SUBSTRATE INDUCTIVE DEVICES AND METHODS

• US 20100013589A1
• Filed: 07/15/2009
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pulse Electronics Incorporated (Yageo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pulse Electronics Incorporated (Yageo Corporation)
• Inventors: Schaffer, Christopher P., Gutierrez, Aurelio J., Lindner, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,982,572 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 17/062 Toroidal core with turns of coil around it
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/40 Structural association with built-in electric component, e.g. fuse
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/046 structurally combined with ferromagnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/165 incorporating printed inductors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor

Abstract

Methods and Apparatus for providing a low-cost and high-precision inductive device. In one embodiment, the inductive device comprises a plurality of vias having extended ends which replace windings disposed around a magnetically permeable core. In another embodiment, the inductive device comprises a wired center core as well as a plurality of vias having extended ends 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 as well as the wired core centers is disclosed.

Claims

1. A wire-less inductive device, comprising:

a plurality of substrates, each comprised of an exterior surface which is at least partly copper plated, each of said substrates having one or more windings formed thereon and further comprising a plurality of extended conductors, at least a portion of said plurality of extended conductors extending from said exterior copper plated surface and substantially through said substrate; and

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

2. The wire-less inductive device of claim 1, wherein said plurality of extended conductors of a first of said substrates extend above an interior surface of said first substrate so as to mate with corresponding ones of said extended conductors. of a second of said substrates.

3. The wire-less inductive device of claim 2, wherein the one or more windings and said plurality of extended conductors are physically separated from said magnetically permeable core.

4. The wire-less inductive device of claim 1, wherein said plurality of substrates comprises at least three substrates comprising a top substrate, a bottom substrate and one or more middle substrates.

5. The wire-less inductive device of claim 2, wherein at least one of said plurality of substrates further comprises an incorporated electronic component.

6. The wire-less inductive device of claim 4, further comprising a second magnetically permeable core, said second magnetically permeable core in combination with said plurality of substrates, said incorporated electronic component and said magnetically permeable core, forming a complete filter circuit.

7. The wire-less inductive device of claim 1, further comprising a capacitive structure disposed within at least one of said plurality of substrates, said capacitive structure comprising a plurality of capacitive plates, said plurality of capacitive plates placed substantially parallel to one another in a layered configuration.

8. A method of manufacturing a wire-less inductive device, comprising:

disposing a plurality of conductive windings onto a first and second substrate header;

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

joining said first and second headers via a plurality of extended ends that extend from the surfaces of their respective first and second substrate header thereby forming said wire-less inductive device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

forming said first and second substrate headers such that they are substantially identical to one another, said first and second substrate headers further comprising at least two degrees of achirality.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said act of disposing said plurality of conductive windings comprises disposing said plurality of conductive windings with at least two different defined angular spacings.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising disposing a self-leaded contact on at least one of said first or second substrate headers.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising underfilling said joined first and second headers to increase resistance to high potential voltages.

13. A partially wired inductive device, comprising:

a plurality of substrates, each of said substrates having one or more conductive pathways formed thereon;

a wired core center; and

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

14. The partially wired inductive device of claim 13, wherein said wired core center comprises a molded bundle of magnet wires.

15. The partially wired inductive device of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of outer winding vias disposed in each of said plurality of substrates

16. The partially wired inductive device of claim 15, wherein each of said plurality of substrates further comprises a plurality of extended vias disposed thereon, at least a portion of said plurality of extended vias interconnecting said plurality of substrates.

17. The partially wired inductive device of claim 15, wherein said plurality of outer winding vias are in electrical communication with said wired core center via said one or more conductive pathways formed on said plurality of substrates.

18. A method of manufacturing a partially wired inductive device, comprising:

disposing a winding material in electrical communication with a first and a second substrate header, wherein at least a portion of said winding material comprises a wired core center;

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

joining said first and second headers thereby forming said partially wired inductive device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said wired core center for use in said partially wired inductive device is formed according to the method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of magnet wires;

molding said plurality of magnet wires; and

cleaving said molded magnet wires.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said wired core center is further formed by encasing said molded magnet wires with a jacketing material.

21. A wire-less inductive device, comprising:

a first substrate, said substrate comprised of an exterior surface which is at least partly conductively plated, said first substrate having one or more winding portions formed thereon and further comprising a first plurality of extended conductors, at least a portion of said first plurality of extended conductors of said first substrate extending from the exterior at least partly conductively plated surface thereof and through said first substrate so as to be elevated above an interior surface of said first substrate;

a second substrate, said substrate comprised of an exterior surface which is at least partly conductively plated, said second substrate having one or more winding portions formed thereon and further comprising a second plurality of extended conductors, at least a portion of said second plurality of extended conductors of said second substrate extending from the exterior at least partly conductively plated surface thereof and through said second substrate so as to be elevated above an interior surface of said second substrate; and

a magnetically permeable core, said core disposed at least partly between said first and second substrates;

wherein when said wire-less device is assembled, said first plurality of extended conductors are each in electrical communication with corresponding ones of said second plurality of extended conductors, thereby forming electrical pathways disposed at least partly around said core.

22. The wire-less inductive device of claim 21, further comprising a second magnetically permeable core, said second magnetically permeable core in combination with said substrates, said incorporated electronic component, and said magnetically permeable core, forming a complete filter circuit.

23. The wire-less inductive device of claim 21, further comprising a capacitive structure disposed within at least one of said substrates, said capacitive structure comprising a plurality of capacitive plates, said plurality of capacitive plates placed substantially parallel to one another in a layered configuration.

24. The wire-less inductive device of claim 21, wherein at least one of said first and second substrates comprises a recess adapted to receive at least a portion of said core.

25. The wire-less inductive device of claim 24, wherein ones of said plurality of extended conductors of both said first and second substrates are disposed in a substantially concentric fashion both inside and outside of the radius of said recess so as to form inner and outer rings of extended conductors around said recess.