Method for manufacturing a laminate, and a conveying device.

Abstract

We provide technology that contributes to the automation of laminate manufacturing. [Solution] A method for manufacturing a laminate having a light-receiving surface substrate, an extraction wiring section, and a back surface substrate, wherein the extraction wiring section passes through a hole in the back surface substrate and protrudes to the outside, the method includes a wiring bending step to form a bent section by bending a part of the extraction wiring section and a wiring insertion step, wherein the extraction wiring section, when the bent section is formed by the wiring bending step, has a first extension section extending in a predetermined direction, a bent section, and a second extension section forming a rising section arranged in this order, the wiring bending step is performed by bending the extraction wiring section so that the rising angle, which is the angle between a virtual line extending in the longitudinal direction of the first extension section and a virtual line extending in the longitudinal direction of the second extension section, is greater than 60 degrees and less than 90 degrees, and the wiring insertion step is performed by making a part of the second extension section protrude from the hole.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a laminate in which extraction wiring projects outward from a hole portion of a base material. The present invention also relates to a transport device used in such a method for manufacturing a laminate.

Background Art

[0002] As a laminate in which wiring projects outward from a hole portion of a base material, a solar cell module is widely known. For example, there is a solar cell module as disclosed in Patent Document 1. The solar cell module of Patent Document 1 is formed by attaching a terminal box to a solar cell panel. The solar cell panel is formed by arranging a plurality of solar cell strings, extraction electrodes, and extraction wiring (extraction side wiring member) between two base materials composed of a first protective member and a second protective member. The extraction wiring has a rising portion that rises in the thickness direction of the solar cell panel, and a bent portion is located on the base end side of the rising portion. The rising portion extends across the inside and outside through a through hole for extraction formed in the second protective member, and a part thereof projects outward from the through hole and is connected to an electrode in the terminal box.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a technology that contributes to the automation of the manufacturing of laminates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a method for manufacturing a laminate having a light-receiving surface substrate, an extraction wiring portion, and a back surface substrate, wherein the extraction wiring portion passes through a hole in the back surface substrate and protrudes to the outside, the method comprising a wiring bending step of bending a part of the extraction wiring portion to form a bent portion, and a wiring insertion step, wherein the extraction wiring portion, when the bent portion is formed by the wiring bending step, has a first extension portion extending in a predetermined direction, the bent portion, and a second extension portion forming a rising portion arranged in this order, the wiring bending step is performed by bending the extraction wiring portion such that the rising angle, which is the angle between a virtual line extending in the longitudinal direction of the first extension portion and a virtual line extending in the longitudinal direction of the second extension portion, is greater than 60 degrees but less than 90 degrees, and the wiring insertion step is performed by making a part of the second extension portion protrude from the hole.

[0007] The manufacturing method for this type of laminate involves a wiring bending process in which the wiring extraction section is bent so that the rising angle is greater than 60 degrees but less than 90 degrees. This makes it easier to automate the wiring insertion process compared to a configuration in which the wiring extraction is raised straight up.

[0008] Preferably, the laminate has an insulating portion, and a part of the wiring extraction portion is positioned to overlap with the insulating portion in a plan view, and the wiring fixing step of fixing the first extension portion to the insulating portion with a fixing member and the wiring insertion step are performed in this order.

[0009] In this manner, it is possible to prevent (suppress) unintended misalignment of the wiring section when performing the wiring insertion process.

[0010] More preferably, the fixing member is fixed at a position within 10 mm of the bent portion of the first extension.

[0011] In this manner, unintended misalignment of the wiring section during the wiring insertion process can be more reliably prevented (suppressed).

[0012] Preferably, the process includes a back surface substrate transport step in which the back surface substrate is transported by a transport device, and an expansion step in which the hole is expanded, wherein one side and the other side of the hole are adsorbed, and the hole is widened by creating a height difference between the adsorbed portion located on one side of the hole and the adsorbed portion located on the other side.

[0013] In this manner, the hole can be easily widened without complicating the structure of the conveying device, while the conveying device holds the substrate on the back side. Furthermore, even if the hole is narrow, temporarily widening the hole makes the wiring insertion process easier to perform.

[0014] Preferably, in the wiring insertion step, the back-side substrate is moved diagonally along the extension direction of the second extension.

[0015] In this manner, even if the positions of the hole and the tip of the second extension are unintentionally misaligned by a small amount, the tip can be inserted into the hole by moving the substrate on the back side. In other words, in this manner, when performing alignment automatically, it is possible to do so without necessarily requiring highly precise movements.

[0016] Preferably, the light-receiving surface substrate is a curved substrate having a three-dimensionally extended curved surface.

[0017] Each of the above-described features can be particularly suitable for manufacturing laminates using a curved substrate with a three-dimensionally extended curved surface as the light-receiving surface substrate.

[0018] Preferably, the hole is a slit having length in the first direction, and in the wiring insertion step, the second extension of each of the multiple extraction wiring sections is inserted into one of the holes, and the extraction wiring section located furthest to one side in the first direction among the multiple extraction wiring sections inserted into one of the holes is designated as the first wiring section, and the extraction wiring section located furthest to the other side in the first direction is designated as the second wiring section, in which case the second extensions of the first wiring section and the second wiring section rise in the same direction.

[0019] In this configuration, the operation of inserting multiple output wiring sections into a single hole becomes easier to perform.

[0020] More preferably, the process includes an expansion step of expanding the hole, the expansion step of adsorbing one side and the other side of the hole, respectively, and widening the hole by creating a height difference between the adsorbed portion located on one side of the hole and the adsorbed portion located on the other side, wherein, in the direction in which the first wiring portion and the second wiring portion are aligned, the length in the first direction from the outer end of the second extension portion belonging to the first wiring portion to the outer end of the second extension portion belonging to the second wiring portion is defined as the wiring arrangement length, the expansion step is performed to create a height difference such that the length of the hole in the first direction is longer than the wiring arrangement length.

[0021] According to this aspect, the operation of inserting a plurality of extraction wiring portions into one hole portion can be more easily performed.

[0022] Another aspect of the present invention is a conveying device used in the method for manufacturing the above-described laminate, which sucks and lifts the back-side base material, and has a central-side suction portion and an end-side suction portion, and the central-side suction portion and the end-side suction portion are arranged so as to be spaced apart in a predetermined direction and arranged in this order, and the central-side suction portion and the end-side suction portion suck a part of the back-side base material, and the end-side suction portion sucks and lifts the back-side base material at a higher position than the central-side suction portion.

[0023] According to this aspect, after lifting and conveying the back-side base material and placing it on the light-receiving surface-side base material, it is possible to make it difficult to generate problems such as the formation of wrinkles.

[0024] Another aspect of the present invention is a conveying device used in the method for manufacturing the above-described laminate, which sucks and lifts the back-side base material, and has a first expansion suction portion and a second expansion suction portion, and the first expansion suction portion and the second expansion suction portion suck one side of the hole portion of the back-side base material, and the other sucks the other side of the hole portion, and in the expansion step, at least a part of the first expansion suction portion is set at a relatively high position with respect to at least a part of the second expansion suction portion to expand the hole portion.

[0025] According to this aspect, it is possible to widen the hole portion without requiring a device for separately providing the hole portion and without complicating the structure of the conveying device.

