Apparatus and method for providing electrical contact for planar material in straight through installations
The invention relates to the electrical contacting of planar goods 1 in the form of segments in in-line plants for the electrolytic and/or wet chemical treatment of the treatment side 10 of the good by applying electrical external current while keeping the upper contacting side 9 dry and dipping the treatment side 10 into the treatment liquid 11. By use of the known transport systems having upper and lower transport and/or contact means, treatment liquid 11 is transferred from the lower means to the upper ones so that the top side of the good is often inadmissibly wetted and the upper contacts are electroplated, therefore needing to be continuously de-metallized, thus requiring a larger effort. According to the invention, the level is lowered in the region of upper contacts 6 . Therefore, the same cannot be wetted, even when no good is present in the region of the contacts 6 . This is achieved by means of down pipes 5 which are assigned to each contact 6 . Even when in the relaxed state, the contacts do touch no treatment liquid, so that the top side of the good stays dry and the contacts do not require a de-metallization.
1. Apparatus for the horizontal conveyance and for the electrolytic and/or electrically assisted wet chemical treatment of goods ( 1 ), comprising:
a working tank ( 12 ) having wetting regions for providing a higher level of treatment liquid and a plurality of lower rotating conveying means ( 3 ) that are horizontally arranged and perpendicular to a transport direction ( 2 ) in such a manner that an underside side ( 10 ) of the goods ( 1 ) can be transported through the treatment liquid ( 11 ) while a top side ( 9 ) of the goods ( 1 ) remains dry, overflow regions in the form of down pipes ( 5 ) for providing a lower level of the treatment liquid ( 11 ) compared to the wetting regions, and a bottom ( 14 );
a plurality of contacts ( 6 ) configured to electrically contact the top side of the goods ( 1 ) during the transportation of the underside ( 10 ) through the treatment liquid ( 11 ), wherein contacts ( 6 ) in the overflow regions are arranged above the down pipes ( 5 ); and
a lower tank ( 13 ) for receiving the treatment liquid ( 11 ) from the down pipes ( 5 ) through the bottom ( 14 ) of the working tank ( 12 ).
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the down pipes ( 5 ) have upper ends with overflow edges that only reach the underside ( 10 ) of the good to be treated to such an extent that the transport of the good is not hindered, and lower ends that reach through the bottom ( 14 ) of the working tank ( 12 ) and lead into a lower tank ( 13 ).
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the level of the treatment liquid in the wetting regions of the working tank ( 12 ) is higher than overflow edges of the down pipes ( 5 ).
4. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the contacts ( 6 ) are sliding or rotating contacts, wherein the contacts do not, in a region of a lateral gap ( 8 ) between goods ( 1 ), contact the treatment liquid or wetted surfaces, even in a relaxed state.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the contacts consist of fine wiry strand, or of a soft flexible band.
6. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the lower rotating conveying means ( 3 ) are, with respect to their height level, beared onto or in the down pipes ( 5 ).
7. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the conveying means ( 3 ) are equipped with rings ( 4 ) which are each arranged offset along a transport track from position to position and perpendicular to the transport direction.
8. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that at least one contact ( 6 ) is assigned to each down pipe ( 5 ).
9. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that light sources ( 18 ) for the irradiation of goods being solar cells are arranged in the working tank ( 12 ).
10. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that soluble or insoluble anodes ( 16 ) for electroplating are arranged in the working tank ( 12 ).
11. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that counter electrodes being fed by a current source are arranged in the working tank ( 12 ) for influencing the process.
12. Method for the horizontal conveyance and for the electrolytic and/or electrically assisted wet chemical treatment of goods ( 1 ), comprising:
providing the apparatus as defined in claim 1 , characterized in that the level of the treatment liquid ( 11 ) is adjusted by means of the down pipes ( 5 ) to be lower in regions of the upper contacting of the goods than the remaining level in the working tank ( 12 ), whereby the contacts, which are optionally sliding or rolling contacts, are not wetted by the treatment liquid ( 11 ), even in a relaxed state when currently not electrically contacting any good;
applying electrical current to the contacts;
adding at least one good to the apparatus; and
instructing conveyance of the at least one good.
13. Method according to claim 12 , characterized in that a bearing of the conveying means ( 3 ) on the down pipes ( 5 ) always levels out momentary constructive changes of the distance from the underside ( 10 ) of the good ( 1 ) to an upper edge of the down pipe ( 5 ) and keeps this distance constant.
14. Method according to claim 12 , characterized in that the goods ( 1 ) are drawn to the lower rotating conveying means ( 3 , 4 ) by the treatment liquid ( 11 ) that flows from the working tank ( 12 ) over the down pipes ( 5 ) to assist the transportation.
15. Method according to claim 14 , characterized in that a liquid exchange at the good's underside ( 10 ) to be treated takes place by the streaming out of the treatment liquid ( 11 ) from the working tank ( 12 ) over the down pipes ( 5 ).
16. Method according to claim 12 , characterized in that for the treatment of the sun side of solar cells, the same are irradiated in the working tank ( 12 ) by means of at least one light source ( 18 ).
17. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the wet chemical treatment is for the electroplating of solar cells.