JP7604750B2 - Panel reversing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a panel inversion device used to invert a panel.

Conventionally, the glass layer contained in solar panels, liquid crystal panels, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "solar panels, etc.") is subject to recycling, and is therefore peeled off when the solar panels, etc. are discarded. Solar panels are made by bonding a glass layer to a back sheet on which battery cells are stacked, via a sealing material, and the four sides are reinforced with frame materials. A connector to which a power transmission cable is connected is attached to the back surface of the solar panel. Therefore, when a solar panel is dismantled, the frame material and connector are removed first, and then the glass layer is peeled off from the back sheet.

One example of technology for removing frame materials and connectors is the dismantling device described in Patent Document 1 below (hereinafter referred to as the invention of Publicly Known Literature 1). According to the invention of Publicly Known Literature 1, the dismantling device is equipped with a mounting section on which the solar panel is placed and a removal mechanism section arranged above the mounting section. The solar panel is placed on the mounting section with the connector on top and the glass layer on the bottom, and the removal mechanism section approaches the top surface of the solar panel and moves horizontally to remove the frame materials and connectors.

As a technique for peeling off the glass layer, for example, there is a separation device described in the following Patent Document 2 (hereinafter referred to as the invention of the prior art 2). According to the invention of the prior art 2, a rotating striking member is provided on the downstream side of a conveying section that conveys the solar panels. The solar panels conveyed by the conveying section are smashed from the edge by the striking member on the downstream side, and the glass is peeled off from the back sheet. The striking section is provided with multiple hammers around a rotating shaft, and as the hammers rotate, they are swung down from top to bottom to strike and crush the glass, so that the solar panels are conveyed with the glass layer facing up.

Patent No. 7066231 Patent No. 6625180

As described above, in the process in which the solar panel is dismantled and the glass layer is peeled off, the solar panel is in a position in which the glass layer faces downward when the frame material etc. is removed, but on the other hand, when the glass layer is peeled off, the glass layer faces upward, so when the solar panel is transported from the dismantling device relating to the invention in publicly known literature 1 to the separation device relating to the invention in publicly known literature 2, the solar panel needs to be reversed in position.

Although it is possible to flip solar panels by hand, handling is difficult. The reasons are as follows. In solar panels to be discarded, the glass layer may already be cracked, or may be cracked due to the impact of processing with the dismantling equipment, so glass fragments may fall off during flipping. Since the glass layer is bonded to the back sheet via a sealant, even if it is cracked, it may not fall off and remain attached to the back sheet. However, since the back sheet is soft, if you try to flip the solar panel by hand, the back sheet will not be able to maintain a horizontal position and will sag, causing the glass fragments to shift. The fragments will shift and not return to their original position while attached to the back sheet, causing the glass layer to become wavy. Therefore, it is difficult to peel off the glass layer in the next process. In addition, in order to reduce the number of people, it is necessary to transport solar panels using a simple method that does not rely on human labor as much as possible.

The present invention has been proposed in light of the above-mentioned circumstances. The object of the present invention is to provide a panel reversing device that can easily reverse the orientation of the glass layer of a plate-shaped member.

To achieve the above object, the panel inversion device of the present invention has a stage section on which a plate-shaped member having a glass layer and a substrate layer to which the glass layer is attached is placed with the glass layer facing downwards, and an inversion section that inverts the plate-shaped member by rotating a rotation shaft arranged on the side of the stage section to change between a facing position in which the plate-shaped member faces the substrate layer on the stage section and a supporting position in which the plate-shaped member is supported with the glass layer facing upwards, and is characterized in that the inversion section has a suction section that adsorbs the substrate layer by sucking it in the facing position, and a transport section that transports the plate-shaped member in the supporting position.

The panel inversion device according to the present invention is characterized in that the suction section in the facing position protrudes beyond the conveying section toward the plate-like member and contacts the attachment layer.

The panel inversion device according to the present invention is characterized in that the conveying section in the facing position comes into contact with the attachment layer of the plate-like member that is attracted by the suction section.