[0026] As long as the above-described aspects are included in the technical scope of the present invention, they can be made subordinate to each other, a part of the configuration can be cited, or a part of the configuration can be replaced between the aspects.

Effects of the Invention

[0027] This invention can provide a technology that contributes to the automation of the manufacturing of laminates. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0028] [Figure 1] A perspective view showing a solar cell module equipped with a solar cell panel that can be manufactured by the method for manufacturing a laminate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a solar cell module. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a solar cell string. [Figure 4] Figure 2 shows the area around the wiring for the solar cell module, with (a) being a perspective view and (b) being a plan view from the back side. [Figure 5] A perspective view showing a transport device used in a method for manufacturing a laminate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 5 shows the hand section, with (a) being a perspective view and (b) being a plan view. [Figure 7] Figure 5 is a side view showing the hand section. [Figure 8] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the first end side suction portion, where (a) shows the state in which the base end side support portion and the holding portion are aligned vertically in the natural state, and (b) shows the state in which the holding portion has moved upward from the state shown in (a). [Figure 9] This is a schematic perspective view showing a laminate formed by a component arrangement step in a method for manufacturing a laminate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This figure shows the wiring bending process in a method for manufacturing a laminate according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a side view. [Figure 11] This figure shows the wiring fixing process in a method for manufacturing a laminate according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a plan view. [Figure 12]This diagram illustrates how the handle moves towards the back surface protective member when lifting the back surface protective member in the back surface substrate transport step in a method for manufacturing a laminate according to an embodiment of the present invention, and moves in the order of (a) to (c). [Figure 13] The following diagram schematically shows how the handle lifts the back protective member, as shown in (a) and (b). [Figure 14] This is an explanatory diagram showing the area around the wiring insertion hole in the state shown in Figure 13(b). [Figure 15] (a) is an explanatory diagram showing the wiring insertion hole as viewed from above before it is expanded in the expansion process, and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the wiring insertion hole as viewed from above after it has been expanded in the expansion process. [Figure 16] The following diagram, following Figure 13, schematically shows how the hand unit holds the back protective member and transports it to the target position, with the transport proceeding in the order of (a) and (b). [Figure 17] Figure 16(b) is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the wiring insertion holes of the back protective member and the output wiring in the state shown in Figure 16(b). (a) shows the view from above, and (b) shows the view from diagonally above. [Figure 18] This is an explanatory diagram showing the process of inserting a wire in a method for manufacturing a laminate according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the handle portion and the back surface protective member are moved in the order of (a) to (c). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0030] The manufacturing method for the laminate of this embodiment (hereinafter also simply referred to as the manufacturing method) is a method for manufacturing a laminate in which wiring is arranged between two substrates. An example of a laminate that can be manufactured by the manufacturing method of this embodiment is a solar cell panel 2 (laminated) that constitutes part of a solar cell module 1. First, before describing the manufacturing method, we will describe a solar cell module 1 having such a solar cell panel 2.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the solar cell module 1 comprises a solar cell panel 2 and a terminal box 3 (see Figure 2). In this solar cell module 1, one main surface (first main surface) of the solar cell panel 2 serves as the light-receiving surface, and the other main surface (second main surface) located on the opposite side serves as the back surface. The terminal box 3 is attached to the back surface of the solar cell panel 2. In addition to the terminal box 3, other components such as frame members may be attached to the solar cell module 1 as needed.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, the solar cell panel 2 is formed by laminating a translucent substrate 10 (light-receiving surface substrate), a sealing material 11 (first sealing material), a solar cell string 12, a wiring mounting member 13 (insulating part), an extraction wiring 14 (extraction wiring part), and a back surface protective member 15 (back surface substrate) from the light-receiving surface side. In addition, the solar cell panel 2 of this embodiment has a fixing member 16 inside. Furthermore, the solar cell panel 2 may have other sealing materials (second sealing material, third sealing material) placed at one or both of the following locations: between the solar cell string 12 and the wiring mounting member 13, and adjacent to the inside of the back surface protective member 15.

[0033] The translucent substrate 10 is a plate-shaped or sheet-shaped member having insulating and translucent properties, and in this embodiment, a glass substrate is used. Here, the translucent substrate 10 has a curved surface on one side in the thickness direction (outer main surface, bottom surface in Figure 2) and a curved surface on the other side (inner main surface, top surface in Figure 2). In other words, the translucent substrate 10 is a curved substrate with a three-dimensionally extended curved surface. As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, when viewing the solar cell panel 2 from the light-receiving side (or back side) in a plan view, the direction of the shorter side of the solar cell panel 2 is defined as the first direction, and the direction of the longer side of the solar cell panel 2 is defined as the second direction. These first and second directions are orthogonal to each other. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the direction orthogonal to the first and second directions is defined as the third direction. This will also be the case in the following description. More specifically, the translucent substrate 10 is a curved substrate in which both ends in the first direction are located inward (on the back side, and on the upper side in Figure 2) than the center in the same direction, and both ends in the second direction are located inward than the center in the same direction.

[0034] The sealing material 11 is a sealing material that seals a portion of the solar cell string 12 and the output wiring 14, and is a resin sheet made from a resin containing a thermoplastic resin, such as a resin mainly composed of ethylene vinyl acetate resin.

[0035] As shown in Figure 3, the solar cell string 12 includes a plurality of solar cells 20 (solar cells), two end electrode wirings 21, a plurality of intermediate electrode wirings 22, and two output wiring members 23. The end electrode wiring 21, intermediate electrode wiring 22, and output side wiring member 23 are conductive wiring members that extend in a flat shape, such as a strip or a sheet. For the sake of drawing convenience, the solar cell 20 will only have a symbol assigned to a portion of it, while the symbols for other parts will be omitted. Similarly, if multiple identical components are depicted, some symbols will be omitted as needed.

[0036] More specifically, the solar cell string 12 has multiple rows of solar cells, each containing multiple solar cells 20 connected in series via interconnectors (wiring members). These multiple rows of solar cells are connected in series via intermediate electrode wiring 22. One of the two end electrode wirings 21 is a positive electrode wiring that is electrically connected to the positive electrode end of the solar cell row located furthest to the positive electrode, and the other is a negative electrode wiring that is electrically connected to the negative electrode end of the solar cell row located furthest to the negative electrode. One of the two output wiring members 23 is a wiring that is partially in contact with one end electrode wiring 21, and the other is a wiring that is partially in contact with the other end electrode wiring 21.

[0037] The wiring mounting member 13 is a plate-shaped or sheet-shaped member that extends in a planar manner, as shown in Figure 2, and at least a part of its surface is made of an insulating material. In this embodiment, an insulating resin sheet is used. Specifically, the wiring mounting member 13 has a first main surface portion 13a, which is the main surface on the light-receiving surface side, and a second main surface portion 13b, which is the main surface on the back side. Furthermore, as described above, the wiring mounting member 13 may be a resin sheet, or for example, a metal plate-shaped member that has been surface-treated to form an insulating plating layer.

