Solar Cell Substrate Transfer Conveyor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a conveyor device for transporting solar cell substrates, capable of transporting solar cell substrates by making line contact only with both edges of the solar cell substrates while maintaining a certain distance between the conveyor belt and the surface of the solar cell substrates during the process of transporting the solar cell substrates. The conveyor device for transporting solar cell substrates according to the present invention comprises: a base frame; a first pulley rotatably installed on both sides of the front end of the base frame; a second pulley rotatably installed on both sides of the rear end of the base frame; a driving module that transmits rotational force to the first pulley or the second pulley; and a conveyor belt wound around the first pulley and the second pulley, which rotates along the first pulley and the second pulley as the first pulley or the second pulley rotates by the driving module. and may include a substrate support protrusion group consisting of a pair of first substrate support protrusions and second substrate support protrusions, which are installed to protrude at intervals corresponding to the width of the solar cell substrate on the outer surface of each of the conveyor belts, and whose upper surface is formed to be inclined downward at a certain angle toward the inner side in the width direction of the solar cell substrate, thereby supporting the solar cell substrate by making line contact with one edge of the solar cell substrate so that the surface of the solar cell substrate is spaced apart from the surface of the conveyor belt by a certain distance.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveyor device for transporting a solar cell substrate during a manufacturing process of a solar cell, and more specifically, to a conveyor device for transporting a solar cell substrate that can support and transport the solar cell substrate while the surface of the solar cell substrate is spaced a certain distance from the surface of the conveyor belt and in line contact with both edges of the solar cell substrate. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, solar cells generate power by creating electron-hole pairs within the semiconductor due to external light, and then moving electrons to the n-type semiconductor and holes to the p-type semiconductor through the electric field generated at the pn junction.

[0003] One of the factors that significantly affects the reliability of these solar cells is metal contamination on the substrate surface and particles containing organic materials.

[0004] In particular, particle adhesion has a significant impact on device yield. Particles originate from process reactions, workers, and manufacturing equipment and adhere to the substrate surface. These particles can cause the panel surface to become uneven; an uneven surface condition leads to instability in the production process and product, and can become a source of other problems.

[0005] However, in conventional solar cell manufacturing processes, solar cell substrates are mostly transported using conveyors when moving them from one process location to another. Since the substrates are transported in surface contact with the conveyor, a problem arises where there is a high possibility of particles adhering to or damaging the substrate surface during the transport process.

[0006] In particular, for tandem solar cells, surface contact between the conveyor and the substrate during the manufacturing process causes a decrease in yield. Therefore, if the substrate is transported using a conventional conveyor, the likelihood of damage to the solar cell substrate increases, which can lead to a significant decrease in productivity. Prior art literature

[0007] Republic of Korea Published Patent No. 10-2012-0111646 Republic of Korea Registered Patent No. 10-2044930 The problem to be solved

[0008] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problem, and the objective of the present invention is to provide a conveyor device for transporting solar cell substrates that can transport the solar cell substrates by making line contact only with both edges of the solar cell substrates while keeping the conveyor belt and the surface of the solar cell substrates separated by a certain distance during the process of transporting the solar cell substrates. means of solving the problem

[0009] A conveyor device for transporting a solar cell substrate according to the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned purpose may include: a base frame; a first pulley rotatably installed on the base frame; a second pulley rotatably installed at the rear end of the base frame at a position spaced apart from the first pulley; a driving module that transmits rotational force to the first pulley or the second pulley; a conveyor belt wound around the first pulley and the second pulley and rotating along the first pulley and the second pulley as the first pulley or the second pulley rotates by the driving module; and a group of substrate support protrusions consisting of a pair of first substrate support protrusions and second substrate support protrusions, which are installed to protrude from the outer surface of the conveyor belt at a spacing corresponding to the width of the solar cell substrate, and whose upper surface is formed to be inclined downward at a certain angle toward the inner side in the width direction of the solar cell substrate, thereby supporting the solar cell substrate by making line contact with one edge of the solar cell substrate so that the surface of the solar cell substrate is spaced apart from the surface of the conveyor belt by a certain distance.

