Integrated capacitor and inductor

• US 7,492,240 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Lynch, William A., McConnell, Richard A., Cho, Chahee P., Ly, Thong N.
• Primary Examiner(s): JEANGLAUDE, JEAN BRUNER
• Application Number:
  US11/543,283
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 333/174, 333/181, 333/185
• US Class Current: 333/185
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 1/0007 of radio frequency interference filters

Abstract

An integrated capacitor and inductor device for separate use as a capacitor and inductor. The device has a four-terminal arrangement having separate capacitor and inductor terminals, which allows connection as two independent circuit elements within one physical package. The device includes a hollow vessel having an exposed integrated capacitor element, in which the exposed integrated capacitor element comprises at least a portion of the hollow vessel. The device also includes a coil winding at least partially within the hollow vessel, electrically communicating with the integrated capacitor element. The integrated capacitor and inductor device may be configured in a plurality of shapes, using different materials to maximize the effects of electric and magnetic fields.

Claims

1. A hybrid capacitor and inductor device comprising:

a hollow vessel having, an exposed integrated capacitor element, wherein the exposed integrated capacitor element comprises at least a portion of the hollow vessel, and wherein the hollow vessel is a cylindrical form;

a coil winding at least partially within the hollow vessel, electrically communicating with the integrated capacitor element;

a first set of terminals connected to the integrated capacitor element to enable use as a capacitor;

a second set of terminals connected to the coil winding to enable use as an inductor;

a bobbin enclosed within the hollow vessel, the bobbin comprising;

an upper end face;

a lower end face; and

an axle connecting the upper end face to the lower end face;

wherein the hollow vessel comprises;

an upper cover, and

a lower cover, wherein the upper end face of the bobbin is attached to the upper cover and a lower end face of the bobbin is attached to the lower cover, and

wherein the coil winding is wound around the axle of the bobbin and within the hollow vessel.

2. The hybrid capacitor and inductor of claim 1, further including an adjustable element for adjusting the effective surface area of the capacitor element, to adjust the capacitance of the device.

3. The hybrid capacitor and inductor of claim 1, wherein the integrated capacitor element comprises a plurality of capacitive layers positioned parallel to a longitudinal axis of the bobbin axle, to create orthogonal electric and magnetic fields.

4. The hybrid capacitor and inductor of claim 1, wherein the integrated capacitor element comprises a plurality of stacked layers with each stacked layer perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the bobbin axle, to create parallel electric and magnetic fields.

5. A hybrid capacitor and inductor device comprising:

a hollow vessel having, an exposed integrated capacitor element, wherein the exposed integrated capacitor element comprises at least a portion of the hollow vessel, and wherein the hollow vessel is a toroidal form;

a coil winding at least partially within the hollow vessel, electrically communicating with the integrated capacitor element;

a first set of terminals connected to the integrated capacitor element to enable use as a capacitor;

a second set of terminals connected to the coil winding to enable use as an inductor;

wherein the hollow vessel comprises;

an inner surface portion;

an outer surface portion;

a top surface portion; and

a bottom surface portion, wherein the coil winding is wound around the inner surface portion, the outer surface portion, the top surface portion, and the bottom surface portion, wherein the inner surface portion, the outer surface portion, the top surface portion and bottom surface portion each comprise one of a dielectric layer or a ferromagnetic layer.

6. A hybrid capacitor and inductor device comprising:

a hollow vessel having, an exposed integrated capacitor element, wherein the exposed integrated capacitor element comprises at least a portion of the hollow vessel, and wherein the hollow vessel is a toroidal form;

a coil winding at least partially within the hollow vessel, electrically communicating with the integrated capacitor element;

a first set of terminals connected to the integrated capacitor element to enable use as a capacitor;

a second set of terminals connected to the coil winding to enable use as an inductor;

wherein the hollow vessel comprises;

an inner surface portion;

an outer surface portion;

a top surface portion; and

a bottom surface portion, wherein the coil winding is wound around the inner surface portion, the outer surface portion, the top surface portion and the bottom surface portion, wherein the inner surface portion and the outer surface portion each comprise a dielectric layer, and the top surface portion and bottom surface portions each comprise a ferromagnetic layer.

7. The hybrid capacitor and inductor device of claim 6, wherein the integrated capacitive element comprises a plurality of parallel dielectric and ferromagnetic layers, the parallel layers arranged perpendicular to the plane of the top surface portion and the bottom surface portion.

