Transformer and plasma generator

• US 9,799,441 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2016
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Kamata, Hisahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hammond, Dedei K
• Application Number:
  US15/071,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20160278197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/2809 on stacked layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/02 Casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2804 Printed windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2823 Wires H01F27/2866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/323 Insulation between winding turns, between winding layers
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 2242/22 DC, AC or pulsed generators

Abstract

A transformer includes: a first winding; a second winding provided to maintain a first distance to the first winding; and a shell that seals the first winding and the second winding.

Claims

1. A transformer, comprising:

a first winding;

a second winding provided to maintain a first distance to the first winding; and

a shell that seals the first winding and the second winding;

wherein

the shell is sealed after water molecules therein are reduced, and

the shell is sealed after an air pressure therein is reduced to a vacuum state at an air pressure of 10<sup>−

1</sup> pascal (Pa) or lower than an atmospheric pressure.

2. A plasma generator, comprising:

the transformer according to claim 1;

an inverter circuit including the transformer serving as a voltage conversion unit; and

a plasma generating unit that uses an output voltage of the inverter circuit to generate a plasma.

3. A transformer, comprising:

a first winding;

a second winding provided around an outer circumference of the first winding to maintain a first distance to the first winding in a radial direction thereof;

a shell that seals the first winding and the second winding;

a first bridge that has a thickness equal to the first distance in the radial direction of the first winding, and that is provided on a part of the outer circumference of the first winding between the first and the second windings; and

a second bridge that has a thickness equal to a second distance in the radial direction of the second winding, and that is provided on a part of the outer circumference of the second winding between the second winding and the shell, wherein

the shell sealingly contains the first and the second windings with the second distance provided from an outer circumference of the second winding in a radial direction of the second winding.

4. The transformer according to claim 3, further comprising a core provided inside the first winding.

5. A plasma generator, comprising:

the transformer according to claim 3;

an inverter circuit including the transformer serving as a voltage conversion unit; and

a plasma generating unit that uses an output voltage of the inverter circuit to generate a plasma.

6. A transformer, comprising:

a first winding;

a second winding provided to maintain a first distance to the first winding; and

a shell that seals the first winding and the second winding, wherein

each of the first and the second windings is formed by a plurality of whirling patterns that are formed on a plurality of layers included in a multilayer board in which layers made of a conductor and an insulating material are stacked, and that do not overlap each other between adjacent first and second layers in a stacking direction of the multilayer board.

7. The transformer according to claim 6, wherein each of the windings is formed by connecting together a first whirling pattern formed on the first layer and a second whirling pattern formed on the second layer among the whirling patterns via a via-hole without having a portion overlapping in the stacking direction of the multilayer board.

8. The transformer according to claim 7, wherein each of the windings is formed by connecting the first and the second whirling patterns between ends at outermost circumferences thereof or between ends at innermost circumferences thereof via a via-hole.

9. The transformer according to claim 6, wherein the whirling patterns are not formed on outer layers of the multilayer board.

10. The transformer according to claim 7, wherein a third layer from which a conductor at least in a region corresponding to the first and the second whirling patterns is removed is provided between the first layer with the first whirling pattern formed thereon and the second layer with the second whirling pattern formed thereon.

11. The transformer according to claim 10, wherein the third layer includes a space in the region.

12. The transformer according to claim 6, wherein each of the whirling patterns is a spiral whirling pattern in which turns of the pattern are arranged at regular intervals in a radial direction thereof.

13. A plasma generator, comprising:

the transformer according to claim 6;

an inverter circuit including the transformer serving as a voltage conversion unit; and

a plasma generating unit that uses an output voltage of the inverter circuit to generate a plasma.