Patents Examined by Angelo Trivisonno
  • Patent number: 10872990
    Abstract: An electronic device comprises a first encapsulating film in direct contact with a light-receiving and transmitting film and a second encapsulating film in direct contact with a back sheet. The first encapsulating film has a zero shear viscosity greater than that of the second encapsulating film. The back sheet of the electronic device contains fewer bumps than the back sheet of a comparable electronic device having a first encapsulating film with a zero shear viscosity less than or equal to that of the second encapsulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Kumar Nanjundiah, John A. Naumovitz, Michael D. White
  • Patent number: 10847323
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion element including a first electrode, an electron transport layer on the first electrode, a charge transfer layer, and a second electrode is provided. The electron transport layer includes an electron transport compound, and the electron transport compound carries a compound represented by the following formula (1) and a compound represented by the following formula (2): where each of X1 and X2 independently represents oxygen atom, sulfur atom, or selenium atom; R1 represents methine group; R2 represents an alkyl group, an aryl group, or a heterocyclic group; each of R3 independently represents an acidic group; m represents an integer of 1 or 2; and each of Z1 and Z2 independently represents a group forming a cyclic structure; R5—R4—COOH??Formula (2) where R4 represents an aryl group or a heterocyclic group; and R5 represents an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an alkenyl group, an alkylthio group, or an aryl ether group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tamotsu Horiuchi, Yuuji Tanaka, Tsuyoshi Matsuyama, Takahiro Ide, Tokushige Kino, Shigeyo Suzuki, Naomichi Kanei
  • Patent number: 10840426
    Abstract: In one aspect, thermoelectric apparatus and articles and various applications of thermoelectric apparatus and articles are described herein. In some embodiments, a thermoelectric apparatus described herein comprises at least one p-type layer coupled to at least one n-type layer to provide a pn junction, and an insulating layer at least partially disposed between the p-type layer and the n-type layer, the p-type layer comprising carbon nanoparticles and the n-type layer comprising n-doped carbon nanoparticles. In some embodiments, the nanoparticles of the p-type layer and/or the nanoparticles of the n-type layer are disposed in a polymeric matrix comprising electrically poled polymer. In some embodiments, a thermoelectric article comprises a thermally insulating support and thermoelectric modules formed of a structure passing around or through the thermally insulating support to provide faces of the thermoelectric modules on opposing sides of the thermally insulating support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: David L. Carroll, Robert Summers
  • Patent number: 10840852
    Abstract: A portable multiple configuration solar photovoltaic assembly is disclosed. The assembly contains a plurality of photovoltaic modules that collect solar energy and convert the solar energy into electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: New Age Solar
    Inventor: Jerry Sorgento
  • Patent number: 10830726
    Abstract: An electrochemical pH sensor for measuring pH in a low buffer and/or low ionic strength analyte where the electrochemical pH sensor comprises an electrode coupled with a phenolic redox species and the chemistry of the redox species provides for hydrogen bonding to one or more sulphur atoms of the redox species.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: ANB SENSORS LIMITED
    Inventor: Nathan Lawrence
  • Patent number: 10825943
    Abstract: A concentrator photovoltaic module including: a concentrating portion formed by arranging a plurality of lens elements each configured to concentrate sunlight; and a housing configured to accommodate a plurality of power generating elements disposed at positions respectively corresponding to the lens elements, wherein the housing includes: a frame body formed from resin; and a bottom plate formed from metal, the bottom plate being mounted to the frame body and having the power generating elements mounted thereto, and the frame body includes: a frame body portion forming an outer frame; and a liner portion extending along an upper surface of the bottom plate at an inner side of the frame body portion, the liner portion having both end portions thereof formed integrally with the frame body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Saito, Youichi Nagai, Rui Mikami, Akihiko Kojima
  • Patent number: 10826426
    Abstract: An earth mount enabled utility scale solar photovoltaic array has plural rows of solar panels supported on the ground so as to establish an earth orientation of the solar panels. Edge portions of the panels rest on a ground support area and provide mechanical support, and an end curb member abuts at least one edge of the arrangement. The panels are interconnected in at least one series-connected string extending in at least two rows so that the string has a distance between terminal ends of the series connection less than a lengthwise dimension of the solar panels constituting the string, routed to reduce “home run” connections at the end of the string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: ERTHOS INC.