[0038] Furthermore, the wiring mounting member 13 in this embodiment is made of a material with higher heat resistance (higher thermal distortion temperature) than the sealing material 11. Specifically, while the sealing material 11 melts during the lamination process described later, the wiring mounting member 13 does not deform due to heat (does not melt and deform), or is made of a material that does not deform due to heat. "Substantially non-thermally non-thermally non-deformable" here includes not only materials that do not deform at all, but also materials that are slightly deformed in part to an extent that does not impair their function (where the deformed portion accounts for only a few percent). In other words, the wiring mounting member 13 in this embodiment has heat resistance at the lamination temperature (for example, 120 to 150 degrees Celsius).

[0039] As shown in Figure 4, the output wiring 14 is a flat wiring member that extends in a strip-like or sheet-like shape, and has a horizontal extension portion 25 (first extension portion), a bent portion 26, and a rising portion 27 (second extension portion).

[0040] The horizontal extension portion 25 is a part that extends linearly along the second direction, and in a plan view, it has width in the first direction and thickness in the third direction. One of the main surfaces of the horizontal extension portion 25 (the bottom surface in Figure 4) is a contact surface portion that is in surface contact with the surface of the installation site (second main surface portion 13b). In this embodiment, the portion of the horizontal extension 25 at one end in the longitudinal direction becomes a contact portion that contacts the extraction-side wiring member 23 (see Figure 9), and the portion at the other end becomes a bent portion 26. Here, the contact portion of the horizontal extension 25 is electrically connected to the end electrode wiring 21 via the extraction-side wiring member 23, and is electrically connected to the solar cell 20 via the extraction-side wiring member 23 and the end electrode wiring 21. In other words, the contact portion of the horizontal extension 25 is also a connection portion that is indirectly connected to the solar cell 20 via other components.

[0041] As shown in Figure 4, the bent portion 26 is the boundary between the horizontally extended portion 25 and the vertical portion 27, and is the end portion in the longitudinal direction of each, and is a corner portion formed by bending the output wiring 14.

[0042] The rising portion 27 is a part that is continuous with one end of the horizontal extension portion 25 in the extension direction (second direction), and is the part that rises up to the back side (upper side in Figure 4) of the solar cell panel 2.

[0043] In this embodiment, the solar cell panel 2 has a plurality (two) of outlet wirings 14. One of the outlet wirings 14, the first outlet wiring 31 (first wiring section), is connected to one of the two outlet-side wiring members 23, and the end portion (connection section) of the horizontally extended portion 25 of the first outlet wiring 31 is in contact with one of the outlet-side wiring members 23 (see Figure 9). In contrast, the other second output wiring 32 (second wiring section) is connected to the other side of the output-side wiring member 23, and the end portion (connection section) of the horizontally extended portion 25 of the second output wiring 32 is in contact with the other output-side wiring member 23 (see Figure 9).

[0044] , The first output wiring 31 and the second output wiring 32 are positioned at separate locations in the first direction. That is, the multiple (two) output wirings 14 are arranged side by side in the first direction such that the length L1 between the wirings is a predetermined length (approximately 100 mm in this embodiment). The length between the wires referred to here is the distance in the same direction of alignment from the point on one output wire 14 that is closest to the other output wire 14 in the direction of alignment (first direction) to the point on the other output wire 14 that is closest to the first output wire 14 in the direction of alignment.

[0045] In this embodiment, the horizontal extension portion 25 of the first output wiring 31 and the horizontal extension portion 25 of the second output wiring 32 extend in a direction that brings them closer together toward their respective bent portions 26. Furthermore, the rising portion 27 of the first output wiring 31 and the rising portion 27 of the second output wiring 32 extend in the same direction, with a gap between them and parallel to each other in the first direction. At this time, a portion of the first output wiring 31 (the bent portion 26 and the rising portion 27 of the first output wiring 31) and a portion of the second output wiring 32 (the bent portion 26 and the rising portion 27 of the second output wiring 32) are arranged with a gap between them in the first direction so that their positions in the second direction are the same.

[0046] As shown in Figure 2, the back surface protective member 15 is an insulating sheet made from resin, is a flexible member, and forms the back surface of the solar cell panel 2. The back protective member 15 has wiring insertion holes 35 (holes). The wiring insertion hole 35 is a slit, has a length in a predetermined direction, and penetrates the back surface protective member 15 in the thickness direction.

[0047] As shown in Figure 4, the fixing member 16 is a strip-shaped member that has insulating properties and is formed to a certain width. The fixing member 16 of this embodiment uses a heat-resistant insulating tape (insulating tape) that has heat resistance and insulating properties. This heat-resistant insulating tape is also an adhesive tape that has an adhesive surface on one side (one main surface) in the thickness direction and a non-adhesive surface on the other side (the other main surface).

[0048] The fixing member 16 is a member that fixes the take-out wiring 14 to the wiring mounting member 13, and more specifically, it fixes the horizontal extension portion 25 of the take-out wiring 14 to the wiring mounting member 13. That is, in a plan view, the fixing member 16 extends in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the horizontal extension portion 25, and extends across the horizontal extension portion 25 so that a part of it overlaps with the horizontal extension portion 25. At this time, the fixing member 16 is attached to both the horizontal extension portion 25 and the wiring mounting member 13.

[0049] In this embodiment, the solar panel 2 has one output wiring 14 secured by multiple (two) fixing members 16. Multiple fixing members 16 are arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction of the horizontal extension 25, and each of them fixes another part of the horizontal extension 25 to the wiring mounting member 13. In this embodiment, the horizontal extension 25 has a fixed range that extends from the bent portion 26 to a portion that is a predetermined length L2 (10 mm in this embodiment) away from the connection portion. The fixed range is the area in which the portion of the horizontal extension 25 that overlaps with the fixed member 16 is located, and is also the area in which the portion that is fixed to the wire mounting member 13 by the fixed member 16 is located. Each of the multiple fixed members 16 overlaps with another portion within the fixed range of the horizontal extension 25, and each fixes another portion within the fixed range to the wiring mounting member 13. Furthermore, the multiple fixed members 16 that target the same output wiring 14 are arranged so as to be spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the horizontal extension 25 of the output wiring 14 to be fixed, and extend in the same direction (first direction). Here, the predetermined length L2 in this embodiment is considerably shorter than the length L1 between the wires described above. However, for the sake of drawing convenience, in Figure 4, the predetermined length L2 is depicted as longer than it actually is relative to the length L1 between the wires. This is also true in the following drawings (Figure 11(b), etc.). Similarly, for lengths in other drawings, for the sake of drawing convenience, the ratio of the drawn length of a predetermined part to the drawn length of other parts may differ from the actual ratio.

[0050] (Conveyor device) Next, the back material conveying device 41 (conveying device) used in the manufacturing method of this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 5, the back material conveying device 41 is a robot and has a base portion 45, an arm portion 46 supported by the base portion 45, and a hand portion 47 (conveying portion) attached to the tip of the arm portion 46.

[0051] The arm section 46 is a multi-joint robot arm that freely manipulates the hand section 47. In other words, the back material transport device 41 of this embodiment is capable of moving the entire hand section 47 in three dimensions, and the posture (orientation) of the entire hand section 47 can be changed in three dimensions.

[0052] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the hand portion 47 includes a member support portion 50, a first end-side suction portion 51 (end-side suction portion), a second end-side suction portion 52 (end-side suction portion), a central suction portion 53, and an extension suction portion 54. Each suction portion is attached to the member support portion 50 by appropriate fixing means such as a plate-shaped fixing member (not shown) or welding. Unless otherwise specified, the following description of the hand portion 47 will be based on the posture shown in Figure 6(a).