The panel inversion device according to the present invention is characterized in that the inversion unit has a guide unit that adjusts the position of the plate-like member by contacting the end of the plate-like member.

The panel inversion device according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the process of changing from the facing posture to the supporting posture, the suction section releases the plate-like member with the glass layer facing upward, and the plate-like member slides down the inversion section and hits the guide section.

The panel inversion device according to the present invention is characterized in that the conveying section is a belt that is sent out in the axial direction of the rotation shaft.

The panel inversion device according to the present invention has a stage section on which a plate-shaped member having a glass layer and a substrate layer to which the glass layer is attached is placed with the glass layer facing downward, and an inversion section which inverts the plate-shaped member by changing between a facing position in which the plate-shaped member faces the substrate layer on the stage section and a support position in which the plate-shaped member is supported with the glass layer facing upward by rotating a rotation shaft arranged on the side of the stage section. The inversion section has a suction section which adsorbs the plate-shaped member by sucking the substrate layer in the facing position, and a transport section which transports the plate-shaped member in the support position. The inversion section inverts the plate-shaped member by sucking the plate-shaped member with the suction section and rotating to change between the facing position and the support position. Thus, the orientation of the glass layer of the plate-shaped member can be easily inverted. In addition, the plate-shaped member placed on the stage section with the glass layer facing downward has the front surface adsorbed by the suction section and is inverted by rotating the inversion section to a position in which the glass layer faces upward. Even if the glass layer is cracked, it is attached to the layer to be attached and faces downward, so when the plate-shaped member is sucked upward, the glass layer remains attached to the layer to be attached and does not shift, and its position is hardly affected. Therefore, the orientation of the glass layer of the plate-shaped member can be easily reversed while maintaining a flat position.

In the panel inversion device according to the present invention, the suction section in the facing position protrudes beyond the conveying section toward the plate-like member and comes into contact with the layer to be attached. Therefore, the suction section reliably comes into contact with the layer to be attached and adsorbs the plate-like member. Note that if the suction section does not protrude beyond the conveying section, the conveying section will come into contact with the plate-like member and the suction section will not come into contact with the plate-like member, making suction impossible.

In the panel inversion device according to the present invention, the conveying section in a facing position contacts the attached layer of the plate-shaped member that is attracted by the suction section. When the conveying section contacts the attached layer, the plate-shaped member is supported by the conveying section. In this state, the inversion section changes to a supporting position, so that the plate-shaped member is inverted without sagging. Therefore, the orientation of the glass layer of the plate-shaped member can be easily inverted while the plate-shaped member remains flat.

The panel inversion device according to the present invention has an inversion section that has a guide section that adjusts the position of the plate-like member when the end of the plate-like member comes into contact with it. Since the position of the plate-like member is adjusted when it comes into contact with the guide section, the plate-like member can be corrected to an appropriate position. In particular, if the plate-like member is in an appropriate position for processing in the next process, this contributes to labor savings.

In the panel inversion device according to the present invention, when the inversion section is changing from the facing position to the supporting position, the suction section releases the plate-shaped member with the glass layer facing upward, and the plate-shaped member slides down the inversion section and hits the guide section. When the inversion section is changing from the facing position to the supporting position, the suction section releases the plate-shaped member, and the plate-shaped member slides down the inversion section under its own weight and hits the guide section on the downstream side, thereby adjusting its position. In other words, the position of the plate-shaped member is automatically corrected, so that the plate-shaped member can be corrected to an appropriate position. In particular, if the plate-shaped member is in an appropriate position for processing in the next process, it will also contribute to reducing manpower.

In the panel inversion device according to the present invention, the conveying section is a belt that is sent out in the axial direction of the rotation shaft. Because the belt is a single piece, glass fragments do not become caught. However, if the conveying section were rollers, glass fragments may become caught between the rollers during transport.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a solar panel processing apparatus including a panel inversion device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a panel reversing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view of a panel inverting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a front view of a panel reversing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a main part of a panel reversing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a first step of the operation of the panel inverting device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a second step of the operation of the panel inverting device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The following is an explanation of a panel inversion device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 shows a panel processing device 2 having a panel inversion device 7 according to this embodiment.

