A switching converter and associated inductor assembly

Abstract

A switching converter and its inductor assembly are disclosed. The inductor assembly includes first to fourth terminals, a magnetic core, a first coil, and a second coil. The first coil includes first to third coil segments. The first coil segment extends to a first side of the inductor assembly to form a first terminal, and the second coil segment extends to a second side of the inductor assembly to form a fourth terminal. The second side of the inductor assembly is opposite to the first side of the inductor assembly. The second coil includes fourth to sixth coil segments. The fourth coil segment extends to the first side of the inductor assembly to form a second terminal, the fifth coil segment extends to the second side of the inductor assembly to form a third terminal, and the sixth coil segment at least partially overlaps with the third coil segment. The magnetic core includes a center leg, and the third and sixth coil segments are wound around the center leg. The inductor assembly of the present invention enables the magnetic flux of the two coils in the center leg to at least partially cancel each other out, thereby reducing core losses and improving the efficiency of the switching converter.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic circuit, and more specifically, to an inductor assembly. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Typically, a power converter converts input power into output power to provide the required voltage and current to a load. Multiphase power converters consist of multiple parallel, out-of-phase power stages, thus offering advantages such as low output voltage ripple, fast transient response, and low rated ripple current requirements for the input capacitor. They are widely used in high-current, low-voltage applications, such as servers and microprocessors.

[0003] With the rapid development of modern GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) and CPUs (Central Processing Units), increasingly higher load currents are required to achieve better processor performance. However, higher currents and smaller dimensions pose greater challenges to the heat conduction of power converters. Therefore, there is a need to provide a power module with high power density, high efficiency, and excellent heat dissipation capabilities within a limited space.

[0004] At the same time, these processors are becoming smaller and smaller, which means that the size of multiphase power converters needs to be reduced accordingly. The increasing current and decreasing size of multiphase power converters present even greater challenges to heat dissipation. Therefore, there is a need to provide a power module with high power density, high efficiency, and excellent heat dissipation capabilities for use in space-constrained environments. [Summary of the Invention]

[0005] Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention proposes a switching converter and its inductor assembly.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an inductor assembly is provided, including a first pin, a second pin, a third pin, a fourth pin, a magnetic core, a first coil, and a second coil. The magnetic core includes a first core portion, wherein the first core portion includes a center leg. The first coil includes a first coil segment, a second coil segment, and a third coil segment. The first coil segment extends to a first side of the inductor assembly to form a first pin, and the second coil segment extends to a second side of the inductor assembly to form a fourth pin. The second side of the inductor assembly is opposite to the first side of the inductor assembly. The second coil includes a fourth coil segment, a fifth coil segment, and a sixth coil segment. The fourth coil segment extends to the first side of the inductor assembly to form a second pin, the fifth coil segment extends to the second side of the inductor assembly to form a third pin, and the sixth coil segment at least partially overlaps with the third coil segment. The third coil segment and the sixth coil segment are wound around the center leg.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a switching converter is provided, comprising a first pair of switches, a second pair of switches, and an inductor assembly. The inductor assembly includes a first input pin, a second input pin, a first output pin, a second output pin, a magnetic core, a first coil, and a second coil. The first input pin is coupled to a first switching node formed by the first pair of switches, and the second input pin is coupled to a second switching node formed by the second pair of switches. The first coil includes a first coil segment, a second coil segment, and a third coil segment, wherein the first coil segment extends to form the first input pin, and the second coil segment extends to form the first output pin. The second coil includes a fourth coil segment, a fifth coil segment, and a sixth coil segment, wherein the fourth coil segment extends to form the second input pin, the fifth coil segment extends to form the second output pin, and the sixth coil segment at least partially overlaps with the third coil segment. The magnetic core includes a center leg, wherein the third and sixth coil segments are wound around the center leg.

[0008] Compared with conventional technology, the inductor assembly of the present invention enables the magnetic flux generated by the two coils to at least partially cancel each other in the center leg of the magnetic core, thereby reducing magnetic core loss. The switching converter using this coupled inductor assembly has higher efficiency.

Implementation Method

[0010] Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail. It should be noted that the embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these specific details are not necessary to practice the invention. In other instances, well-known circuits, materials, or methods have not been specifically described to avoid obscuring the invention.

