Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080223442 | PHOTOVOLTAIC APPARATUS HAVING A FILLER LAYER AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME - Devices for converting light into electric current are provided. A representative device has an encasing structure having at least one portion transparent. The encasing structure is configured to pass light energy into an interior of the encasing structure. The device further has a photovoltaic device positioned within the interior of the encasing structure. The photovoltaic device is positioned to receive light energy. The photovoltaic device is operable to transform the light energy into electric current. The device further has a protective space material, disposed between the encasing structure and the photovoltaic device. The protective space material is operable to transmit the light energy. The protective space material is a non-solid material having a physical property such as a viscosity of less than 1×10 | 09-18-2008 |
20080264473 | Volume compensation within a photovoltaic device - Volume compensation in photovoltaic device is provided. The photovoltaic device has an outer transparent casing and a substrate that, together, define an inner volume. At least one solar cell is on the substrate. A filler layer seals the at least one solar cell within the inner volume. A container within the inner volume has an opening in fluid communication with the filler layer. A diaphragm is affixed to the opening thereby sealing the interior of the container from the filler layer. The diaphragm is configured to decrease the volume within the container when the filler layer thermally expands and to increase the volume within the container when the filler layer thermally contracts. In some instances, the substrate is hollowed and the container is formed within this hollow. The container can have multiple openings, each sealed with a diaphragm. There can be multiple containers within the photovoltaic device. | 10-30-2008 |
20080302418 | Elongated Photovoltaic Devices in Casings - A solar cell unit comprising a solar cell and an at least partially transparent casing that encases the solar cell. The solar cell includes a nonplanar substrate defining a length of the solar cell, wherein a length of the nonplanar substrate is at least three times longer than a width of the nonplanar substrate. A back-electrode is disposed around all or a portion of the nonplanar substrate, and extends along all or a portion of the length of the nonplanar substrate. A semiconductor junction is disposed on the back-electrode, and has first and second layers, each of which has an inorganic semiconductor. An at least partially transparent conductive layer is disposed on the semiconductor junction. Optionally, filler material is disposed on the transparent conductive layer, which can for example be a liquid or gel. | 12-11-2008 |
20110232755 | PHOTOVOLTAIC APPARATUS HAVING A FILLER LAYER AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME - Devices for converting light into electric current are provided. A representative device has an encasing structure having at least one portion transparent. The encasing structure is configured to pass light energy into an interior of the encasing structure. The device further has a photovoltaic device positioned within the interior of the encasing structure. The photovoltaic device is positioned to receive light energy. The photovoltaic device is operable to transform the light energy into electric current. The device further has a protective space material, disposed between the encasing structure and the photovoltaic device. The protective space material is operable to transmit the light energy. The protective space material is a non-solid material having a physical property such as a viscosity of less than 1×10 | 09-29-2011 |
20120298184 | VOLUME COMPENSATION WITHIN A PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE - Volume compensation in photovoltaic device is provided. The photovoltaic device has an outer transparent casing and a substrate that, together, define an inner volume. At least one solar cell is on the substrate. A filler layer seals the at least one solar cell within the inner volume. A container within the inner volume has an opening in fluid communication with the filler layer. A diaphragm is affixed to the opening thereby sealing the interior of the container from the filler layer. The diaphragm is configured to decrease the volume within the container when the filler layer thermally expands and to increase the volume within the container when the filler layer thermally contracts. In some instances, the substrate is hollowed and the container is formed within this hollow. The container can have multiple openings, each sealed with a diaphragm. There can be multiple containers within the photovoltaic device. | 11-29-2012 |
20130146901 | COMPRESSION VOLUME COMPENSATION - A liquid-filled light emitting diode (LED) bulb including a base, a shell, one or more LEDs, a thermally conductive liquid, and a bladder. The shell is connected to the base and the thermally conductive liquid is held within the shell. The one or more LEDs are disposed within the shell and immersed in the thermally conductive liquid. The bladder is also immersed in the thermally conductive liquid and is configured to compensate for expansion of the thermally conductive liquid. | 06-13-2013 |
20140159561 | CONTROL OF LUMEN LOSS IN A LIQUID-FILLED LED BULB - A liquid-filled light emitting diode (LED) bulb including a base, a shell connected to the base forming an enclosed volume, a thermally conductive liquid held within the enclosed volume, a support structure connected to the base, and several LEDs attached to the support structure. The thermally conductive liquid has an oxygen content of at least 5 cubic centimeters of oxygen per liter of the thermally conductive fluid. | 06-12-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080264472 | Volume compensation within a photovoltaic device - A photovoltaic device having (i) an outer transparent casing, (ii) a substrate, the substrate and the outer transparent casing defining an inner volume, (iii) at least one solar cell on the substrate, (iv) a filler layer sealing the at least one solar cell and (v) a container within the inner volume is provided. The container decreases in volume when the filler layer expands, and increases in volume when the filler layer contracts. In some instances, the container is sealed and has a plurality of ridges. In some instances, the container has an opening that is sealed by a spring loaded seal. In some instances, the container has a first opening and a second opening, where the first opening is sealed by a first spring loaded seal and the second opening is sealed by a second spring loaded seal. In some instances, the container has an elongated asteroid shape. | 10-30-2008 |
