Coil element

Abstract

A coil element is provided with: a base section (10); a terminal (20) protruding from the lower surface of the base part (10); and a coil electrically connected to the terminal (20). The lower surface of the base portion (10) includes a lowermost portion located at the lowermost portion and a protruding surface (13a) located above the lowermost portion. The terminal (20) has an embedded portion (21b), a protruding portion (21a), a bent portion, and a mounting portion (25). The embedded part (21b) is embedded in the base part (10). The protruding section (21a) is continuous with the embedded section (21b), protrudes downward from the protruding surface (13a), and has a linear shape. The bent part is continuous with the protruding part (21a) and is bent toward the side of the base part (10). The attachment portion (25) includes a downward attachment surface (25a), and the attachment portion (25) is continuous with the bent portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a coil component. Background Art

[0002] Some coil elements have terminals protruding from the lower surface of an insulating base. Regarding this technology, Patent Document 1 discloses a coil element (100) in which a terminal protruding hole (45) opening downward is provided on the lower surface (40a) of an insulating frame (24), and an electrode terminal member (47) protrudes downward from the terminal protruding hole (45). Furthermore, the electrode terminal member (47) has a mounting terminal (50) at one end. The coil element (100) is mounted on a substrate so that the lower surface of the mounting terminal (50) contacts the substrate.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-126909 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] The insulating frame (24) in the coil element (100) of Patent Document 1 is generally formed by injection molding. Specifically, an electrode terminal member (47) is arranged in a mold corresponding to the outer shape of the insulating frame (24), and liquid resin is fed into the mold. More specifically, the shape of the mold corresponds to the shape of a predetermined portion of the electrode terminal member (47) protruding from the insulating frame (24), as well as the shape of the top wall and surrounding walls of the terminal protruding hole (45). The mold surface is arranged so as to follow the outer surface of the electrode terminal member (47), and the liquid resin is flowed into the mold in a manner that buries a portion of the electrode terminal member (47).

[0008] When the resin is poured into the mold, if there is a gap between the outer surface of the electrode terminal member (47) and the corresponding surface of the mold, the resin may enter the gap and spread along the electrode terminal member (47) to cover a portion of the mounting surface, which is the lower surface of the mounting terminal (50). If the mounting surface is partially covered with resin, the contact between the mounting terminal (50) and the substrate is likely to become poor, which is not preferable.

[0009] The present invention is made in view of the above-mentioned problem and provides a coil component having a structure that can suppress the amount of resin leaking from the mold during injection molding. In addition, this problem is not limited to resin and also occurs when other raw materials used for injection molding.

[0010] Solutions for solving problems

[0011] The coil element of the present invention is characterized in that the coil element has: a base portion; a terminal, which protrudes from the lower surface of the base portion; and a coil, which is electrically connected to the terminal, the lower surface of the base portion includes a lowest portion located at the lowest point and a protruding surface located above the lowest point, and the terminal has: an embedded portion, which is embedded in the base portion; a protruding portion, which is continuous with the embedded portion and protrudes downward from the protruding surface in a straight line; a bent portion, which is continuous with the protruding portion and bends toward the side of the base portion; and a mounting portion, which includes a mounting surface facing downward, and the mounting portion is continuous with the bent portion.

[0012] In the coil component of the present invention, the protrusion protruding from the protruding surface is linear. If the protrusion is linear, the mold and the protrusion can be arranged to follow each other during injection molding, making the gap between the mold and the protrusion sufficiently small, compared to a case where the protrusion is curved. This is because if the protrusion is linear, the deviation in the shape of the protrusion is less than when the protrusion is curved. As a result, the amount of resin that spreads through the gap can be suppressed.

[0013] Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the coil component of the present invention, the gap between the mold and the outer surface of the terminal during injection molding can be reduced, thereby suppressing the spread of resin to the terminal mounting surface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The above-mentioned objects and other objects, features, and advantages will become more apparent from the preferred embodiments described below and the following drawings attached to the preferred embodiments.

[0016] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing an example of the coil component according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view of the coil component according to the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 3 1 is a plan view of the coil component according to the first embodiment, wherein the upper core, the terminal, and the opening of the terminal recess are indicated by dotted lines.

[0019] Figure 4 It is a bottom view of the coil component according to the first embodiment.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a longitudinal sectional view of the center in the width direction of the coil component according to the first embodiment.

[0021] Figure 6(a) is Figure 5 An enlarged view of the terminal and its vicinity. Figure 6 (b) is Figure 4 An enlarged view of the terminal and its vicinity.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a front view of the coil component according to Embodiment 1. The terminal recess and the outer shape of the recess are indicated by dotted lines. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The various components of the coil element of the present invention do not need to exist separately and independently, and the following situations are allowed: multiple components are formed into one member; one component is formed from multiple members; a certain component is part of another component; a part of a certain component overlaps with a part of another component.

[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0025] In addition, in this embodiment, the directions of front, back, left, right, up and down are specified as shown in the figure for description. However, this is specified for the convenience of simply explaining the relative relationship of the constituent elements and does not limit the direction of the product of the present invention during manufacture or use. The lower side refers to the substrate side when the coil element is mounted on the substrate (not shown), and the up and down direction is consistent with the height direction of the coil element. In addition, the front and back direction is consistent with the winding axis direction of the coil element in the first embodiment. The left and right direction is consistent with the width direction of the coil element. Hereinafter, when simply referred to as the winding axis direction or the width direction, it refers to the winding axis direction of the coil element or the width direction of the coil element, respectively. Moreover, the direction from the outer edge toward the center of the coil element is referred to as the inner side, the inner side, or the inward side, and the direction from the center toward the outer edge of the coil element is referred to as the outer side, the outer side, or the outward side.

[0026] In the present invention, the term "plane" refers to a shape that is physically formed with the plane as the goal, and need not necessarily be a geometrically perfect plane.

[0027] (Coil Components)

[0028] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing an example of the coil component according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] First, the outline of the coil component 100 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0030] The coil element 100 includes: a base portion 10; a terminal 20 protruding from the lower surface of the base portion 10; and a coil 30 electrically connected to the terminal 20. The lower surface of the base portion 10 includes: a lowermost portion, which is located at the bottom; and a protruding surface 13a (in this embodiment, a top wall that divides and forms the terminal recess 13 discussed later), which is located above the lowermost portion. The terminal 20 includes an embedded portion 21b, a protruding portion 21a, a bent portion (a first bent portion 22), and a mounting portion 25. The embedded portion 21b is embedded in the base portion 10. The protruding portion 21a is continuous with the embedded portion 21b and protrudes downward from the protruding surface 13a in a straight line. The first bent portion 22 is continuous with the protruding portion 21a and bends toward the side of the base portion 10. The mounting portion 25 includes a mounting surface 25a facing downward, and the mounting portion 25 is continuous with the first bent portion 22.

[0031] If the protrusion 21a is straight, the mold and the protrusion 21a can be arranged to fully follow each other during injection molding, compared to the case where the protrusion 21a is curved, thereby reducing the gap between the mold and the protrusion 21a. The reason for this is that if the protrusion 21a is straight, the deviation in the shape of the protrusion 21a can be suppressed compared to the case where the protrusion 21a is curved. As a result, the amount of resin that spreads through the gap can be reduced. In particular, it is possible to prevent the resin from flowing from the gap along the surface of the terminal 20 (such as the inner surface 21a1 discussed later) to the mounting surface 25a of the mounting portion 25.