[0011] Throughout this specification, references to “an embodiment,” “an example,” or “example” mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Therefore, the phrases “in an embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” “an example,” or “example” appearing in various places throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in one or more embodiments or examples in any suitable combination and / or sub-combination. Moreover, those skilled in the art will understand that the accompanying drawings provided herein are for illustrative purposes and are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should be understood that when an element is referred to as “coupled” or “connected” to another element, it can be directly coupled to or coupled to the other element, or there may be intermediate elements. Conversely, when an element is referred to as “directly coupled to” or “directly connected” to another element, there are no intermediate elements. The same reference numerals indicate the same elements. The term “and / or” as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0012] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of a switching converter 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The switching converter 100 receives an input voltage Vin at an input terminal 101 and provides an output voltage Vo at an output terminal 102. The switching converter 100 includes a coupling inductor assembly 30 having anti-coupled inductors L1 and L2. Both inductors L1 and L2 have a first terminal and a second terminal. The first terminal of inductor L1 is coupled to a switching node SW1 formed by a first pair of switches (e.g., switches M2 and M3), and the second terminal of inductor L1 is coupled to the output terminal 102. The first terminal of inductor L2 is coupled to a switching node SW formed by a second pair of switches (e.g., switches M5 and M6), and the second terminal of inductor L2 is coupled to the output terminal 102. As shown in FIG1, when the switching converter 100 is operating, current i1 flows through inductor L1 and current i2 flows through inductor L2. The inductor assembly 30 can reduce current ripple while maintaining a fast transient response.

[0013] In the embodiment shown in FIG1, the switching converter 100 is a hybrid buck converter, including a switching circuit 10, a switching circuit 20, flying capacitors Cfly1 and Cfly2, and an inductor assembly 30, wherein the switching circuit 10 includes a first pair of switches, and the switching circuit 20 includes a second pair of switches. The inductor assembly 30 includes two anti-coupled inductors L1 and L2. Those skilled in the art will understand that the switching converter 100 may also use other topologies.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the switching circuit 10 has switches M1~M3 connected in series between the input terminal 101 and the reference ground GND. The first end of switch M1 is coupled to the input terminal 101, and the second end of switch M1 is coupled to the first end of switch M2 to form an intermediate node mid1. The second end of switch M2 is coupled to the first end of switch M3 to form a switching node SW1, and the second end of switch M3 is coupled to the reference ground GND. The switching circuit 20 has switches M4~M6 connected in series between the input terminal 101 and the reference ground GND. The first end of switch M4 is coupled to the input terminal 101, and the second end of switch M4 is coupled to the first end of switch M5 to form an intermediate node mid2. The second end of switch M5 is coupled to the first end of switch M6 to form a switching node SW2, and the second end of switch M6 is coupled to the reference ground GND.

[0015] Switches M1 to M6 may include, for example, metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), junction field-effect transistors (JFETs), and other suitable transistors. In the embodiment shown in FIG1, each of switches M1 to M6 is a MOSFET, and the first terminal of each of switches M1 to M6 is a drain, and the second terminal is a source. The control terminal of each of switches M1 to M6 is a gate, which can receive a corresponding drive signal according to the control scheme to control the switching converter 100 shown in FIG1 to generate an output voltage Vo.

[0016] Flying capacitor Cfly1 is coupled between intermediate node mid1 and switching node SW2. For example, the first end of flying capacitor Cfly1 is coupled to intermediate node mid1, and the second end of flying capacitor Cfly1 is coupled to switching node SW2. Flying capacitor Cfly2 is coupled between intermediate node mid2 and switching node SW1. For example, the first end of flying capacitor Cfly2 is coupled to intermediate node mid2, and the second end of flying capacitor Cfly2 is coupled to switching node SW1.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the switching converter 100 also includes a controller 40. The controller 40 is configured to provide drive signals Vg1~Vg6 through the drive circuit 50 to drive switches M1~M6 respectively. The controller 40 can employ a suitable control scheme to generate the drive signals Vg1~Vg6.

