Apparatus for manufacturing laminates, and method for manufacturing laminates

Abstract

This invention provides a technology to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles when laminating sheet materials onto a substrate. [Solution] In a laminate manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a laminate formed by laminating sheet members on a base material, the apparatus has a conveying means for conveying the sheet members, the conveying means having a first suction part, a second suction part, and a third suction part, the first suction part, the second suction part, and the third suction part are arranged in this order with an interval in the first direction, and the apparatus is configured to perform a suction operation in which the first suction part, the second suction part, and the third suction part adsorb the sheet member, a posture adjustment operation in which a part of the sheet member is held between the first suction part and the base material, and the adsorption portion by the first suction part is positioned lower than the adsorption portion by the third suction part to give the sheet member an inclined position, and a sheet placement operation in which the suction release by the second suction part is performed prior to the suction release by the third suction part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a laminate in which a sheet member is placed on a substrate. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a laminate using such an apparatus for manufacturing a laminate.

Background Art

[0002] A solar cell module formed by laminating a sealing sheet member, a solar cell string, a sealing sheet member, and a back sheet in this order on a glass substrate is widely known. As an apparatus used for manufacturing such a solar cell module, there is an apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a sheet conveying device and a sheet supply device as devices for conveying an EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) sheet which is a sheet member for sealing. The method for manufacturing a solar cell module in Patent Document 1 is such that after the EVA sheet is conveyed to a positioning adjustment table by the sheet conveying device, the EVA sheet is conveyed from the positioning adjustment table onto the glass for the solar cell module by the sheet supply device.

[0004] Here, the sheet conveying device of Patent Document 1 has two chuck portions in addition to an adsorption conveying portion that adsorbs the EVA sheet. The chuck portion has a clamping piece that clamps the EVA sheet in the thickness direction. One chuck portion clamps one end side in the left - right direction of the EVA sheet, and the other chuck portion clamps the other end side in the left - right direction of the EVA sheet. The sheet conveying device of Patent Document 1 can move the two chuck portions in a direction approaching each other or a direction moving away from each other while the two chuck portions clamp the EVA sheet respectively. By this operation, it is possible to loosen or stretch the EVA sheet.

[0005] Therefore, when the sheet conveying device of Patent Document 1 places an EVA sheet on the positioning adjustment table, it sags the EVA sheet so that the center hangs down, and the sheet contacts the placement surface of the positioning adjustment table sequentially from the center to both ends of the EVA sheet. In other words, by placing the EVA sheet on the placement surface in this way, the sheet conveying device of Patent Document 1 prevents wrinkles from forming when the EVA sheet is placed on the positioning adjustment table.

[0006] Furthermore, the sheet supply device has multiple vacuum suction blocks, which are used to suction and lift the EVA sheet. The sheet supply device then transports the EVA sheet to the glass for the solar cell module and releases the suction, thereby placing the EVA sheet on the glass for the solar cell module. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-21856 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] In conventional conveying devices (sheet supply devices), when placing sheet materials onto a glass substrate, wrinkles sometimes formed on the sheet material on the glass substrate. To explain in detail, as shown in Figure 8(a), when the sheet member 301 is held and lifted by multiple suction parts 300 (suction blocks), the portion of the sheet member 301 located between the suction parts 300 (the portion between the parts to be suctioned) bends slightly. Consequently, as shown in Figure 8(b), when the multiple suction parts 300 are moved vertically downward so that they are close to the glass substrate 302, and the sheet member 301 is placed on the glass substrate 302, the bent portion becomes a raised portion, causing wrinkles 303 to form. This problem is thought to occur particularly noticeably when a large, soft sheet member is placed on a substrate.

[0009] One possible measure to prevent such problems is to provide a chuck section in the conveying device that transports the sheet material onto the substrate, as in the sheet conveying device described above. However, such a structure requires a chuck section in addition to the suction section that holds the EVA sheet, making the conveying device bulky. Furthermore, in such a case, there is a risk of damaging the sheet material by loosening or stretching it while gripping both ends of the sheet material. In other words, there was a need for a technology that could prevent (suppress) the occurrence of wrinkles when laminating sheet materials onto a substrate, without requiring large-scale equipment.

[0010] Therefore, the present invention provides a technology to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles when laminating sheet members onto a substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] One aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a laminate manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a laminate in which sheet members are laminated on a substrate, the apparatus having a conveying means for conveying the sheet members, the conveying means having a first suction part, a second suction part, and a third suction part, the first suction part, the second suction part, and the third suction part being arranged in this order with an interval in a first direction, the apparatus performing an adsorption operation in which the first suction part, the second suction part, and the third suction part adsorb the sheet member, an attitude adjustment operation in which a part of the sheet member is held between the first suction part and the substrate and the adsorption portion by the first suction part is positioned lower than the adsorption portion by the third suction part to give the sheet member an inclined position, and a sheet arrangement operation in which the adsorption release by the second suction part is performed prior to the adsorption release by the third suction part.

[0012] According to this method, when a sheet material is placed on a substrate, the sagging portion is stretched, which suppresses the occurrence of wrinkles when laminating the sheet material.

[0013] Preferably, the sheet placement operation is performed in the following order: release of adsorption by the first adsorption part, release of adsorption by the second adsorption part, and release of adsorption by the third adsorption part.

[0014] In this manner, the occurrence of wrinkles when laminating sheet materials can be suppressed more reliably.