[0032] Furthermore, the protrusion 21a protrudes downward from the protruding surface 13a, which is located above the lowest portion of the base portion 10. In this case, the distance along the surface of the terminal 20 between the upper end of the protrusion 21a and the mounting surface 25a is sufficiently greater than when the protrusion 21a protrudes from the same height as the lowest portion. This prevents resin that leaks and expands during injection molding from reaching the mounting surface 25a.

[0033] Next, the coil component 100 according to this embodiment will be described in detail. Figure 1 It is a perspective view of the coil component 100 according to this embodiment.

[0034] The coil element 100 is a device having a coil 30 and is a component constituting a part of a circuit. In this embodiment, the coil element 100 is a transformer. Other coil elements include antennas and inductors.

[0035] The base portion 10 is a pedestal portion in which the terminals, discussed later, are embedded and retain the terminals. The base portion 10 is formed from an insulating material such as resin. More specifically, as discussed later, the base portion 10 is formed by injection molding an insulating material. The following describes a case where the base portion 10 is molded using resin as the insulating material.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown in the drawings, the base portion 10 in this embodiment includes a frame portion 11 and a pair of flange accommodating portions 12 .

[0037] The skeleton portion 11 is a portion that serves as the winding axis of the coil 30 discussed later. In this embodiment, the skeleton portion 11 has a space that is divided by a pair of side plates 11b, 11b and a bottom plate 11c that are separated in the width direction of the coil element 100 and is open at the top. The winding core portion 42a of the lower core 42 discussed later is accommodated in this space. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, a separator 11a is provided so as to substantially encircle the frame portion 11 relative to the winding axis. Specifically, the separator 11a is a plate-shaped flange that extends across a pair of side plates 11b and a bottom plate 11c and projects outward from the frame portion 11. The winding positions of the primary coil 30a and the secondary coil 30b, discussed later, are separated by the separator 11a.

[0038] like Figure 2 As shown in the figure, in the direction of the reel, at both ends of the skeleton part 11, a pair of flange part receiving parts 12 are formed integrally with the skeleton part 11. The flange part receiving part 12 is provided with a space divided by a bottom plate 12a, a wall part 14, a flange side part 12b and an inner wall 12c. The flange part 42b of the lower core 42 discussed later is accommodated in this space. The space is open to the top, and is adjacent to and communicates with the space provided in the skeleton part 11 and used to accommodate the winding core part 42a. That is, the shape of the base part 10 is a concave shape that is open to the top as a whole, and the base part 10 has a space for accommodating the core 40 (especially the lower core 42).

[0039] The wall portion 14, the bottom plate 12a, and the flange side portion 12b are integrally formed. The flange side portion 12b is separated in the width direction via the core 40. The flange side portion 12b is integrally formed with the inner wall 12c and the side plate 11b.

[0040] like Figure 5 As shown and described later, a portion of the terminal 20 is embedded in the bottom of the flange portion housing 12. In this embodiment, the terminal 20 is embedded in the lower portion of the wall portion 14.

[0041] The lowest part of the base portion 10 refers to the lowest surface or point in the base portion 10. Preferably, the lowest part of the base portion 10 refers to the lowest surface or point in the base portion 10 near where the terminal 20 is buried. The vicinity where the terminal 20 is buried refers to the flange portion receiving portion 12 where the terminal 20 is buried, preferably the surrounding wall 13b forming the terminal recess discussed later. Figure 5As shown in the figure, the lowermost portion of the base portion 10 in this embodiment is the lower surface of the flange accommodating portion 12 (lower protruding region 11 d described later) and is the opening end (lower end) of the terminal recess 13 described later.

[0042] The protruding surface 13a refers to the surface from which the terminal 20 protrudes. In this embodiment, it is the top wall (bottom arranged above) of the terminal recess 13 discussed later. Figure 6 As shown in (b), the protruding surface 13a is arranged around the base end of the terminal (the protruding portion 21a discussed later). That is, the protruding surface 13a is arranged on the side of the base end of the protruding portion 21a. Preferably, the protruding surface 13a is arranged in a manner to surround the base end of the protruding portion 21a. In other words, the base end of the protruding portion 21a is separated from a part of the surrounding wall 13b discussed later (the opposite portion 13b4 and the side portion 13b5 discussed later). In this embodiment, the protruding surface 13a surrounds the base end of the terminal 20 in three directions (the two outer sides in the width direction and the inner side in the winding direction). Instead of this embodiment, the protruding surface 13a can be arranged on the outer side of the base end of the protruding portion 21a in one direction (one of the width direction and the winding direction), or it can surround the entire surrounding area of ​​the base end of the protruding portion 21a.

[0043] like Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the coil 30 in this embodiment is formed by winding a coil conductor. The coil 30 is formed by winding the coil conductor directly or indirectly around the winding core portion 42a of the lower core 42 and the frame portion 11. In other words, a portion of the core 40 and the frame portion 11 are arranged inside the coil 30. The coil 30 may also be an air-core coil without a core 40 or frame portion 11 inside.

[0044] The coil element 100 in this embodiment is a transformer, and the coil element 100 has a primary coil 30a and a secondary coil 30b as the coil 30. The primary coil 30a and the secondary coil 30b in this embodiment are each formed by two coil conductors. In this embodiment, the primary coil 30a is the coil on the input side, and the secondary coil 30b is the coil on the output side. The primary coil 30a is wound on the front side of the skeleton 11 relative to the separator 11a, and the secondary coil 30b is wound on the rear side of the skeleton 11 relative to the separator 11a. As in this embodiment, two or more coil conductors can be wound as the primary coil 30a or the secondary coil 30b, or alternatively, only one coil conductor can be wound instead of the embodiment.

[0045] like Figure 4As shown in the figure, the coil conductor (lead-out portion 31) is led out from the coil 30 to the front side or the rear side. The lead-out portion 31 is connected to the connecting wire portion 26 discussed later along the shape of the lower surface of the base portion 10. Specifically, the lead-out portion 31 connected to the connecting wire portion 26 of the second terminal 20b discussed later is formed through a groove formed on the lower surface of the flange portion accommodating portion 12 and along the direction of the winding axis. A plurality of lower protruding areas 11d are formed on the lower surface of the base portion 10. The lower protruding area 11d refers to a portion of the base portion 10 that is provided to protrude downward relative to the top wall of the groove. The groove is divided and formed by the two lower protruding areas 11d in a manner that is sandwiched by the two lower protruding areas 11d. The lead-out portion 31 connected to the first terminal 20a or the third terminal 20c is wired in a manner that is along the side of the lower protruding area 11d.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the pair of wall portions 14, 14 arranged separately in the winding direction each have three terminals 20 (a first terminal 20a, a second terminal 20b, and a third terminal 20c). The first terminal 20a and the third terminal 20c have one connecting wire portion 26 to be discussed later, while the second terminal 20b has two connecting wire portions 26, which are different from each other. Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 2 ( a ), the terminal 20 includes a connecting wire portion 26 , a base end portion 24 , an intermediate portion 21 , and a mounting portion 25 .

[0047] The connecting wire portion 26 is a portion to which the end of the coil conductor (lead portion 31) extending from the coil 30 is connected. During the manufacturing process, the end of the lead portion 31 is wrapped around the connecting wire portion 26, and the connecting wire portion 26 and the end of the lead portion 31 are welded together to produce the coil component 100 of this embodiment. The connecting wire portion 26 and the lead portion 31 can also be joined by soldering or other methods.