[0018] FIG. 2A shows a front view of an inductor assembly 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the inductor assembly 200 may be used to implement the coupled inductor assembly 30 in the switching converter 100 shown in FIG. 1. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2A, the inductor assembly 200 includes four pins P01~P04, two coils 201 and 202, and a magnetic core 203. The magnetic core 203 has a core portion 203-1 and a core portion 203-2. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2A, the core portion 203-1 is E-shaped, and the core portion 203-2 is planar. However, those skilled in the art should understand that the core portions 203-1 and 203-2 may have other suitable shapes. The core portion 203-1 has three legs 204, 205 and 206, with leg 206 being a central leg located between legs 204 and 205. In the embodiment shown in FIG2A, a gap g1 is formed between the leg 204 of the magnetic core portion 203-1 and the magnetic core portion 203-2, a gap g2 is formed between the leg 205 of the magnetic core portion 203-1 and the magnetic core portion 203-2, and a gap gc is formed between the leg 206 of the magnetic core portion 203-1 and the magnetic core portion 203-2.

[0019] Further, coil 201 is wound around leg 204 of core portion 203-1, and coil 202 is wound around leg 205 of core portion 203-1. As shown in FIG2A, coils 201 and 202 of inductor assembly 200 are arranged in anti-coupled configuration to achieve fast transient response and small ripple current in steady state. As shown in FIG2A, terminals P01 and P04 are formed at both ends of coil 201, and terminals P02 and P03 are formed at both ends of coil 202. In the embodiment shown in FIG2A, current i1 flows into coil 201 via terminal P01 and flows out of coil 201 via terminal P04, and current i2 flows into coil 202 via terminal P03 and flows out of coil 202 via terminal P02.

[0020] Figure 2B shows a schematic diagram of the magnetic flux of the inductor assembly 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Curve 207 represents the leakage inductance of coil 201, curve 208 represents the leakage inductance of coil 202, curve 209 represents the mutual inductance between coil 201 and coil 202, and curve 210 represents the mutual inductance between coil 202 and coil 201.

[0021] FIG3 shows a top view of the magnetic core portion 203-1 and the associated coil of an inductor assembly 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and associated schematic symbols.

[0022] In one embodiment, pins P01 and P03 are current input pins, and pins P02 and P04 are current output pins. To achieve anti-coupling between coils 201 and 202, current output pins P02 and P04 should be coupled together. However, as shown in FIG3, pins P02 and P04 are not located on the same side of the inductor assembly 200, so connecting pins P02 and P04 requires additional conductive traces for wiring and results in increased resistance in the current path, thereby introducing additional losses. In another embodiment, pins P01 and P03 are used as current output pins, and pins P02 and P04 are used as current input pins. Similarly, coupling pins P01 and P03 together to achieve anti-coupling also introduces additional losses. Furthermore, in the configuration shown in FIG2-3, the magnetic flux generated by the two coils 201 and 202 is superimposed at the center leg 206, and the higher magnetic flux density in the center leg 206 leads to greater core losses.

[0023] FIG4A shows a front view of an inductor assembly 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the inductor assembly 400 may be used to implement the coupled inductor assembly 30 in the switching converter 100 shown in FIG1.

[0024] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4A, the inductor assembly 400 includes four pins P1-P4, two coils 411 and 412, and a magnetic core 403. The magnetic core 403 has a core portion 403-1 and a core portion 403-2. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4A, the core portion 403-1 is E-shaped, and the core portion 403-2 is planar. However, those skilled in the art should understand that the core portions 403-1 and 403-2 can have other suitable shapes, for example, both core portions 403-1 and 403-2 are E-shaped cores. The core portion 403-1 has a center leg 406 and two outer legs 404 and 405. The center leg 406 is located between the outer legs 404 and 405. The core portion 403-2 faces the center leg 406 and the outer legs 404 and 405 of the core portion 403-1.

[0025] Further, coils 411 and 412 are wound around the center leg 406, and coils 411 and 412 are arranged in anti-coupled configuration to achieve fast transient response and low ripple current in steady state. Pins P1 and P4 are formed at the two ends of coil 411, and pins P2 and P3 are formed at the two ends of coil 412. In one embodiment, pins P1 and P2 are configured as two input pins of the inductor assembly 400, and pins P3 and P4 are configured as two output pins of the inductor assembly 400. Pin P1 is coupled to a first switching node formed by a first pair of switches (e.g., switching node SW1 in FIG. 1), and pin P2 is coupled to a second switching node formed by a second pair of switches (e.g., switching node SW2 in FIG. 1). Pins P3 and P4 are coupled together to provide an output voltage Vo at output terminal 102. In another embodiment, pin P3 is coupled to a first output terminal to provide a first output voltage, and pin P4 is coupled to a second output terminal to provide a second output voltage. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4A, current i1 flows into coil 411 via pin P1 and flows out of coil 411 via pin P4, and current i2 flows into coil 412 via pin P2 and flows out of coil 412 via pin P3.