[0015] Preferably, the device has multiple first adsorption units, multiple second adsorption units, and multiple third adsorption units, each of which is spaced apart in a direction intersecting the first direction, and the multiple first adsorption units release adsorption simultaneously, the multiple second adsorption units release adsorption simultaneously, and the multiple third adsorption units release adsorption simultaneously.

[0016] In this manner, the occurrence of wrinkles when laminating sheet materials can be reliably suppressed over a wider area.

[0017] Preferably, the sheet member is tilted prior to or during the posture adjustment operation, and the tilted position of the sheet member is such that at least a portion of the sheet member is inclined upward as it moves away from the suction portion by the first suction part in the first direction.

[0018] This configuration is preferable for extending the slack portion of the sheet member and placing it on the substrate without making the structure of the transport means more complex.

[0019] More preferably, the conveying means conveys the sheet member from a position at least horizontally away from the base material to the base material, and performs an action to tilt the sheet member during the conveyance to the base material.

[0020] In this configuration, the sheet member is in a tilted position before being aligned on the base material, which simplifies the control of alignment operations that require a certain level of precision.

[0021] Preferably, in the tilted posture of the sheet member, at least a part of the sheet member is tilted such that the tilt angle is less than 15 degrees.

[0022] According to such an aspect, when the sheet member is in a tilted posture, it is possible to reduce the distance between the portion held by another suction portion (the second suction portion, the third suction portion) that performs suction release after the first suction portion and the base material thereunder. As a result, when a part of the sheet member drops onto the base material due to the suction release of another suction portion, it is possible to reduce the dropping distance, and the arrangement accuracy when arranging the sheet member on the base material can be improved.

[0023] Preferably, the base material is a curved substrate having a three-dimensionally expanded curved surface, and the sheet member is arranged above the curved surface.

[0024] The above aspect is a case where, even when arranging the sheet member on the curved substrate by executing the posture adjustment operation and the sheet arrangement operation, the generation of wrinkles when laminating the sheet members can be suppressed.

[0025] Another aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a laminate, which forms the laminate using the above-described manufacturing apparatus.

[0026] Also in this aspect, the generation of wrinkles when laminating the sheet member on the substrate can be suppressed.

[0027] Another aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a laminate manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a laminate in which sheet members are laminated on a substrate, the apparatus having a conveying means for conveying the sheet members, the conveying means having a first suction part, a second suction part, and a third suction part, the first suction part, the second suction part, and the third suction part being arranged in this order with an interval in a first direction, the apparatus performing an adsorption operation in which the first suction part, the second suction part, and the third suction part adsorb the sheet member, an attitude adjustment operation in which a part of the sheet member is held between the first suction part and the substrate, and the back side of the adsorption part by the second suction part and the back side of the adsorption part by the third suction part are separated upward from the substrate, and a sheet placement operation in which the adsorption release by the second suction part is performed prior to the adsorption release by the third suction part.

[0028] In this configuration as well, when the sheet material is placed on the base material, the sagging portion is stretched, which suppresses the occurrence of wrinkles when laminating the sheet material.

[0029] The aspects described above can be dependent on each other, refer to some of their components, or substitute for some of their components, as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0030] According to the present invention, a technology is provided to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles when laminating sheet members onto a substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0031] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a conveying device that constitutes part of a manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows the hand section, with (a) being a perspective view and (b) being a plan view. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating how the conveying device lifts a sheet member from a sheet placement platform upwards and conveys it horizontally, lifting and conveying the sheet member in the order of (a) to (c). [Figure 4] Following Figure 3, this is a schematic diagram illustrating the posture adjustment operation in which a part of the sheet member is pressed against a part of the base material, and then the suction of the first suction part is released, performed in the order of (a) to (c). [Figure 5] This diagram schematically illustrates the process of executing the sheet placement operation, following Figure 4(c), in the order of (a) to (c). [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of performing an attitude adjustment operation in which a part of the sheet material is pressed against a part of the substrate different from that shown in Figure 4, followed by the release of the suction of the first suction part, and is performed in the order of (a) to (c). [Figure 7] This diagram schematically illustrates the process of executing the sheet placement operation, following Figure 6(c), in the order of (a) to (c). [Figure 8] These are explanatory diagrams showing how a sheet member is placed on a glass substrate using a conventional conveying device. (a) is a schematic diagram showing the sheet member being placed on top of the glass substrate, with the flexed portion exaggerated for easier understanding. (b) is a schematic diagram showing the sheet member being placed on the glass substrate from the state in (a), with the formed wrinkles exaggerated for easier understanding. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0032] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0033] The first embodiment of the laminate manufacturing apparatus (hereinafter also simply referred to as the manufacturing apparatus) is an apparatus or group of apparatuses for manufacturing a laminate (see Figure 5, etc.) in which sheet members 31 are placed on a base material 36, and has a conveying apparatus 1 (conveying means). The manufacturing apparatus also has a sheet mounting table 30 (sheet mounting section, see Figure 3) and a substrate mounting table 35 (substrate mounting section, see Figure 4).

[0034] As shown in Figure 1, the transport device 1 is a robot and has a base 2, an arm 3 supported by the base 2, and a hand 4 attached to the tip of the arm 3.

