Konarka Roll Up Solar Charger
Project
Konarka wanted to design a demonstration product that clearly takes advantage of one of the unique features of the photo voltaic solar panels: FLEXIBILITY. They wanted a device that could roll up a flexible solar panel into a very compact cylindrical volume with a four cell AA battery charger built in to the core spindle.
Process
We developed a solution to include an auto rewind feature, incorporating a compact custom return spring. An existing battery charging PCB was fitted into a sub-assembly inside the panel spindle as a removable / slide-in battery module with a blind mate connection to the panel inside.
Product
A prototype demonstration device that takes full advantage of the Konarka flexible solar panel a a portable battery charger for AA cells. See it also on Konarka's website under "custom solutions".