JP2001151345A - Transfer device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a transfer device capable of reliably transferring a solar cell substrate along a predetermined direction. SOLUTION: In the transfer device for transferring the solar cell substrate 1 in a predetermined direction, the transfer device is provided with transfer rollers 12 which are driven to rotate and arranged at predetermined intervals along the transfer direction of the solar cell substrate, This transport roller is characterized in that it has a tapered shape in which the outer dimensions gradually decrease inward from both ends in the axial direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transfer device for transferring a plate-shaped solar cell substrate in a predetermined direction, for example, when performing a cleaning process.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, when manufacturing a thin-film type solar cell module, a transparent conductive film to be a first electrode is formed on a glass solar cell substrate, and then a semiconductor film is formed on the transparent conductive film. Then, a metal film to be a second electrode is formed thereon.

[0003] When a thin film such as a semiconductor film or a metal film is formed on a solar cell substrate, defects are generated when particles are attached to the solar cell substrate. In particular, in the case of a thin-film type solar cell module, a transparent conductive film, a semiconductor film, and a metal film formed on almost the entire surface of the solar cell substrate are:
After each film is formed, it is divided into a plurality of cells by performing groove processing.

For this reason, particles such as chips and burrs generated at the time of groove processing may easily enter the above-mentioned films and cause defects, or particles generated at the time of groove processing of a semiconductor film or a metal film may adhere. This may cause various defects.

Therefore, the solar cell substrate is subjected to a cleaning process as necessary after forming grooves in the transparent conductive film, the semiconductor film, and the metal film so as to prevent generation of defects due to residual particles.

A cleaning apparatus for cleaning a solar cell substrate transports the solar cell substrate in a predetermined direction in place of a batch method for cleaning a predetermined number of sheets at a time in order to improve cleaning accuracy and productivity. In many cases, a continuous method of sequentially cleaning is adopted.

When a solar cell substrate is cleaned in a continuous manner,
A transport device for transporting the solar cell substrate in a predetermined direction is used. The transport device includes a transport roller that is driven to rotate, and the transport roller transports the solar cell substrate.

[0008]

When the solar cell substrate is transported by the transport roller, the solar cell substrate is usually in contact with a plurality of transport rollers, and the transport roller is in contact with the entire length of the solar cell substrate in the width direction. ing. However, uniform contact pressure (contact resistance) over the entire width of the solar cell substrate in the width direction of the solar cell substrate due to conditions at the time of conveyance, for example, the processing accuracy of the conveyance roller and the effect of the cleaning liquid applied to the solar cell substrate during conveyance. In such a case, the solar cell substrate may meander, or in the worst case, may not be able to be conveyed.

Therefore, guide members are provided at both ends in the axial direction of the transport roller to limit the meandering of the solar cell substrate so that the solar cell substrate can be transported in a predetermined direction.

However, when the guide member is provided to limit the meandering of the solar cell substrate, if the meandering of the solar cell substrate occurs, both ends in the width direction come into contact with the guide member. May occur, or the number of parts may be increased or the structure may be complicated.

On the other hand, when the solar cell substrate is transported by the transport roller, the substrate surface (both sides) is brought into contact with the transport roller and transported, so that the components of the transport roller such as dust and rubber adhere to the substrate surface. In some cases, it may cause stains. In particular, in the case where the film needs to be conveyed with the electrode layer and the semiconductor layer formed face down, the amount of dust and components of the conveying roller may increase.

According to the present invention, the solar cell substrate can be reliably transported by the transport roller without using the guide member, and the solar cell substrate surface can be transported with almost no contact with the transport roller. An object of the present invention is to provide a transport device.

[0013]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transfer device for transferring a solar cell substrate in a predetermined direction, wherein the transfer device is driven to rotate and a predetermined direction is set along the transfer direction of the solar cell substrate. The transport device includes transport rollers arranged at intervals, and the transport rollers have a tapered shape whose outer dimensions gradually decrease inward from both ends in the axial direction.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the transport apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein a portion of the solar cell substrate that contacts the tapered portion of the transport roller is chamfered.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the transport roller includes a rotating shaft and a roller portion provided on the rotating shaft, and the roller portion is formed in a tapered shape. 1.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the transport roller for transporting the solar cell substrate is tapered such that the outer dimensions gradually decrease inward from both ends in the axial direction.
Not only is the solar cell substrate meandering in the width direction restricted by the tapered shape of the transport roller, but also the solar cell substrate surface can be transported with almost no contact with the transport roller.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the portion of the solar cell substrate that comes into contact with the tapered portion of the transport roller is chamfered, the contact state between the solar cell substrate and the transport roller is stabilized. Therefore, the solar cell substrate is prevented from being inclined with respect to the width direction, and can be transported in a horizontal state.