    Inventors: James Scott Tyler, Willie Hammack, Michael Gladkin
  • Patent number: 10818810
    Abstract: A concentrator photovoltaic module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a case; a substrate disposed on a bottom surface of the case and having a plurality of stacked wiring layers; and concentrator photovoltaic elements disposed on the substrate and connected to the wiring layers. The concentrator photovoltaic elements connected to different wiring layers are connected to each other in parallel. According to the concentrator photovoltaic module according to the one embodiment of the present disclosure, output voltage can be decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumasa Toya, Makoto Inagaki, Youichi Nagai, Takashi Iwasaki, Kenji Saito, Rui Mikami
  • Patent number: 10812013
    Abstract: A photovoltaic device can include a module and a rail. The module can have an edge formed around a perimeter of the module. The rail can include a coupling surface at a top side of the rail, and a recessed surface offset from the coupling surface and towards a bottom side of the rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: First Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua Conley, Benjamin DeFresart, Peter Hruby, Matthew Kuzila, Daniel Smith, Thomas Truman
  • Patent number: 10812010
    Abstract: A mounting structure for a photovoltaic module, the photovoltaic module including: a plurality of power generating elements; and a housing having a metal bottom plate on which the plurality of power generating elements are arrayed, and a resin side wall frame standing along an outer edge of the bottom plate, the mounting structure including: a support plate having a support face configured to be in contact with an outer face of the bottom plate to support the photovoltaic module; a washer to be disposed on one face which is an inner face of the bottom plate or a face, of the support plate, at a side opposite to the support face; and a rivet having a shank portion and a head, the shank portion being configured to be passed through the support plate and the bottom plate to be inserted into the washer, the head formed at one end portion of the shank portion, the rivet being configured to sandwich and fasten the support plate and the bottom plate between the washer and the head by an other end portion of the shan
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Saito, Kazumasa Toya, Koji Mori, Masao Moriguchi, Hiroyuki Konaka
  • Patent number: 10797635
    Abstract: A solar module mounting bracket assembly includes a rail configured to support a solar module thereon, and a pair of braces. The braces each have a first end portion movably coupled to the rail. The braces are movable relative to the rail between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. In the expanded configuration, the braces cooperatively define a channel dimensioned for receipt of a frame member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: NEXTRACKER INC.
    Inventors: Tyler Joseph Watson, Ricardo Delgado-Nanez
  • Patent number: 10790402
    Abstract: A degradation-resistant photovoltaic device is provided. The device includes an active area and at least one photovoltaic cell located in the active area. The photovoltaic cell has an elongated shape with a characteristic width and a characteristic length. The characteristic length is greater than the characteristic width and an average distance from the photovoltaic cell to any edge of the active area is greater than the characteristic width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: SUNLIGHT AEROSPACE INC.