[0026] FIG4B shows a top view of the magnetic core portion 403-1 and the associated coil of an inductor assembly 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and associated schematic symbols.

[0027] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4B, the two coils 411 and 412 at least partially overlap, and the center leg 406 is wound around the coils 411 and 412. The center leg 406 can be circular, elliptical, racetrack-shaped, etc. The outer legs 404 and 405 can be rectangular. Pins P1 and P2 are current input pins located on the first side of the inductor assembly 400. Pins P3 and P4 are current output pins located on the second side of the inductor assembly 400, wherein the second side of the inductor assembly 400 is opposite to the first side of the inductor assembly 400. The outer leg 404 is located on the third side of the inductor assembly 400, and the outer leg 405 is located on the fourth side of the inductor assembly 400, wherein the fourth side of the inductor assembly 400 is opposite to the third side of the inductor assembly 400, and the third and fourth sides of the inductor assembly 400 are perpendicular to the first and second sides of the inductor assembly 400.

[0028] FIG5 shows an exploded view 500 of coils 411 and 412 of an inductor assembly 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG5, coil 411 is wound counterclockwise around center leg 406, while coil 412 is wound clockwise around center leg 406, such that the magnetic flux generated by the two coils at least partially cancels out in center leg 406, which generally reduces core losses. In another embodiment, coil 411 is wound clockwise around center leg 406, and coil 412 is wound counterclockwise around center leg 406.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5, coil 411 has coil segments 413-415. Coil segment 413 extends to a first side of inductor assembly 400 to form pin P1, and coil segment 414 extends to a second side of inductor assembly 400 to form pin P4. At least a portion of coil segment 414 is located below a portion of coil segment 413 in the vertical direction of inductor assembly 400. Coil segment 415 includes at least one bend. For example, coil segment 415 may be circular, elliptical, racetrack-shaped, etc. Coil 412 has coil segments 416-418. Coil segment 416 extends to a first side of inductor assembly 400 to form pin P2, and coil segment 417 extends to a second side of inductor assembly 400 to form pin P3. At least a portion of coil segment 416 is located below a portion of coil segment 417 in the vertical direction of inductor assembly 400. Coil segment 418 includes at least one bend. For example, coil segment 418 can be circular, elliptical, racetrack-shaped, or other shapes. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, coil segments 415 and 418 are circular. Coil segment 418 overlaps with coil segment 415, and the center leg 406 is wound around coil segments 415 and 418.

[0030] The coil structure shown in Figures 4-5 allows pins P1 and P2 (i.e., current input pins) to be located on the same side of the inductor assembly 400, and pins P3 and P4 (i.e., current output pins) to also be located on the same side of the inductor assembly 400. This allows the conductive trace connecting the two output pins to be a shorter straight line, thus avoiding additional conductive traces and current paths, thereby improving the efficiency of the switching converter 100. Furthermore, in the coil structure shown in Figures 4-5, the magnetic flux generated by the two coils 411 and 412 at least partially cancels each other out in the center leg 406 of the core 403, which typically reduces core losses. This coil structure also allows the use of two different core materials to manufacture the core 403, further improving the saturation characteristics of the inductor assembly 400 and increasing the rated current of the inductor assembly 400 without significantly increasing the cost of the core materials. Since the magnetic flux generated by coils 411 and 412 is at least partially canceled out in the center leg 406 of the magnetic core 403, the magnetic flux in the center leg 406 is reduced. The advantage of this is that the center leg 406 can be made of a material with a low saturation point and high cost-effectiveness (such as ferrite, iron powder with high permeability, etc.), while the two outer legs 404 and 405 can be made of another material with a higher saturation point (such as ordinary iron powder).

[0031] FIG6 illustrates an inductor assembly 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the inductor assembly 600 may be used to implement the coupled inductor assembly 30 in the switching converter 100 shown in FIG1. ​​The inductor assembly 600 includes a magnetic core 603, two coils 611 and 612, and four pins P1 to P4 (as shown in FIG7). The magnetic core 603 includes a core portion 603-1 and a core portion 603-2.