[0035] The arm section 3 is a multi-joint robotic arm that freely manipulates the hand section 4. In other words, the transport device 1 of this embodiment is capable of moving the entire hand section 4 in three dimensions, and the posture (orientation) of the entire hand section 4 can be changed in three dimensions.

[0036] As shown in Figure 2, the hand section 4 has a member support section 10 and a first suction section 11, a second suction section 12, ..., and a seventh suction section 17. Each suction section is attached to the member support section 10 by a plate-shaped fixing member (not shown) or by appropriate fixing means such as welding. Unless otherwise specified, the following description of the hand section 4 will be based on the posture shown in Figure 2(a).

[0037] The member support section 10 is formed by attaching a first support member 10b, a second support member 10c, and a third support member 10d to a connecting member 10a.

[0038] The connecting member 10a is a long member with a roughly rectangular rod-like (roughly rectangular tubular) shape, extending in a predetermined direction.

[0039] The first support members 10b to the third support members 10d are all 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 10a, extending in the same direction parallel to each other. In detail, these three support members (first support members 10b to third support members 10d) are all attached to the lower side of the connecting member 10a, and all extend in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the connecting member 10a (in this embodiment, a direction perpendicular to it). The longitudinal direction of the three support members is the longitudinal direction of the hand portion 4, and will hereafter be referred to as the first direction. The longitudinal direction of the connecting member 10a is the short direction of the hand portion 4, and is the direction in which the three support members are aligned, and will hereafter be referred to as the second direction.

[0040] The first suction portion 11 is attached to one end in the first direction, and more specifically, three first suction portions 11 are attached to separate support members. That is, the three first suction portions 11 are spaced apart in the short direction (second direction) of the hand portion 4. At this time, the central portion of each of the three first suction portions 11 is at the same position in the longitudinal direction (first direction) of the hand portion 4.

[0041] In this embodiment, the three first suction parts 11 are arranged at equal intervals in the second direction, and the distance between the centers of two adjacent first suction parts 11 in the second direction is a predetermined distance L1. However, the three first suction parts 11 arranged in the second direction may be arranged at unequal intervals, and the distances between the centers of two adjacent first suction parts 11 may be different. Similarly, when four or more first suction parts 11 are provided, the multiple first suction parts 11 may be arranged at equal intervals or at unequal intervals. Note that "arranged at unequal intervals" includes not only cases where the distances between their respective centers are different, but also cases where the distance between at least one center is different from the others.

[0042] Here, the first suction part 11 is a member capable of adsorbing and holding a part of the sheet member 31, and as shown in Figure 2(a), it has a base end support part 21, an extension part 22, and a holding part 23 (suction part body). The base support portion 21 and the extension portion 22 are cylindrical parts with an internal space, and both extend in the same direction (up and down in Figure 2). A portion of the extension portion 22 (the upper portion in Figure 2) is housed inside the base support portion 21. A retaining portion 23 is attached to the tip of the extension portion 22 (the end opposite to the base support portion 21 in the longitudinal direction).

[0043] The holding portion 23 is a suction cup member attached to the tip side of the extended portion 22, and is an adhesive pad formed from an elastic material such as rubber or synthetic resin. Although detailed illustration is omitted, this holding portion 23 is a bowl-shaped portion that protrudes toward the base end support portion 21, and is the part that adsorbs (adsorbs and holds) a part of the sheet member 31 (which will be described in detail later), which is the object to be adsorbed (the object to be held).

[0044] Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the holding portion 23 has a suction hole (not shown) at the bottom (bowl-shaped bottom) of the inner recess, which allows for a suction operation that draws air from the inner space of the suction cup when adsorbing an object. In other words, the transport device 1 has a suction device (detailed illustration omitted), and the first suction part 11 has a suction path (not shown) formed between the opening of the suction hole (suction port) and the suction device. Thus, the first suction part 11 of this embodiment can perform an adsorption operation by adhering the tip portion of the holding part 23 (suction cup member) to the object to be adsorbed and sucking the air inside the suction cup from the opening, thereby adsorbing the object to be adsorbed by negative pressure.

[0045] Furthermore, each of the suction parts constituting the second suction part 12 to the seventh suction part 17 has the same structure as the first suction part 11, and has a base end support part 21, an extension part 22, and a holding part 23. For the sake of drawing purposes, the reference numerals for the base end support part 21, the extension part 22, and the holding part 23 of each suction part are omitted as appropriate.

[0046] The second to seventh suction parts 12 to 17, like the first suction part 11, each have three suction parts attached to a separate support member, with the central portion of each part being the same in the first direction and arranged at equal intervals in the second direction. In addition, similar to the first adsorption section 11, the three adsorption sections belonging to each section are not limited to being arranged at equal intervals in the second direction, but may also be arranged at unequal intervals in the second direction.

[0047] Furthermore, the first to seventh suction parts 11 to 17 are arranged in this order with spacing between them, starting from one end of the hand part 4 in the longitudinal direction (first direction). More specifically, the suction parts are arranged at unequal intervals in the first direction, and the distance between the centers of two adjacent suction parts in the first direction is at least partially different from that of others. However, the suction parts may also be arranged so that the distance between their centers is equal in the first direction.

[0048] In other words, the hand portion 4 of this embodiment has a plurality of suction parts arranged in a matrix in the first and second directions. The plurality of suction parts are arranged so that their respective lower ends (the lower ends of the holding portion 23) are located on the same plane (on the same virtual plane). Thus, when the hand portion 4 is set to a reference position (details to be described later), and each suction part is set to a position where it extends vertically, as shown in Figure 2(a), the lower ends of each suction part are arranged to be at the same height.