[0010] The above substrate support protrusion group may be arranged in multiple numbers at regular intervals along the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt.

[0011] A conveyor device for transporting a solar cell substrate according to another embodiment of the present invention may further include an air injection module that injects air upward toward one edge of a solar cell substrate discharged through the end portion of the conveyor belt to temporarily lift one edge portion of the solar cell substrate upward.

[0012] The air injection module may include: a nozzle housing installed between the plurality of second pulleys and having an air chamber formed with an open upper surface and connected to an external air supply device to receive air; and a porous nozzle plate installed to close the upper surface of the air chamber of the nozzle housing and having a plurality of micropores formed vertically through to discharge air supplied into the air chamber upward.

[0013] The upper surfaces of the first substrate support projection and the second substrate support projection may be formed to be inclined at two or more stages. Effects of the invention

[0014] According to the present invention, the two edges of a solar cell substrate are supported by making line contact with the inclined upper surfaces of a first substrate support projection and a second substrate support projection protruding from the outer surface of a conveyor belt, respectively, and are transported at a certain distance from the surface of the conveyor belt, thereby minimizing the contact area of ​​the solar cell substrate with the conveyor device, and thus, during the transport process of the solar cell substrate, phenomena such as the solar cell substrate being damaged by contact with the surface of the conveyor belt or particles being attached can be prevented. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conveyor device for transporting a solar cell substrate according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a plan view of a conveyor device for transporting a solar cell substrate shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a key part of a conveyor device for transporting a solar cell substrate shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is an enlarged view of part A of Figure 3. FIG. 5 is a side view showing an example of a state in which a solar cell substrate is discharged from the rear end of a conveyor device for transporting a solar cell substrate as illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a key part showing the configuration of an air injection module constituting a conveyor device for transporting a solar cell substrate according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the air injection module illustrated in Figure 6. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a key part showing a conveyor device for transporting a solar cell substrate according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a key part showing a conveyor device for transporting a solar cell substrate according to another embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0016] A conveyor device for transporting a solar cell substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Since the present invention is susceptible to various modifications and may take various forms, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific disclosed forms, and it should be understood that the invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. Similar reference numerals have been used for similar components in the description of each drawing.

[0017] Additionally, terms such as "first," "second," etc., may be used to describe various components, but said components should not be limited by said terms. These terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be named the second component, and similarly, the second component may be named the first component. Meanwhile, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this application.

[0018] To aid understanding, the direction in which the solar cell substrate is transported in a solar cell substrate transport device is defined as the Y-axis direction, the direction horizontally orthogonal to it is defined as the X-axis direction, and the direction vertically orthogonal to the Y-axis and X-axis is defined as the Z-axis direction for explanation.

[0019] FIGS. 1 to 7 are drawings showing a conveyor device for transporting a solar cell substrate according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, a conveyor device (100) for transporting solar cell substrates includes a base frame (110) that is fixedly installed on the main body of the device, a plurality of first pulleys (120) and a plurality of second pulleys (130) installed on the base frame (110), a driving module that transmits rotational force to the first pulleys (120) or the second pulleys (130), a plurality of conveyor belts (140) that are wound around the first pulleys (120) and the second pulleys (130), and a substrate support projection group (150) composed of a pair of first substrate support projections (151) and second substrate support projections (152) formed to protrude from the outer surface of each of the plurality of conveyor belts (140).

[0021] The base frame (110) is configured to function as a support structure that supports the components of a conveyor device and can be installed horizontally with respect to the ground while extending in the transport direction (Y-axis direction) of the solar cell substrate (S). The base frame (110) can be made of a combination of a square frame, a beam, or a plate.

[0022] Two pairs of first pulleys (120) and second pulleys (130) are rotatably installed on both sides of the base frame (110) to perform the function of a conveyor. Among the two first pulleys (120) and second pulleys (130) installed on both sides of one end of the base frame (110), the pulleys that receive rotational force from the drive module are connected to each other by a pulley shaft (121) and rotate together, so that two first pulleys (120) can be rotated simultaneously using a single drive module. The other pulley not connected to the drive module may be individually rotatably connected to both sides of the base frame (110), or otherwise connected by a pulley shaft and rotate together.