[0032] FIG7 shows an exploded view of an inductor assembly 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the core portion 603-1 is E-shaped, and the core portion 603-2 is planar. However, those skilled in the art should understand that the core portions 603-1 and 603-2 may also have other suitable shapes, such as EE-shaped cores, EC-shaped cores, ETD-shaped cores, PQ-shaped cores, etc. The core portion 603-1 has a center leg 606, two outer legs 604 and 605, and a yoke 607. The yoke 607 connects the center leg 606 with the outer legs 604 and 605. In one embodiment, the top surfaces of the center leg 606 and the two outer legs 604 and 605 are on the same plane, have the same height in the vertical direction of the inductor assembly 600, and the bottom surfaces of the yoke 607 and the outer legs 604 and 605 are located on the bottom surface of the inductor assembly 600. The center leg 606 is located between the outer legs 604 and 605, and the center leg 606 is wound with coils 611 and 612.

[0034] As shown in Figure 7, coil 611 has coil segments 613-615. Coil segment 613 extends to form pin P1, and coil segment 614 extends to form pin P4. Coil 612 has coil segments 616-618. Coil segment 616 extends to form pin P2, and coil segment 617 extends to form pin P3. Center leg 606 divides yoke 607 into a first part and a second part. Coil segments 613 and 614 are wound around the first part of yoke 607, and coil segments 615 and 616 are wound around the second part of yoke 607. Coil segments 615 and 618 are positioned above the top surface of yoke 607, and pins P1-P4 are positioned below the bottom surface of yoke 607, with the bottom surface of yoke 607 facing the top surface of yoke 607.

[0035] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, each of coil segments 615 and 618 includes two straight portions parallel to each other (i.e., coil segment 615 includes straight portions 611-1 and 611-2, and coil segment 618 includes straight portions 612-1 and 612-2) and two curved portions connecting the two straight portions respectively. Straight portion 611-1 includes an upper turn connected to coil segment 613 and a lower turn connected to coil segment 614. Straight portion 612-1 includes an upper turn connected to coil segment 616 and a lower turn connected to coil segment 617. Straight portion 611-2 is stacked with straight portion 612-1, and straight portion 612-2 is stacked with straight portion 611-1. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, straight portions 611-1 and 612-1 each have two turns, and straight portions 611-2 and 612-2 each have one turn. Those skilled in the art should understand that the number of turns of the straight portions 611-1, 611-2, 612-1 and 612-2 is not limited to the embodiment shown in FIG7, and other numbers of turns can also be applied to embodiments of the present invention.

[0036] When the switching converter using inductor assembly 600 is operating, as shown by the solid arrow in FIG7, current i1 flows from pin P1 to pin P4 through coil 611; as shown by the dashed arrow in FIG7, current i2 flows from pin P2 to pin P3 through coil 612. In the coupling inductor assembly 600, coil segments 615 and 618 at least partially overlap to have currents in opposite directions.

[0037] FIG8 shows a bottom view of an inductor assembly 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG8, a yoke 607 and outer legs 604, 605 extend to the bottom surface of the inductor assembly 600, and the yoke 607 is between the outer legs 604, 605. In other embodiments, the bottom surface of the inductor assembly 600 is covered by the yoke 607, and the outer legs 604, 605 extend to the yoke 607 without being exposed to the bottom surface of the inductor assembly 600. Four pins P1 to P4 are arranged on the bottom surface of the inductor assembly 600. Pins P1 and P2 are located on a first side of the bottom surface of the inductor assembly 600 and are configured as current input pins, and pins P3 and P4 are located on a second side of the bottom surface of the inductor assembly 600 and are configured as current output pins, wherein the second side of the bottom surface of the inductor assembly 600 is opposite to the first side of the bottom surface of the inductor assembly 600.

[0038] FIG9 shows a side view of an inductor assembly 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG9, a first portion of the yoke 607 is exposed on the side of the inductor assembly 600, a second portion of the yoke 607 is covered by a coil 611, and a third portion of the yoke 607 is covered by a coil 612. Outer legs 604 and 605 are exposed on the side of the inductor assembly 600.