    Inventors: Sergey Frolov, Allan James Bruce, Michael Cyrus
  • Patent number: 10784390
    Abstract: A solar cell module having curvature in a vehicle front-rear direction which varies from a vehicle front side towards a vehicle rear side, the solar cell module includes: a sealing layer formed from resin and in which power generating elements are sealed; a front surface layer formed from resin and joined to a light-receiving surface side of the power generating elements in the sealing layer; and a rear surface layer formed from resin and joined to an opposite side from the light-receiving surface side of the power generating elements in the sealing layer, wherein a plate thickness of portions where the front surface layer, the sealing layer, and the rear surface layer are laminated together is formed so as to become proportionately thinner as the curvature in the vehicle front-rear direction increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventors: Motoya Sakabe, Kazuyoshi Ogata, Hirotaka Inaba
  • Patent number: 10749047
    Abstract: The solar cell element includes a semiconductor substrate with first and second surfaces, a passivation layer located on the second surface, a protective layer located on the passivation layer, and a back-surface electrode located on the protective layer. The back-surface electrode is electrically connected to the semiconductor substrate via one or more hole portions penetrating the protective layer and the passivation layer. The protective layer includes a first region showing a tendency to increase in thickness as a distance from an inner edge portion of the hole portion and a second region surrounding the first region. A distance between a position of the first region farthest from the inner edge portion and the inner edge portion is larger than a thickness in the second region. The back-surface electrode shows a tendency to decrease in thickness on the first region as a distance from the inner edge portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norihiko Matsushima, Akihiro Mizumoto, Akira Murao, Junji Aranami
  • Patent number: 10727001
    Abstract: Provided is a photoelectric conversion element including: a first electrode; a hole blocking layer; an electron transport layer; a hole transport layer; and a second electrode, wherein the hole blocking layer includes a metal oxide including a titanium atom and a niobium atom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Naomichi Kanei, Yuuji Tanaka, Ryota Arai, Tamotsu Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 10707398
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an n-type thermoelectric conversion layer, which has a high power factor and exhibits excellent performance stability, a thermoelectric conversion element including the n-type thermoelectric conversion layer, and a composition for forming an n-type thermoelectric conversion layer used in the n-type thermoelectric conversion layer. The n-type thermoelectric conversion layer of the present invention contains carbon nanotubes and an amine compound which is represented by General Formula (1) or (2) and has a C log P value of 2.0 to 8.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinori Kanazawa, Yuzo Nagata, Hiroki Sugiura, Naoyuki Hayashi, Kimiatsu Nomura
  • Patent number: 10707368
    Abstract: A tandem solar cell structure is described with the following features: (a) Monolithic configuration with at least two different absorbers (104, 108) of different materials for photovoltaic energy conversion (b) an absorber (108) consisting of crystalline silicon (c) a charge carrier selective contact arranged on the side of the silicon absorber (108) directed to the adjacent absorber (104) (d) configuration of the charge carrier selective contact from a thin interface oxide 107 and an amorphous, partially crystalline or polycrystalline layer applied thereto, mainly consisting of silicon, either p (106) or n doped (201) The charge carrier selective contact made up of layers 107 and 106 or 201, respectively, ensures excellent surface passivation of the crystalline silicon absorber 108, as well as selective extraction of a charge carrier type from the latter over the entire surface. Thus, a vertical current flow is achieved, so that lateral transverse conductivity is not required in every sub-cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: INSTITUT FÜR SOLARENERGIEFORSCHUNG GMBH
    Inventor: Robby Peibst
  • Patent number: 10686088
    Abstract: Disclosed is a solar cell panel including a plurality of solar cells each including a semiconductor substrate and an electrode formed on the semiconductor substrate, and a wire for interconnecting the solar cells. The electrode includes a bus-bar line having a pad portion for attachment of the wire. The wire includes a first wire portion connected to the pad portion, and a second wire portion located on a portion excluding the pad portion. The first wire portion has a thickness greater than a thickness of the second wire portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Yunhui Cho, Wondoo Song, Dukgyu Jang
  • Patent number: 10686112
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thermoelectric conversion material represented by the following chemical formula (I): Ba8+aCu6?bGe40+6 ??(I) wherein the values of a is not less than 0.1 and not more than 0.47; the values of b is not less than 0 and not more than 0.43; the thermoelectric conversion material has a clathrate crystal structure; and the thermoelectric conversion material is of p-type. The present invention provides a p-type Ba—Cu—Ge clathrate thermoelectric conversion material having high thermoelectric conversion performance index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Sato, Hiromasa Tamaki, Tsutomu Kanno
  • Patent number: 10686113
    Abstract: A power generating brick comprising a brick body with a through hole provided along a vertical direction; a thermoelectric unit disposed in the through hole and comprising a heat collecting assembly, a thermoelectric power generation sheet and a heat sink; wherein, the heat sink is disposed at the lower end of the through hole; the thermoelectric power generation sheet is disposed on the heat sink; the heat collecting assembly is disposed on the thermoelectric power generation sheet; so as to generate electrical energy from a temperature difference between the cold and hot sides of the thermoelectric power generation sheet, and output electrical energy via wires connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the thermoelectric power generation sheet. The power generating brick can be laid on the pedestrian streets, squares, roads and roofs of a city or used as walls of a building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Inventor: Chunsong Jin