[0048] Mounting portion 25 is a portion of terminal 20 that is grounded to a substrate (not shown) when coil component 100 is mounted. Specifically, mounting portion 25 includes a downwardly facing mounting surface 25a that contacts the substrate surface. Mounting portion 25 is joined to the substrate by soldering or the like.

[0049] In this embodiment, a portion of the upper side of the intermediate portion 21 (the embedded portion 21b) is embedded in the base portion 10, while a portion of the lower side (the protruding portion 21a) is exposed from the base portion 10. Specifically, the protruding portion 21a protrudes downward from the protruding surface 13a of the base portion 10, which will be discussed later. Here, downward refers to a direction having a vertical component, including, but not limited to, a direction parallel to the vertical direction. In this embodiment, as will be discussed later, the protruding portion 21a protrudes from the base portion 10 at an angle relative to the vertical direction.

[0050] The embedded portion 21b refers to a portion of the end portion extending from the base end portion 24 toward the mounting portion 25 (including the second curved portion 23, the intermediate portion 21, the first curved portion 22, and the mounting portion 25, which will be discussed later) that is embedded in the base portion 10 on the mounting portion 25 side. In this embodiment, as described above, the embedded portion 21b is a portion of the upper side of the intermediate portion 21. Alternatively, the embedded portion 21b may be the second curved portion 23. In this case, the entire intermediate portion 21 becomes the protruding portion 21a.

[0051] The protrusion 21a being linear means that the entire protrusion 21a is substantially linear, and is not limited to being a completely linear shape. Specifically, the protrusion 21a may be a substantially linear shape that is slightly curved relative to the curved shape of the first curved portion 22. More specifically, the protrusion 21a is slightly curved laterally to the extent that the inner surface 21a1 of the protrusion 21a, described later, is substantially flat.

[0052] The protrusion 21a has an inner surface 21a1 and an outer surface 21a2 that are opposite to each other. The inner surface 21a1 of the protrusion 21a refers to the surface facing inward in the direction of the winding axis, and the outer surface 21a2 refers to the surface facing outward in the direction of the winding axis. In the present embodiment, the inner surface 21a1 and the outer surface 21a2 of the protrusion 21a are the main surfaces of the protrusion 21a. In the present embodiment in which the terminal recess 13 is formed, the inner surface 21a1 of the protrusion 21a faces the inner side of the terminal recess 13. In addition, when the protrusion 21a is arranged obliquely with respect to the up and down directions as in the present embodiment, the outer surface 21a2 faces upward and the inner surface 21a1 faces downward.

[0053] The terminal 20 is bent at the first bend 22 between the mounting portion 25 and the middle portion 21, and is bent at the second bend 23 between the middle portion 21 and the base end portion 24. The first bend 22 is bent in such a manner that the mounting portion 25 is directed from the middle portion 21 toward the side of the base portion 10. That is, the bending direction of the first bend 22 is from the lower end of the middle portion 21 (the base end of the first bend 22) toward the side of the base portion 10. Here, the side is a direction including a component in the width direction or the scroll direction, including a direction orthogonal to the up and down directions, but is not limited to a direction orthogonal to the up and down directions. In this embodiment, the bending direction of the first bend 22 refers to outward in the scroll direction. In addition, the second bend 23 is formed by bending the middle portion 21 from the base end portion 24 toward the downward direction. The bending direction of the second bend 23 is downward. Here, downward refers to a direction having an up and down direction component, and is not limited to a direction parallel to the up and down directions.

[0054] In addition, if Figure 2As shown, one end portion, including a connection wire portion 26, and the other end portion, including a mounting portion 25, branch from the base end portion 24 and extend in the front-to-back direction. The second terminal 20b, which has two connection wire portions 26 and one mounting portion 25, branches into three branches at the base end portion 24, with connection wire portions 26 arranged on both outer sides in the width direction and a mounting portion 25 arranged in the center. The first terminal 20a and the third terminal 20c, which have one connection wire portion 26 and one mounting portion 25, have connection wire portions 26 arranged on the outer sides in the width direction and mounting portions 25 arranged on the inner sides.

[0055] By using a terminal 20 having fewer mounting portions 25 than connecting wire portions 26, such as the second terminal 20b, the number of points at which the coil component 100 is grounded to the substrate during mounting can be reduced compared to a case where the total number of connecting wire portions 26 is the same as the total number of mounting portions 25. This allows for more stable grounding between the coil component 100 and the substrate.

[0056] In this embodiment, three terminals 20 are provided on each wall portion 14 , but the present invention is not limited thereto. Preferably, each wall portion 14 has one or more terminals 20 .

[0057] The terminal 20 in this embodiment is in the shape of a flat plate bent, and has a rectangular cross section, but is not limited thereto. For example, the terminal may be in the shape of a wire or rod-shaped member bent. In this case, the wire or rod-shaped member may be partially flattened to form a flat surface, and the flat surface may be set as the mounting surface 25a (see Figure 6 (a)).

[0058] The core 40 is formed of a magnetic material such as ferrite. Figure 2 As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, the core 40 is composed of two core components (upper core 41 and lower core 42). The core 40 can be composed of a single core component or a plurality of core components. In addition, in this embodiment, the upper core 41 is a plate-like I-shaped core and the lower core 42 is a U-shaped core, and they are combined to form a closed magnetic circuit, but this is not limited to this. It is also possible to combine two U-shaped cores, or to combine the upper core 41 of the U-shaped core and the lower core 42 of the I-shaped core.

[0059] The lower core 42 includes a winding core portion 42a around which the coil 30 is wound and a pair of flange portions 42b formed at both ends of the winding core portion 42a in the winding axis direction. The flange portions 42b protrude upward relative to the upper surface of the winding core portion 42a. Figure 3As shown in the figure, the flange portion 42b protrudes to both sides in the width direction relative to the winding core portion 42a. In addition, the two corners on the inner side of the winding axis direction in each flange portion 42b when viewed from above (a pair of corners extending in the up and down directions and separated in the width direction) are recessed corresponding to the outer shape of the inner wall 12c. In addition, the upper surface of the flange portion 42b is arranged at a position higher than the upper end of the inner wall 12c. On the other hand, the shape of the winding core portion 42a in the lower core 42 is plate-like. As shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown in the figure, among the corners along the winding axis direction of the winding core portion 42a, the corners arranged upward are chamfered.

[0060] The upper core 41 has a plate shape that is thinner in the height direction. Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the upper core 41 has a larger size than the lower core 42 in the reel direction and the width direction. Alternatively, the size of the upper core 41 and the maximum size of the lower core 42 in this direction may be approximately the same. The ends of the upper core 41 are arranged on a pair of flange side portions 12b (see Figure 2 ). Figure 5 As shown in the figure, the upper surface of the upper core 41 is arranged above the upper surface of the base portion 10 , and the upper portion of the upper core 41 is arranged outside the base portion 10 .

[0061] In this embodiment, the lower surface of the upper core 41 and the upper surface of the lower core 42 (flange portion 42b), as well as the lower surface of the lower core 42 and the bottom plate 11c of the base portion 10 are bonded using an adhesive, but they may not be bonded to each other, or may only partially abut against each other.

[0062] like Figure 6 As shown in (a), the base portion 10 has a side wall 13b1 arranged outside the protrusion 21a in the bending direction of the first bent portion 22 (outward in the winding axis direction). The protrusion 21a and the side wall 13b1 overlap in the overlapping area (first overlapping area 51) when viewed from above. The protrusion 21a and the side wall 13b1 are in contact in the first overlapping area 51. With this structure, a recessed portion that is provided around the terminal 20 and whose interior cannot be visually identified from the top and bottom directions is not formed. Therefore, the base portion 10 can be injection molded without using a sliding mold that is inserted from the side of the coil element 100.