[0049] As shown in Figure 3, the sheet mounting base 30 is a member having a flat mounting plate portion 30a on which one or more sheet members 31 are placed. In this embodiment, it has a mounting plate portion 30a and legs that support the mounting plate portion 30a at a position away from the floor surface (installation surface) of the installation location. When multiple sheet members 31 are placed on the mounting plate portion 30a, the multiple sheet members 31 may be arranged stacked vertically.

[0050] In this embodiment, the sheet member 31 is a POE sheet that can be used as a sealing material in the manufacture of a solar cell module (solar cell panel), and is a sheet with a substantially square shape (substantially rectangular shape) having main surfaces at both ends in the thickness direction.

[0051] As shown in Figure 4, the substrate mounting base 35 is a component having a flat mounting plate portion 35a on which the substrate 36 is placed. In this embodiment, it has a mounting plate portion 35a and legs that support the mounting plate portion 35a at a position away from the floor surface (installation surface) of the installation location.

[0052] The base material 36 is a plate-shaped or sheet-shaped translucent base material having insulating and light-transmitting properties, and can suitably be used as a raw material such as transparent resin or glass. In this embodiment, a glass substrate is used. The base material 36 in this embodiment is a substantially rectangular flat plate-shaped member, and one main surface (outer main surface, bottom surface in Figure 4) and the other main surface (inner main surface, top surface in Figure 4) located at both ends in the thickness direction are planes perpendicular to the thickness direction. The base material 36 in this embodiment is a member that functions as a substrate (light-receiving side substrate) that forms one main surface (light-receiving surface) of a solar cell module (solar cell panel), and is a member that can be used in the manufacture of solar cell modules (solar cell panels).

[0053] Next, the procedure for manufacturing a laminate using the manufacturing apparatus of this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the manufacturing apparatus of this embodiment transports the sheet member 31 from the sheet mounting table 30 onto the base material 36, and manufactures a laminate (see Figure 5, etc.) in which the sheet member 31 is placed on the base material 36. In other words, the manufacturing apparatus of this embodiment can be used as an apparatus for manufacturing at least a part of a solar cell panel (laminated) in which the sheet member 31, solar cell strings and wiring members, sealing sheet (sheet member 31), and back sealing material are laminated on the base material 36 in this order.

[0054] First, as shown in Figure 3, the conveying device 1 performs the operation of lifting the sheet member 31 upward from the sheet mounting table 30. That is, the conveying device 1 sets the hand portion 4 to a standard position in which each suction portion (first suction portion 11 to seventh suction portion 17) extends in the vertical direction, and moves the hand portion 4 closer to the sheet member 31 on the sheet mounting table 30 from above (see Figures 3(a) and 3(b)). The standard orientation is also the orientation in which the direction in which the first adsorption part 11, the second adsorption part 12, ..., and the seventh adsorption part 17 are aligned (the first direction described above, see Figure 2) is parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0055] Then, as shown in Figure 3(b), with the lower end portions (holding portions 23) of each suction part (handling portion 4) of the hand portion 4 in contact with the upper surface of the sheet member 31, the transport device 1 performs a suction operation in which each of the suction parts arranged in a matrix suctions adheres to each part of the sheet member 31. Next, as shown in Figure 3(c), the transport device 1 moves the hand unit 4 upward. In this embodiment, when the transport device 1 moves the hand unit 4 upward after the suction operation, it performs a posture change operation to change the posture of the hand unit 4 from a reference posture to an inclined posture.

[0056] Here, the inclined position is a position in which the hand portion 4 is inclined such that the angle θ1 between a virtual line α1 extending in the first direction and a virtual plane D1 parallel to the horizontal plane is a predetermined angle (in this embodiment, greater than 0 degrees but less than 15 degrees).

[0057] As the conveying device 1 of this embodiment performs this posture change operation, the sheet member 31 held by the hand part 4 also takes on an inclined position. In other words, the portion of the sheet member 31 that is held by the first adsorption portion 11 is located at a lower position than the portion held by the seventh adsorption portion 17. Here, the portion held by the first adsorption portion 11 is referred to as the first adsorption portion, the portion held by the second adsorption portion 12 is referred to as the second adsorption portion, and so on. Furthermore, the sheet member 31 is in a position where the portion from the first adsorbed portion to the seventh adsorbed portion in the first direction is inclined diagonally as a whole.

[0058] More specifically, the sheet member 31 has a second adsorbent portion positioned higher than the first adsorbent portion, and a third adsorbent portion positioned higher than the second adsorbent portion. Similarly, the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh adsorbent portions are positioned in increasing order of height. As a result, the sheet member 31 is arranged to be inclined so as it moves away from the first adsorbed portion toward the seventh adsorbed portion in the first direction, it is inclined continuously or intermittently with some slack to move upward. At this time, the inclination angle of the sheet member 31 is less than θ1 (less than 15 degrees in this embodiment). That is, at least a part of the sheet member 31 is inclined so that the inclination angle is less than θ1.