[0053] The member support section 50 is formed by attaching two first support members 50b and a second support member 50c to the connecting member 50a.

[0054] The connecting member 50a is a long member with a roughly rectangular rod-like (roughly rectangular tubular) shape, extending in a predetermined direction.

[0055] The two first support members 50b are both elongated members with a roughly rectangular rod shape (roughly rectangular tube shape), and are positioned at separate locations in the longitudinal direction of the connecting member 50a, extending in the same direction parallel to each other. More specifically, the two first support members 50b are both attached to the lower side of the connecting member 50a, and both extend in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the connecting member 50a (a direction perpendicular to it in this embodiment). The longitudinal direction of the first support member 50b is the longitudinal direction of the hand portion 47, and the longitudinal direction of the connecting member 50a is the short direction of the hand portion 47, which is the direction in which the two first support members 50b are aligned.

[0056] The second support member 50c is a long member with a roughly rectangular rod shape (roughly rectangular tube shape), attached to the lower side of the connecting member 50a, and both extend in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the connecting member 50a (in this embodiment, a direction perpendicular to it). The second support member 50c in this embodiment extends in the same direction as the first support member 50b, is shorter in length than the first support member 50b, and is located between the two first support members 50b.

[0057] The first end-side suction portion 51 is attached to one end of the hand portion 47 in the longitudinal direction, and more specifically, two first end-side suction portions 51 are attached to separate first support members 50b. That is, the two first end-side suction portions 51 are spaced apart in the short direction (up and down direction in Figure 6(b)) of the hand portion 47. More specifically, the central portion of one first end-side suction portion 51 and the central portion of the other first end-side suction portion 51 are positioned at the same location in the longitudinal direction (left and right direction in Figure 6(b)) of the hand portion 47 in a plan view.

[0058] Here, the first end-side suction portion 51 is a member capable of adsorbing and holding a part of the back surface protective member 15, and as shown in Figure 8, it has a base end-side support portion 60, an extension portion 61, and a holding portion 62 (suction portion body).

[0059] The base support portion 60 and the extension portion 61 are cylindrical portions with internal space, and both extend in the same direction (up and down in Figure 8), with a portion of the extension portion 61 (the upper portion in Figure 8) housed inside the base support portion 60. The extension portion 61 is constantly biased toward the tip side (the side with the holding portion 62, which is the lower side in Figure 8) by a biasing means such as a spring (not shown). The holding portion 62 is attached to the tip of the extension portion 61 (the end opposite to the base support portion 60 in the longitudinal direction).

[0060] In other words, the first end-side suction portion 51 has an extension portion 61 attached to the base-side support portion 60, and a holding portion 62 attached to the extension portion 61, so that the extension portion 61 and the holding portion 62 are movable relative to the base-side support portion 60. In other words, by moving the extension portion 61 and the holding portion 62 relative to the base end support portion 60 against the biasing force of the biasing means so that the holding portion 62 is closer to the base end support portion 60, the amount that the extension portion 61 penetrates into the base end support portion 60 increases. At this time, the overall length of the first end side suction portion 51 is shortened as a larger portion of the extension portion 61 is pushed into the base end support portion 60 (see Figure 4(b)). In other words, the holding portion 62 is movable relative to the base end support portion 60 in the direction of approaching and moving away from it, and the overall length of the first end side suction portion 51 expands and contracts as the holding portion 62 moves relative to the base end support portion 60.

[0061] The holding portion 62 is a suction cup member attached to the tip side of the extension portion 61, and is an adhesive pad formed from an elastic material such as rubber or synthetic resin. Although detailed illustration is omitted, this holding portion 62 is a bowl-shaped portion that protrudes toward the base end support portion 60, and is the part that adheres (holds) the back surface protective member 15 (details will be described later), which is the object to be adsorbed (held).

[0062] Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the holding portion 62 has a suction hole (not shown) at the bottom (bowl-shaped bottom) of the inner recess, which allows for a suction operation to draw air from the inner space of the suction cup when adsorbing an object. In other words, the first end-side suction portion 51 has a suction device (detailed illustration omitted) and a suction path (not shown) formed between the opening of the suction hole (suction port) and the suction device. Thus, the first end-side suction portion 51 of this embodiment can perform an adsorption operation by adhering the tip portion of the holding portion 62 (suction cup member) to the object to be adsorbed and sucking the air inside the suction cup from the opening, thereby adsorbing the object by negative pressure.

[0063] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the second end-side suction parts 52 are attached to the other end of the hand portion 47 in the longitudinal direction. More specifically, two second end-side suction parts 52 are attached to separate first support members 50b. That is, the two second end-side suction parts 52 are spaced apart in the short direction of the hand portion 47. More specifically, the central portions of one second end-side suction part 52 and the other second end-side suction part 52 are positioned at the same location in the longitudinal direction of the hand portion 47 in a plan view. The second end-side suction portion 52 has the same basic structure as the first end-side suction portion 51 described above, and includes a base-side support portion 60, an extension portion 61, and a holding portion 62 (detailed illustration is omitted), and is capable of suction operation. For this reason, a detailed explanation of the second end-side suction portion 52 will be omitted to avoid repetition.

[0064] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the central suction parts 53 are attached to a position near the center in the longitudinal direction of the hand part 47. More specifically, two central suction parts 53 are attached to separate first support members 50b. That is, the two central suction parts 53 are spaced apart in the short direction of the hand part 47. More specifically, the central portion of one central suction part 53 and the central portion of the other central suction part 53 are positioned at the same location in the longitudinal direction of the hand part 47 in a plan view.

[0065] Furthermore, the central suction portion 53 is positioned between the first end-side suction portion 51 and the second end-side suction portion 52, which are fixed to the same first support member 50b. More specifically, the distance from the central portion of the central suction portion 53 in a plan view to the central portion of one of the first end-side suction portion 51 and the second end-side suction portion 52, which are fixed to the same first support member 50b, and the distance to the central portion of the other are the same (or approximately the same). Based on the above, the hand portion 47 of this embodiment has a plurality of first end-side suction portions 51, a plurality of second end-side suction portions 52, and a plurality of central-side suction portions 53 arranged in a matrix in a plan view. Furthermore, the central suction portion 53 also has the same basic structure as the first end suction portion 51 described above, and has a base end support portion 60, an extension portion 61, and a holding portion 62 (detailed illustration is omitted), and is capable of suction operation. For this reason, a detailed explanation of the central suction portion 53 will be omitted to avoid repetition.

[0066] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the extension suction part 54 is attached to the hand portion 47 at a position near the center in the short-side direction. Specifically, two extension suction parts 54, consisting of a first extension suction part 54a and a second extension suction part 54b, are attached to the second support member 50c and are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the hand portion 47. In this case, the central portion of the first extension suction part 54a and the central portion of the second extension suction part 54b are at the same position in the short-side direction of the hand portion 47 in a plan view.

[0067] As shown in Figure 7, the two extension suction parts 54 are positioned closer to one end of the hand part 47 than the center in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction in Figure 7), and more specifically, they are located between the central suction part 53 and the second end suction part 52 in the longitudinal direction of the hand part 47. Here, distance L3 is defined as the distance from the center of one second end side suction part 52 to the center of the other second end side suction part 52 in the short direction of the hand part 47. At this time, the distance L4 in the short direction of the hand part 47 from the center of the second end side suction part 52 to the center of the extension suction part 54 is half or approximately half the length of L3. Note that "approximately half" here includes an error of a few percent.

