METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A DECORATIVE LAMINATE PANEL

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a decorative laminate panel, comprising an outermost decor layer, at least one photovoltaic element for converting the energy of light into electricity by the photovoltaic effect and a core construction, wherein the at least one photovoltaic element is located between the outermost decor layer and the core construction.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a decorative laminate panel that is provided with a photovoltaic function where the photovoltaic function is seamlessly integrated into the decorative laminate panel and cannot be seen from the outside.

Claims

1-22. (canceled)

23. A method for manufacturing a decorative laminate panel, comprising an outermost dcor layer, at least one photovoltaic element for converting light energy into electricity by the photovoltaic effect and a core construction, wherein the at least one photovoltaic element is located between the outermost decor layer and the core construction, the method comprising the steps of: providing a core construction; providing at least one photovoltaic element; providing a dcor layer; constructing a stack including the core construction, the at least one photovoltaic element, and the dcor layer; and processing the stack of to obtain the decorative laminate panel having at least one photovoltaic element.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the at least one photovoltaic element is positioned between one or more encapsulant layers.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the one or more encapsulant layers comprise polymeric or copolymeric material having adhesive properties selected from the group including a glue, a thermoset resin, a thermoplastic resin, an elastomer, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyolefin elastomer (POE), polyvinyl butyral (PVB), silicone-urethane (TPU), polyolefin elastomer (POE), and ionomer polymers.

26. The method according to claim 23, wherein the core construction comprises a core and one or more encapsulant layers.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the core construction comprises, in succession, a back-side dcor, the core, the one or more encapsulant layers, and a further back-side dcor.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein the core construction comprises, in succession, a back-side dcor, the core, a further back-side dcor, and the one or more encapsulant layers.

29. The method according to claim 26, wherein the core construction comprises, in succession, an aluminum dcor, the core, the one or more encapsulant layers, and a further aluminum dcor.

30. The method according to claim 26, wherein the core includes at least one of resin impregnated papers, prepregs, non-wovens and wovens of wood fibers, glass fibers, textile fibers, synthetic fibers, metallic fibers, ceramic fibers, and carbon fibers.

31. The method according to claim 26, wherein the core comprises an outermost layer comprising a coating layer comprising a thermally cured resin or a radiation-cured resin, wherein the radiation-cured resin is selected from the group including electron beam radiation (EBC) curable resins, UV radiation curable resins, X-ray radiation curable resins, or a combination thereof.

32. The method according to claim 23, wherein the step of processing the stack comprises laminating or pressing at elevated temperature and pressure.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the laminating is performed at a temperature in a range from 100 C. to 160 C., for a duration time from 20 minutes to 30 minutes, and at a pressure less than 1 bar.

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein the pressing is performed at a temperature in a range from 120 C. to 160 C., for a duration time from 30 minutes to 90 minutes, and at a pressure in a range of 40 bar to 80 bar.

35. The method according to claim 32, wherein the laminating comprises one or more of a step of heating, a step of evacuation, a step of pressure build up, and a step of aeration.

36. The method according to claim 23, wherein the step of processing the stack comprises: laminating the at least one photovoltaic element, an encapsulant layer, and the dcor layer to obtain a laminated composite, and gluing the laminated composite together with the core construction to obtain the decorative laminate panel.

37. The method according to claim 23, wherein the dcor layer comprises a coated substrate layer comprising a substrate layer including a base coat layer, the base coat layer including a topcoat layer, and the topcoat layer optionally including a release foil

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the base coat layer and the top coat layer comprise a radiation-cured resin comprising at least an oligomer selected from the group including a polyether acrylate, a polyether methacrylate, an acrylic acrylate, an acrylic methacrylate, an epoxy-acrylate, an epoxy-methacrylate, a silicone-acrylate, a silicone-methacrylate, a polyester acrylate, a polyester methacrylate, a urethane acrylate, and a urethane methacrylate.

39. The method according to claim 37, wherein the substrate layer is a non-pigmented or pigmented substrate layer selected from the group including paper, resin impregnated paper, and polymeric foil.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the resin of the resin impregnated paper is at least one of a thermoset resin, a thermoplastic resin, a phenol resin, a melamine resin, a urea resin, an epoxy resin, a polyester resin, a polyisocyanate resin, melamine acrylate, and polyurethane acrylate.

41. The method according to claim 23, wherein the at least one photovoltaic element is an organic photovoltaic (OPV) or C-Si, of a back-contact type, and thin film, wherein the thin film is amorphous crystalline, copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), CdTe, or combinations thereof.

42. A decorative laminate panel comprising, in succession, an outermost decor layer, at least one photovoltaic element for converting light energy into electricity by a photovoltaic effect, and a core construction, wherein the at least one photovoltaic element is laminated to both the core and to the outermost decor layer, and wherein the at least one photovoltaic element is sandwiched between encapsulated layers.

Description

[0058] Furthermore, further advantages and features of the present invention are apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments. The features described there and above can be implemented alone or in combination, provided that the features do not contradict each other. The description of the preferred embodiments is carried out with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0059] FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a method for manufacturing a decorative laminate panel via a lamination process.

[0060] FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of another method for manufacturing a decorative laminate panel via a lamination process.

