Roll screen device

Abstract

A screen part (12) of a roll screen device is provided with: a first sealing layer (37); a plurality of solar cells (20) provided on the first sealing layer (37); a second sealing layer (38) provided on the solar cells (20); and light transmission layers (41) provided between adjacent solar cells (20) and / or between a solar cell (20) and an end portion (12a) of the screen part (12).

Description

Roll screen device

[0001] The present invention relates to a roll screen device provided with solar cells.

[0002] Conventionally, a roll screen device in which solar cells are provided in a screen portion is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-179193

[0004] In such a roll screen device, since the solar cells are arranged in the screen portion, sunlight is blocked by the solar cells, and the interior of the room tends to become darker than necessary.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a technology capable of increasing the sunlight taken into a room in a roll screen device provided with solar cells.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a roll screen device according to an aspect of the present invention is a roll screen device including a screen portion configured in a sheet shape, the screen portion including a first sealing layer, a plurality of solar cells provided on the first sealing layer, a second sealing layer provided on the solar cells, and a light transmission layer provided between adjacent solar cells and / or between the solar cells and an end portion of the screen portion.

[0007] It is a schematic front view of a roll screen device according to an embodiment. It is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of the roll screen device shown in FIG. 1. It is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining a modified example of the screen portion.

[0008] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The following configurations are for the purpose of exemplification for understanding the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is determined only by the appended claims. The same or equivalent components and members shown in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations are appropriately omitted. Also, the dimensions of the members in each drawing are appropriately enlarged or reduced for easy understanding. In addition, some members that are not important in explaining the embodiments in each drawing are omitted from the display.

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic front view of a roll screen device 10 according to an embodiment. The roll screen device 10 is used by being installed in an opening in a building.

[0010] The roller screen device 10 comprises a screen section 12, a holding section 14 for suspending and holding the screen section 12, and a pair of guide rails 16 and 17 for guiding the raising and lowering of the screen section 12.

[0011] The screen section 12 is configured as a rollable rectangular sheet. The upper end of the screen section 12 in the longitudinal direction is connected to the winding mechanism 19 in the holding section 14, and a bottom rail 18 is provided at the lower end. The bottom rail 18 applies force in a direction that pulls the screen section 12 downward and also applies tension to the screen section 12 to improve its flatness.

[0012] The screen section 12 incorporates multiple solar cells 20. In the example shown in Figure 1, multiple square-shaped solar cells 20 are arranged in a matrix, but the size, shape, and arrangement method of the solar cells 20 are not particularly limited, and any size, shape, and arrangement is possible. For example, multiple rectangular-shaped solar cells 20 may be arranged in the vertical direction of the screen section 12. Generally, matrix arrangements are frequently used in crystalline silicon solar cells. The solar cells 20 are configured to convert light energy into electricity by utilizing the photovoltaic effect.

[0013] The holding unit 14 includes a winding mechanism 19 for winding up the screen unit 12 and a case 15 for housing the winding mechanism 19. The screen unit 12 can be raised and lowered using known methods such as a pull cord or chain. Alternatively, an electric motor may be installed inside the case 15 to provide an electric operation.

[0014] The guide rails 16 and 17 are positioned at both the left and right ends of the screen section 12 and are configured to clamp the ends of the screen section 12. This configuration prevents light and heat leakage from the sides of the screen section 12, thereby improving light-blocking performance, heat-shielding performance, and thermal insulation performance. In addition, it is expected to have the effect of suppressing wrinkles in the screen section 12 and suppressing the spread of flames (ignition).

[0015] Furthermore, the screen section 12, which incorporates the solar cells 20, is more prone to wrinkles and uneven surfaces compared to a fabric screen that does not incorporate solar cells. By providing guide rails 16 and 17, wrinkles and uneven surfaces of the screen section 12 can be reduced. There may be some gap between the guide rails and the roll screen, or it may be filled with mohair or the like.

[0016] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of the roll screen device 10 shown in Figure 1. The layer structure of the screen section 12 will be explained with reference to Figure 2. The screen section 12 comprises a fabric layer 36 located on the indoor side, a first sealing layer 37 provided on the fabric layer 36, a plurality of solar cells 20 provided on the first sealing layer 37, a second sealing layer 38 provided on the solar cells 20, and a covering layer 40 provided on the second sealing layer 38. The covering layer 40 is located on the outdoor side. In this way, the solar cells 20 are sandwiched between a pair of sealing layers (the first sealing layer 37 and the second sealing layer 38). Furthermore, the first sealing layer 37, the solar cells 20, and the second sealing layer 38 are sandwiched between the fabric layer 36 and the covering layer 40. The overall thickness of the screen section 12 may be, for example, 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.