[0023] When using a timing belt having a plurality of protrusions (142) arranged on its inner surface as a conveyor belt (140), a plurality of grooves that engage with the protrusions of the conveyor belt (140) may be formed along the circumferential direction on the outer surface of the first pulley (120) or the second pulley (130). In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, when the inner surface of the conveyor belt (140) is a flat surface without protrusions arranged thereon, the first pulley (120) or the second pulley (130) may also be used without grooves formed on its outer surface.

[0024] Additionally, in this embodiment, the first pulley (120) and the second pulley (130) are configured as a pair of multiple (2) pulleys on both sides of the base frame (110), and two conveyor belts (140) are wound around each pair of the first pulley (120) and the second pulley (130) to transport the solar cell substrate (S) while the multiple first pulleys (120) and the second pulley (130) and the conveyor belt (140) are driven in synchronization at the same time. However, alternatively, the first pulley (120), the second pulley (130), and the conveyor belt (140) may all be configured as a single unit, or the first pulley (120) and the second pulley (130) may each be configured as a pair of two, but a single conveyor belt (140) may be configured to be wound simultaneously around the multiple first pulleys (120) and the second pulley (130).

[0025] In this way, the first pulley (120), the second pulley (130), and the conveyor belt (140) can be configured by applying any various substrate transport conveyors.

[0026] The first pulley (120) or the second pulley (130) is connected to a drive module and rotates by receiving rotational force from the drive module. For example, the drive module may include a drive motor (161) that is fixedly installed on a base frame (110) and operates by power supplied from a control unit (not shown) of a conveyor device, a drive pulley (not shown) that rotates by being coupled to the shaft of the drive motor (161), a driven pulley (162) whose center is coupled to the pulley shaft (121) of the first pulley (120), and a power transmission belt (163) that is wound around the drive pulley (not shown) and the driven pulley (162) to transmit rotational force.

[0027] Accordingly, when the drive motor (161) operates and the drive pulley (not shown) rotates, rotational force is transmitted to the driven pulley (162) by the power transmission belt (163), causing the driven pulley (162) and the pulley shaft (121) to rotate together, thereby causing the first pulley (120) to rotate. When the first pulley (120) rotates, rotational force is transmitted to the second pulley (130) by the conveyor belt (140), causing the first pulley (120) and the second pulley (130) to rotate simultaneously, and the conveyor belt (140) to rotate continuously at a constant speed.

[0028] Two conveyor belts (140) are installed so that they are wound around the first pulley (120) and the second pulley (130) on each side, and rotate in one direction by the rotation of the first pulley (120) and the second pulley (130) to transport the solar cell substrate (S) in the Y-axis direction.

[0029] On the outer surface of the conveyor belt (140), a plurality of substrate support protrusion groups (150), each consisting of a pair of first substrate support protrusions (151) and second substrate support protrusions (152), are arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction to continuously transport a plurality of solar cell substrates (S).

[0030] A plurality of substrate support protrusion groups (150), each consisting of a pair of first substrate support protrusions (151) and second substrate support protrusions (152), are arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction on the outer surface of the conveyor belt (140).

[0031] As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first substrate support projection (151) and the second substrate support projection (152) are spaced apart at a distance corresponding to the width of the solar cell substrate (S) and support the solar cell substrate (S) at a predetermined distance from the outer surface of the conveyor belt (140) while making line contact with both edges of the solar cell substrate (S). At this time, in order to support the solar cell substrate (S) by making line contact with the upper surfaces of the first substrate support projection (151) and the second substrate support projection (152), the upper surfaces of the first substrate support projection (151) and the second substrate support projection (152) are formed to be inclined downward at a certain angle toward the inner side in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the solar cell substrate (S), that is, toward each other. The inclination angle (θ) of the upper surface of the first substrate support projection (151) and the second substrate support projection (152) is preferably 10±3° based on a horizontal line relative to the ground, taking into account the deflection angle (approximately 7°) of the solar cell substrate (S).