20090014055 | Photovoltaic Modules Having a Filling Material - A photovoltaic module comprising an elongated substrate in which at least a portion of the elongated substrate is rigid is provided. One or more solar cells are disposed on the elongated substrate and each comprise: (i) a back-electrode disposed on the elongated substrate, (ii) a semiconductor junction layer disposed on all or a portion of a surface of the back-electrode, and (iii) a transparent conductive layer, having a first refractive index, is disposed on all or a portion of a surface of the semiconductor junction. The photovoltaic module further comprises a filler material, having a second refractive index that is smaller or equal in value to the first refractive index, disposed on the transparent conductive layer of the one or more solar cells. The photovoltaic module further comprises a transparent casing disposed on the filler material thereby sealing the photovoltaic module. | 01-15-2009 |
20100132765 | HERMETICALLY SEALED SOLAR CELLS - An elongated solar cell unit comprising (i) a substrate, (ii) one or more solar cells disposed on the substrate, (iii) a transparent casing disposed onto the one or more solar cells, the transparent nonplanar casing having a first end and a second end; and (iv) a first sealant cap that is hermetically sealed to the first end of the transparent nonplanar casing is provided. A solar cell unit comprising (i) a substrate, (ii) one or more bifacial or omnifacial solar cells disposed on the substrate, (iii) a transparent casing disposed onto the one or more bifacial or omnifacial solar cells, the transparent nonplanar casing having a first end and a second end and (iv) a first sealant cap that is hermetically sealed to the first end of the transparent nonplanar casing is provided. | 06-03-2010 |
20100132794 | SEALED PHOTOVOLTAIC APPARATUS - An assembly for producing photovoltaic electricity has an outer assembly having at least one portion transparent to light energy. The outer assembly defines an inner volume. The outer assembly can be made of a first structural member having an opening to an external environment, where the opening is defined by at least one edge. The outer assembly also has a second structural member with a recess that corresponds to the edge at the opening. In this manner the edge of the first structural member conjoins with the corresponding recess of the second structural member, and the edge is conjoined to the corresponding recess with a seal. One or more photovoltaic devices are disposed within the inner assembly volume. Each such photovoltaic device is operable to receive the light and produce photovoltaic electricity in response to it. | 06-03-2010 |
20100300532 | HERMETICALLY SEALED NONPLANAR SOLAR CELLS - A nonplanar solar cell having a water vapor transmission rate of 10 | 12-02-2010 |
20100326429 | Hermetically sealed cylindrical solar cells - A cylindrical shaped solar cell having a water vapor transmission rate of 10 | 12-30-2010 |
20140144489 | Arrangement for Securing Elongated Solar Cells - A solar panel apparatus includes a set of photovoltaic modules. The modules are configured to photovoltaically generate electricity from light. Each module is elongated along an axis and has first and second axially opposite ends. An end rail has a groove into which the first end of each module is potted in place with potting material. | 05-29-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130346229 | Lighting Infrastructure and Revenue Model - Methods, devices, and systems for implementing lighting infrastructure application frameworks and networks and associated revenue models. In one embodiment, a computing device may receive a request from a first device to access data from a lighting infrastructure application framework, and the data from the lighting infrastructure application framework may include data from lighting node platform(s). In an embodiment, the computing device may perform authorizations related to providing access to data, as well as transmit responses to requests for data. Costs and revenues associated with applications may also be performed based on usage of platforms, sensors, and controllers within a lighting infrastructure. In an embodiment, software, applications, and other instructions may be transmitted by a computing device in response to receiving requests. In another embodiment, a computing device may process received data (e.g., sensor data from lighting node platforms) to detect trends or events relevant to applications. | 12-26-2013 |
20140084795 | NETWORKED LIGHTING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SENSING APPLICATIONS - A network using existing streetlights is described. Each street light becomes a node in the network, and each includes a power terminal for receiving electrical power, a light source coupled to the power terminal, a processor coupled to the power terminal, a network interface coupled between the processor and the network of lighting systems, and a sensor coupled to the processor for detecting a condition at the node, and in response providing information about that condition to the processor. | 03-27-2014 |
20140222510 | Lighting Infrastructure and Revenue Model - Methods, devices, and systems for implementing lighting infrastructure application frameworks and networks and associated revenue models. In one embodiment, a computing device may receive a request from a first device to access data from a lighting infrastructure application framework, and the data from the lighting infrastructure application framework may include data from lighting node platform(s). In an embodiment, the computing device may perform authorizations related to providing access to data, as well as transmit responses to requests for data. Costs and revenues associated with applications may also be performed based on usage of platforms, sensors, and controllers within a lighting infrastructure. In an embodiment, software, applications, and other instructions may be transmitted by a computing device in response to receiving requests. In another embodiment, a computing device may process received data (e.g., sensor data from lighting node platforms) to detect trends or events relevant to applications. | 08-07-2014 |