MINIATURE POWER INDUCTOR AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURE

• US 20100259352A1
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Bogert, Robert James, Yan, Yipeng, Manoukian, Daniel Minas
• Granted Patent: US 8,941,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 336/200
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/0006 Printed inductances printed coils for dynamo-electric machines H02K3/26; printed circuits H05K
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/04 with magnetic core
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/2819 Planar transformers with printed windings, e.g. surrounded by two cores and to be mounted on printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/292 Surface mounted devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 5/003 Printed circuit coils

Abstract

Magnetic components such as power inductors for circuit board applications include pressure laminate constructions involving flexible dielectric sheets that may integrally include magnetic powder materials. The dielectric sheets may be pressure laminated around a coil winding in an economical and reliable manner, with performance advantages over known magnetic component constructions.

Claims

1. A magnetic component comprising:

a laminated structure comprising;

a coil winding comprising a first end, a second end, and a winding portion extending between the first and second ends and completing a number of turns; and

a plurality of stacked dielectric material layers pressed to and joined with one another, the stacked dielectric material layers surrounding the winding portion of the coil winding;

wherein the coil winding is separately fabricated from all of the plurality of stacked dielectric layers; and

terminations coupled to the first and second ends of the coil winding for establishing surface mount circuit connections to the coil winding.

2. The magnetic component of claim 1, wherein the dielectric sheets comprise a flexible composite film.

3. The magnetic component of claim 2, wherein the composite film material comprises a thermoplastic resin.

4. The magnetic component of claim 3, wherein the composite film comprises further comprises magnetic powder.

5. The magnetic component of claim 4, wherein the magnetic powder comprises soft magnetic particles.

6. The magnetic component of claim 2, wherein the composite film comprises a polyimide material.

7. The magnetic component of claim 1, wherein the plurality of stacked dielectric layers comprise flexible magnetic powder sheets.

8. The magnetic component of claim 7, wherein the magnetic powder sheets comprise magnetic-polymer composite film.

9. The magnetic component of claim 8, wherein the composite film comprises soft magnetic powder mixed with a thermoplastic resin.

10. The magnetic component of claim 9, wherein the flexible magnetic powder sheets are stackable as a solid material.

11. The magnetic component of claim 10, wherein the flexible magnetic powder sheets have a relative magnetic permeability of at about 10.0 or more.

12. The magnetic component of claim 7, wherein the flexible magnetic powder sheets are pressed around outer surfaces of the coil winding, wherein the flexible magnetic powder sheets are flexed around the coil without creating a physical gap between the flexible magnetic powder sheets and the coil.

13. The magnetic component of claim 1, wherein the coil winding comprises a flexible wire conductor wound into a freestanding, self supporting structure.

14. The magnetic component of claim 1, wherein the coil winding defines an open center area, and a magnetic material occupies the open center area.

15. The magnetic component of claim 14, wherein the magnetic material is separately provided from the stacked dielectric layers.

16. The magnetic component of claim 14, wherein the magnetic material is integrally provided with the stacked dielectric material layers.

17. The magnetic component of claim 1, wherein the plurality of stacked dielectric material are layers laminated with pressure but not heat.

18. The magnetic component of claim 1, wherein the surface mount terminations are formed on at least one of the stacked dielectric material layers.

19. The magnetic component of claim 1, wherein the component is a miniature power inductor.

20. A method of manufacturing a magnetic component, the component including a coil winding and a core structure therefore;

the coil winding having a first end, a second end, and a winding portion extending between the first and second ends and completing a number of turns;

the core structure including a plurality of dielectric material layers;

the method comprising;

obtaining a plurality of pre-fabricated dielectric material layers;

obtaining at least one pre-fabricated coil winding;

coupling the at least one pre-fabricated coil winding to the plurality of pre-fabricated dielectric material layers via a pressure lamination process; and

providing terminations for establishing surface mount circuit connections to first and second ends of the coil winding.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the pressure lamination process does not include a heat lamination process.

22. The method of claim 20, the coil winding including an open center, the method further comprising:

obtaining a pre-fabricated magnetic core material; and

filling the open center with the pre-fabricated magnetic core material.

23. A product obtained by the method of claim 20.

24. The product of claim 23, wherein the dielectric material layers include thermoplastic resin.

25. The product of claim 24, wherein the dielectric material layers further include magnetic powder.

26. The product of claim 25, wherein the dielectric material layers have a relative magnetic permeability of at least about 10.

27. The product of claim 26, wherein the product is a miniature power inductor.

28. A magnetic component comprising:

a laminated structure comprising;

a coil winding comprising a first end, a second end, and a winding portion extending between the first and second ends and completing a number of turns; and

at least one dielectric material layer pressed to and joined with the coil layer, whereby the at least one dielectric material layer surrounds the winding portion of the coil winding;

wherein the coil winding is separately fabricated from the at least one dielectric layers; and

terminations coupled to the first and second ends of the coil winding for establishing surface mount circuit connections to the coil winding.

29. The magnetic component of claim 28, wherein the at least one dielectric material layer comprises a plurality of dielectric material layers pressed to and joined with one another.

30. The magnetic component of claim 28, wherein the at least one dielectric material layer comprises a single layer.