[0017] While thin-film silicon can be used as the solar cell 20, it is not limited to thin-film silicon; organic thin films, dye-sensitized materials, perovskites, CIGS, CIS, and tandem structures thereof may also be used.

[0018] The first sealing layer 37 is provided so as to cover the back surface of the solar cell 20. The second sealing layer 38 is provided so as to cover the light-receiving surface of the solar cell 20. Olefin elastomer (TPO) or EVA (ethylene vinyl accelerate) can be used as the material for the sealing layer.

[0019] The coating layer 40 is provided so as to cover the second sealing layer 38. The coating layer 40 may be formed of a transparent or translucent resin such as ETFE (Ethylene Tetra Fluoro Ethylene). Alternatively, the coating layer 40 may be formed of a colored resin for the purpose of improving the design, etc., or a design pattern may be printed or embossed onto it.

[0020] The fabric layer 36 may be formed from fibers such as polypropylene, polyethylene, or polyester, or from plastics (synthetic resins).

[0021] In this embodiment, a gap is provided between two adjacent solar cells 20, and a light-transmitting layer 41 is provided in that gap. In this embodiment, a light-transmitting layer 41 is also provided between the outermost solar cell 20a and the end portion 12a of the screen portion 12. In another embodiment, there may be no gap between two adjacent solar cells 20.

[0022] The light-transmitting layer 41 has approximately the same thickness as the solar cell 20 and is interposed between the first sealing layer 37 and the second sealing layer 38. Here, if the difference in thickness between the light-transmitting layer 41 and the solar cell 20 is within 100 μm, they are considered to have approximately the same thickness.

[0023] The light-transmitting layer 41 is configured to transmit at least visible light. The light-transmitting layer 41 may comprise a transparent resin member 42 and a transparent sealing member 43. The transparent sealing member 43 may be made of, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The transparent sealing member 43 may be an olefin elastomer (TPO). The transparent sealing member 43 has the role of filling the gap between the transparent resin member 42 and the first sealing layer 37 and the second sealing layer 38.

[0024] As described above, in the screen portion 12 of the roll screen device 10 according to this embodiment, a light-transmitting layer 41 configured to transmit visible light is provided between two adjacent solar cells 20 and between the outermost solar cell 20a and the end portion 12a of the screen portion 12. The solar cells 20 themselves also transmit visible light, but by combining the solar cells 20 and the light-transmitting layer 41 in this way, the amount of sunlight entering the room can be increased.

[0025] If the light-transmitting layer 41 is not provided in the screen portion 12, indentations will occur between two adjacent solar cells 20 and at the end 12a of the screen portion 12, resulting in unevenness in the screen portion 12. When unevenness occurs in the screen portion 12, the winding performance of the screen portion 12 may decrease. In this embodiment, by providing a light-transmitting layer 41 having approximately the same thickness as the solar cells 20 between two adjacent solar cells 20 and between the outermost solar cell 20a and the end 12a of the screen portion 12, the unevenness of the screen portion 12 is reduced, thereby suppressing a decrease in the winding performance of the screen portion 12.

[0026] The roll screen device 10 according to this embodiment is positioned on the interior side of the building's opening, beyond the glass. That is, glass (not shown) is present on the exterior side of the covering layer 40 of the screen portion 12. Much of the light that enters the screen portion 12 through the glass enters the solar cell 20 and is converted into electricity and heat, but some of the light enters the light-transmitting layer 41, passes through the light-transmitting layer 41 and enters the fabric layer 36. Much of the light that enters the fabric layer 36 passes through the fabric layer 36 and is taken into the room, but some of the light is reflected by the light-receiving surface of the fabric layer 36. Some of the light reflected by the light-receiving surface of the fabric layer 36 is reflected by the interior side of the glass and converted into electricity by the solar cell 20. In this way, the roll screen device 10 according to this embodiment can improve power generation efficiency by providing the fabric layer 36 on the interior side of the screen portion 12.

