Photovoltaic Panel Socket with Clamping Contact for Solar Element Strips

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing photovoltaic panel boxes face challenges in connection options, heat balance, internal contacting, and structural design, leading to complex and costly construction, which complicates efficient and cost-effective production and assembly.

Innovation Solution

A tensioning element is attached to the contact carrier, allowing it to be pre-assembled and then moved into a latching position, ensuring reliable electrical contact between the solar panel's contact and the contact carrier, with the clamping element made of electrically conductive material for enhanced reliability and efficient production.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a complex construction with stiffening elements and latching means is used for conductor channels, then reliable electrical contact is achieved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrical contact reliabilityVSAvoidconstruction complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The contact carrier is divided into a base plate and a separately attachable tensioning element. This segmentation allows the simple base plate to provide initial contact while the separate tensioning element enhances reliability without complicating the main contact carrier structure, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The tensioning element is pre-assembled on the contact carrier in a pre-position before final installation. This preliminary action allows the contact carrier to be prepared in advance with enhanced contact capability, ensuring reliable electrical contact without requiring complex construction during final assembly, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If complex embedding of solar element connections is used, then reliable internal contacting is achieved, but ease of manufacture decreases and production becomes less efficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinternal contacting reliabilityVSAvoidproduction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The connection system is segmented into the contact carrier with contacts and the separately attachable tensioning element. This allows the contact carrier to be manufactured simply and efficiently, while the tensioning element can be pre-assembled and attached later, improving ease of manufacture without compromising internal contacting reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The tensioning element is pre-assembled on the contact carrier before final installation on the solar element. This preliminary action simplifies the manufacturing process by allowing standardization and pre-testing of the tensioning mechanism, thereby improving ease of manufacture and production efficiency while maintaining reliable internal contacting.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If simplified ribbon or flag contacts are used instead of complex conductor channels, then ease of manufacture and production efficiency improve, but contact reliability may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidcontact reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges the simple ribbon or flag contact structure with the separately attachable tensioning element. This combination maintains the manufacturing simplicity of ribbons/flags while adding the reliability-enhancing tensioning mechanism, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and contact reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The tensioning element is pre-assembled on the contact carrier to create an enhanced contact system that can reliably contact simple ribbon or flag contacts. This preliminary preparation ensures that even simple contact structures achieve reliable electrical contact, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and contact reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Device complexity

If the contact carrier is designed with integrated tensioning means, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability and ease of assembly decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontact carrier structureVSAvoidassembly flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The contact carrier is segmented into a simple base plate and a separately attachable tensioning element. This segmentation maintains low device complexity of the base plate while providing adaptability through the separate tensioning element that can be attached as needed, resolving the contradiction between device complexity and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The tensioning element is designed to be pre-assembled on the contact carrier but can be attached or removed flexibly. This preliminary preparation provides adaptability for different assembly scenarios while keeping the base plate structure simple, resolving the contradiction between device complexity and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution simplifies assembly, improves electrical contacting, and increases reliability under harsh environmental conditions, while allowing for efficient mass production of clamping elements.

Implementation Method 1

the clamping element (1) exerts a force both on the contact (7) of the solar panel and on the contact (8) of the contact carrier (2), so that the electrical contact reliability is increased

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2674988B1Photovoltaic panel socket with clamp contact for the solar element strips
Publication Date: 2020.08.12 HIRSCHMANN AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
  • EP2674988B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2674988B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2674988B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The PV junction box has a seal is provided between lower and upper portions of the housing. A connector is provided for connecting cables. A carrier (2) connected with a contact is formed inside a photovoltaic panel. A clamping element (1) is attached to the carrier connected with the contact, and is brought in a latching position from predetermined position.