[0068] Furthermore, this distance L3 is also the distance from the center of one first end side suction part 51 to the center of the other first end side suction part 51 in the short direction of the hand part 47. Moreover, this distance L3 is also the distance from the center of one central side suction part 53 to the center of the other central side suction part 53 in the same short direction. Furthermore, the basic structure of this extension suction part 54 is the same as that of the first end side suction part 51 described above, and it has a base end side support part 60, an extension part 61, and a holding part 62 (detailed illustration is omitted), and is capable of suction operation. For this reason, a detailed explanation of the extension suction part 54 will be omitted to avoid repetition.

[0069] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, in the hand portion 47 of this embodiment, in its natural state, the lower end portion of the first end-side suction portion 51 and the lower end portion of the second end-side suction portion 52 are positioned at the same height (or approximately the same height). Here, "approximately the same height" includes an error of a few percent. Furthermore, the lower end portion of the central suction portion 53 is positioned lower than the lower end portions of the first end-side suction portion 51 and the second end-side suction portion 52. In this embodiment, the height difference (the vertical distance from the lower end portion of one to the lower end portion of the other) between the lower end portions of the first end-side suction portion 51 and the second end-side suction portion 52 and the lower end portion of the central suction portion 53 is approximately 40 mm. Furthermore, the lower ends of the two extension suction parts 54 are positioned lower than the lower ends of the first end-side suction part 51 and the second end-side suction part 52, and higher than the lower end of the central suction part 53. In this case, the lower end of the first extension suction part 54a, which is one of the two extension suction parts 54, is positioned higher than the lower end of the second extension suction part 54b. Specifically, the height difference between the lower ends of the two extension suction parts 54 is approximately 30 mm. In this embodiment, the lower end portion of the first expansion suction portion 54a of the hand portion 47 is positioned lower than the lower end portions of the first end-side suction portion 51 and the second end-side suction portion 52. However, the lower end portion of the first expansion suction portion 54a may be at the same height as the lower end portions of the first end-side suction portion 51 and the second end-side suction portion 52. Alternatively, the lower end portion of the first expansion suction portion 54a may be positioned higher than the lower end portions of the first end-side suction portion 51 and the second end-side suction portion 52.

[0070] (Method of manufacturing solar panels) Next, the procedure for manufacturing the solar cell panel 2 using the manufacturing method of this embodiment will be described. The manufacturing method for the solar cell panel 2 of this embodiment involves manufacturing the solar cell panel 2 using a laminate manufacturing apparatus (not shown). The laminate manufacturing apparatus is a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing the solar cell panel 2 and functions as part of a solar cell module manufacturing apparatus, and is broadly composed of a laminate forming section (not shown in its entirety) and a laminating section (not shown).

[0071] The laminate formation unit is an apparatus or group of apparatuses that forms work-in-progress (laminated) solar cell panels 2, and includes the back material transport apparatus 41 described above. The lamination unit is an apparatus or group of apparatuses that laminates the work-in-progress formed in the laminate formation unit by applying heat, pressure, etc. In other words, the method for manufacturing solar cell panels involves forming a solar cell panel 2 by performing a work-in-progress formation step in which the laminate formation unit forms the work-in-progress, and a lamination step in which the work-in-progress formed in the work-in-progress formation step is laminated, in that order. In the following description, the work-in-progress formation step will be described, and a detailed explanation of the lamination step will be omitted.

[0072] (Component placement process) In the work-in-progress formation process, first, as shown in Figure 9, a component arrangement process is carried out to form a laminate on a translucent substrate 10 in which the sealing material 11, solar cell string 12, wiring mounting member 13, and output wiring 14 are arranged in this order. That is, the component arrangement process is a process in which various components such as the sealing material 11 are transported by a transport device (not shown) and placed on the translucent substrate 10. At this time, the laminate is in a state in which one main surface (the lower surface in Figure 9) of the horizontally extended portion 25 of the output wiring 14 is placed on the second main surface portion 13b of the wiring mounting member 13.

[0073] (Wiring bending process) Next, as shown in Figure 10, a wiring bending process is performed to bend the output wiring 14. In this embodiment, the wiring bending process is a process of bending a part of the output wiring 14 so that the rising angle θ1 of the rising portion 27 becomes an acute angle, and in detail, it is bent so that the rising angle θ1 is greater than 60 degrees but less than 90 degrees. The "rising angle θ1 of the rising portion 27" is the angle between a virtual line Lα extending in the longitudinal direction of the horizontal extension portion 25 and a virtual line Lβ extending in the longitudinal direction of the rising portion 27.

[0074] In this embodiment, the wiring bending process bends both output wirings 14 in the same direction such that the rising angle θ1 of the rising portion 27 is approximately 75 degrees. That is, both rising portions 27 extend toward the back side on one side in the second direction and are parallel to each other. In this embodiment, the wiring bending process may involve setting the rising angles θ1 of the rising portions 27 of the two output wires 14 to different angles. However, from the viewpoint of making the wiring insertion process described later easier to perform, it is preferable that the difference between the two rising angles θ1 be within 5 degrees. In this embodiment, the wire was bent from a state where the rising angle θ1 was at a right angle to approximately 75 degrees, but the wiring bending process may also be a process of bending from a state where the rising angle θ1 is at 0 degrees. That is, the wiring bending process may be a process of bending a portion of the work-in-progress of the output wire 14 that extends in a straight line. In this embodiment, the wiring bending process is performed by bending the output wiring 14 using a robot (not shown), but it is also conceivable that a worker could manually bend it.

[0075] (Wiring fixing process) Following the wiring bending process, a wiring fixing process is performed in which the output wiring 14 is fixed to the wiring mounting member 13 by a fixing member 16, as shown in Figure 11. As described above, the wiring fixing process involves fixing one output wiring 14 with multiple (two) fixing members 16, and attaching the fixing members 16 to both the horizontal extension 25 and the wiring mounting member 13. At this time, the fixing members 16 are attached so as to straddle the horizontal extension 25 and extend in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the horizontal extension 25. Also, as described above, the fixing members 16 are positioned so as to overlap a portion of the horizontal extension 25 within the fixing range (the range from the bent portion 26 to the portion separated by a predetermined length L2 towards the connection portion). In this embodiment, the fixing member 16 is attached by a robot (not shown) to perform the wiring fixing process, but it is also conceivable that a worker could manually attach the fixing member 16.

[0076] In this embodiment, after the wiring fixing process is performed, a wiring connection process is carried out to electrically connect the extraction wiring 14 to the extraction-side wiring member 23. The wiring connection process is a process of connecting a part of the horizontal extension 25 to the extraction-side wiring member 23 by appropriate means such as soldering (see Figure 9, etc.). The wiring bending process, the wiring fixing process, and the wiring connection process may be performed in any order. In addition, it is also conceivable to perform the wiring bending process before the member placement process. In this case, the member placement process involves placing the previously bent extraction wiring 14 on the wiring mounting member 13.