[0027] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a modified example of the screen portion. The screen portion 50 shown in Figure 3 differs from the screen portion 12 shown in Figure 2 in that it includes a second coating layer 52 instead of a fabric layer 36. That is, in the screen portion 50, the first sealing layer, the solar cell 20, the light transmission layer 41, and the second sealing layer 38 are sandwiched between the coating layer 40 and the second coating layer 52. The second coating layer 52 may be formed of a transparent or translucent resin such as ETFE, similar to the coating layer 40.

[0028] In the modified screen section 50, by providing a second coating layer 52 with higher light transmittance in place of the fabric layer 36, it is possible to increase the amount of light entering the room compared to the screen section 12 shown in Figure 2.

[0029] In the modified screen section 50, the amount of sunlight entering the room can be increased by the light-transmitting layer 41 provided between two adjacent solar cells 20 and between the outermost solar cell 20a and the end 50a of the screen section 50.

[0030] Furthermore, in the modified screen portion 50, by providing a light-transmitting layer 41 having approximately the same thickness as the solar cells 20 between two adjacent solar cells 20 and between the outermost solar cell 20a and the end portion 50a of the screen portion 50, the unevenness of the screen portion 12 is reduced, thereby suppressing a decrease in the winding performance of the screen portion 12.

[0031] In the above embodiment, the light-transmitting layer 41 is provided both between two adjacent solar cells 20 and between the outermost solar cell 20a and the end 50a of the screen portion 50, but the light-transmitting layer 41 may be provided in only one of these locations. Considering the winding characteristics of the screen portion 12, it is desirable to provide the light-transmitting layer 41 at least between the outermost solar cell 20a and the end 50a of the screen portion 50.

[0032] Some embodiments of the present disclosure are as follows: (1) A roll screen device comprising a screen portion configured in the form of a sheet, wherein the screen portion comprises: a first sealing layer; a plurality of solar cells provided on the first sealing layer; a second sealing layer provided on the solar cells; and a light-transmitting layer provided between adjacent solar cells and / or between the solar cells and the ends of the screen portion. (2) The roll screen device according to item 1, wherein the light-transmitting layer is interposed between the first sealing layer and the second sealing layer. (3) The roll screen device according to item 2, wherein the light-transmitting layer has substantially the same thickness as the solar cells. (4) The roll screen device according to any one of items 1 to 3, wherein the light-transmitting layer comprises a transparent resin member and a transparent sealing member. (5) The roll screen device according to any one of items 1 to 4, further comprising a fabric layer and a coating layer provided so as to sandwich the first sealing layer, the solar cells, the light-transmitting layer and the second sealing layer. (Item 6) The roller screen apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 4, further comprising the first sealing layer, the solar cell, the light-transmitting layer, and the second sealing layer, with first and second coating layers provided between them.

[0033] The present invention has been described above based on embodiments. These embodiments are illustrative, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims of the present invention, and that such modifications and changes are also within the scope of the claims of the present invention. Accordingly, the descriptions and drawings herein should be treated as illustrative rather than limiting.

[0034] This invention can be used in roller screen devices.

[0035] 10 Roll screen device, 12, 50 Screen section, 14 Holding section, 15 Case, 16 Guide rail, 19 Winding mechanism, 20 Solar cell, 36 Fabric layer, 37 First sealing layer, 38 Second sealing layer, 40 Coating layer, 41 Light transmission layer, 42 Transparent resin member, 43 Transparent sealing member, 52 Second coating layer.

Claims

1. A roll screen device comprising a screen portion configured in a sheet shape, wherein the screen portion comprises: a first sealing layer; a plurality of solar cells provided on the first sealing layer; a second sealing layer provided on the solar cells; and a light-transmitting layer provided between adjacent solar cells and / or between the solar cells and the ends of the screen portion.

2. The roll screen apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light-transmitting layer is interposed between the first sealing layer and the second sealing layer.

3. The roll screen device according to claim 2, wherein the light-transmitting layer has substantially the same thickness as the solar cell.

4. The roll screen device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the light-transmitting layer includes a transparent resin member and a transparent sealing member.

5. The roller screen apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a fabric layer and a coating layer provided so as to sandwich the first sealing layer, the solar cell, the light-transmitting layer, and the second sealing layer.

6. The roll screen device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising first and second coating layers provided so as to sandwich the first sealing layer, the solar cell, the light-transmitting layer, and the second sealing layer.

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