Wire-less inductive devices and methods

• US 20080186124A1
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pulse Electronics Incorporated (Yageo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pulse Electronics Incorporated (Yageo Corporation)
• Inventors: Schaffer, Christopher P., Gutierrez, Aurelio J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,860,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 336/200
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/0033 with the coil helically wound around a magnetic core
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2895 Windings disposed upon ring cores
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor

Abstract

A wire-less inductive device and methods of manufacturing and use are disclosed. In one embodiment, the inductive device comprises a plurality of through-hole vias which act to replace windings disposed around a magnetically permeable core. In another embodiment, the inductive device comprises a plurality of connection elements disposed or formed within channels which act as windings disposed around a magnetically permeable core. In a second aspect of the invention, a method of manufacturing the aforementioned inductive devices is disclosed. In a third aspect of the invention, an electronics assembly and circuit comprising the wire-less inductive devices are disclosed.

Claims

1. An inductive device, comprising:

a plurality of substrates, said substrates having one or more conductive pathways formed therein; and

a magnetically permeable core, said core disposed at least partly between said plurality of printable substrates.

2. The inductive device of claim 1, wherein said inductive device comprises a transformer, and said magnetically permeable core comprises a toroidal shape situated about a central axis, said toroidal shape further comprising an outer and an inner radial diameter extending radially from said central axis.

3. The inductive device of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of said one or more conductive pathways comprises an outer winding diameter and an inner winding diameter, said outer winding diameter being larger then said outer radial diameter and said inner winding diameter being smaller than said inner radial diameter.

4. The inductive device of claim 3, wherein said one or more conductive pathways collectively comprise a plurality of traces disposed on at least two total surfaces of said plurality of substrates and a plurality of conductive vias disposed within said plurality of substrates.

5. The inductive device of claim 4, wherein said one or more conductive pathways comprises at least two windings, said at least two windings comprising a uniform pitch spacing.

6. The inductive device of claim 4, wherein said one or more conductive pathways comprises at least two windings, said at least two windings comprising a non-uniform pitch spacing.

7. The inductive device of claim 3, wherein said outer winding diameter comprises a first outer winding diameter and a second outer winding diameter and said inner winding diameter comprises a first inner winding diameter and a second inner winding diameter, said first and second outer and inner winding diameters each being unequal in radial diameter.

8. The inductive device of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of substrates comprises a plurality of plated pads, said plurality of plated pads adapted for surface mounting said inductive device to an external substrate.

9. The inductive device of claim 1, wherein said one or more conductive pathways are disposed so as to be orientation-agnostic during assembly.

10. A multiple core inductive device, comprising:

a plurality of substrates, said substrates having a plurality of conductive pathways; and

a plurality of magnetically permeable cores, said plurality of cores each disposed at least partly between said plurality of printable substrates.

11. The multiple core inductive device of claim 10, wherein at least one of said plurality of substrates further comprises one or more electronic component receiving pads.

12. The multiple core inductive device of claim 10, wherein each of said plurality of magnetically permeable cores comprises a toroidal shape situated about a respective central axis;

and

wherein each said toroidal shape further comprises an outer and an inner radial diameter extending radially from said respective central axis.

13. The multiple core inductive device of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of said plurality of conductive pathways associated with a first of said toroidal shapes comprises an outer winding diameter and an inner winding diameter, said outer winding diameter being larger then said outer radial diameter of said first of said toroidal shapes and said inner winding diameter being smaller than said inner radial diameter of said first of said toroidal shapes.

14. The multiple core inductive device of claim 13, wherein said plurality of conductive pathways collectively comprise a plurality of traces disposed on at least two total surfaces of said plurality of substrates and a plurality of conductive vias disposed within said plurality of substrates.

15. The multiple core inductive device of claim 10, wherein at least one of said plurality of substrates comprises a plurality of plated pads, said plurality of plated pads adapted for surface mounting said multiple core inductive device to an external substrate.

16. A method of manufacturing an inductive device, comprising:

forming a plurality of conductive pathways on both a first and a second substrate;

disposing a core at least partly between said first and second substrates; and

joining said first and second substrates including respective ones of said pathways, thereby forming said inductive device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said act of forming said plurality of conductive pathways comprises routing and printing said first and said second substrates respectively.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said act of forming said plurality of pathways further comprises placing a plurality of connection inserts into at least one of said first or second substrates.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said act of forming said plurality of pathways further comprises:

forming a plurality of channels within at least one of said first or second substrates;

depositing a plate-able material within said plurality of channels; and

plating said plate-able material deposited within said plurality of channels;

wherein said substrate having said plurality of channels is comprised of an otherwise nonplate-able material.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said act of joining further comprises utilizing a solder reflow process.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said act of joining further comprises adding a plurality of solder balls on at least one of said first or second substrate headers.

22. A system for providing an inductive device on an external substrate, comprising:

a substrate header comprising;

a cavity; and

one or more windings comprising at least one trace disposed on at least one surface of said substrate header and a plurality of conductive vias disposed within said substrate header and in electrical communication with said at least one trace;

a magnetic core disposed within said cavity; and

an external substrate;

wherein said external substrate further comprises at least one external substrate trace, said at least one external substrate trace in electrical communication with said plurality of conductive vias thereby forming an inductive device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said magnetic core comprises a toroidal shape situated about a central axis, said toroidal shape further comprising an outer and an inner radial diameter extending radially from said central axis.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein at least a portion of said one or more windings comprises an outer winding diameter and an inner winding diameter, said outer winding diameter being larger then said outer radial diameter of said core and said inner winding diameter being smaller than said inner radial diameter of said core.

25. An inductive device, comprising:

at least two substantially insulating elements, said elements each having a plurality of conductive pathways formed therein, and at least one of said elements comprising a recess adapted to receive a magnetically permeable core; and

a magnetically permeable core, said core disposed at least partly between said plurality of elements and at least partly within said recess;

wherein said conductive pathways of said at least two elements are in electrical communication so as to form one or more continuous electrical pathways throughout said inductive device.

26. The inductive device of claim 25, wherein said inductive device comprises a transformer, and said one or more continuous electrical pathways comprise a primary winding and a secondary winding.

27. The inductive device of claim 26, wherein said substantially insulating elements are substantially planar in shape, and at least portions of said conductive pathways comprise vias formed through the thickness of said substantially planar elements.