[0059] Next, as shown in Figures 3(c) and 4(a), the transport device 1 moves the hand unit 4 horizontally to position it above the substrate 36 placed on the substrate mounting table 35 (mounting plate portion 35a). As a result, at least a portion of the sheet member 31 is positioned above the substrate 36. In other words, the sheet mounting table 30 and the substrate mounting table 35 are positioned at different locations horizontally, and the hand unit 4 moves horizontally from the sheet mounting table 30 side to the substrate mounting table 35 side.

[0060] Next, the conveying device 1 performs a posture adjustment operation to adjust the orientation of the sheet member 31. As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the posture adjustment operation involves positioning the sheet member 31 in the aforementioned inclined position and pressing a portion of the sheet member 31 against the main surface (upper surface) of the base material 36. In other words, the conveying device 1 moves the hand portion 4 downward, bringing the sheet member 31 closer to the base material 36. As a result, the lower portion of the inclined part of the sheet member 31 is held between the lower end portion of the first suction portion 11 and a part of the main surface of the base material 36. More specifically, the lower end portions of each of the three first suction portions 11 (two of the first suction portions 11 are not shown in Figure 4) and a part of the main surface of the base material 36 each hold a different portion of the sheet member 31.

[0061] At this time, since the hand portion 4 is in an inclined position, the first suction portion 11 is also in an inclined position relative to the horizontal plane. Therefore, the lower end portion of the first suction portion 11 is part of the holding portion 23 of the first suction portion 11 and part of the portion that contacts the sheet member 31 (part of the lower end portion when the hand portion 4 is in the standard position). In this inclined position, the lower end portion of the first suction portion 11 functions as a pressing portion that presses the sheet member 31 toward the base material 36 when the sheet member 31 is sandwiched between the main surface of the base material 36 and the first suction portion 11.

[0062] In other words, the portion of the sheet member 31 that is sandwiched between the first suction portion 11 and the main surface of the base material 36 is pressed from the first suction portion 11 toward the base material 36 (downward) with its upper surface in contact with the lower end portion of the first suction portion 11 and its lower surface in contact with the main surface of the base material 36. As a result, a portion of the sheet member 31 is pressed against the main surface of the base material 36. At this time, as described above, since the first adsorption portion 11 is in an inclined position with respect to the horizontal plane, as shown in Figure 4(b), the back side portion of the first adsorbed portion of the sheet member 31 is in contact with the base material 36 in part, and the other portion is separated upward from the base material 36. The "back side portion of the first adsorbed portion" is a part of the main surface of the sheet member 31 on the side opposite to the main surface where the first adsorbed portion is located, and is the portion that overlaps with the first adsorbed portion in the thickness direction of the sheet member 31. It should be noted, as is obvious, that the back portion of the second adsorbed part, the back portion of the third adsorbed part, ..., and the back portion of the seventh adsorbed part are all located above the base material 36, and their positional height increases in this order.

[0063] Furthermore, following the posture adjustment operation, the transport device 1 performs a sheet placement operation in which the sheet member 31 is placed (mounted) on the base material 36. In the sheet placement operation, first, as shown in Figures 4(b) and 4(c), the conveying device 1 releases the suction operation of the first suction parts 11. That is, each of the three first suction parts 11 releases its suction operation (two of the first suction parts 11 are not shown in Figure 4). In this embodiment, the three first suction parts 11 release their suction simultaneously, but each first suction part 11 may release its suction individually (at least one first suction part 11 may release its suction at a different timing than the others). However, the configuration in this embodiment, where the three first suction parts 11 release their suction operation simultaneously, is preferable because it makes it more difficult for air to enter between the sheet member 31 and the base material 36.

[0064] As a result, the entire back side of the first adsorbed portion comes into contact with the base material 36, and furthermore, a portion of the back side of the first adsorbed portion that is separated from the second adsorbed portion 12 also comes into contact with the base material 36. Next, as shown in Figure 5(a), the transport device 1 releases the suction operation of the second suction part 12. That is, similar to the release of suction of the first suction part 11 described above, the three second suction parts 12 release their suction operation simultaneously. As a result, the entire back side of the second object to be suctioned comes into contact with the base material 36, and furthermore, a portion of the part of the second object to be suctioned that is separated from the back side towards the third suction part 13 also comes into contact with the base material 36. In this case as well, each second suction part 12 may release its suction individually, but as described above, it is preferable for all three second suction parts 12 to release their suction simultaneously in order to make it more difficult for air to enter between the sheet member 31 and the base material 36.

[0065] Similarly, the transport device 1 releases the suction in the order of the third suction part 13, the fourth suction part 14, ..., and the seventh suction part 17 (see Figures 5(b) and 5(c) for the third suction part 13 and the fourth suction part 14, respectively). In other words, the sheet placement operation can also be described as the operation of releasing the suction in the order of the first suction part 11, the second suction part 12, ..., and the seventh suction part 17. By performing this operation, the sheet member 31 is gradually placed onto the base material 36 in a predetermined direction XA (left-right direction in Figure 4), starting from the portion located below the first suction part 11 and moving towards the seventh suction part 17. By arranging the sheet member 31 in this way, it becomes difficult for air to enter between the sheet member 31 and the base material 36, thereby suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles when the sheet member 31 is placed on the base material 36. The predetermined direction XA referred to here is a direction parallel to the horizontal plane in a plan view with the second direction (depth direction in Figure 5) as the line of sight, and is also a direction from the first suction part 11 side toward the seventh suction part 17 side.