8. A hybrid capacitor and inductor device comprising:

a hollow vessel having, an exposed integrated capacitor element, wherein the exposed integrated capacitor element comprises at least a portion of the hollow vessel, and wherein the hollow vessel is a toroidal form;

a coil winding at least partially within the hollow vessel, electrically communicating with the integrated capacitor element;

a first set of terminals connected to the integrated capacitor element to enable use as a capacitor;

a second set of terminals connected to the coil winding to enable use as an inductor;

wherein the hollow vessel comprises;

an inner surface portion;

an outer surface portion;

a top surface portion; and

a bottom surface portion, wherein the coil winding is wound around the inner surface portion, the outer surface portion, the top surface portion and the bottom surface portion, wherein the inner surface portion and the outer surface portions each comprise a ferromagnetic layer, and the top surface portion and bottom surface portions each comprise a dielectric layer.

9. The hybrid capacitor and inductor device of claim 8, wherein the integrated capacitive element comprises a plurality of stacked parallel dielectric and ferromagnetic layers, the stacked parallel layers arranged parallel to the plane of the top surface portion and the bottom surface portion.

10. An integrated capacitor and inductor device comprising:

a hollow vessel comprising;

an upper cover,

a lower cover, and

an exposed integrated capacitor element, wherein the hollow vessel has a cylindrical shape;

a bobbin enclosed within the hollow vessel, the bobbin comprising;

an upper end face,

a lower end face, and

an axle connecting the upper end face to the lower end face, the upper end face contacting the upper cover and a lower end face contacting the lower cover;

a coil winding around the bobbin and within the hollow vessel; and

four terminals to enable separate use as a capacitor and an inductor, with two of the four terminals connected to the coil windings and the other two of the four terminals connected to the integrated capacitor element.

11. The integrated capacitor and inductor device of claim 10, wherein the bobbin comprises, powdered iron, and the upper and lower disks are formed of a ferrite material.

12. The integrated capacitor and inductor of claim 11, wherein the integrated capacitor element comprises a plurality of capacitive layers positioned parallel to a longitudinal axis of the bobbin axle, to create orthogonal electric and magnetic fields.

13. The integrated capacitor and inductor of claim 12, having an adjustable element for adjusting the effective surface area of the capacitor element, to adjust the capacitance of the device.

14. The integrated capacitor and inductor device of claim 11, wherein the integrated capacitor element comprises a plurality of stacked capacitive layers, the stacked layers positioned perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the bobbin axle, to created parallel electric and magnetic fields.

15. The integrated capacitor and inductor of claim 14, having an adjustable element for adjusting the effective surface area of the capacitor element, to adjust the capacitance of the device.

16. An integrated capacitor and inductor device comprising:

a hollow vessel having a toroidal shape;

an exposed integrated capacitor element, wherein the exposed integrated capacitor element comprises at least a portion of the hollow vessel, the hollow vessel comprising;

an inner surface portion,

an outer surface portion,

a top surface portion, and

a bottom surface portion;

a coil winding at least partially within the hollow vessel, and at least partially outside the hollow vessel, electrically communicating with the integrated capacitor element; and

four terminals to enable separate use as a capacitor and an inductor, with two of the four terminals connected to the coil windings and the other two of the four terminals connected to the integrated capacitor element, wherein coil winding is wound around the inner surface portion, the outer surface portion, the top surface portion, and the bottom surface portion, wherein the inner surface portion and the outer surface portion each comprise one of a ferromagnetic layer or a dielectric layer, and wherein the top surface portion and bottom surface portion each comprise one of a ferromagnetic layer or a dielectric layer.

17. The integrated capacitor and inductor of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is packaged in a plastic casing with four terminals available from the outside of the plastic casing.

18. The integrated capacitor and inductor of claim 16 wherein the top surface portion and the bottom surface portion both comprise a ferromagnetic layer, and the inner surface portion and the outer surface portion both comprise a dielectric layer, and the capacitive element comprises a plurality of parallel dielectric and ferromagnetic layers, the parallel layers arranged perpendicular to the plane of the top surface and bottom surface portions.

19. The integrated capacitor and inductor of claim 16 wherein the top surface portion and the bottom surface portion both comprise a dielectric layer, and the inner surface portion and the outer surface portion both comprise a ferromagnetic layer, and the capacitive element comprises a plurality of stacked parallel dielectric and ferromagnetic layers, the stacked parallel layers arranged parallel to the plane of the top and bottom surface portions.