LOW PROFILE POWER INDUCTOR

• US 20170345545A1
• Filed: 05/31/2016
• Published: 11/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Liu, Zhuo Min, Kanapady, Ramdev
• Application Number:
  US15/168,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20170345545A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/065 Mounting on printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/06 Mounting, supporting or suspending transformers, reactors or choke coils not being of the signal type
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/24 Magnetic cores
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/28 Coils; Windings; Conductive connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2852 Construction of conductive connections, of leads
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/306 Fastening or mounting coils or windings on core, casing or other support
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0263 High current adaptations, e.g. printed high current conductors or using auxiliary non-printed means; Fine and coarse circuit patterns on one circuit board H05K1/0293 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/181 associated with surface mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/086 for inductive purposes, e.g. printed inductor with ferrite core
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1003 Non-printed inductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

An electromagnetic component for a circuit board includes first and second magnetic core pieces and a bifilar coil extending between the first and second magnetic core pieces. The bifilar coil includes a first coil segment having first and second surface mount terminations, and a second coil segment having third and fourth surface mount terminations. The bifilar coil and core pieces facilitate a significant height reduction in the component while offering the same performance as existing power inductor components.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic component for a circuit board comprising:

a first magnetic core piece;

a second magnetic core piece; and

a bifilar coil extending between the first and second magnetic core pieces, wherein the bifilar coil comprises a first coil segment including first and second surface mount terminations and a second coil segment including third and fourth surface mount terminations.

2. The electromagnetic component of claim 1, wherein the first, second, third and fourth surface mount terminations extend on a first side edge of the first magnetic core piece.

3. The electromagnetic component of claim 2, wherein the first magnetic core piece comprises a second side edge opposing the first side edge, and the second side edge exposing a portion of the bifilar coil,

4. The electromagnetic component of claim 2, wherein the third and fourth surface mount terminations are located between the first and second surface mount terminations.

5. The electromagnetic component of claim 2, wherein the third and fourth surface mount terminations are offset from the first and second surface mount terminations.

6. The electromagnetic component of claim 1, wherein the first coil segment includes a first planar coil winding and the second coil segment includes a second planar coil winding, the first planar coil winding overlying the second planar coil winding.

7. The electromagnetic component of claim 6, wherein the first planar coil winding defines a first inner periphery, and the second planar coil winding defines a second inner periphery, the first inner periphery aligning with the second inner periphery.

8. The electromagnetic component of claim 7, wherein the first magnetic core piece comprises a guide protection, the guide projection having an outer periphery, the aligned first and second inner peripheries being received over the outer periphery of the guide projection.

9. The electromagnetic component of claim 8, wherein the second magnetic core piece is generally planar.

10. The electromagnetic component of claim 6, wherein the first planar coil winding defines a first outer periphery, and the second planar coil winding defines a second outer periphery, the first outer periphery being different from the second outer periphery.

11. The electromagnetic component of claim 1, in combination with the circuit board, and wherein the first coil segment and the second coil segment are electrically connected in parallel.

12. The electromagnetic component of claim 1, wherein the first magnetic core piece comprises opposing side walls, each of the opposing side walls including a straight section and a curved section.

13. The electromagnetic component of claim 11, wherein the curved section of each of the first and second opposing side walls is curved inwardly toward one another.

14. The electromagnetic component of claim 1, wherein the first magnetic core piece and the second magnetic core piece are differently shaped from one another.

15. The electromagnetic component of claim 1, wherein the first magnetic core piece is symmetrical and wherein the second magnetic core piece is asymmetrical.

16. The electromagnetic component of claim 1, wherein the bifilar coil completes a single turn of an inductor winding.

17. The electromagnetic component of claim 1, wherein the bifilar coil is preformed from the first and second magnetic core pieces.

18. The electromagnetic component of claim 17, wherein the first, second, third and fourth surface mount terminations are formed integrally with the bifilar coil.

19. The electromagnetic component of claim 1, wherein the component has a height dimension of less than about 5 mm.

20. The electromagnetic component of claim 1, wherein the component is a power inductor.