[0066] In the embodiment described above, the hand portion 4 was moved vertically upward and then horizontally to move above the base material 36, but the present invention is not limited to this. When moving the hand portion 4 above the base material 36, the hand portion 4 may be moved in an oblique direction, that is, in a direction that includes both a horizontal and a vertical component. In other words, the hand portion 4 only needs to be moved in a direction that includes at least a horizontal component.

[0067] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the posture change operation was performed when the hand portion 4 moved upward after adsorbing the sheet member 31, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The conveying device 1 may perform the posture change operation in parallel with the movement of the hand portion 4, or by temporarily stopping the movement of the hand portion 4, while the hand portion 4 is moving in the horizontal direction (a direction including the horizontal component). Furthermore, after the hand unit 4 moves above the base material 36, while it is moving toward the base material 36, a posture change operation may be performed in parallel with the movement of the hand unit 4, or by temporarily stopping the movement of the hand unit 4. In other words, the conveying device 1 may perform a posture change operation between the time each suction part has picked up the sheet member 31 and the time the hand part 4 moves to a position close to the top of the base material 36, or after it has moved to a position close to the top of the base material 36. To put it another way, the posture change operation only needs to be performed so as to be completed before the posture adjustment operation is completed. However, it is preferable to complete the posture change operation in advance before the hand unit 4 reaches above the base material 36, and then move the hand unit 4 from above toward the base material 36, as this facilitates the control of the alignment between the sheet member 31 and the base material 36.

[0068] Furthermore, although the sheet placement operation in the above-described embodiment involves releasing the suction in the order of the first suction part 11, the second suction part 12, ..., and the seventh suction part 17, the present invention is not limited to this. The sheet placement operation may involve releasing the suction in the order of the second suction part 12, ..., and the seventh suction part 17, and then releasing the suction of the first suction part 11. Alternatively, the sheet placement operation may involve releasing the suction of the first suction part 11 while releasing the suction in the order of the second suction part 12, ..., and the seventh suction part 17. That is, when releasing the suction in the order of the second suction part 12, ..., and the seventh suction part 17, the first suction part 11 may release the suction simultaneously with the release of any of the suction parts, or between the release of one suction part and the release of another suction part.

[0069] To explain in detail, the first suction part 11 is the part that presses the sheet member 31 against the base material 36. The portion of the sheet member 31 below the first suction part 11 is partially placed on the base material 36, while the other portion is positioned very close to the upper surface of the base material 36. For this reason, the portion of the sheet member 31 below the first suction part 11 is a part where air is less likely to enter between it and the base material 36. Therefore, the sheet placement operation can be considered as an operation that releases the suction of the first suction part 11 at an appropriate timing, as described above. However, from the viewpoint of more reliably preventing the occurrence of wrinkles, it is preferable that the sheet placement operation be an operation that releases the suction in the order of the first suction part 11, the second suction part 12, ..., and the seventh suction part 17, as described above.

[0070] Furthermore, while the sheet placement operation in the above-described embodiment involves sequentially releasing the first to seventh suction parts 11 to 17, which are aligned in the first direction, it is also conceivable that the fourth suction part 14 and the fifth suction part 14 would release their suction simultaneously. In other words, the sheet placement operation could involve releasing the suction in the order of the first suction part 11, the second suction part 12, and the third suction part 13, followed by the simultaneous release of the fourth suction part 14 and the fifth suction part 14, and then sequentially releasing the suction in the sixth suction part 16 and the seventh suction part 17.

[0071] In addition, it is conceivable to provide one or more other adsorption parts at positions between the first adsorption part 11 and the second adsorption part 12 in the first direction, and / or at positions between the second adsorption part 12 and the third adsorption part 13, and to simultaneously release the adsorption of the second adsorption part 12 and the other adsorption parts after the release of adsorption from the first adsorption part 11 but before the release of adsorption from the third adsorption part 13. Similarly, for the third adsorption part 13 and beyond, it is conceivable to provide other adsorption parts at positions away from the first adsorption part 11 in the first direction, and / or at positions away from the opposite side in the first direction, and to simultaneously release the adsorption of the other adsorption parts.

[0072] In other words, multiple suction parts arranged at intervals in the first direction do not necessarily need to release their suction individually; it is also possible for two or more suction parts arranged at intervals in the first direction to release their suction simultaneously. That is, the sheet placement operation only requires that at least two other suction parts sequentially release their suction in the order they are arranged, with the first suction part 11, other suction parts, and yet another suction part arranged in this order at least three locations at intervals in the first direction. In other words, the sheet placement operation only requires that three or more parts of a single sheet member 31 that are separated in a predetermined direction (first direction) be sequentially placed on the base material 36 in the order they are arranged in that direction, so that the entire sheet member 31 is gradually placed on the base material 36 in the same direction.

[0073] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that, for parts similar to those described in the first embodiment, redundant explanations will be omitted as necessary.

[0074] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the manufacturing apparatus of this embodiment forms a laminate by placing a sheet member 31 on a substrate 236 that is different from the substrate 36 described above, and the substrate mounting table 235 is different from that of the above embodiment.

[0075] As shown in Figure 6, the substrate mounting base 235 of this embodiment functions as a mounting base for the substrate 236, and is a component that can hold the substrate 236 by placing the substrate 236 on it, which has a recessed position that is convex on the lower side (details will be described later).