[0039] FIG10 shows a top perspective view of an inductor assembly 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG10, coils 611 and 612 are wound around a center leg 606 and partially overlap each other. FIG11 shows an exploded top view of coils 611, 612 and magnetic core portions 603-1, 603-2 of the inductor assembly 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] FIG12 shows coils 611 and 612 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG13-14 show side views of coils 611 and 612 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG12-14, coil segment 613 of coil 611 includes a vertical portion 611-3 and a horizontal portion 611-5; coil segment 614 of coil 611 includes a vertical portion 611-4 and a horizontal portion 611-6; coil segment 616 of coil 612 includes a vertical portion 612-3 and a horizontal portion 612-5; and coil segment 617 of coil 612 has a vertical portion 612-4 and a horizontal portion 612-6. The vertical portion 611-4 connects the horizontal portion 611-6 and the straight portion 611-1, and is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the horizontal portion 611-6, the straight portion 611-1, and the inductor assembly 600. Vertical portion 611-3 connects horizontal portion 611-5 and straight portion 611-1, and is perpendicular to the bottom surface of horizontal portion 611-5, straight portion 611-1, and inductor assembly 600. Vertical portion 612-4 connects horizontal portion 612-6 and straight portion 612-1, and is perpendicular to the bottom surface of horizontal portion 612-6, straight portion 612-1, and inductor assembly 600. Vertical portion 612-3 connects horizontal portion 612-5 and straight portion 612-1, and is perpendicular to the bottom surface of horizontal portion 612-5, straight portion 612-1, and inductor assembly 600. Straight portions 611-1, 611-2, 612-1, and 612-2 are parallel to the bottom surface of inductor assembly 600.

[0041] Horizontal portion 611-5 extends to form pin P1, horizontal portion 611-6 extends to form pin P4, horizontal portion 612-5 extends to form pin P2, and horizontal portion 612-6 extends to form pin P3. In one embodiment, pins P1 to P4 are solder pads and are respectively connected to horizontal portions 611-5, 611-6, 612-5, and 612-6. In another embodiment, pins P1 to P4 are at least a portion of horizontal portions 611-5, 611-6, 612-5, and 612-6.

[0042] Although the invention has been described with reference to several exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the terminology used is descriptive and exemplary, and not restrictive. Since the invention can be embodied in many forms without departing from the spirit or essence of the invention, it should be understood that the above embodiments are not limited to any of the foregoing details, but should be interpreted broadly within the spirit and scope defined by the appended claims. Therefore, all variations and modifications falling within the scope of the claims or their equivalents should be covered by the appended claims. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0009] To better understand the present invention, it will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings. Identical or similar elements have the same reference numerals. [Figure 1] shows a schematic diagram of a switching converter 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2A] shows a front view of an inductor assembly 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2B] shows a schematic diagram of the magnetic flux of the inductor assembly 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] shows a top view of the core portion 203-1 and related coils of the inductor assembly 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, along with associated schematic symbols; [Figure 4A] shows a front view of an inductor assembly 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4B] shows a top view of the core portion 403-1 and related coils of the inductor assembly 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention, along with associated schematic symbols; [Figure 5] shows an exploded view 500 of coils 411 and 412 of the inductor assembly 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] shows an inductor assembly 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] shows an exploded view of the inductor assembly 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] shows a bottom view of the inductor assembly 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 9] shows a side view of the inductor assembly 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 10] shows a top perspective view of an inductor assembly 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 11] shows an exploded top view of coils 611, 612 and core portions 603-1, 603-2 of the inductor assembly 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 12] shows coils 611 and 612 according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figures 13-14] show side views of coils 611 and 612 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. An inductor assembly, comprising: A first pin, a second pin, a third pin, and a fourth pin; a magnetic core, the magnetic core including a first core portion, wherein the first core portion includes a center leg; a first coil, the first coil including a first coil segment, a second coil segment, and a third coil segment, wherein the first coil segment extends to a first side of the inductor assembly to form the first pin, the second coil segment extends to a second side of the inductor assembly to form the fourth pin, wherein the second side of the inductor assembly is opposite to the first side of the inductor assembly; And a second coil, the second coil including a fourth coil segment, a fifth coil segment and a sixth coil segment, wherein the fourth coil segment extends to a first side of the inductor assembly to form the second pin, the fifth coil segment extends to a second side of the inductor assembly to form the third pin, and the sixth coil segment at least partially overlaps the third coil segment; wherein the third coil segment and the sixth coil segment are wound around the center leg.

2. The inductor assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second pins are configured as current input pins, and the third and fourth pins are configured as current output pins.

3. The inductor assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first core portion further includes a first outer leg and a second outer leg, wherein the center leg is located between the first outer leg and the second outer leg.