In FIG. 1, the panel processing device 2 dismantles solar panels 1 as plate-like members, and has a panel inversion device 7 and a glass separation device 3 arranged downstream of the panel inversion device 7, with the devices 3 and 7 arranged on the same line. Note that the panel processing device 2 has a frame dismantling device (not shown) arranged upstream of the panel inversion device 7. Therefore, in the panel processing device 2, the solar panels 1 are processed by passing through the frame dismantling device, panel inversion device 7, and glass separation device 3 in that order.

The solar panel 1 has a glass layer and an attachment layer to which the glass layer is attached (details not shown). The attachment layer is made by adhering a back sheet to the rear surface of the battery layer with a sealing material, and a glass layer to the front surface with a sealing material. A connector is attached to the rear surface of the back sheet. The laminate of the glass layer and attachment layer is surrounded on all four sides by a frame.

The frame dismantling device separates the frame and connector from the solar panel 1 in advance. The frame dismantling device has a mounting section on which the solar panel 1 is placed, and a removal mechanism section arranged above the mounting section. First, the solar panel 1 is placed on the mounting section of the frame dismantling device with the connector on top and the glass layer on the bottom. In the frame dismantling device, the removal mechanism section approaches the top surface of the solar panel 1 from above, and the frame and connector are removed by the removal mechanism section moving horizontally.

After the frame and connector have been removed, the solar panel 1 is inverted by the panel inversion device 7. That is, the solar panel 1 is transported from the frame dismantling device to the panel inversion device 7 with the glass layer facing downwards, and in the panel inversion device 7, the solar panel 1 is in a position with the glass layer facing upwards (details will be described later). The solar panel 1 is then transported to the glass separation device 3.

The glass separating device 3 is for separating the glass layer from the solar panel 1, and is disposed downstream of the panel inversion device 7. The glass separating device 3 has a post-inversion conveying section 4 that conveys the solar panel 1 sent out from the panel inversion device 7, and a rotary impact section 5 that separates the glass downstream of the post-inversion conveying section 4. The post-inversion conveying section 4 is, for example, a roller or belt, and has a heating section 6 such as an infrared heater installed above it. The rotary impact section 5 has multiple impact members (not shown) connected to the outer periphery of a shaft. Thus, in the glass separating device 3, the solar panel 1 with the glass layer facing upward is conveyed by the post-inversion conveying section 4, and the glass is peeled off by the rotary impact section 5 downstream.

Next, the panel inversion device 7 will be described with reference to the drawings. The panel inversion device 7 is shown in Figs. 2 to 4. Fig. 5 shows the operation of the suction unit 16. In the following, the transport direction of the solar panel 1 is referred to as the forward or backward direction, and the inversion direction is referred to as the left or right direction.

As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the panel inversion device 7 has a stage 8 on which the glass layer is placed with the glass layer facing downward, and an inversion unit 10 installed adjacent to the right side of the stage 8. The stage 8 is formed of a metal frame and has a flat mounting table 9 on the upper surface. The inversion unit 10 is generally plate-shaped and is disposed above a base 11 formed of a metal frame. The inversion unit 10 is located on the right side of the stage 8 and is connected to a rotating shaft 17 connected to the base 11. The axis of the rotating shaft 17 is oriented in the front-rear direction. A driving unit 18 such as a motor is connected to the rotating shaft 17 via a chain belt or the like, and the driving unit 18 is driven by a control signal from a control unit (not shown) to rotate the rotating shaft 17, thereby changing the attitude of the inversion unit 10. In detail, the inversion section 10 rotates between a position located above the base section 11 (hereinafter referred to as the "transport preparation position _P1 "; see Figure 4) to a position facing the loading platform 9 of the stage section 8 (hereinafter referred to as the "suction preparation position _P2 "; see Figure 4).