Further, since the chamfered surface of the solar cell substrate comes into contact with the tapered portion of the transport roller, the degree of damage to the transport roller can be greatly reduced as compared with the case where the bevel is not chamfered.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the transport roller is constituted by the rotating shaft and the roller portion, and the roller portion has a tapered shape, manufacturing can be facilitated.

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a solar cell substrate. This cleaning apparatus is for cleaning a solar cell substrate 1 made of glass of a solar cell module, for example.
Has a rectangular shape as shown by a chain line.

The cleaning apparatus has an apparatus main body 10. The apparatus main body 10 is provided with a carry-in section 2 at one end in the transport direction of the solar cell substrate 1 indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1 and a carry-out section 3 at the other end. Between the carry-in section 2 and the carry-out section 3, the brush cleaning section 4, the first shower cleaning section 5, the ultrasonic cleaning section 6, the second shower cleaning section 7, and the draining section 8 are arranged from the side of the carry-in section 2. Are sequentially provided.

The apparatus main body 10 is provided with a transfer device 11 extending from the carry-in section 2 to the carry-out section 3. The transfer device 11 has a plurality of transfer rollers 12 arranged at predetermined intervals along the transfer direction of the solar cell substrate 1.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transport roller 12 includes a rotating shaft 12a, and roller portions 12b provided at one end and the other end of the rotating shaft 12a except for the central portion in the axial direction. It is composed of A pair of roller portions 12
The outer peripheral surface of b is formed on a tapered surface 13. That is,
The roller portion 12b is formed in a tapered shape in which the outer dimension gradually becomes smaller as it goes inward from the axial end of the rotating shaft 12a, whereby the outer peripheral surface of the roller portion 12b becomes the tapered surface 13. ing.

The solar cell substrate 1 is conveyed with the lower ends at both ends in the width direction contacting the tapered surface 13 of the conveying roller 12. The upper and lower edges of the outer periphery of the solar cell substrate 1 are formed on a chamfered surface 1a which is chamfered at substantially the same inclination angle as the tapered surface 13 as shown in FIG. When the inclination angle of the tapered surface 13 is small, the chamfer angle of the solar cell substrate 1 may not match the inclination angle of the tapered surface 13 in some cases.

Since the upper and lower edges of the outer peripheral edge of the solar cell substrate 1 are chamfered surfaces 1a, the chamfered surface 1a is in stable contact with the tapered surface 13 of the conveying roller 12, so that the solar cell substrate 1 12 can be prevented from meandering in the axial direction.

Even if the chamfered surface 1a of the solar cell substrate 1 and the tapered surface 13 of the conveying roller 12 are not securely joined, a 90-degree corner is not conveyed on the solar cell substrate that has not been chamfered. Since the transport roller 12 hits the roller 12, the transport roller 12 is easily damaged. However, since the corners of the solar cell substrate 1 are chamfered so that the angles of the corners are obtuse, the transport roller 12 is not easily damaged.

The roller portion 12b of the transport roller 12 is a separate member from the rotating shaft 12a. That is, the roller unit 1
2b is formed of a synthetic resin having heat resistance and chemical resistance, such as a fluorine-based resin, having an outer peripheral surface formed in a cylindrical shape with a tapered surface 13 inclined along the axial direction. Externally fitted and fixed.

FIG. 2 shows the unloading section 3. In the unloading section 3, one end and the other end in the axial direction of the rotary shaft 12a are provided at both ends in the width direction in the apparatus main body 1, respectively. It is rotatably supported by bearings 15 on a pair of channel-shaped support members 14.

Sprockets 16 are provided at both ends of each rotating shaft 12a. A chain 17 is stretched over two sprockets 16 of two adjacent rotating shafts 12a. Note that, at one end and the other end in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 12a, the chain 17 is attached to two different rotating shafts 12a.
Is stretched.

The transport roller 12 located at the end of the unloading section 3
Is rotated by a driving source (not shown). Therefore, the rotation of the drive source is transmitted to all the transport rollers 12 of the unloading section 3 via the chain 17 when the drive source operates. That is, the transport roller 12 of the unloading section 3 can be driven to rotate.

