Abstract Individual solar cells are placed bottom down on pre-printed areas of a substrate by means of an adhesive. The adhesive does not cover the entire bottom of the solar cell but leaves at least a region of the bottom of each cell which is to be welded to an interconnector free from adhesive. The substrate is pre-punched to have apertures therein at positions corresponding to the positions of contact between an interconnector and the bottom electrode of each cell. Thin electrical interconnectors are slid into position, each interconnector touching the top electrode of at least one cell and the bottom electrode of at least one adjacent cell. The interconnectors are welded directly to the top electrodes and through the pre-punched apertures to the bottom electrodes. Additional holding of the cells to the substrate is provided by button-type chemical/mechanical fasteners which extend from the bottom electrodes through additional pre-punched holes in the substrate and have wider regions below the substrate to mechanically and adhesively hold the substrate to the cells.
A solar cell array comprising: a plurality of individual solar cells, each having top and bottom electrodes, arranged on a flexible substrate in a matrix of rows and columns of cells, each column of cells being electrically connected to adjacent columns of cells by an interconnector connected between the top electrodes of the cells of one column and the bottom electrodes of the adjacent column, said substrate having apertures underlying the position of interconnection of every bottom electrode and every interconnector, and adhesive means between the bottom of each cell and said substrate in areas other than the area including said apertures.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
102 words
A solar cell array comprising: a plurality of individual solar cells, each having top and bottom electrodes, arranged on a flexible substrate in a matrix of rows and columns of cells, each column of cells being electrically connected to adjacent columns of cells by an interconnector connected between the top electrodes of the cells of one column and the bottom electrodes of the adjacent column, said substrate having apertures underlying the position of interconnection of every bottom electrode and every interconnector, and adhesive means between the bottom of each cell and said substrate in areas other than the area including said apertures.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
82 words
A solar cell array as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second group of apertures in said substrate underlying said cells and separated from the first mentioned apertures, and a plurality of button-type adhesive fasteners, each said fastener being chemically adhered to the bottom of one of said cells and extending through one of said second group of apertures and terminating in a bulk portion, too large to slip through said aperture, on the side of said substrate opposite said cells.