[0063] The side wall 13b1 is a portion of the lower portion of the base portion 10 that partially or completely overlaps with the protrusion 21a when viewed in the axial direction. It is a portion that is arranged on the outside of the protrusion 21a in the axial direction. In the present embodiment, it is a portion of the peripheral wall 13b that defines the terminal recess 13, which will be discussed later, and is arranged on the outside in the axial direction. The side wall 13b1 has an inner surface 13b2 that faces inward in the axial direction and an outer surface 13b3 that faces outward in the axial direction, opposite to the inner surface 13b2. The outer surface 13b3 of the side wall 13b1 is a portion of the side surface of the base portion 10 (the outer side surface 14b of the wall portion, which will be discussed later). The outer surface 13b3 of the side wall 13b1 is located on the same plane as the side surface of the base portion 10. The outer surface 13b3 of the side wall 13b1 extends in the vertical direction, or is arranged obliquely with respect to the vertical direction so as to be continuously arranged on the outside in the axial direction from the upper end to the lower end. In addition, the outer surface 13b3 of the side wall 13b1 is flat, and no recessed portion opening toward the side is provided on the outer surface 13b3.

[0064] As described above, the middle portion 21 (protrusion 21a) is inclined obliquely with respect to the vertical direction, and the lower end of the middle portion 21 is positioned outward in the axial direction relative to the upper end. Therefore, when viewed from below, the protrusion 21a overlaps the side wall 13b1 positioned outward of the protrusion 21a in the axial direction.

[0065] However, it is not limited to being able to directly visually confirm that a portion of the terminal 20 (protrusion 21a, etc.) overlaps with the side wall 13b1 when looking down. Figure 6 (a) When observing in a vertical cross section, the terminal 20 is partially overlapped with the side wall 13b1 in the vertical direction. In the case of the top view or bottom view hereinafter, it is not limited to being able to directly visually confirm the predetermined form, and it is sufficient to be able to confirm the form in a sectional view such as a vertical cross section.

[0066] More specifically, the contact between the protrusion 21a and the side wall 13b1 in the first overlapping region 51 means that the outer surface 21a2 of the protrusion 21a faces and contacts the inner surface 13b2 of the side wall 13b1. The protrusion 21a and the side wall 13b1 are in contact over substantially the entire first overlapping region 51. However, the protrusion 21a and the side wall 13b1 may be separated from each other in a very small area due to a gap generated during injection molding.

[0067] In this embodiment, the entire outer surface 21a2 of the protrusion 21a is covered by and in contact with the side wall 13b1, but this is not limiting. Alternatively, only a portion of the upper side of the outer surface 21a2 of the protrusion 21a is covered by the side wall 13b1, with the upper portion of the protrusion 21a overlapping and in contact with the side wall 13b1 when viewed from above. In this case, the mounting portion 25 and the first curved portion 22 (particularly the upper surface, discussed later) do not overlap with the side wall 13b1 when viewed from below and are positioned outward in the axial direction relative to the outer surface 13b3 of the side wall 13b1.

[0068] In addition, the outer side surface 14b of the wall portion discussed later is preferably formed to extend parallel to the up-down direction, or to be inclined obliquely outward toward the bottom, and the upper end of the outer side surface 14b of the wall portion is arranged at a position closer to the inside in the direction of the scroll axis than the lower end. In addition, it is preferred that no recess is provided on the outer side surface 14b of the wall portion, or when a recess is provided, it is a recess that can be visually identified as the entire interior when viewed from above. In other words, the outer side surface 14b of the wall portion is composed of a part or all that extends parallel to the up-down direction, or a part or all that can be visually identified when viewed from above. Among them, being able to visually identify the outer side surface 14b of the wall portion when viewed from above means that, in the absence of other components such as the connecting line portion 26, a part of the outer side surface 14b of the wall portion is not covered by another part of the outer side surface 14b of the wall portion and cannot be visually identified.

[0069] like Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 1 (a), the mounting portion 25 and the side wall 13b1 overlap in the second overlapping region (second overlapping region 52) when viewed from above. The mounting portion 25 and the side wall 13b1 are in contact in the second overlapping region 52. This configuration allows the base portion 10 to be injection molded without using a sliding mold.

[0070] In this embodiment, the lower end of side wall 13b1 has a predetermined thickness in the axial direction and a flat lower surface. The overlapping of mounting portion 25 and side wall 13b1 in second overlapping region 52 means that the upward-facing upper surface of mounting portion 25 and the aforementioned lower surface of side wall 13b1 face each other and contact each other. Mounting portion 25 and side wall 13b1 are in contact throughout the entire second overlapping region 52. However, the mounting portion 25 and side wall 13b1 may be separated by a very small portion due to, for example, a gap created during injection molding.

[0071] In this embodiment, as described above, the protrusion 21a is arranged obliquely with respect to the vertical direction, but this is not limiting. The protrusion 21a may also be arranged parallel to the vertical direction. In this case, when viewed from below, the side wall 13b1 does not overlap with the protrusion 21a, but rather overlaps with the mounting portion 25 in the second overlapping region 52.

[0072] Furthermore, the first curved portion 22 and the side wall 13b1 overlap in the third overlapping region 53 when viewed from below, and the first curved portion 22 and the side wall 13b1 are in contact throughout the entire third overlapping region 53. The term "contact" between the first curved portion 22 and the side wall 13b1 refers to the upper surface 22a of the first curved portion 22, which faces the center of the bend, and a portion of the surface of the side wall 13b1 (the boundary between the outer surface 13b3 and the lower surface) facing each other and in contact with each other. The first overlapping region 51 and the third overlapping region 53, as well as the third overlapping region 53 and the second overlapping region 52, are adjacent to each other, forming continuous overlapping regions.

[0073] Hereinafter, the first overlapping region 51 , the second overlapping region 52 , and the third overlapping region 53 may be collectively referred to as the overlapping region 50 .

[0074] However, when the bending radius of the first curved portion 22 is zero, the upper surface of the first curved portion 22 may be substantially a line. In this case, the second overlapping region 52 is substantially adjacent to and continuous with the first overlapping region 51 .

[0075] In this embodiment, a terminal recess 13 surrounded by a surrounding wall 13b and a protruding surface 13a is provided on the lower surface of the base portion 10. The protruding portion 21a protrudes from the protruding surface 13a, which is the top wall of the terminal recess 13, and is surrounded by the surrounding wall 13b. A portion of the surrounding wall 13b is a side wall 13b1 that contacts the protruding portion 21a. Figure 6 As shown in Figure (b), another portion of the peripheral wall 13b is positioned near the protrusion 21a and separated from it. This configuration increases the distance between the base end of the protrusion 21a and the base end of the mounting portion 25, which is the shortest distance along the inner surface 21a1 and the lower surface (the downward facing surface) of the first curved portion 22, and the shortest distance between the base end of the protrusion 21a and the base end of the mounting portion 25, which is the shortest distance along the side end surface (the widthwise outward facing surface) of the protrusion 21a and the side end surface of the first curved portion 22. This prevents resin from reaching the mounting surface 25a during injection molding along the inner surface 21a1 or the side end surface of the terminal recess 13.

[0076] The terminal recess 13 is a bottomed recessed portion in which the terminal 20 (protruding portion 21a) is arranged and which is provided on the lower surface of the base portion 10 in a manner open to the bottom. Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 1 (b), in the present embodiment, the shape of the opening of the surrounding wall 13b is rectangular when viewed from below, but may be circular or polygonal.