The other processing units 2, 4, 5, 6, 7,
The transport rollers 12 are also driven to rotate by a configuration similar to that of the unloading section 3, and the rotation of the transport rollers 12 of each processing section, that is, the drive source is driven synchronously by a control device (not shown). It is controlled. Thereby, the solar cell substrate 1 can be smoothly transferred from the loading section 2 to the unloading section 3.

The brush cleaning section 4 cleans the upper and lower surfaces of the solar cell substrate 1 carried from the carry-in section 2 with a cleaning brush. The first shower cleaning section 5 is for cleaning and removing the detergent used for cleaning in the brush cleaning section 4 with city water. The first shower cleaning section 5 has two portions 5a on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction of the solar cell substrate 1. , 5b, and the city water used in the downstream portion 5b is stored in the water storage portion 25 provided in the upstream portion 5a, and the city water in the water storage portion 25 is reused in the upstream portion 5a. By doing so, the amount of city water used is reduced.

The ultrasonic cleaning unit 6 is for cleaning the solar cell substrate 1 cleaned by the first shower cleaning unit 5 while applying ultrasonic vibration to pure water, thereby cleaning the solar cell substrate 1. It can be cleaned precisely.

The second shower cleaning unit 7 is for shower cleaning the solar cell substrate 1 ultrasonically cleaned by the ultrasonic cleaning unit 6 with pure water. The battery substrate 1 will be more precisely cleaned. The inside of the second shower cleaning section 7 is divided into a portion 7a on the upstream side in the transport direction of the solar cell substrate 1 and a portion 7b on the downstream side, and the upstream portion 7a includes pure water used in the downstream portion 7b. A water storage unit 26 for storing water is provided. The pure water stored in the water storage section 26 is reused in the upstream portion 7a of the second shower cleaning section 7.

The solar cell substrate 1 cleaned in the second shower cleaning section 7 is transported to a draining section 8. This draining part 8 is a solar cell substrate 1 transported by an air knife.
By injecting compressed air toward the upper and lower surfaces of the solar cell, the pure water adhering to the solar cell substrate 1 is removed and dried.

Then, the solar cell substrate 1 dried in the draining section 8 is carried out to the carry-out section 3, whereby a series of cleaning processing of the solar cell substrate 1 is completed.

In the cleaning apparatus having such a configuration,
The transport device 11 for transporting the solar cell substrate 1 from the loading unit 2 to the unloading unit 3 is configured by a transport roller 12. The transport roller 12 includes a rotating shaft 12a and a roller portion 12b, and the roller portion 12b is
It is formed on a tapered surface 13 that gradually decreases in diameter from the outside in the axial direction of 2a.

Therefore, the solar cell substrate 1 conveyed by the conveying roller 12 is conveyed while both ends in the width direction are in contact with the tapered surface 13. The meandering of the battery substrate 1 in the width direction is prevented.

That is, the roller portion 12b of the transport roller 12
Is formed on the tapered surface 13 so that, for example, the meandering of the solar cell substrate 1 is restricted as in the related art, without providing guide members that contact both ends of the solar cell substrate 1 in the width direction. Yes.

As a result, it is possible to prevent the solar cell substrate 1 from being chipped at both ends in the width direction as in the case where the solar cell substrate 1 is brought into contact with the guide member to restrict meandering. In addition, since the meandering can be restricted by the transport roller 12, the number of components can be reduced as compared with the case where a guide member is used.

The outer peripheral edge of the solar cell substrate 1 is chamfered. Therefore, in the solar cell substrate 1, the chamfered chamfered portion 1a is formed on the tapered surface 1 of the roller portion 12b.
3, the contact state between the tapered surface 13 and the solar cell substrate 1 is stabilized as compared with the case where the solar cell substrate 1 is not chamfered, and the solar cell substrate 1 shifts in the width direction during transportation. Can be more reliably prevented.

As a result, the solar cell substrate 1 is conveyed while its plate surface is maintained in a substantially horizontal state, so that the width direction of the solar cell substrate 1 can be uniformly cleaned. For example, in the ultrasonic cleaning unit 6, when the solar cell substrate 1 is inclined in the width direction, the distance between the one end and the other end in the width direction with respect to the ultrasonic oscillator differs.
There is a possibility that uniform ultrasonic cleaning cannot be performed.