4. The inductor assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the center leg is made of a first material having a first saturation point, and the first outer leg and the second outer leg are made of a second material having a second saturation point, wherein the second saturation point is higher than the first saturation point.

5. The inductor assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first magnetic core portion further comprises: A yoke, the yoke connecting the central leg, the first outer leg and the second outer leg; wherein the yoke includes a first part and a second part, the first part of the yoke being wound with the first coil segment and the second coil segment, and the second part of the yoke being wound with the fourth coil segment and the fifth coil segment.

6. The inductor assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the third coil segment and the sixth coil segment are positioned above the top surface of the yoke, and the first, second, third, and fourth pins are positioned below the bottom surface of the yoke, wherein the bottom surface of the yoke is opposite to the top surface of the yoke.

7. The inductor assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the third coil segment and the sixth coil segment includes at least one bend.

8. The inductor assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnetic core further includes a second magnetic core portion facing the center leg.

9. The inductor assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first core portion has an E-shape and the second core portion has a planar shape or an E-shape.

10. The inductor assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the third coil segment and the sixth coil segment includes a first straight portion and a second straight portion parallel to each other, the first straight portion of the third coil segment including a first upper turn connecting the first coil segment and a first lower turn connecting the second coil segment, and the first straight portion of the sixth coil segment including a second upper turn connecting the fourth coil segment and a second lower turn connecting the fifth coil segment.

11. The inductor assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second straight portion of the third coil segment is stacked with the first straight portion of the sixth coil segment, and the second straight portion of the sixth coil segment is stacked with the first straight portion of the third coil segment.

12. A switching converter, comprising: A first pair of switches and a second pair of switches; an inductor assembly including a first input pin, a second input pin, a first output pin, and a second output pin, wherein the first input pin is coupled to a first switch node formed by the first pair of switches, and the second input pin is coupled to a second switch node formed by the second pair of switches; The inductor assembly further includes: a first coil including a first coil segment, a second coil segment, and a third coil segment, wherein the first coil segment extends to form the first input pin, and the second coil segment extends to form the first output pin; a second coil including a fourth coil segment, a fifth coil segment, and a sixth coil segment, wherein the fourth coil segment extends to form the second input pin, the fifth coil segment extends to form the second output pin, and the sixth coil segment at least partially overlaps with the third coil segment; and a magnetic core including a center leg, wherein the third coil segment and the sixth coil segment are wound around the center leg.

13. The switching converter as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first input pin and the second input pin are located on a first side of the inductor assembly, and the first output pin and the second output pin are located on a second side of the inductor assembly, wherein the second side of the inductor assembly is opposite to the first side of the inductor assembly.

14. The switching converter as claimed in claim 12, wherein the magnetic core further includes a first outer leg and a second outer leg, wherein the center leg is located between the first outer leg and the second outer leg.

15. The switching converter as claimed in claim 14, wherein the center leg is made of a first material having a first saturation point, and the first outer leg and the second outer leg are made of a second material having a second saturation point, wherein the second saturation point is higher than the first saturation point.

16. The switching converter as claimed in claim 14, wherein the magnetic core further comprises: The yoke connects the center leg, the first outer leg, and the second outer leg; wherein the third coil segment and the sixth coil segment are placed above the top surface of the yoke, and the first input pin, the second input pin, the first output pin, and the second output pin are placed below the bottom surface of the yoke, wherein the bottom surface of the yoke is opposite to the top surface of the yoke.

17. The switching converter as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first coil and the second coil are configured to be anticoupled to reduce the magnetic flux in the center leg.

18. The switching converter as claimed in claim 12, wherein each of the third coil segment and the sixth coil segment includes a first straight portion and a second straight portion parallel to each other, the first straight portion of the third coil segment including a first upper turn connecting the first coil segment and a first lower turn connecting the second coil segment, and the first straight portion of the sixth coil segment including a second upper turn connecting the fourth coil segment and a second lower turn connecting the fifth coil segment.

19. The switching converter as claimed in claim 18, wherein the second straight portion of the third coil segment is stacked with the first straight portion of the sixth coil segment, and the second straight portion of the sixth coil segment is stacked with the first straight portion of the third coil segment.

20. The switching converter as claimed in claim 18, wherein each of the second straight portion of the third coil segment and the second straight portion of the sixth coil segment is a single turn.

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