The inversion unit 10 has a support frame 12 connected to a rotating shaft 17, a pair of conveying units 14 connected to the support frame 12, a movable frame 13 connected to the support frame 12 and displaceable relative to the support frame 12, a suction unit 16 connected to the movable frame 13, and a long guide unit 15 fixed to an end of the conveying unit 14. The guide unit 15 is fixed to the end of the conveying unit 14 on the rotating shaft 17 side, and protrudes from the plane of the conveying unit 14.

The conveying unit 14 is a flat belt that is long in the front-rear direction. The belt is wound around a roller (not shown), and the belt is sent forward by rotating the roller. The suction unit 16 and the movable frame 13 are disposed in the center of the inversion unit 10, between the conveying units 14. The suction unit 16 is, for example, a plurality of vacuums made of rubber or silicon, and is arranged in the front-rear direction. A cylinder or the like displaces the movable frame 13 in response to a control signal from the control unit, thereby changing the degree of protrusion of the suction unit 16 relative to the conveying unit 14. In detail, as shown in FIG. 5, the suction unit 16 moves between a position on the same plane as the plane of the conveying unit 14 or a position recessed from the plane of the conveying unit 14 (hereinafter referred to as the "standby position P ₃ ") to a position protruding from the plane of the conveying unit 14 (hereinafter referred to as the "suction position P ₄ ").

The panel inversion device 7 is configured as described above. Next, the action and effect of the panel inversion device 7 will be explained with reference to the drawings. Figures 6 and 7 show the process of operation of the panel inversion device 7 according to this embodiment. Note that the drawings only show a schematic of the main parts, with other parts omitted.

6, the solar panel 1 is placed on the mounting table 9 of the panel inversion device 7 with the glass layer facing downward. Initially, the inversion unit 10 is in a transfer preparation position _P1 , and the suction unit 16 is in a standby position _P3 . Note that the frame and connectors of the solar panel 1 have been removed in advance by a frame dismantling device.

When the reversing section 10 of the panel reversing device 7 rotates together with the rotating shaft 17 (rotating counterclockwise in the figure) and reaches the suction preparation position _P2 , the suction section 16 moves from the standby position _P3 to the suction position _P4 . The reversing section 10 in the suction preparation position _P2 faces the attached layer of the solar panel 1 on the mounting table 9 (hereinafter referred to as the "facing position _P5 "), and the suction section 16 comes into contact with and is pressed against the attached layer, sucking the attached layer and thereby adsorbing the solar panel 1. In the facing position _P5 , the suction section 16 in the suction position _P4 protrudes further than the transport section 14 toward the solar panel 1, so that the suction section 16 reliably comes into contact with the attached layer of the solar panel 1 and adsorbs the solar panel 1.

Even if the glass layer is cracked, since the glass is attached to the attachment layer and faces downwards, when the solar panel 1 is sucked upwards, the glass layer remains attached to the attachment layer and does not shift, with little loss of position. Therefore, the orientation of the glass layer of the solar panel 1 can be easily reversed while maintaining a flat position.

7 , when the suction unit 16 that has adsorbed the solar panel 1 in the facing posture _P5 moves from the suction position _P4 to the standby position _P3 , the attached layer of the solar panel 1 comes into contact with the flat surface of the transport unit 14. The transport unit 14 comes into contact with the attached layer, so that the solar panel 1 is supported by the transport unit 14. Since the reversing unit 10 rotates in this state, the solar panel 1 is reversed without sagging.

The reversing unit 10 rotates together with the rotating shaft 17 (rotating clockwise in the figure), and when the reversing unit 10 moves from the suction preparation position _P2 to the transport preparation position _P1 and assumes a posture in which the glass layer of the solar panel 1 faces upward, the suction unit 16 releases the solar panel 1. More specifically, when the reversing unit 10 is at a position that is at least 90 degrees or more from the suction preparation position _P2 , the suction unit 16 stops suction. The solar panel 1 slides on the reversing unit 10 toward the end on the rotating shaft 17 side due to its own weight (see arrow D in the figure), and hits the guide unit 15 at the end where it slides down. The solar panel 1 that hits the guide unit 15 is adjusted to a posture that follows the guide unit 15. That is, the posture of the solar panel 1 is automatically corrected to an appropriate posture. Therefore, the solar panel 1 assumes a posture that is appropriate for processing in the glass separating device 3 in the next process, and the labor required for posture correction is eliminated, which contributes to labor saving.