[0032] The first substrate support projection (151) and the second substrate support projection (152) have corresponding shapes and can be made of a resin material that allows the edge of the solar cell substrate (S) to maintain its position without slipping easily on the first substrate support projection (151) and the second substrate support projection (152) during the transfer process of the solar cell substrate (S).

[0033] The conveyor device of the present invention, as described above, is supported by the two edges of the solar cell substrate (S) making line contact with the first substrate support projection (151) and the second substrate support projection (152) protruding from the outer surface of the conveyor belt (140), and is transported at a certain distance from the surface of the conveyor belt (140), thereby preventing the solar cell substrate (S) from coming into contact with the surface of the conveyor belt (140) and being damaged or particles from adhering to it during the transport process of the solar cell substrate (S).

[0034] A plurality of conveyor devices (100) may be arranged in succession. When a solar cell substrate (S) is transferred from one conveyor device (100) to another conveyor device (100) or another process device, a deformation may occur in which one side (front side) edge of the solar cell substrate (S) is pressed and bent at the curved portion behind the second pulley (130) located at the rear end of the transfer direction.

[0035] To explain this in more detail, as shown in FIG. 5, the upper surface of the first substrate support projection (151) located on the front side relative to the transport direction is formed to be inclined toward the rear. Therefore, when moving along the curved rear portion of the second pulley (130), the upper surface of the first substrate support projection (151) presses the front edge portion of the solar cell substrate (S) downward, causing a deformation that causes it to bend instantaneously.

[0036] To prevent this, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, an air injection module (180) may be installed between the plurality of second pulleys (130) to inject air upward toward one side (front side relative to the conveying direction) of the solar cell substrate (S) discharged from the conveyor device (100), thereby temporarily lifting the front side edge portion of the solar cell substrate (S) upward.

[0037] The above air injection module (180) may include a nozzle housing (181) having an air chamber (182) that receives air by being connected to an external air supply device (not shown), and a porous nozzle plate (183) that discharges air supplied into the air chamber (182) of the nozzle housing (181) upward at an appropriate pressure.

[0038] The nozzle housing (181) has a roughly rectangular housing shape equipped with an air chamber (182) that receives air from an air supply device, and is installed between a plurality of second pulleys (130). The upper surface of the air chamber (182) is formed to be open.

[0039] The porous nozzle plate (183) is installed to close the upper surface of the air chamber (182) and is made of a porous plate, such as a porous ceramic plate, having a plurality of micropores formed vertically through it to release air supplied into the air chamber (182) with a uniform flow rate and pressure over the entire surface. The micropores formed in the porous nozzle plate (183) may have a diameter of approximately 2 to 100 μm.

[0040] In this way, when air is sprayed upward through the porous nozzle plate (183) through countless micropores, it is sprayed to one edge of the thin solar cell substrate (S) at a low and uniform pressure, thereby allowing the one edge of the solar cell substrate (S) to be lifted while preventing damage to the solar cell substrate (S) or deviation from the transport path.

[0041] If air is sprayed using a single nozzle of a certain size or a conventional nozzle having several to tens of nozzle holes or nozzle slits, the spray pressure is high, so there is a possibility that one edge of the solar cell substrate (S) may be lifted high, deviating from the path or being damaged. Therefore, this problem can be prevented by using the porous nozzle plate (183) to spray air upward at a uniform and low pressure.

[0042] The air injection module (180) may be installed only at a position corresponding to the second pulley (130) from which the solar cell substrate (S) is discharged from the conveyor device (100), but if necessary, it may be installed along the entire length from the first pulley (120) to the second pulley (130) between two conveyor belts (140) to inject air upwards to finely lift a plurality of solar cell substrates (S) being transported on the conveyor belt (140).

[0043] FIG. 9 shows a conveyor device for transporting a solar cell substrate according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the upper surfaces of the first substrate support projection (151) and the second substrate support projection (152) of the substrate support projection group (150) formed on the outer surface of the conveyor belt (140) are formed to be inclined in two stages.

[0044] That is, the upper surface of the first substrate support projection (151) and the second substrate support projection (152) may be composed of a first inclined portion (153) having a relatively small inclination angle (θ) relative to a horizontal line with respect to the ground, and a second inclined portion (154) having a relatively larger inclination angle than the first inclined portion (153) on one side of the first inclined portion (153).