[0077] (Back surface substrate transport process, expansion process) Next, a back-surface substrate transport step is performed in which the back-surface protective member 15 is transported to the top of the laminate formed in the member placement step. In this manufacturing method of the present embodiment, an expansion step is performed to expand the wiring insertion hole 35 (see Figure 2) of the back-surface protective member 15 as the back-surface protective member 15 is lifted during the back-surface substrate transport step. This will be explained in detail below.

[0078] When the back surface material transport process begins, as shown in Figures 12(a) and 12(b), the hand portion 47 of the back surface material transport device 41 approaches the back surface protective member 15 placed on the mounting table. At this time, the back surface protective member 15 is placed on a horizontal plane (or a nearly horizontal plane), and both main surfaces are parallel (or nearly parallel) to the horizontal plane.

[0079] Then, as shown in Figure 12(b), the lower end portion (holding portion 62) of the central suction portion 53 comes into contact with the back surface protective member 15. From this state, as shown in Figures 12(b) and 12(c), the hand portion 47 moves toward the back surface protective member 15, and the reaction force from the back surface protective member 15 causes the holding portion 62 of the central suction portion 53 to move relative to the base end support portion 60. As a result, the overall length of the central suction portion 53 decreases. In other words, the holding portion 62 (lower end portion) of the central suction portion 53 moves toward the base end support portion 60 against the biasing force of the biasing means. Subsequently, the lower end portions (holding portions 62) of the second expansion suction portion 54b and the first expansion suction portion 54a come into contact with the back surface protective member 15, and each holding portion 62 moves relative to the respective base end support portion 60 in the same manner as described above. Further after that, the lower end portions (holding portions 62) of the first end side suction portion 51 and the second end side suction portion 52 come into contact with the back surface protective member 15 simultaneously, and each holding portion 62 moves relative to the respective base end support portion 60 in the same manner as described above.

[0080] As shown in Figure 12(c), the hand portion 47 is in a state (or posture) where the lower ends of the first end-side suction portion 51, the second end-side suction portion 52, the central suction portion 53, and the extension suction portion 54 are in contact with the back surface protective member 15, and these lower ends are located on the same plane. In other words, the hand portion 47 is in a posture where the height of the lower ends of each suction portion is the same. Furthermore, each suction portion (first end-side suction portion 51, second end-side suction portion 52, central suction portion 53, and extension suction portion 54) performs a suction operation to attract each part of the back surface protective member 15.

[0081] The suction operation of the suction part is performed after the lower end portion contacts the back surface protective member 15. Each suction part belonging to the hand part 47 may start the suction operation individually and sequentially in the order in which its lower end portion contacts the back surface protective member 15. Alternatively, each suction part belonging to the hand part 47 may perform the suction operation simultaneously after the lower end portions of all suction parts have come into contact with the back surface protective member 15. In this embodiment, the hand part 47 performs the suction operation after the lower end portions of each suction part are positioned on the same plane.

[0082] Next, as shown in Figures 12(c) and 13(a), the back material conveying device 41 moves the hand portion 47 upward and lifts the back protective member 15. At this time, the overall length of each suction portion increases as the hand portion 47 moves, and the state in which the overall length is shortened is released in the order of the first end-side suction portion 51 and the second end-side suction portion 52, the first expansion suction portion 54a, the second expansion suction portion 54b, and the central side suction portion 53. That is, the reaction force of each suction portion is released sequentially, and the biasing force of the biasing member causes the holding portion 62 to move relative to the base end-side support portion 60 in a direction away from it (downward). As a result, the back protective member 15 is lifted with the lower ends of the first end-side suction portion 51 and the second end-side suction portion 52 positioned above the lower end of the central side suction portion 53, as described above. As a result, the back surface protective member 15 takes on a curved shape (position) such that its overall shape is convex downwards.

[0083] In this series of operations to lift the back surface protective member 15, the amount of movement (hereinafter also referred to as the relative movement amount) of the lower end portion (holding portion 62) of the second expansion suction portion 54b relative to the upper portion is greater than the relative movement amount of the lower end portion of the first expansion suction portion 54a in the same operation. In other words, when transitioning to a state where the lower ends of each suction part are located on the same plane (see Figure 12(c)), the second expansion suction part 54b, which contacts the back surface protective member 15 first, moves more relative to the first expansion suction part 54a, which contacts it later. Consequently, when transitioning from a state where the lower ends of each suction part are located on the same plane to a state where the back surface protective member 15 is lifted and the total length of all suction parts returns to its original position (see Figure 13(a)), the lower end of the second expansion suction part 54b also moves more relative to the lower end of the first expansion suction part 54a. Thus, in the series of operations to lift the back surface protective member 15, the lower end of one of the two expansion suction parts 54 moves more than the lower end of the other. Similarly, in the series of movements to lift the back surface protective member 15, the lower end portion of the central suction portion 53 moves more relative to the lower end portions of the first end suction portion 51 and the second end suction portion 52.

[0084] At this time, the lower end portion of the first expansion suction part 54a is located below the lower end portions of the first end-side suction part 51 and the second end-side suction part 52, and above the lower end portion of the second expansion suction part 54b. As shown in Figure 14, focusing on the area around the wiring insertion hole 35 of the back surface protective member 15, the first expansion suction part 54a suctions (holds) one side of the wiring insertion hole 35, and the second expansion suction part 54b suctions (holds) the other side of the wiring insertion hole 35. As a result, there is a height difference between the part of the back surface protective member 15 on one side of the wiring insertion hole 35 and the part on the other side, causing the wiring insertion hole 35 to open widely diagonally upward (the wiring insertion hole 35 is expanded).

[0085] In other words, as shown in Figure 15, a portion of the back surface protective member 15 becomes the first adsorbed portion 65 (adsorbed portion), which is the portion that is adsorbed by the first expanding adsorbent portion 54a, and the other portion becomes the second adsorbed portion 66 (adsorbed portion), which is the portion that is adsorbed by the second expanding adsorbent portion 54b. These first adsorbed portion 65 and second adsorbed portion 66 are located on either side of the wiring insertion hole 35, and when the back surface protective member 15 is lifted, a height difference is created between the position of the first adsorbed portion 65 and the position of the second adsorbed portion 66, causing the wiring insertion hole 35 to expand.

[0086] Here, as shown in Figure 15, the length of the wiring insertion hole 35 in the longitudinal direction in a plan view is shortened by expanding it (making it a larger opening). In other words, the length of the wiring insertion hole 35 in the longitudinal direction after expansion in a plan view, L6, is shorter than the length L5 in the longitudinal direction before expansion in its natural state. Although not particularly limited, in this embodiment, the length L5 is set to approximately 120 mm, and the length L6 is set to be about 5 mm shorter than the length L5. In this way, it is preferable to deform the wiring insertion hole 35 so that the length L6 in the longitudinal direction after expansion is close to the length L5 before expansion (a length that is not significantly different, for example, a length of 30 mm or less). By deforming it in this way, it is possible to prevent (suppress) the occurrence of problems such as unintended shape (unintended plastic deformation occurring) when the opening of the wiring insertion hole 35 is reduced after expansion. Furthermore, by expanding the wiring insertion hole 35, the maximum length in the width direction (left-right direction in Figure 15) in a plan view becomes longer.

