Low profile inductor

• US 6,621,397 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2001
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Hsu, Han-Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Anh
• Application Number:
  US09/907,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20020017972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 336/200, 336/83, 336/223, 336/232, 336/192, 336/65, 336/96, 296/021
• US Class Current: 336/96
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/043 with two, usually identical or nearly identical parts enclosing completely the coil (pot cores)
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/046 helical coil made of flat wire, e.g. with smaller extension of wire cross section in the direction of the longitudinal axis
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2847 Sheets; Strips H01F27/2866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor

Abstract

The present invention provides a low profile inductor and a method of making the same. First, a core seat including a cavity and two openings is provided. Then, a flat coil is embedded in the cavity of the core seat. The flat coil includes a first terminal and a second terminal extending outward or revealed by the openings so as to serving as the pins of the inductor. Further, a core cover is formed on the flat coil and the core seat.

Claims

1. A method for forming an inductor, comprising:

providing a core seat including a cavity and two openings, said openings formed on sidewalls of said core seat;

forming a flat coil in said cavity of said core seat, said flat coil including a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminal and said second terminal extending outward or revealed by said openings so as to serving as pins of said inductor, wherein said first terminal and said second terminal extend toward different directions; and

forming a core cover on said flat coil and said core seat, both of said core cover and said core seat serving as a core of said inductor.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said flat coil is formed of a wound inductive strip with a rectangular cross section, and said inductive strip comprises a plurality of parallel turns, and each of the turns includes an upper surface and a lower surface, and the lower surface of the upper turn is substantially close to said upper surface of the lower turn after said inductive strip is wound.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said inductive strip further comprises an insulating film coated thereon.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cavity of said core seat closely meets a shape of said inductive strip.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprises:

bending said first terminal and said second terminal toward a bottom surface of said core seat.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said core seat is made of iron-silicon alloy.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said core cover is made of iron-silicon alloy.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said openings are formed on the same sidewall of said core seat.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein an extending direction of said first terminal and an extending direction of said second terminal constitute an included angle having 90 degrees.

10. A method for forming an inductor, comprising:

providing a core seat including a cavity and two openings, said openings formed on sidewalls of said core seat;

forming a flat coil in said cavity of said core seat, said flat coil being formed by winding an inductive strip at least one turn and in parallel, thickness of said flat coil being substantial the same to the product of thickness of said flat coil and turns of said flat coil, said flat coil including a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminal and said second terminal being not parallel, said first terminal and said second terminal extending outward or revealed by said openings so as to serving as pins of said inductor; and

forming a core cover on said flat coil and said core seat, both of said core cover and said core seat serving as a core of said inductor.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said inductive strip further comprising an insulating film coated thereon.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said cavity of said core seat closely meets a shape of said inductive strip.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprises:

bending said first terminal and said second terminal toward a bottom surface of said core seat.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein said core seat is made of iron-silicon alloy.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein said core cover is made of iron-silicon alloy.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein an extending direction of said first terminal and an extending direction of said second terminal constitute an included angle having 90 degrees.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said openings are formed on the same sidewall of said core seat.

18. An inductor, comprising:

a flat coil, said flat coil being formed by winding an inductive strip to form at least one parallel turn, a thickness of said flat coil being substantial the same to the product of a thickness of said flat coil and turns of said flat coil, said flat coil including a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminal and said second terminal being not parallel, an extending direction of said first terminal and an extending direction of said second terminal being not parallel;

a core, further comprising;

a core seat including a cavity and two openings, said openings formed on sidewalls of said core seat, said first terminal and said second terminal extending outward or revealed by said openings so as to serving as pins of said inductor; and

a core cover;

wherein said flat coil is formed in said cavity of said core seat and said core cover is formed on said flat coil and said core seat.

19. The inductor according to claim 18, wherein said inductive strip further comprises an insulating film coated thereon.

20. The inductor according to claim 18, wherein said cavity of said core seat closely meets a shape of said inductive strip.

21. The inductor according to claim 18, further comprising:

bending said first terminal and said second terminal toward a bottom surface of said core seat.