[0045] Both edges of the solar cell substrate (S) are supported on the first inclined portion (153) of the first substrate support projection (151) and the second substrate support projection (152), and movement in the outward direction is restricted by the second inclined portion (154). Therefore, when the solar cell substrate (S) is transported while the conveyor belt (140) rotates, even if the solar cell substrate (S) is tilted due to inertia in the acceleration section or the stopping section, the edges of the solar cell substrate (S) are supported by the second inclined portion (154) and can maintain their position without moving outward.

[0046] Additionally, when the solar cell substrate (S) is transported and seated on the first substrate support projection (151) and the second substrate support projection (152), even if both edges of the solar cell substrate (S) are not accurately seated on the first inclined portion (153) of the first substrate support projection (151) and the second substrate support projection (152), one edge of the solar cell substrate (S) can be guided to the first inclined portion (153) by sliding downward by the second inclined portion (154) of the first substrate support projection (151) or the second substrate support projection (152), thereby allowing the solar cell substrate (S) to be transported in a horizontal position.

[0047] It is preferable that the angle of inclination (θ) of the first inclined portion (153) of the first substrate support projection (151) and the second substrate support projection (152) be 10±3° relative to a horizontal line with respect to the ground.

[0048] In addition, the upper surface of the first substrate support projection (151) and the second substrate support projection (152) may be formed in various shapes. For example, the inclined surface of the upper surface of the first substrate support projection (151) and the second substrate support projection (152) may not be straight but curved, and a projection for supporting the edge of the solar cell substrate (S), or a projection, groove, or hole for detecting a sensor may be formed at the outer end of the inclined upper surface.

[0049] Although the detailed description of the present invention described above has been explained with reference to preferred embodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art or those with ordinary knowledge in the art will understand that various modifications and changes can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and technical scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Explanation of the symbols

[0050] S: Solar cell substrate 100 : Conveyor device 110 : Base frame 120 : 1st pulley 130 : Second pulley 140 : Conveyor belt 150 : Substrate support protrusion group 151 : First substrate support projection 152 : Second substrate support projection 161 : Drive motor 180 : Air injection module 181 : Nozzle housing 182 : Air Chamber 183 : Porous nozzle plate

Claims

Claim 1 A conveyor device for transporting a solar cell substrate comprising: a base frame; a first pulley rotatably installed on the base frame; a second pulley rotatably installed at the rear end of the base frame at a position spaced apart from the first pulley; a driving module that transmits rotational force to the first pulley or the second pulley; a conveyor belt wound around the first pulley and the second pulley and rotating along the first pulley and the second pulley as the first pulley or the second pulley rotates by the driving module; and a group of substrate support protrusions, each consisting of a pair of a first substrate support protrusion and a second substrate support protrusion, which are installed to protrude from the outer surface of the conveyor belt at a spacing corresponding to the width of the solar cell substrate, and whose upper surface is formed to be inclined downward at a certain angle toward the inner side in the width direction of the solar cell substrate, thereby supporting the solar cell substrate by making line contact with one edge of the solar cell substrate so that the surface of the solar cell substrate is spaced apart from the surface of the conveyor belt at a certain distance. Claim 2 A conveyor device for transporting a solar cell substrate according to claim 1, further comprising an air injection module that injects air upward toward one edge of the solar cell substrate discharged through the end portion of the conveyor belt to temporarily lift one edge portion of the solar cell substrate upward. Claim 3 In paragraph 2, the air injection module comprises: a nozzle housing having an air chamber installed between a plurality of second pulleys, formed with an open upper surface and connected to an external air supply device to receive air; and a porous nozzle plate installed to close the upper surface of the air chamber of the nozzle housing and having a plurality of micropores formed to penetrate vertically to discharge air supplied into the air chamber upward. A conveyor device for transporting a solar cell substrate. Claim 4 A conveyor device for transporting solar cell substrates according to claim 1, wherein the upper surfaces of the first substrate support projection and the second substrate support projection are formed to be inclined at two or more stages.

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