Here, in this embodiment, "a position in which the glass layer of the solar panel 1 faces upward" means a position in which the glass layer can be seen in a plan view. Therefore, it is not limited to a position in which the glass layer is horizontal.

The reversing unit 10 in the transport preparation position _P1 supports the solar panel 1 with the glass layer facing upward (hereinafter, referred to as the "support position _P6 "). In the support position _P6 , the transport unit 14 is in contact with the attachment layer, so the transport unit 14 operates to send out the belt, transporting the solar panel 1. Because the belt is a single piece, no glass fragments will be caught during transport. Also, in the support position _P6 , the suction unit 16 in the standby position _P3 does not protrude beyond the plane of the transport unit 14, so does not interfere with transport.

As described above, the reversing unit 10 sucks the solar panel 1 with the suction unit 16 and rotates to change between the facing posture _P5 and the supporting posture _P6 , thereby reversing the solar panel 1. Thus, the orientation of the glass layer of the solar panel 1 can be easily reversed.

In another embodiment of the present invention, in the facing position, the suction unit that has adsorbed the solar panel remains in the suction position and does not move to the standby position. In this case, the flat surface of the transport unit does not come into contact with the attachment layer of the plate-like member adsorbed by the suction unit.
In other embodiments, the number and location of the suction portions are arbitrary, for example, the suction portions are located at offset positions laterally from the center of the inverted portion, or at the lateral ends.
Another embodiment does not have a guide portion. Therefore, the suction portion releases the solar panel after the inverting portion supporting the solar panel moves from the suction preparation position to the transfer preparation position.
In another embodiment, the suction unit moves from the standby position to the suction position when the reversing unit is in any posture between the transport preparation position and the suction preparation position.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Furthermore, various design modifications of the present invention are possible without departing from the scope of the claims.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Solar panel 2 Panel processing device 3 Glass separation device 4 Post-inversion transport section 5 Rotational impact section 6 Heating section 7 Panel inversion device 8 Stage section 9 Placement table 10 Inversion section 11 Base section 12 Support frame 13 Movable frame 14 Transport section 15 Guide section 16 Suction section 17 Rotation shaft 18 Drive section _P1 Transport preparation position _P2 Suction preparation position _P3 Waiting position _P4 Suction position _P5 Facing position _P6 Supporting position

Claims (6)

a stage portion on which a plate-like member having a glass layer and a layer to which the glass layer is attached is placed with the glass layer facing downward;
a reversing section that reverses the plate-like member by changing between a facing position facing the attachment layer on the stage section and a supporting position supporting the plate-like member with the glass layer facing upward by rotating a rotation shaft disposed on a side of the stage section,
The inverted portion is
a suction portion that sucks the attachment layer to adsorb the plate-like member in the facing position;
A conveying unit that conveys the plate-like member in the supporting position.
A panel inversion device. the suction portion in the facing position protrudes toward the plate-like member beyond the conveying portion and contacts the attachment layer;
2. The panel inverting device according to claim 1. The suction part, which is in contact with the attached layer in the facing posture, moves from a position protruding from the transport part to a position not protruding from the transport part, so that the transport part in the facing posture comes into contact with the attached layer of the plate-like member adsorbed by the suction part.
3. The panel inverting device according to claim 2. The inverted portion is
A guide portion is provided for adjusting the position of the plate-like member by contacting an end of the plate-like member.
4. A panel reversing device according to claim 1, wherein the panel reversing device is a panel reversing device. During the change from the facing posture to the supporting posture, the suction portion releases the plate-like member in a posture in which the glass layer faces upward, and the plate-like member slides down the inverting portion and hits the guide portion.
5. The panel reversing device according to claim 4. The conveying unit is a belt that is sent out in the axial direction of the rotation shaft.
4. A panel reversing device according to claim 1, wherein the panel reversing device is a panel reversing device.

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