[0077] The peripheral wall 13b surrounds the protrusion 21a on all four sides (both sides in the axial direction and the width direction) without any gap. Figure 6 As shown in FIG. (a), the inner surface 13b2 of the side wall 13b1 contacts the outer surface 21a2 of the protrusion 21a. The surrounding wall 13b is arranged near the protrusion 21a, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown in the figure, the terminal recess 13 is provided in the wall portion 14, and the surrounding wall 13b is a portion of the lower portion of the wall portion 14. Preferably, the distance between the surrounding wall 13b and the protrusion 21a is smaller than the distance between the terminal 20 (protrusion 21a) protruding from the terminal recess 13 and the adjacent terminal 20 (protrusion 21a). More preferably, the distance between the surrounding wall 13b and the protrusion 21a is no more than twice the thickness (dimension in the winding direction) of the protrusion 21a.

[0078] The protrusion 21a is separated from another portion of the surrounding wall 13b in three directions. Specifically, the protrusion 21a is separated from a portion of the surrounding wall 13b (opposing portion 13b4) located inward of the protrusion 21a in the axial direction and facing the inner surface 13b2 of the protrusion 21a. Furthermore, the protrusion 21a is also separated from portions of the surrounding wall (side portions 13b5) located on both outer sides of the protrusion 21a in the width direction and facing the side end surfaces of the protrusion 21a.

[0079] In this embodiment, the distance between the protrusion 21a (particularly the base end of its inner surface 21a1) and the opposing portion 13b4 (particularly its base end) is greater than the distance between the protrusion 21a (particularly the base end of its side end surface) and each of the pair of side portions 13b5 (particularly their base ends). During injection molding, the amount of resin that leaks along the inner surface 21a1 of the protrusion 21a is greater than the amount of resin that leaks along the side end surfaces of the protrusion 21a. This is because the width (dimension in the width direction) of the inner surface 21a1 of the protrusion 21a is greater than the dimension (dimension in the axial direction) of the side end surfaces of the protrusion 21a. By making the distance between the protrusion 21a and the opposing portion 13b4 greater than the distance between the protrusion 21a and the side portions 13b5, resin that leaks along the inner surface 21a1 of the protrusion 21a during injection molding is prevented from adhering to the opposing portion 13b4 and filling the terminal recess 13. Furthermore, since the leaked resin is less likely to adhere to the facing portion 13 b 4 , the covering portion 13 c described later can be provided with a desired thickness.

[0080] like Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 1 (a), the height (the vertical distance) of the protruding surface 13a based on the lowest portion is greater than the vertical dimension of the first bent portion 22. By positioning the protruding surface 13a sufficiently upward, the distance between the protruding surface 13a and the mounting surface 25a can be ensured to be long, thereby preventing resin that flows out during injection molding from reaching the mounting surface 25a.

[0081] In this embodiment, the height of the protruding surface 13a relative to the lowest portion refers to the depth of the terminal recess 13, and is the height from the protruding surface 13a relative to the lower end of the surrounding wall 13b. The vertical dimension of the first bent portion 22 refers to the height dimension from the lower end of the first bent portion 22 to the upper end.

[0082] The vertical dimension of the protrusion 21a is larger than that of the first curved portion 22. By sufficiently ensuring the size of the protrusion 21a, the area where the inner surface 21a1 of the protrusion 21a contacts the injection molding mold is increased, thereby suppressing resin leakage during injection molding.

[0083] The vertical dimension of the protrusion 21a refers to the height dimension to the upper end of the protrusion 21a with the lower end of the protrusion 21a as the reference. The vertical dimension of the protrusion 21a is preferably the same as or smaller than the depth of the terminal recess 13. The reason for this is that by arranging the entire protrusion 21a inside the terminal recess 13, the protrusion 21a can be fully protected by the surrounding wall 13b. Alternatively, the vertical dimension of the protrusion 21a may be larger than the depth of the terminal recess 13, and the lower part of the protrusion 21a may be arranged outside the envelope volume of the terminal recess 13.

[0084] The bend angle θ1 of the first curved portion 22 is less than 90 degrees, and the protrusion 21a is arranged at an angle relative to the mounting portion 25. In other words, the angle formed by the portion of the terminal 20 extending from the mounting portion 25 to the intermediate portion 21, centered on the first curved portion 22, is an obtuse angle (an angle greater than 90 degrees). This provides the terminal 20 with elasticity from the protrusion 21a to the mounting portion 25, allowing it to be easily deformed by external forces with vertical components. Specifically, the protrusion 21a, the first curved portion 22, and the mounting portion 25 can deform in such a way that the bend angle of the first curved portion 22 increases or decreases. Therefore, the protrusion 21a and the mounting portion 25 can easily deform to match the shape of the injection mold during injection molding, effectively preventing resin leakage during injection molding. Furthermore, by arranging the protrusion 21a at an angle relative to the vertical direction, the length along the inner surface 21a1 of the protrusion 21a, from the upper end to the lower end, can be ensured to be larger relative to the height of the protrusion 21a. This can more effectively prevent the resin leaking out during injection molding from reaching the mounting surface 25 a.

[0085] Here, the bending angle refers to the angle at which the conductive member is bent when a plate-shaped or straight conductive member is bent to form a bent portion (the first bent portion 22 or the second bent portion 23). In other words, the bending angle refers to the center angle of the bent portion, and is the angle formed by the boundary surface between the bent portion in the terminal 20 after the bending process and the portion of the terminal 20 adjacent to the bent portion on one side, and the boundary surface between the bent portion and the portion of the terminal 20 adjacent to the bent portion on the other side. For example, the bending angle θ1 is the angle formed by the boundary surface between the first bent portion 22 and the protrusion 21a and the boundary surface between the first bent portion 22 and the mounting portion 25. It can also be said that the bending angle θ1 refers to the supplementary angle of the angle formed by a portion of the terminal 20 from the mounting portion 25 to the protrusion 21a (intermediate portion 21) with the first bent portion 22 as the center.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bend angle θ2 of the second curved portion 23 is also smaller than 90 degrees, and the intermediate portion 21 is also arranged at an angle relative to the base end portion 24. Consequently, the portion from the intermediate portion 21 to the base end portion 24 also possesses elasticity capable of deforming in response to an external force having a vertical component. Specifically, in this embodiment, the portion of the terminal from the base end portion 24 to the mounting portion 25 is deformed into a flat shape as a whole by an external force having a vertical component, and possesses a restoring force intended to return to its original shape through its own elasticity.

[0087] As described above, the terminal 20 is formed in such a manner that a portion including the mounting portion 25 and the protrusion 21a and a connecting wire portion 26 for connecting the end of the coil conductor (lead-out portion 31) drawn out from the coil are branched at the base end portion 24. The terminal 20 is bent at the second bend portion (second bend portion 23) located between the base end portion 24 and the protrusion 21a. The base end portion 24 has a lower surface (base end lower surface 24a) that is connected to the mounting surface 25a and faces downward. By configuring in this way, the bent shape of the terminal 20 can be easily formed by clamping a plate-shaped conductive member from top to bottom using a predetermined mold.