[0087] In this embodiment, the expansion step involves adsorption by the first expansion adsorption part 54a and the second expansion adsorption part 54b such that the first adsorption part 65 and the second adsorption part 66 are located near the wiring insertion hole 35. More specifically, in this embodiment, the first adsorption part 65 and the second adsorption part 66 are located within a range that is a predetermined distance L7 (for example, a length of 30 mm or less) on both sides of the wiring insertion hole 35 in its natural state before expansion, in a plan view.

[0088] Furthermore, the first adsorbent portion 65 and the second adsorbent portion 66 in this embodiment are positioned at an interval from each other in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the wiring insertion hole 35 before expansion (in this embodiment, a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, which is the left-right direction in Figure 15). Note that the longitudinal direction of the wiring insertion hole 35 before expansion is the same as the first direction described above (see Figure 2) when the solar cell panel 2 is formed. At this time, the central portion of the first adsorbent portion 65 and the central portion of the second adsorbent portion 66 in a plan view are in the same position in the longitudinal direction of the wiring insertion hole 35 before expansion (the up-down direction in Figure 15). In addition to this configuration, it is also conceivable that the central portion of the first adsorption portion 65 and the central portion of the second adsorption portion 66 be offset in the longitudinal direction of the wiring insertion hole 35 before expansion. However, from the viewpoint of expanding the wiring insertion hole 35 to facilitate the insertion of the output wiring 14 (details will be described later), it is preferable that the first adsorption portion 65 and the second adsorption portion 66 be aligned in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the wiring insertion hole 35, as described above.

[0089] Furthermore, it should be noted that the back surface protective member 15 in this embodiment is a sheet-like material, and is made of a material that does not easily stretch in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction (the direction in which the sheet spreads) due to its own strength. For this reason, even if the back surface protective member 15 is positioned so that both main surfaces are parallel to the horizontal plane, and the first adsorbed portion 65 and the second adsorbed portion 66 are pulled horizontally so that they move away from each other in opposite directions from the wiring insertion hole 35, the wiring insertion hole 35 will not widen significantly. The expansion process of this embodiment described above makes it possible to open the wiring insertion hole 35 to a large size even when such a back surface protective member 15 is used.

[0090] Next, as shown in Figures 13 and 16, the back material transport device 41 lifts the back protective member 15 and then transports it to the target position, with the target position being above the laminate formed in the member placement process. In the back material transport process, the back protective member 15 may be moved upward and then transported horizontally, or it may be moved diagonally upward and then transported. However, from the viewpoint of improving the transport speed, it is preferable to move it diagonally upward and then transport it to the target position.

[0091] Then, when the back surface protective member 15 is transported to the target position, as shown in Figure 17(a), the expanded wiring insertion hole 35 and the tips of the multiple (two) rising parts 27 are positioned to overlap in a plan view. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 17(b), the multiple (two) rising parts 27 are positioned further back than the opening of the expanded wiring insertion hole 35, and are positioned further back in a direction perpendicular to the expansion direction of the wiring insertion hole 35. The "expansion direction of the wiring insertion hole 35" here refers to the opening direction of the wiring insertion hole 35, which is the direction from the lower end of the first expansion suction part 54a to the lower end of the second expansion suction part 54b (see Figure 14). In other words, in a plan view with the line of sight perpendicular to the expansion direction of the wiring insertion hole 35, the tips of the multiple (two) rising parts 27 are positioned within the area enclosed by the edge of the wiring insertion hole 35 (detailed illustration is omitted).

[0092] Here, as shown in Figure 17(a), among the multiple (two) output wires 14 arranged in parallel in the first direction, the length in the same direction from the part located furthest to one end to the part located furthest to the other end is defined as length L8 (wiring arrangement length). In this case, the longitudinal length L6 of the wiring insertion hole 35 after expansion in a plan view is longer than the above length L8. In other words, the expansion step of this embodiment shortens the length in the longitudinal direction in a plan view by expanding the wiring insertion hole 35, as described above, but the wiring insertion hole 35 is expanded such that the length L6 in the longitudinal direction in a plan view after expansion is longer than the length L8. In this embodiment, length L8 is also the length in the same direction from the part located on the furthest side in the direction of alignment to the part located on the furthest side in the direction of alignment among the multiple (two) rising parts 27 in a plan view. Furthermore, length L8 is also the length from the outer end in the width direction (outer end in the direction of alignment) of the extraction wiring 14 located on the furthest end in the first direction to the outer end in the width direction of the extraction wiring 14 located on the furthest end in the first direction among the multiple extraction wiring 14 aligned in the first direction. In addition, although not particularly limited, in this embodiment, length L8 is set to approximately 110 mm, and length L6 is set to be 5 mm to 28 mm longer than length L8. By setting length L6 to a length close to length L8 (a length with not much difference), the sealing performance of the solar cell panel 2 can be improved.

[0093] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the back surface substrate transport process (and expansion process) is performed after the component placement process, the wiring bending process, and the wiring fixing process. However, the back surface substrate transport process may be performed in parallel with, or prior to, the component placement process, the wiring bending process, and the wiring fixing process. That is, instead of the back surface substrate transport process being performed with the top of the laminate as the target position and the back surface protective member 15 being transported to the target position, the back surface substrate transport process may be performed with the top of the future formation position of the laminate as the target position and the back surface protective member 15 being transported to the target position.

[0094] (Wiring insertion process) Following the back substrate transport process, a wiring insertion process is performed in which the output wiring 14 (rising portion 27) is inserted into the wiring insertion hole 35 (not shown in Figure 18, see Figure 17), as shown in Figure 18. In other words, as shown in Figure 18, the back material transport device 41 moves the entire hand portion 47 and the back protective member 15 held (gripped) by the hand portion 47 diagonally downward. As a result, each part of the output wiring 14 (rising portion 27) passes through the wiring insertion hole 35 (not shown in Figure 18), and the free end portion of the output wiring 14 (rising portion 27) protrudes upward from the back protective member 15 (see Figure 18(c)). At this time, the handle portion 47 and the back protective member 15 move in a direction along the longitudinal direction of the rising portion 27. That is, the handle portion 47 and the back protective member 15 move in a direction inclined so that their inclination angle with respect to the horizontal plane is the same as or approximately the same as the rising angle θ1 described above. Here, "approximately the same angle" includes an error of 3 degrees or less.

[0095] In this embodiment, as described above, a wiring fixing process is performed prior to the wiring insertion process, and the portion of the extracted wiring 14 closest to the base end of the rising portion 27 is fixed to the wiring mounting member 13 by a fixing member 16 (see Figure 11). Therefore, when inserting the rising portion 27 into the wiring insertion hole 35 during the wiring insertion process, unintended displacement of the extracted wiring 14 can be prevented. Furthermore, as described above, the wiring insertion process involves holding the back protective member 15 in a curved position so that its overall shape is convex downwards, and then moving it diagonally downwards. This prevents (suppresses) problems such as wrinkles forming on the back protective member 15 when it is placed on the translucent substrate 10, which is a curved substrate, as a part of the back protective member 15 moves in a way that causes it to rub (slide while in contact) on the translucent substrate 10.

[0096] In the embodiments described above, the wiring mounting member 13 is made of a material that does not deform by heat (does not melt and deform) or is substantially not deformed by heat, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The wiring mounting member 13 may also be made of a material that melts during the lamination process. The wiring mounting member 13 only needs to function as a mounting member (fixed member) to which the extracted wiring 14 is fixed when the wiring insertion process is performed.