[0061] FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of a method for manufacturing a decorative laminate panel via a press process.

[0062] FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing of another method for manufacturing a decorative laminate panel via a press process.

[0063] FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing of a method for manufacturing a decorative laminate panel via a lamination and gluing process.

[0064] FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing of a decorative laminate panel.

[0065] In FIG. 1 different individual process steps for manufacturing a decorative laminate panel 40 are shown. The prepressed core construction 10 is prepared by applying a back-side dcor 4 on both sides of a core 5, wherein one surface of the core 5 is provided with one or more encapsulant layers 2, for example two layers of EVA. In a separate process step 20 a dcor layer 1 is manufactured. Such a dcor layer 1 is the outermost layer of the final decorative laminate panel 40. In another separate process step the photovoltaic element 3 for converting the energy of light into electricity by the photovoltaic effect is provided with an encapsulant layer 2 on its outer surface layers, i.e. sandwiched between the encapsulant layer 2. The photovoltaic element 3 is thus embedded by two layers of encapsulant 2. In a final solar lamination process 30 the three discrete parts, i.e. prepressed core construction, encapsulated photovoltaic element and dcor layer, are brought together and the final decorative laminate panel 40 is obtained. The dcor layer 1 located close to the photovoltaic element 3 is a semi-transparent layer, i.e. a layer that permits the transmission of incident light to the photovoltaic element for converting the energy of light into electricity.

[0066] In FIG. 2 another route for manufacturing a decorative laminate panel 140 is shown. A prepressed core 50 is prepared by applying a back-side dcor 4 on both sides of a core layer 5. In a separate process step 60 a dcor layer 1 is manufactured. Such a dcor layer 1 is the outermost layer of the final decorative laminate panel 140. In another separate process step the photovoltaic element 3 for converting the energy of light into electricity by the photovoltaic effect is provided with an encapsulant layer 2 on its outer surface layers. The photovoltaic element 3 is thus embedded by two layers of encapsulant 2. In a separate process step the prepressed core is provided with an encapsulant layer 2 on one of its back-side dcor layer 4. The encapsulant layer 2 is subsequently provided with an outermost dcor layer 4 for obtaining the core construction. In a final solar lamination process 70 the three discrete parts, i.e. core construction, encapsulated photovoltaic element and dcor layer, are brought together and the final decorative laminate panel 140 is obtained. The outermost layers of such a decorative laminate panel are dcor layers 1. The dcor layer 1 located close to the photovoltaic element is a semi-transparent layer, i.e. a layer that permits the transmission of incident light to the photovoltaic element for converting the energy of light into electricity.

[0067] FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of a method for manufacturing a decorative laminate panel 240 via a press process. In a press several layers are brought into contact with each other, in succession, a dcor layer 1, encapsulant layer 2, core 6, encapsulant layer 2, photovoltaic element layer 3, and encapsulant layer 2. In a separate process step 90 a dcor layer 1 is manufactured. The dcor layer thus manufactured is positioned on top of the encapsulant layer 2 and is a semi-transparent layer, i.e. a layer that permits the transmission of incident light to the photovoltaic element for converting the energy of light into electricity. The complete construction is pressed 100 in the press.

[0068] FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing of another method for manufacturing a decorative laminate panel 340 via a press process 120. In a press several layers are brought into contact with each other, in succession, aluminium dcor layer 7, encapsulant layer 2, core 6, aluminium dcor layer 7, encapsulant layer 2, photovoltaic element layer 3, and encapsulant layer 2. In a separate process step 110 a dcor layer 1 is manufactured. The dcor layer 1 thus manufactured is positioned on top of the encapsulant layer 2 and is a semi-transparent layer, i.e. a layer that permits the transmission of incident light to the photovoltaic element for converting the energy of light into electricity. The complete construction is pressed in the press.

[0069] FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing of a method for manufacturing a decorative laminate panel 440 via a lamination 132 and gluing 133 process. A prepressed core construction 130 is prepared by applying a back-side dcor 4 on both sides of a core layer 5. In a separate process step 131 a dcor layer 1 is manufactured. In a first lamination process 132 photovoltaic element layer 3, encapsulant layer 2 and dcor layer 1 are laminated in that order. The dcor layer 1 is positioned on top of the encapsulant layer 2 and is a semi-transparent layer, i.e. a layer that permits the transmission of incident light to the photovoltaic element for converting the energy of light into electricity. The laminated construction thus obtained is glued on top of the prepressed core construction, wherein the glue layer 8 is positioned between the photovoltaic element layer 3 and the back-side dcor 4 of the prepressed core construction.

[0070] FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing of a decorative laminate panel consisting of, in succession, a transparent printed paper 11, encapsulant layer 2, photovoltaic element layer 3, encapsulant layer 2, core 9, encapsulant layer 2 and a transparent printed paper 11.

[0071] The present inventors found that the process conditions of step e) affect the efficiency properties of the final decorative panel.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Efficiency loss after processing Press @ Press @ Lamination @ Type of PV 160 C./70 bars 120 C./40 bars 120 C./1 bar Organic thin film Losses of 92% Losses of 16% Losses of 8% a- Si thin film Losses of 20% Losses of 0% Losses of 0% Crystalline silicon Solar cells break Solar cells break Losses of 0%