However, as in the present invention, the solar cell substrate 1 is chamfered and the tapered surface 1 of the roller portion 12b is formed.
Since the portion in contact with 3 is a chamfered portion 1a, the solar cell substrate 1 can be stably transported in a substantially horizontal state,
It is possible to prevent the solar cell substrate 1 from being tilted in the width direction during transportation and from being unable to perform uniform cleaning.

In particular, if the angle of the chamfered portion 1a of the solar cell substrate 1 is almost the same as the inclination angle of the tapered surface 13, they will come into line contact, so that the transport state of the solar cell substrate 1 is further stabilized. can do.

The transport roller 12 is constructed by combining a rotating shaft 12a and a roller portion 12b. for that reason,
When the roller portion 12b is worn out due to use, it can be easily and economically replaced, and the roller portion 12b can be handled separately from the rotary shaft 12a. Can also be easily performed.

Further, when the solar battery substrate 1 is transported by the transport roller 12, only the outer peripheral edge of the solar battery substrate 1 comes into contact with the tapered surface 13, so that the contact area between the solar battery substrate 1 and the transport roller 12 is greatly increased. It is possible to reduce. In particular, even when the electrode layer or the semiconductor layer is formed, or when the film is to be conveyed with the formed film face down, the transfer roller 1
Since the film formation surface can be conveyed with almost no contact with the film 2, the film formation surface can be prevented from being contaminated by dust and components such as rubber of the conveyance roller 12.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, a plurality of cleaning units such as a brush cleaning unit, a shower cleaning unit, and an ultrasonic cleaning unit are continuously provided as a cleaning processing apparatus. It is apparent that the transfer apparatus of the present invention can be applied to any configuration having at least one of the plurality of cleaning units, without being limited to the one described above. Further, it is apparent that the transfer device of the present invention can be applied to devices other than the cleaning treatment device, and in other words, any transfer device for transferring a plate-shaped solar cell substrate can be applied.

Further, the chamfering of the solar cell substrate is performed on the entire length of the upper and lower edges of the outer periphery, but it is sufficient that the chamfering is performed only on at least the edge portion which comes into contact with the tapered surface of the transport roller.

[0050]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the transport roller for transporting the solar cell substrate has a tapered shape whose outer dimensions gradually decrease inward from both ends in the axial direction.

Therefore, the meandering of the solar cell substrate in the width direction is restricted by the tapered shape of the conveying roller, so that the solar cell substrate can be smoothly and reliably conveyed without damaging the solar cell substrate. Become.

In addition, since only the outer peripheral edge of the solar cell substrate comes into contact with the transport roller, the solar cell substrate can be transported with almost no contact with the transport roller.
In particular, even when the electrode layer or the semiconductor layer of the solar cell substrate is formed, or when the film is transported with the formed film surface down, it is possible to prevent the electrode layer and the semiconductor layer from being adversely affected by contamination and the like. .

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the portion of the solar cell substrate which comes into contact with the tapered portion of the transport roller is chamfered.

Accordingly, the contact state between the solar cell substrate and the transport roller is stabilized, and the solar cell substrate is prevented from being inclined with respect to the width direction and is transported in a horizontal state. In such a case, the solar cell substrate can be uniformly cleaned without causing unevenness in cleaning.

Even when the chamfered surface of the solar cell substrate and the tapered surface of the transport roller are not securely joined, the chamfering is performed, so that the corners of the solar cell substrate are not chamfered. Since the obtuse angle results in a strong contact with the transport roller, the transport roller is less likely to be damaged.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the transport roller comprises a rotating shaft and a roller portion, and the roller portion has a tapered shape.

Therefore, when the roller part is worn out due to its use, it can be easily and economically replaced, and the production of the transport roller can be facilitated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a transport device provided in the unloading unit.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a contact portion between a roller portion of a transport roller and a solar cell substrate.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Solar cell board 11 ... Conveying device 12 ... Conveying roller 12a ... Rotating shaft 12b ... Roller part 13 ... Tapered surface

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A transfer device for transferring a solar cell substrate in a predetermined direction, wherein the transfer device includes transfer rollers that are driven to rotate and are disposed at predetermined intervals along a transfer direction of the solar cell substrate. The transport device is characterized in that the transport roller has a tapered shape whose outer dimensions gradually decrease inward from both ends in the axial direction. 2. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the solar cell substrate that contacts the tapered portion of the transfer roller is chamfered. 3. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein the transport roller includes a rotation shaft and a roller portion provided on the rotation shaft, and the roller portion is formed in a tapered shape. .