CURRENT SENSING DEVICES AND METHODS

• US 20110148561A1
• Filed: 11/24/2010
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pulse Electronics Incorporated (Yageo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pulse Electronics Incorporated (Yageo Corporation)
• Inventors: Lint, James Douglas, Jin, Fuxue, Michel, Francisco, Aldaco, Victor
• Granted Patent: US 9,151,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 336/192
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/181 using coils without a magnetic core, e.g. Rogowski coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0092 measuring current only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49071 by winding or coiling

Abstract

A low-cost and high-precision current sensing device and methods for use and manufacturing. In one embodiment, the current sensing apparatus comprises a Rogowski-type coil which is manufactured in segments so as to facilitate the manufacturing process. In an exemplary embodiment, the current sensing apparatus segments comprise a number of bobbin elements that are wound and subsequently formed into complex geometric shapes such as torus-like shapes. In an alternative embodiment, bonded windings are utilized which allow the segments to be formed without a bobbin or former. In yet another alternative embodiment, the aforementioned current sensing devices are stacked in groups of two or more. Methods of manufacturing and using the aforementioned current sensing apparatus are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A current sensing inductive device, comprising:

a plurality of bobbin elements, each element having one or more terminals with a conductive winding wound thereon; and

a printed circuit board with an aperture existing therein;

wherein said plurality of bobbin elements are disposed about said aperture and are electrically coupled to one another via said printed circuit board.

2. The inductive device of claim 1, further comprising:

a return conductor that electrically couples a leading one of said plurality of bobbin elements with a trailing one of said bobbin elements.

3. The inductive device of claim 1, wherein at least two of said plurality of bobbin elements are physically coupled to one another via a hinged coupling.

4. The inductive device of claim 3, wherein at least three of said plurality of bobbin elements are physically coupled to one another via one or more of a plurality of hinged couplings, respectively, with a first hinged coupling disposed on a first side of a winding channel of a first bobbin element, and a second hinged coupling disposed on a second side of said winding channel of said first bobbin element.

5. The inductive device of claim 1, wherein each of said bobbin elements comprises a pair of flanges with a winding spool disposed substantially therebetween, said conductive winding wound onto said winding spool.

6. The inductive device of claim 5, wherein said one or more terminals comprises self-leaded terminals incorporated into at least a sidewall of at least one of said pair of flanges.

7. The inductive device of claim 1, wherein said plurality of bobbin elements comprises three or more bobbin elements, with a start and a finish portion of said conductive winding being disposed on a non-end one of said three or more bobbin elements.

8. The inductive device of claim 1, wherein said conductive winding comprises a plurality layers disposed on one or more winding barrels of said bobbin elements.

9. The inductive device of claim 8, wherein at least one of said layers comprises a shielding layer operative to at least mitigate electromagnetic noise transmission during operation.

10. The inductive device of claim 9, wherein said plurality of layers comprises:

two or more shielding layers; and

two or more current sensing layers;

wherein said two or more shielding layers and said two or more current sensing layers are interleaved with one another.

11. A current sensing inductive device, comprising:

a plurality of linearly wound inductive elements, each element comprising;

a pair of flanges;

a winding channel disposed between said pair of flanges;

a plurality of layers of conductive winding disposed in said winding channel; and

one or more hinge features; and

a housing comprising a conductor receiving aperture;

wherein said plurality of linearly wound inductive elements are collectively disposed about said conductor receiving aperture in a substantially alternating or zigzag fashion.

12. The current sensing inductive device of claim 11, wherein at least one of said plurality of layers of windings comprises a shielding layer.

13. The current sensing inductive device of claim 12, wherein the direction of winding for said shielding layer alternates between adjacently disposed linearly wound inductive devices.

14. The current sensing inductive device of claim 11, wherein said conductor receiving aperture includes an integrated conductor that is to be sensed by said linearly wound inductive elements.

15. The current sensing inductive device of claim 11, wherein said housing further comprises a plurality of terminals for electrically interfacing with a printed circuit board.

16. The current sensing inductive device of claim 11, wherein said housing includes a plurality of alignment features that arrange said linearly wound inductive elements in said substantially alternating or zigzag fashion when said linearly wound inductive elements are received therein.

17. A method of manufacturing a current sensing inductive device, comprising:

securing a first end of a conductive winding to one of a plurality of segmented winding elements;

continuously winding said conductive winding onto said plurality of segmented winding elements in a sequential order; and

securing said second end of said conductive winding to one of said plurality of segmented winding elements.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said first end and said second end of said secured conductive winding is secured to the same one of said plurality of segmented winding elements.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said sequential order comprises:

traversing from a middle one of said plurality of segmented winding elements to a first end segmented winding element of said plurality of segmented winding elements;

traversing from said first end segmented winding element of said plurality of segmented winding elements to a second end segmented winding element of said plurality of segmented winding elements; and

traversing from said second end segmented winding element of said plurality of segmented winding elements back to said middle one of said plurality of segmented winding elements.

20. The method of claims 17, wherein said act of securing said first end comprises terminating said conductive winding onto a self-leaded terminal present on said one of said plurality of segmented winding elements.