastic sealing ring 6, and the portion of the heating plate 1 that contacts the photovoltaic module is supported by the photovoltaic module. Therefore, it can be ensured that the heating plate 1 remains horizontal throughout the lamination process, thereby avoiding the formation of pressure surge zones around the edges of the photovoltaic module.

[0076] The lifting drive mechanism can use existing equipment, so the specific structure will not be described here.

[0077] This application provides a sufficiently detailed and specific description. Those skilled in the art should understand that the descriptions in the embodiments are merely exemplary, and all changes made without departing from the true spirit and scope of this application should fall within its protection scope. The scope of protection claimed in this application is defined by the claims, not by the above descriptions in the embodiments. Without contradiction, some optional components in one embodiment can also be used in another embodiment, and some preferred structures of the same component in one embodiment are also applicable to another embodiment. Furthermore, there may be slight differences in the wording of the names of certain components in different embodiments; these slight differences will not affect the understanding of the technical solution of the present invention by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A laminated assembly, characterized in that, The lamination assembly includes a heating plate, a pressure frame, a floating plate, a floating connector, and an elastic sealing ring, wherein: The pressure frame is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the heating plate, and a lamination cavity is formed in the upper space of the heating plate within the pressure frame; The floating plate is supported on the heating plate by several of the floating connectors and is located in the lamination cavity; The elastic sealing ring is disposed on the lower surface of the heating plate and surrounds the periphery of the heating plate; Ventilation holes are provided in the pressure frame and / or heating plate to connect the outside world with the lamination cavity.

2. The laminated assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic sealing ring is a solid sealing ring, or the elastic sealing ring has an annular air cavity inside, and the side wall of the air cavity is provided with an air filling and defilling port.

3. The laminated assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The floating connector includes a guide post and a spring arranged in a vertical direction. One end of the guide post is fixedly connected to one of the heating plate and the floating plate, and the other end is movably connected to the other of the heating plate and the floating plate. The spring is sleeved on the guide post, and the two ends of the spring abut against the heating plate and the floating plate respectively.

4. The laminated assembly as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that, The floating plate is provided with mounting holes at the positions corresponding to each of the floating connectors. The mounting holes include a first hole section and a second hole section that pass through from top to bottom, wherein the diameter of the first hole section is larger than the diameter of the second hole section. The lower end of the guide post is screwed and fixed to the heating plate; The upper end of the guide post is slidably and vertically connected to the floating plate through the mounting hole. The upper end of the guide post is provided with a limiting head located in the first hole section, and the diameter of the limiting head is larger than the hole diameter of the second hole section.

5. The laminated assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The lamination assembly also includes a second sealing ring, which seals the pressure frame and the heating plate together.

6. The laminated assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The lamination assembly further includes a driving component, a drive shaft, a driven shaft, and a conveyor belt, wherein: The drive shaft is disposed at the first end of the pressure frame and / or the heating plate, the driven shaft is disposed at the second end of the pressure frame and / or the heating plate, the conveyor belt is wound around the drive shaft and the driven shaft, and covers the heating plate, the pressure frame, the floating plate and the elastic sealing ring, the drive end of the drive member is connected to the drive shaft, and the drive member is configured to drive the drive shaft to rotate so as to drive the conveyor belt to operate.

7. The laminated assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The upper surface of the pressure frame is provided with a raised strip, which surrounds the periphery of the pressure frame; The projection of the convex strip on the horizontal plane surrounds the projection of the elastic sealing ring on the horizontal plane.

8. The laminated assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic sealing ring is bonded to the lower surface of the heating plate, or the elastic sealing ring is fixed to the lower surface of the heating plate by a plurality of first screws spaced apart along the length of the elastic sealing ring.

9. The laminated assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, A buffer layer is provided on the upper surface of the floating plate.

10. A laminator, characterized in that, The laminator includes a lifting drive mechanism and n lamination components as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: n laminated components are arranged in layers from top to bottom; The lifting drive mechanism is connected to each of the laminating components and is used to drive each of the laminating components to move synchronously up and down towards each other to close the lid, and to drive each of the laminating components to move synchronously up and down away from each other to open the lid. When two adjacent laminated components are closed, the elastic sealing ring of the upper laminated component is pressed against the pressure frame of the lower laminated component. n≥2。

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