[0076] The substrate 236 has two main surfaces located at both ends in the thickness direction: one main surface (the outer surface and light-receiving surface, the bottom surface in Figure 6) and the other main surface (the inner surface, the top surface in Figure 6), both of which are curved surfaces. In other words, the substrate 236 is a curved substrate with a three-dimensionally extended curved surface, and each of the two main surfaces has a portion that is curved with a predetermined curvature.

[0077] Here, the base material 236 is curved such that one of its main surfaces is convex and the other is concave, and as shown in Figure 6, by positioning it so that the convex main surface is the bottom surface, the entire structure takes on a concave position (hereinafter also referred to as the lamination position) where it is convex downwards. When the substrate 236 is in a stacked position, the upper surface of the substrate 236 becomes a high-position portion 236a, where both ends in the curved direction are positioned higher than the central portion. In this embodiment, the substrate 236 has two high-position portions 236a at the same height, but these may be at different heights. In this context, "curving direction" refers to the direction of curvature along the surface of the curved surface (the direction of extension of the bow-shaped curve in the cross-section of Figure 6).

[0078] Furthermore, this substrate 236, like the substrate 36 described above, is a plate-shaped or sheet-shaped translucent substrate having insulating and light-transmitting properties, and can suitably be used as a raw material such as transparent resin or glass. In this embodiment, a glass substrate with both main surfaces being curved is used. That is, the substrate 236 of this embodiment, like the substrate 36 described above, is a component that functions as a substrate forming one of the main surfaces of a solar cell module (solar cell panel), and is a component that can be used in the manufacture of solar cell modules (solar cell panels).

[0079] In this embodiment as well, the transport device 1 performs an operation to lift the sheet member 31 upward from the substrate mounting table 35 and an operation to change its orientation, moving the hand unit 4 horizontally (see Figure 3). The transport device 1 then positions the hand unit 4 above the substrate 236 placed on the substrate mounting table 235 (see Figure 6(a)).

[0080] Next, the transport device 1 performs an orientation adjustment operation to adjust the orientation of the sheet member 31, as shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b). The orientation adjustment operation in this embodiment is similar to the orientation adjustment operation in the first embodiment described above, in which the sheet member 31 is tilted and a portion of the sheet member 31 is pressed against the main surface (upper surface) of the base material 236.

[0081] In other words, the conveying device 1 moves the hand portion 4 downward, bringing the sheet member 31 closer to the base material 236. As a result, as shown in Figure 6(b), the lower portion of the inclined part of the sheet member 31 is held between the lower end portion of the first suction portion 11 and a part of the main surface (a part of the curved surface) of the base material 326.

[0082] In this embodiment, when the posture adjustment operation is completed, the lower end portion of the seventh suction portion 17 is positioned below the high position portion 236a, among the lower end portions of the first suction portion 11 to the seventh suction portion 17. In other words, the lower ends of the first to seventh suction parts 11 to 7 are positioned within the recessed portions of the base material 236 in the stacking position, and the majority (or entirety) of the sheet member 31 is positioned within the recessed portions of the base material 236. To put it another way, the lower ends of each suction part and the majority of the sheet member 31 are positioned between the upwardly curved portion located on one end of the inner main surface (upper surface in Figure 6) of the base material 236 and the upwardly curved portion located on the other end. With this configuration, when the sheet member 31 is placed on the base material 236 in the sheet placement operation described later, it is less likely for air to enter between the base material 236 and the sheet member 31, which is preferable.

[0083] In this embodiment as well, as shown in Figures 6(c) and 7, following the posture adjustment operation, the transport device 1 performs a sheet placement operation in which the sheet member 31 is placed on the base material 236. That is, the transport device 1 releases the suction in the order of the first suction part 11, the second suction part 12, ..., and the seventh suction part 17, and places the sheet member 31 on the base material 236. As a result, the sheet member 31 is placed on the base material 36 little by little, starting from the portion located below the first suction part 11, in a direction along the curvature, and moving from the first suction part 11 side toward the seventh suction part 17 side.

[0084] In the second embodiment described above, at the completion of the posture adjustment operation, the lower ends of the first to seventh suction parts 11 to 7th suction parts 17 are positioned within the recessed portion of the base material 236 arranged in the stacking posture. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, at the completion of the posture adjustment operation, the lower ends of one or more suction parts on the side of the seventh suction part 17, and the portion of the sheet member 31 on the side of the seventh suction part 17, may be positioned outside the recessed portion (at a higher position than the high position portion 236a).

[0085] In the first and second embodiments described above, when the posture adjustment operation is completed, the inclination angle θ1 is set to a predetermined angle of more than 0 degrees but less than 15 degrees, so that the hand portion 4 is in an inclined position and the seat member 31 held by the hand portion 4 is in an inclined position. However, when the sheet member 31 is placed on a curved substrate as in the second embodiment described above, the hand portion 4 may not be tilted when the posture adjustment operation is completed, and a part of the sheet member 31 may be held between the first suction portion 11 and the base material 236 while maintaining the reference posture.