[0097] In the embodiment described above, the solar cell string 12 is configured to have two extraction-side wiring members 23, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the solar cell string 12 may be configured not to have extraction-side wiring members 23, and the first extraction wiring 31 and the second extraction wiring 32 may be connected to the end electrode wiring 21, respectively. That is, the first extraction wiring 31 and the second extraction wiring 32 may be configured such that the contact portion of the horizontal extension 25 is electrically connected to the end electrode wiring 21 without going through the extraction-side wiring members 23. Therefore, the wiring connection step described above may be a step of connecting a part of the horizontal extension 25 to the end electrode wiring 21 by appropriate means such as soldering. In this case, the wiring mounting member 13 may be smaller and positioned so as not to overlap with the end electrode wiring 21 and the intermediate electrode wiring 22.

[0098] In the above-described embodiment, the horizontal extension 25 has a fixed range that extends from the bent portion 26 to a portion that is a predetermined length L2 away from the connection portion. The horizontal extension 25 in the above-described embodiment is fixed to the wiring mounting member 13 by a fixing member 16 at any point within the fixed range that is near the bent portion 26. However, it is also conceivable to fix the entire horizontal extension 25 to the wiring mounting member 13 at a position more than a predetermined length L2 away from the bent portion 26. In other words, it is also conceivable to fix the portion of the horizontal extension 25 that is not near the bent portion 26 to the wiring mounting member 13. Alternatively, it is also conceivable to fix one of the two output wires 14 to the wiring mounting member 13 at a point in the horizontal extension 25 that is near the bent portion 26, and to fix the other portion of the horizontal extension 25 that is not near the bent portion 26 to the wiring mounting member 13. However, from the viewpoint of more reliably preventing misalignment of both of the two output wires 14, it is preferable that the portions of the horizontal extension 25 that are near the bent portion 26 of both output wires 14 be fixed to the wiring mounting member 13. That is, it is preferable that the two output wires 14 have a fixed range that extends from the bent portion 26 to a portion that is a predetermined length L2 away from the connection portion of the horizontal extension 25, and that any portion within this fixed range be fixed to the wiring mounting member 13.

[0099] In the embodiment described above, an example was described in which the two extension suction parts 54 are positioned closer to one end of the hand part 47 than the longitudinal center, and are located at the center (or near the center) of the hand part 47 in the short direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The positions of the two extension suction parts 54 on the hand portion 47 may be appropriately changed depending on the position of the wiring insertion hole 35 of the back surface protective member 15 held by the hand portion 47. That is, the two extension suction parts 54 may be positioned at the center (or near the center) in the longitudinal direction of the hand portion 47, or at a position offset from the center (or near the center) in the short direction of the hand portion 47. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0100] 2. Solar panels (laminated structure) 10 Transparent substrate (light-receiving surface side base material) 13 Wiring mounting component (insulating part) 14 Exit wiring (exit wiring part) 15. Back surface protective material 16 Fixing member 31 1st output wiring (1st wiring part) 32 2nd output wiring (2nd wiring part) 35 Wiring insertion hole (hole) 25 Horizontal extension part (1st extension part) 26. Bending section 27 Standing part (second extension part) 41. Back material conveying device (conveying device) 51 First end side suction part 52 Second end side suction part 53 Central side suction part 54a 1st suction part for tensioning 54b 2nd suction part for tensioning 65 First Adsorbed Part (Adsorbed Section) 66. Second Adsorbed Part (Adsorbed Section)

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a laminate having a light-receiving surface substrate, an extraction wiring section, and a back surface substrate, wherein the extraction wiring section passes through holes in the back surface substrate and protrudes to the outside, The process includes a wiring bending step, in which a portion of the aforementioned wiring section is bent to form a bent section, and a wiring insertion step, The aforementioned wiring extraction section, formed by the wiring bending process, has a first extension extending in a predetermined direction, the aforementioned bent section, and a second extension forming a rising portion, arranged in this order. In the wiring bending process, the output wiring section is bent such that the rising angle, which is the angle between the imaginary line extending in the longitudinal direction of the first extension section and the imaginary line extending in the longitudinal direction of the second extension section, is greater than 60 degrees and less than 90 degrees. A method for manufacturing a laminate, wherein in the wiring insertion step, a portion of the second extension is made to protrude from the hole.

2. The laminate has an insulating portion, and a part of the output wiring portion is positioned so as to overlap with the insulating portion in a plan view. A method for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 1, comprising the steps of fixing the first extension portion to the insulating portion with a fixing member and inserting the wiring in this order.

3. The method for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 2, wherein the fixing member fixes the first extension portion at a position within 10 mm from the bent portion.

4. The process includes a back surface substrate transport step in which the back surface substrate is transported by a transport device, and an expansion step in which the hole is expanded. The method for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the expansion step, one side of the hole and the other side are adsorbed, and the hole is widened by creating a height difference between the adsorbed portion located on one side of the hole and the adsorbed portion located on the other side.

5. The method for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the wiring insertion step, the back-side substrate is moved diagonally along the extension direction of the second extension.

6. The method for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the light-receiving surface substrate is a curved substrate having a three-dimensionally extended curved surface.

7. The aforementioned hole is a slit having a length in the first direction, In the wiring insertion step, the second extension portion of each of the multiple extraction wiring portions is inserted into one of the holes. When, among a plurality of extraction wiring portions inserted into one of the holes, the extraction wiring portion located furthest to one side in the first direction is designated as the first wiring portion, and the extraction wiring portion located furthest to the other side in the first direction is designated as the second wiring portion, The method for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first wiring section and the second wiring section have the second extension section rising in the same direction.

8. This includes an expansion step of expanding the aforementioned hole, The expansion step involves adsorbing one side and the other side of the hole, respectively, and widening the hole by creating a height difference between the adsorbed portion located on one side of the hole and the adsorbed portion located on the other side. The method for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 7, wherein, in the direction in which the first wiring portion and the second wiring portion are aligned, the length in the first direction from the outer end of the second extension portion belonging to the first wiring portion to the outer end of the second extension portion belonging to the second wiring portion is defined as the wiring arrangement length, and in the expansion step, a height difference is created such that the length of the hole portion in the first direction is longer than the wiring arrangement length.

9. A conveying device used in the method for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 6, The aforementioned back surface substrate is used to adsorb and lift it, It has a central suction portion and an end suction portion, and the central suction portion and the end suction portion are arranged in this order with a gap between them in a predetermined direction. A conveying device in which the central suction portion and the end suction portion adsorb a portion of the back surface substrate, and the end suction portion adsorbs and lifts the back surface substrate at a higher position than the central suction portion.

10. A conveying device used in the method for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 4, The aforementioned back surface substrate is used to adsorb and lift it, It has a first expansion adsorption part and a second expansion adsorption part, The first expansion adsorption portion and the second expansion adsorption portion are configured such that one adsorbs one side of the back surface substrate with respect to the hole, and the other adsorbs the other side with respect to the hole. The expansion step is a conveying device that widens the hole by positioning at least a portion of the first expansion adsorption portion at a relatively higher position than at least a portion of the second expansion adsorption portion.

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