[0088] The phrase "the lower surface 24a of the base end portion is connected to the mounting surface 25a" means that the lower surface 24a of the base end portion is smoothly connected to the mounting surface 25a via the surface of the second curved portion 23, the surface of the intermediate portion 21 including the inner surface 21a1 of the protrusion 21a, and the surface of the first curved portion 22. In other words, in the plate-shaped conductive member before bending, the area to become the lower surface 24a of the base end portion and the area to become the mounting surface 25a are located in the same plane. Furthermore, the lower surface 24a of the base end portion is connected to the lower surface of the connecting wire portion 26. In this embodiment, the lower surface 24a of the base end portion and the lower surface of the connecting wire portion 26 are arranged on the same plane.

[0089] Alternatively, instead of the present embodiment, the upper surface of the base end portion 24 may be connected to the mounting surface 25a and also to the upper surface of the connecting wire portion 26. That is, the terminal 20 may be formed by bending a plate-like conductive member into a C-shape so that one main surface of the plate-like conductive member before bending faces the center of the bend and the other main surface faces the outside of the terminal 20.

[0090] The side wall 13b1 becomes thinner toward the bottom. This prevents the terminal 20 from being damaged or deteriorated due to stress concentration on the base end of the protrusion 21a when stress is applied to the terminal 20 due to external force.

[0091] The thickness of side wall 13b1 refers to its dimension in the direction of the winding axis. In this embodiment, as described above, the outer surface 13b3 of side wall 13b1 extends parallel to the vertical direction, while the inner surface 13b2 of side wall 13b1 extends at an angle relative to the vertical direction. As a result, the thickness of side wall 13b1 varies continuously in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the maximum thickness of side wall 13b1 (the thickness at the upper end) is less than the thickness of terminal 20.

[0092] Instead of this embodiment, the thickness of the side wall 13b1 may be uniform in the vertical direction.

[0093] As described above, the protrusion 21a has an inner surface 21a1 facing downward. The upper portion of the inner surface 21a1 is covered by a covering portion 13c, which is a part of the base portion 10 and extends from the protruding surface 13a and is in close contact with the upper portion. The lower portion of the inner surface 21a1 is exposed from the covering portion 13c of the base portion 10. The upper portion of the protrusion 21a is arranged between the side wall 13b1 and the covering portion 13c. The thickness of the covering portion 13c is smaller than the thickness of the side wall 13b1. When an external force is applied to the terminal 20 from a substrate or the like, stress sometimes concentrates on the terminal 20 of the base portion 10 (especially the base end of the protrusion 21a) and a part thereof. By covering a part of the base end side of the protrusion 21a with the covering portion 13c, the stress applied to the terminal 20 is alleviated and damage to the base portion 10 is prevented. Furthermore, since the thickness of the covering portion 13c is smaller than that of the side wall 13b1, the flexibility of the protrusion 21a relative to the base portion 10 is ensured, while appropriately alleviating stress applied to the proximal end of the protrusion 21a by external forces. Furthermore, since the proximal end of the protrusion 21a is partially covered by the covering portion 13c, damage to that portion due to corrosion, etc., can be prevented.

[0094] The covering portion 13c refers to a portion of the base portion 10 that protrudes downward from the protruding surface 13a. The covering portion 13c is opposite to the side wall 13b1 across the protrusion 21a. The covering portion 13c and the surrounding wall 13b (the opposing portion 13b4 and the side portion 13b5) are separated from each other in the axial direction. At least part of or substantially all of the portion (hereinafter referred to as the covering area) of the inner surface 21a1 of the protrusion 21a covered by the covering portion 13c is in close contact with the covering portion 13c. Alternatively, a portion of the covering area is not in close contact with the covering portion 13c, but is separated or only in contact with the covering portion 13c. The side end surfaces of the protrusion 21a may be covered by the covering portion 13c or may be exposed from the covering portion 13c. If the side end surfaces of the protrusion 21a are covered by the covering portion 13c, damage to the portion can be prevented, and in addition, the stress acting on the protrusion when an external force is applied to the terminal 20 can be alleviated. If the side end surface of the protrusion 21a is exposed from the covering portion 13c, it is sufficient not to provide the covering portion 13c. Therefore, it becomes easy to separate the surrounding wall 13b (especially the side portion 13b5) from the protrusion 21a during injection molding.

[0095] The length of the covering portion 13c from the protruding surface 13a to the top (lower end) of the covering portion 13c, and the length along the inner surface 21a1 of the protruding portion 21a, is referred to as the covering length. The covering length of the covering portion 13c is preferably no greater than half the vertical dimension of the protruding portion 21a, and more preferably no greater than half the thickness of the terminal 20. Furthermore, the covering length of the covering portion 13c is preferably no less than one-quarter the thickness of the terminal 20.

[0096] From the viewpoint of alleviating stress when an external force is applied to the terminal 20 , the covering portion 13 c preferably becomes thinner from the protruding surface 13 a side toward the distal end.

[0097] Instead of the present embodiment, the covering portion 13 c may not be provided, and a portion of the base end side of the protrusion 21 a may be exposed from the base portion 10 .

[0098] As described above, terminal 20 includes connecting wire portion 26, which is electrically connected to mounting portion 25 and to which the end of the coil conductor (lead portion 31) drawn from coil 30 is secured. Connecting wire portion 26 protrudes outward from the outer side surface (wall outer side surface 14b) of base 10 (wall 14) toward the outside of base 10. Coil component 100 includes core 40 held by base 10.

[0099] like Figure 3As shown in the figure, the outer side of the core 40 in the protruding direction of the connecting wire portion 26 (outward in the winding direction) is covered by the wall portion 14 of the base portion 10. In addition, the core 40 is exposed from the base portion 10 when viewed from above. The upper surface or outer side surface of the wall portion 14 has a recessed portion 15 with a bottom. The recessed portion 15 is open between the core 40 and the connecting wire portion 26 when viewed from above or from a direction opposite to the outer side surface. By providing the recessed portion 15 in this way, the creepage distance between the lead-out portion 31 fixed to the connecting wire portion 26 and the core 40 exposed from the base portion 10 can be increased. The creepage distance refers to the shortest distance between conductive materials such as the core 40 or the coil wire and is the distance along the surface of other components such as the base portion 10. In this embodiment, the creepage distance between the coil conductor fixed to the connecting wire portion 26 and the core 40 exposed from the base portion 10 is the distance between the coil conductor and the core 40 along the outer side surface and the upper surface of the wall portion 14 and further along the inside of the recess 15.

[0100] Here, the outer side of the core 40 in the protruding direction of the connecting wire portion 26 is covered by the wall portion 14, which means that at least a portion of the lower core 42 is covered by the wall portion 14. In this embodiment, a portion of the lower side of the upper core 41 and the outer side of the lower core 42 in the protruding direction are covered by the wall portion 14.

[0101] The wall outer surface 14b refers to the side surface of the wall 14 that faces outward from the coil component 100. In the present embodiment, the wall outer surface 14b refers to the side surface of the wall 14 that faces outward in the winding axis direction.

[0102] The protruding direction of the connecting wire portion 26 is the direction toward the side of the coil element 100. In this embodiment, the connecting wire portion 26 protrudes outward in the winding direction, and may also protrude outward in the width direction. Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the flange side portion 12b (see Figure 2 ) and the wall 14 (refer to Figure 2 ) are C-chamfered at the corners of the boundaries, wherein the outer side surface 14b of the wall portion (refer to Figure 2 ) includes the C-surface (the inclined surface generated by the C-chamfering). The connecting wire portions 26 of the first terminal 20a and the third terminal 20c protrude from the C-surface, and the protruding direction is the same as that of the connecting wire portion 26 of the second terminal 20b, that is, outward in the winding direction.