[0086] To explain in detail, in the second embodiment described above, as shown in Figure 6, the sheet member 31 is placed on the base material 236 such that the central portion of the sheet member 31 in a predetermined direction (the central portion in the first direction in the orientation of Figure 6(a)) and the central portion of the base material 236 in the curvature direction overlap. However, the sheet member 31 may be placed on the base material 236 such that the central portion of the sheet member 31 in a predetermined direction and the central portion of the base material 236 in the curvature direction do not overlap (i.e., they are offset in the curvature direction when placed). In this case, when the posture adjustment operation is completed, the portion of the sheet member 31 that is held between the first suction portion 11 and the base material 236 may be positioned closer to the higher position portion 236a on one side (the higher position portion 236a on the left side in Figure 6). In this case, the hand portion 4 may not be tilted when the posture adjustment operation is completed, and a portion of the sheet member 31 may be pressed against the base material 236 by the first suction portion 11 while maintaining the standard posture. At this time, the back portion of the sheet member 31 (the lower main surface portion) will be such that the back portions of the second to seventh suction portions are separated upward from the inner main surface (upper surface) of the base material 236.

[0087] In other words, the posture adjustment operation is simply an operation to adjust the posture of the hand unit 4 so that, with the first suction unit 11 pressing a part of the sheet member 31 against the substrate, the back sides of the second to seventh suctioned parts of the sheet member 31 are separated upward from the inner main surface (upper surface) of the base material 236. More specifically, the posture adjustment operation is an operation to adjust the posture of the hand unit 4 such that, with a portion of the sheet member 31 pressed against the substrate, at least two of the backside portions of the adsorbed parts of the sheet member 31 are separated upward from the inner main surface of the base material 236. In this case, the posture adjustment operation adjusts the posture of the hand unit 4 such that one of the two adsorbed parts is positioned at a distance in a first direction from the portion of the sheet member 31 pressed against the substrate, and the other adsorbed part is positioned at a distance further in the first direction from the first adsorbed part.

[0088] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the hand portion 4 is configured to have first adsorption portions 11 to seventh adsorption portions 17 arranged in a first direction, but the number of adsorption portions arranged in the first direction is not limited to 7, and may be changed as appropriate to 3 or more. Also, in the above-described embodiment, there are three of each of the first adsorption portions 11 to seventh adsorption portions 17, but the number of adsorption portions belonging to each of the first adsorption portions 11 to seventh adsorption portions 17 is not limited to 3, and may be changed as appropriate to 1 or more. The number of adsorption portions belonging to each of the first adsorption portions 11 to seventh adsorption portions 17 does not necessarily have to be the same.

[0089] In the embodiments described above, the components can be freely substituted or added between each embodiment, as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0090] 1. Conveying device (conveying means) 31 Sheet material 36,236 Base material 11 1st suction part 12 Second suction part 13 Third suction part

Claims

1. A laminate manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a laminate in which sheet members are laminated on a substrate, The system includes a conveying means for transporting the sheet member, The transport means has a first suction part, a second suction part, and a third suction part. The first adsorption portion, the second adsorption portion, and the third adsorption portion are arranged in this order with an interval between them in the first direction. The first adsorption unit, the second adsorption unit, and the third adsorption unit perform an adsorption operation in which they adsorb the sheet member, A posture adjustment operation is performed to tilt the sheet member by sandwiching a portion of the sheet member between the first suction part and the base material, and positioning the suction portion by the first suction part below the suction portion by the third suction part, A laminate manufacturing apparatus that performs a sheet placement operation in which the release of adsorption by the second adsorption unit is performed prior to the release of adsorption by the third adsorption unit.

2. The laminate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet placement operation is performed in the order of release of adsorption by the first adsorption unit, release of adsorption by the second adsorption unit, and release of adsorption by the third adsorption unit.

3. The device has multiple first adsorption units, multiple second adsorption units, and multiple third adsorption units. The plurality of first adsorption parts, the plurality of second adsorption parts, and the plurality of third adsorption parts are arranged at intervals in a direction intersecting the first direction. The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of the first adsorption parts simultaneously release adsorption, a plurality of the second adsorption parts simultaneously release adsorption, and a plurality of the third adsorption parts simultaneously release adsorption.

4. The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, prior to or during the posture adjustment operation, the sheet member is placed in an inclined position, and the inclined position of the sheet member is such that at least a portion of the sheet member is tilted upward as it moves away from the suction portion by the first suction portion in the first direction.

5. The conveying means conveys the sheet member from a position at least horizontally away from the base material to the base material, The laminate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein an operation is performed to tilt the sheet member while it is being transported onto the substrate.

6. The laminate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tilted position of the sheet member is such that at least a portion of the sheet member is tilted to an angle of less than 15 degrees.

7. The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the substrate is a curved substrate having a three-dimensionally extended curved surface, and the sheet member is arranged on the upper side of the curved surface.

8. A method for manufacturing a laminate, comprising forming the laminate using the manufacturing apparatus described in claim 1 or 2.

9. A laminate manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a laminate in which sheet members are laminated on a substrate, The system includes a conveying means for transporting the sheet member, The transport means has a first suction part, a second suction part, and a third suction part. The first adsorption portion, the second adsorption portion, and the third adsorption portion are arranged in this order with an interval between them in the first direction. The first adsorption unit, the second adsorption unit, and the third adsorption unit perform an adsorption operation in which they adsorb the sheet member, A posture adjustment operation is performed such that a portion of the sheet member is held between the first suction part and the base material, and the back portion of the suction part by the second suction part and the back portion of the suction part by the third suction part are separated upward from the base material. A laminate manufacturing apparatus that performs a sheet placement operation in which the release of adsorption by the second adsorption unit is performed prior to the release of adsorption by the third adsorption unit.

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