US 8,438,796 C1 (13,390th)
Photovoltaic roofing elements including tie layers systems, and roofs using them, and methods for making them
Ming-Liang Shiao, Collegeville, PA (US); Husnu M. Kalkanoglu, Swarthmore, PA (US); Wayne E. Shaw, Glen Mills, PA (US); and Gregory F. Jacobs, Oreland, PA (US)
Filed by Ming-Liang Shiao, Collegeville, PA (US); Husnu M. Kalkanoglu, Swarthmore, PA (US); Wayne E. Shaw, Glen Mills, PA (US); and Gregory F. Jacobs, Oreland, PA (US)
Assigned to Certainteed LLC
Reexamination Request No. 90/015,330, Jun. 17, 2025.
Reexamination Certificate for Patent 8,438,796, issued May 14, 2013, Appl. No. 12/266,409, Nov. 6, 2008.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/985,932, filed on Nov. 6, 2007.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/985,935, filed on Nov. 6, 2007.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/986,556, filed on Nov. 8, 2007.
Ex Parte Reexamination Certificate issued on Sep. 24, 2026.
Int. Cl. H02S 20/23 (2014.01)
CPC H02S 20/23 (2014.12) [Y02B 10/10 (2013.01); Y02E 10/50 (2013.01); Y10T 156/10 (2015.01)]
OG exemplary drawing
AS A RESULT OF REEXAMINATION, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT:
The patentability of claims 1-13, 18 and 22 is confirmed.
Claims 15-17, 19 and 23 are cancelled.
Claims 20, 21, 24 and 25 are determined to be patentable as amended.
New claims 26-40 are added and determined to be patentable.
Claim 14 was not reexamined.
1. A photovoltaic roofing element comprising:
an encapsulated photovoltaic element having a top surface and a bottom surface, a top layer material at its top surface and a bottom material at its bottom surface, the bottom layer material at the bottom surface of the encapsulated photovoltaic element having a surface tension no greater that 35 dyne/cm;
a roofing substrate having a top surface; and
a tic layer system comprising a blend of functionalized EVA and polyolefin disposed between the encapsulated photovoltaic element and the roofing substrate and joining the bottom surface of the encapsulated photovoltaic element to the top surface of the roofing substrate.
20. A method of making a photovoltaic [ roofing ] element according to claim 1, comprising:
affixing the tie layer system to the bottom surface of the encapsulated photovoltaic element; then
joining the bottom surface of the encapsulated photovoltaic element to the top surface of the roofing substrate through the tie layer system.
21. A method of making a photovoltaic [ roofing ] element according to claim 1, comprising:
affixing the tie layer system to the top surface of the roofing substrate; then
joining the top surface of the roofing substrate to the bottom surface of the encapsulated photovoltaic element with the tie layer system.
24. A method of making a photovoltaic [ roofing ] element according to claim 1, comprising:
affixing one component of the tie layer system to the top surface of the roofing element [ substrate] ;
affixing another component of the tie layer system to the bottom surface of the encapsulated photovoltaic element; and
joining the top surface of the roofing substrate to the bottom surface of the encapsulated photovoltaic element, thereby bringing together the components of the tie layer system.
25. A method of making a photovoltaic [ roofing ] element according to claim 1, comprising:
arranging the tie layer system between the top surface of the roofing substrate and the bottom surface of the encapsulated photovoltaic element; then
joining the top surface of the roofing substrate to the bottom surface of the encapsulated photovoltaic element with the tie layer system.
[ 26. The photovoltaic roofing element of claim 1, wherein the tie layer system is configured to be affixed to the encapsulated photovoltaic element after the encapsulated photovoltaic element has undergone curing after encapsulation.]
[ 27. The photovoltaic roofing element of claim 1, wherein the encapsulated photovoltaic element was encapsulated by a lamination process, and wherein the tie layer system is configured to be affixed to the encapsulated photovoltaic element after completion of the lamination process.]
[ 28. The photovoltaic roofing element of claim 1, wherein the encapsulated photovoltaic element is configured to be affixed to the tie layer system through a bonding process that is separate from the process used to affix the tie layer system to the roofing substrate.]
[ 29. The photovoltaic roofing element of claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the encapsulated photovoltaic element is treated using a flame treatment, plasma treatment, corona treatment, ozone treatment, sodium treatment, etching, ion implantation, electron bean treatment, or combinations thereof.]
[ 30. The photovoltaic roofing element of claim 1, wherein at least a part of the tie layer system is configured to be affixed to the roofing substrate before the bottom surface of the encapsulated photovoltaic element is joined to the top surface of the roofing substrate.]
[ 31. The photovoltaic roofing element of claim 1, wherein the bottom layer material at the bottom surface of the encapsulated photovoltaic element is a non-EVA material.]
[ 32. The photovoltaic roofing element of claim 1, wherein the tie layer system joins the bottom surface of the encapsulated photovoltaic element to the top surface of the roofing substrate using a peel-and-stick type of application.]
[ 33. The photovoltaic roofing element of claim 1, wherein the tie layer system comprises one or more layers having a surface tension in the range of about 25% to about 75% of the way between the surface tension value of the top surface of the roofing substrate and the surface tension value of the bottom surface of the encapsulated photovoltaic element.]
[ 34. The photovoltaic roofing element of claim 1, wherein the tie layer system has a coefficient of thermal expansion (“CTE”) between the CTE of the top surface of the roofing substrate and the CTE of the bottom surface of the encapsulated photovoltaic element when measured at 100 °F.]
[ 35. The photovoltaic roofing element of claim 34, wherein the tie layer system has a CTE in the range of about 25% to about 75% of the way between the CTE of the top surface of the roofing substrate and the CTE of the bottom surface of the encapsulated photovoltaic element.]
[ 36. The photovoltaic roofing element of claim 1, wherein the tie layer system comprises a plurality of polymer layers that include an adhesive layer and a reinforcing layer.]
[ 37. The photovoltaic roofing element of claim 1, wherein the tie layer system is configured to provide greater than a 10 1b/inch adhesive bond strength in a 90° peel test.]
[ 38. The photovoltaic roofing element of claim 1, wherein the tie layer system comprises a textured layer formed by mechanically embossing or chemically etching the bottom surface of the encapsulated PV element.]
[ 39. A photovoltaic roofing element comprising:
an encapsulated photovoltaic element having a top surface and a bottom surface, a top layer material at its top surface and a bottom layer material at its bottom surface;
a roofing substrate having a top surface, wherein the top surface of the roofing substrate is polyolefin; and
a tie layer system comprising a blend of functionalized EVA and polyolefin disposed between the encapsulated photovoltaic element and the roofing substrate and joining the bottom surface of the encapsulated photovoltaic element to the top surface of the roofing substrate, wherein the distance between the roofing substrate and the photovoltaic element is substantially greater at the periphery of the photovoltaic element than it is at the center of the photovoltaic element.]
[ 40. A photovoltaic roofing element comprising:
an encapsulated photovoltaic element having a top surface and a bottom surface, a top layer material at its top surface and a bottom layer material at its bottom surface;
a roofing substrate having a top surface, wherein the top surface of the roofing substrate is polyolefin; and
a tie layer system comprising a blend of functionalized EVA and polyolefin disposed between the encapsulated photovoltaic element and the roofing substrate and joining the bottom surface of the encapsulated photovoltaic element to the top surface of the roofing substrate, wherein the bottom layer material comprises one or more of ETFE, PFE, FEP, PVDF, or PVF.]