[0103] The core 40 being exposed from the base portion 10 in a plan view means that at least a portion of the core 40 (particularly, the upper core 41 ) can be visually recognized in a plan view.

[0104] When the recess 15 is provided so as to open on the upper surface of the wall 14 (the wall upper surface 14a), the recess 15 opens between the core 40 and the connecting wire portion 26 when viewed from above. When the recess 15 is provided so as to open on the wall outer surface 14b, the recess 15 opens between the connecting wire portion 26 and the core 40 when viewed from a direction opposite to the outer surface where the recess 15 is provided (a direction toward the inside of the winding direction).

[0105] In this embodiment, the wall portion 14 is provided on both outer sides in the winding direction of the core 40. The recessed portion 15 is provided on each of the pair of wall portions 14 spaced apart from each other in the winding direction.

[0106] Alternatively, the present embodiment may be replaced by providing a recess 15 on the outer side surface 14b of the wall portion. In the case where the recess 15 is provided on the outer side surface 14b of the wall portion, the opening of the recess 15 between the core 40 and the connecting line portion when viewed from a direction opposite to the outer side surface 14b of the wall portion is not limited to the case where the core 40 can be visually identified when viewed from this direction. That is, the upper portion (especially the upper surface) of the core 40 may be arranged at a position lower than the upper surface 14a of the wall portion, and the core 40 cannot be visually identified when viewed from this direction. In this case, in the outer side surface 14b of the wall portion, the recess 15 may be opened at a height position between the height position of the upper surface of the core 40 and the height position at which the connecting line portion 26 is arranged.

[0107] The coil element 100 has a plurality of connecting wire portions 26 protruding in the same direction. In the present embodiment, the wall portion 14 has a plurality of recesses 15 corresponding to the plurality of connecting wire portions 26. The recesses 15 corresponding to different connecting wire portions 26 are separated from each other. Alternatively, in order to ensure a creepage distance between the plurality of connecting wire portions 26 protruding in the same direction and the core 40, a recess 15 may be provided in the wall portion 14 instead of the present embodiment. For example, a recess 15 that is longer in the width direction may be provided in the wall portion 14. By providing a plurality of recesses 15 in the wall portion 14 and separating them from each other, the rigidity of the wall portion 14 can be ensured compared to a case where only one recess 15 is provided in the wall portion 14.

[0108] Here, "each recess 15 corresponds to a connecting line portion 26" means that, when viewed from above or from the side, the recess 15 is disposed between the corresponding connecting line portion 26 and the core 40. As in the present embodiment, one recess 15 may correspond to one connecting line portion 26, or two or more recesses 15 may correspond to one connecting line portion 26.

[0109] In this embodiment, the plurality of recesses 15 are separated from each other in the width direction, but may also be separated from each other in the reel direction. For example, the plurality of connecting wire portions 26 protrude outward in the width direction. In the case where the plurality of connecting wire portions 26 are arranged in the reel direction, the plurality of recesses 15 are preferably separated from each other in the reel direction.

[0110] All recesses 15 may be provided on only one of the upper surface and the outer side surface of wall 14 , or some recesses 15 may be provided on the upper surface of wall 14 and the remaining recesses 15 may be provided on the outer side surface of wall 14 .

[0111] In the present embodiment, recesses 15a are provided corresponding to the connecting line portions 26a and 26d of the first terminal 20a or the third terminal 20c, and recesses 15b are provided corresponding to the connecting line portions 26b and 26c of the second terminal 20b. A plurality of recesses 15a and 15b are arranged in the width direction, with the recess 15a being arranged on both outer sides in the width direction and the recess 15b being arranged on the inner side in the width direction. The shape of the opening portion of the recess 15a is approximately pentagonal, and the shape of the opening portion of the recess 15b is rectangular. The shape of the opening portion of the recess 15 may be polygonal or circular. In addition, the recess 15a is connected to the space of the flange portion 42b provided in the flange portion accommodating portion 12 and used to accommodate the lower core 42. As Figure 7 As shown in the figure, the depth of the recess 15a (the dimension from the bottom to the open end) is smaller than the depth of the recess 15b. By reducing the depth of the recess 15a arranged on the outer side in the width direction of the wall 14, the rigidity of the wall 14 can be well maintained.

[0112] In this embodiment, the recess 15 is recessed downward from the upper surface of the wall 14. The lateral dimension of the recess 15 decreases or remains constant as it moves downward. This eliminates the need for a sliding mold and allows the recess 15 to be formed by injection molding.

[0113] In both the axial direction and the width direction, the size of the recess 15 becomes smaller or remains the same as it goes downward.

[0114] In this embodiment, if Figure 5 and Figure 7As shown in the figure, the peripheral walls that define the recess 15 are arranged obliquely and tilted, and the lateral dimension of the recess 15 becomes smaller as it goes downward. As described above, the depth of one recess 15 (recess 15a) among the multiple recesses 15a and 15b is smaller than the depth of the other recesses 15 (recess 15b). The inclination angle of the peripheral wall of one recess 15a is larger than the inclination angle of the peripheral wall of the other recess 15b. The inclination angle of the peripheral wall refers to the angle of the peripheral wall relative to the horizontal plane. Therefore, compared with the case where the inclination angle of the peripheral wall of the same recess 15a is equal to or smaller than the inclination angle of the peripheral wall of the recess 15b, a larger creepage distance can be ensured even in the recess 15a with a smaller depth.

[0115] A portion or all of the peripheral wall of the recess 15 is inclined. At least a portion of the peripheral wall that is opposite to the protruding direction of the connecting line portion 26 or the opposite direction thereof is inclined, and the inclination angle of the portion of the peripheral wall of the recess 15a is larger than the inclination angle of the portion of the peripheral wall of the recess 15b.

[0116] like Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the connecting wire portion 26 and the mounting portion 25 are offset in a plan view. The top wall of the terminal recess 13 and the bottom surface of the recess 15 are offset in the same direction as the offset direction of the connecting wire portion 26 relative to the mounting portion 25 in a plan view. This prevents the terminal recess 13 and the recess 15 from overlapping significantly in the vertical direction, which would cause the thickness of the wall portion 14 to be extremely reduced in the vertical direction and weaken the base portion 10.

[0117] Specifically, the connecting wire portion 26 and the mounting portion 25 are offset in the width direction, and the top wall of the terminal recess 13 and the bottom surface of the recess 15 are also offset in the width direction. The top wall of the terminal recess 13 and the bottom surface of the recess 15 are offset in a predetermined direction when viewed from above. This means that the center of the top wall of the terminal recess 13 when viewed from above and the center of the bottom surface of the recess 15 when viewed from above are offset in the predetermined direction. A portion of the top wall of the terminal recess 13 and a portion of the bottom surface of the recess 15 may overlap in the vertical direction, or the top wall of the terminal recess 13 and the bottom surface of the recess 15 may be separated from each other when viewed from above.

[0118] The terminal recess 13 is arranged outside a portion of the recess 15 in the protruding direction of the connection wire portion 26 in a plan view. This prevents the base portion 10 from being locally brittle as described above.

[0119] In a plan view, the terminal recess 13 is arranged in the protruding direction outward from a portion of the recess 15 located inside in the winding direction. Preferably, in a plan view, the terminal recess 13 is arranged in the protruding direction outward from the center of the bottom surface of the recess 15 in a plan view.

[0120] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various modifications, improvements, and other aspects within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention.

[0121] The following modifications can be combined as appropriate.

