Magnetic components and methods of manufacturing the same

• US 8,279,037 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2009
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Yan, Yipeng, Bogert, Robert James
• Primary Examiner(s): Musleh, Mohamad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hinson, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US12/508,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20100007457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 336/233, 336/234
• US Class Current: 336/233
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/04 with magnetic core
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/0066 with a magnetic layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/048 with encapsulating core, e.g. made of resin and magnetic powder
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/255 made from particles H01F27/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2847 Sheets; Strips H01F27/2866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/292 Surface mounted devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 3/14 Constrictions; Gaps, e.g. air-gaps in magnetic shunt paths H01F3/12

Abstract

Magnetic component assemblies and core structures including coil coupling arrangements, that are advantageously utilized in providing surface mount magnetic components such as inductors and transformers.

Claims

1. A magnetic component assembly comprising:

a single piece magnetic body fabricated entirely from at least one moldable magnetic material having distributed gap properties; and

a plurality of preformed coils embedded in the magnetic body, each coil comprising a first surface mount terminal, a second surface mount terminal, and a winding therebetween;

wherein the plurality of coils are arranged within the magnetic body in a flux sharing relationship with one another, and wherein the magnetic body and plurality of coils form a coupled power inductor wherein each coil is respectively connectable to a different phase of electrical power, wherein self-inductance and coupled inductance between different phases of electrical power carried by the respective plurality of coils is provided; and

wherein the at least one moldable magnetic material includes a first magnetic material having first magnetic properties and a second magnetic material having second magnetic properties, the second magnetic properties being different;

from the first magnetic properties.

2. The magnetic component assembly of claim 1, wherein the second magnetic material separates at least a portion of the first magnetic material and a portion of each of the plurality of preformed coils.

3. The magnetic component assembly of claim 1, wherein the second magnetic material extends to a top surface, a bottom surface, opposing end surfaces, and lateral side surfaces of the magnetic body.

4. The magnetic component assembly of claim 1, wherein the second magnetic material extends in a first plane and in a second plane extending substantially perpendicular to the first plane.

5. The magnetic component assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one moldable magnetic material comprises a plurality of pressed magnetic sheets.

6. The magnetic component assembly of claim 4 wherein one of the first and second magnetic materials comprises a magnetic powder.

7. The magnetic component assembly of claim 4, wherein at least one of the first and second magnetic materials is pressed around the plurality of preformed coils.

8. The magnetic component assembly of claim 4, wherein the first and second magnetic materials collectively define a solid body around the plurality of preformed coils.

9. The magnetic component assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of preformed coils are flat coils.

10. The magnetic component assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of preformed coils each respectively defines a first partial turn of a winding.

11. The magnetic component assembly of claim 10, further comprising a circuit board, wherein the circuit board defines a second partial turn of a winding for each of the plurality of preformed coils, the first and second partial turns being connected to one another.

12. The magnetic component assembly of claim 1, wherein the respective surface mount terminations of the plurality of preformed coils define an asymmetrical pattern on a face of the magnetic body.

13. The magnetic component assembly of claim 1, wherein a plurality of physical gaps are formed in the magnetic body.

14. The magnetic component assembly of claim 13, wherein the plurality of physical gaps extend outwardly from a portion of each of the respective plurality of preformed coils to respective end edges of the magnetic body.

15. The magnetic component assembly of claim 14, wherein the assembly further includes a circuit board, and the plurality of physical gaps extend substantially parallel to a plane of the circuit board.

16. The magnetic component assembly of claim 15, wherein the plurality of physical gaps are spaced apart and generally coplanar to one another.

17. The magnetic component assembly of claim 16, wherein the plurality of physical gaps extend only on the respective opposing ends of the magnetic body.

18. The magnetic component assembly of claim 13, wherein the plurality of preformed coils are spaced apart from one another, and the plurality of physical gaps do not extend between adjacent coils.

19. The magnetic component assembly of claim 13, wherein the physical gaps extend outwardly from each of the respective plurality of preformed coils to a top surface of the magnetic body.

20. The magnetic component assembly of claim 19, further comprising a circuit board, wherein the physical gaps extend substantially perpendicular to a plane of the circuit board.

21. The magnetic component assembly of claim 20, the bottom surface of the magnetic body in abutting contact with the circuit board and the top surface opposing the bottom surface.

22. The magnetic component assembly of claim 13, wherein the physical gaps extend outwardly from each of the respective plurality of preformed coils to a bottom surface of the magnetic body.

23. The magnetic component assembly of claim 22, further comprising a circuit board, the bottom surface of the magnetic body in abutting contact with the circuit board.

24. The magnetic component assembly of claim 23, wherein the physical gaps extend substantially perpendicular to a plane of the circuit board.

25. The magnetic component assembly of claim 13, wherein the physical gaps comprises a plurality of spaced apart and substantially parallel gaps.

26. The magnetic component assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one moldable magnetic material further includes a third magnetic material different from the first and second magnetic materials.

27. The magnetic component assembly of claim 26, wherein the third magnetic material is interposed between the first and second magnetic materials.

28. The magnetic component assembly of claim 26, wherein the third magnetic material has a different thickness between adjacent pairs of the plurality of coils.

29. The magnetic component assembly of claim 26, wherein the first, second, and third magnetic materials are pressed to one another.

30. The magnetic component assembly of claim 26, wherein at least one of the first and second magnetic materials comprises stacked magnetic sheets.

31. The magnetic component assembly of claim 27, wherein at least one of the first and second magnetic materials comprises moldable magnetic powder.

32. The magnetic component assembly of claim 26, wherein the first and second magnetic materials have distributed gap properties.

33. A magnetic component assembly comprising:

a single piece magnetic body fabricated from a moldable magnetic material having distributed gap properties, the single piece magnetic body having a top surface, a bottom surface, opposing end surfaces interconnecting the top and bottom surfaces, and opposing lateral side surfaces interconnecting the top surface, the bottom surface and the opposing end surfaces; and

a plurality of preformed coils, each of the plurality of preformed coils comprising a first terminal for connection to a circuit board, a second terminal for connection to a circuit board, and a winding between the first and second terminals;

wherein the winding of each of the plurality of preformed coils is embedded in the magnetic body and the plurality of coils are spaced from one another in an axial direction extending parallel to the opposing lateral side surfaces and perpendicular to the opposing end surfaces;

wherein the moldable magnetic material includes a first magnetic material having first magnetic properties and a second magnetic material having second magnetic properties, the second magnetic properties being different from the first magnetic properties.

34. The magnetic component assembly of claim 33, wherein the plurality of coils are arranged within the magnetic body in a flux sharing relationship with one another, and wherein the magnetic body and plurality of coils form a coupled power inductor wherein each coil is respectively connectable to a different phase of electrical power, wherein self inductance and coupled inductance between different phases of electrical power carried by the respective plurality of coils is provided.