[0122] In this embodiment, the space provided within the base portion 10 for accommodating the core 40 is open at the top, but this is not limiting. Alternatively, for example, the space may be closed at the top and open at the other end. Alternatively, the space may be open at one or both ends in the winding direction, or at one or both ends in the width direction.

[0123] The winding axis direction of the coil may be the same as the vertical direction or the width direction.

[0124] In this embodiment, the ends of the coil conductor are led out to both sides in the winding axis direction, and the coil component 100 is a so-called horizontal coil. The coil component 100 may also be a so-called vertical coil in which the ends of the coil conductor are led out in only one direction.

[0125] The above-mentioned embodiment includes the following technical ideas.

[0126] (1) A coil component comprising:

[0127] a base portion; a terminal protruding from a lower surface of the base portion; and a coil electrically connected to the terminal,

[0128] The lower surface of the base portion includes a lowermost portion located at the bottom and a protruding surface located above the lowermost portion.

[0129] The terminal has:

[0130] an embedded portion embedded in the base portion;

[0131] a protruding portion, which is continuous with the embedded portion and protrudes downward from the protruding surface in a straight line;

[0132] a curved portion that is continuous with the protruding portion and curved toward a side of the base portion; and

[0133] The mounting portion includes a mounting surface facing downward, and the mounting portion is continuous with the bent portion.

[0134] (2) The coil component according to (1), wherein

[0135] The base portion has a side wall arranged outside the protruding portion in the bending direction of the bent portion.

[0136] The protrusion overlaps with the side wall in an overlapping area when viewed from below,

[0137] The protrusion is in contact with the side wall in the overlapping region.

[0138] (3) The coil component according to (1) or (2), wherein

[0139] The base portion has a side wall arranged outside the protruding portion in the bending direction of the bent portion.

[0140] The mounting portion overlaps with the side wall in a second overlapping region when viewed from above,

[0141] The mounting portion contacts the side wall in the second overlapping region.

[0142] (4) The coil component according to (2) or (3), wherein

[0143] A terminal recess is provided on the lower surface of the base portion and is surrounded by a peripheral wall and the protruding surface.

[0144] The protrusion protrudes from the protruding surface of the top wall of the terminal recess and is surrounded by the surrounding wall.

[0145] A portion of the peripheral wall is the side wall and is in contact with the protrusion.

[0146] The other portion of the peripheral wall is disposed near the protruding portion and is separated from the protruding portion.

[0147] (5) The coil component according to any one of (2) to (4), wherein

[0148] The height of the protruding surface based on the lowermost portion is greater than the vertical dimension of the bent portion.

[0149] (6) The coil component according to any one of (2) to (5), wherein

[0150] A vertical dimension of the protruding portion is larger than a vertical dimension of the bent portion.

[0151] (7) The coil component according to any one of (2) to (6), wherein

[0152] The bending angle of the bent portion is smaller than 90 degrees,

[0153] The protruding portion is arranged to be inclined relative to the mounting portion.

[0154] (8) The coil component according to (7), wherein

[0155] The side wall becomes thinner toward the bottom.

[0156] (9) The coil component according to (8), wherein

[0157] The terminal is formed so that a portion including the mounting portion and the protruding portion branches off at a base end from a connecting wire portion connected to an end of a coil conductor drawn out from the coil.

[0158] The terminal is bent at a second bent portion located between the base end portion and the protruding portion,

[0159] The base end portion has a lower surface that is continuous with the mounting surface and faces downward.

[0160] (10) The coil component according to any one of (7) to (9), wherein:

[0161] The protrusion has an inner surface facing downward,

[0162] The upper portion of the inner surface is covered by a covering portion which is a part of the base portion and extends from the protruding surface and is in close contact with the upper portion.

[0163] The lower portion of the inner surface is exposed from the covering portion of the base portion,

[0164] The upper portion of the protrusion is arranged between the side wall and the covering portion,

[0165] The thickness of the covering portion is smaller than the thickness of the side wall.

[0166] (11) The coil component according to any one of (1) to (10), wherein

[0167] The terminal has a connecting wire portion electrically connected to the mounting portion and to which an end of a coil conductor drawn out from the coil is fixed.

[0168] The connecting line portion protrudes from the outer side surface of the base portion toward the outside of the base portion.

[0169] The coil element has a core held by the base portion,

[0170] The outer side of the core in the protruding direction of the connecting wire portion is covered by the wall portion of the base portion.

[0171] The core is exposed from the base portion in a plan view,

[0172] The upper surface of the wall portion or the outer side surface has a bottomed recessed portion,

[0173] The recessed portion opens between the core and the connecting wire portion when viewed from above or from a direction opposite to the outer side surface.

[0174] (12) The coil component according to (11), wherein

[0175] The coil element has a plurality of connecting wire portions protruding in the same direction.

[0176] The wall portion has a plurality of recessed portions corresponding to the plurality of connecting line portions, respectively.

[0177] The recessed portions corresponding to different connecting line portions are separated from each other.

[0178] (13) The coil component according to (11) or (12), wherein

[0179] The recessed portion is recessed downward from the upper surface of the wall portion,

[0180] The lateral dimension of the recessed portion becomes smaller or remains the same as it goes downward.

[0181] (14) The coil component according to (13) cited in (12), wherein

[0182] The lateral dimensions of the plurality of recesses decrease downward.

[0183] The peripheral walls defining the plurality of recesses are inclined.

[0184] The depth of one of the plurality of recesses is smaller than the depths of the other recesses.

[0185] The inclination angle of the peripheral wall of the one recessed portion is larger than the inclination angle of the peripheral wall of the other recessed portion.

[0186] (15) The coil component according to any one of (11) to (14) cited in (4), wherein:

[0187] The connecting line portion and the mounting portion are staggered when viewed from above.

[0188] The protruding surface of the terminal recess and the bottom surface of the recess are offset in the same direction as the direction in which the connecting wire portion is offset with respect to the mounting portion in a plan view.

[0189] (16) The coil component according to (15), wherein

[0190] The terminal recess is arranged outside a part of the recess in the protruding direction in a plan view.

[0191] Description of Reference Numerals

[0192] 100, coil element; 10, base portion; 11, frame portion; 11a, partition; 11b, side plate; 11c, bottom plate; 11d, lower protruding area; 12, flange portion receiving portion; 12a, bottom plate; 12b, flange side portion; 12c, inner wall; 13, terminal recess; 13a, protruding surface, top wall; 13b, surrounding wall; 13b1, side wall; 13b2, inner surface; 13b3, outer surface; 13b4, opposing portion; 13b5, side portion; 13c, covering portion; 14, wall portion; 14a, wall portion upper surface; 14b, wall portion outer side surface; 15, 15a, 15b, recess; 20, terminal; 20a, first terminal; 20b, second terminal; 20 c. third terminal; 21. middle portion; 21a. protruding portion; 21a1. inner surface; 21a2. outer surface; 21b. embedded portion; 22. first bent portion; 22a. upper surface; 23. second bent portion; 24. base end portion; 24a. lower surface of base end portion; 25. mounting portion; 25a. mounting surface; 26, 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d. connecting wire portion; 30. coil; 30a. primary coil; 30b. secondary coil; 31. lead-out portion; 40. core; 41. upper core; 42. lower core; 42a. winding core portion; 42b. flange portion; 50. overlapping region; 51. first overlapping region; 52. second overlapping region; 53. third overlapping region.

Claims

1. A coil element comprising: a base portion; a terminal protruding from a lower surface of the base portion; and a coil electrically connected to the terminal, The lower surface of the base portion includes a lowermost portion located at the bottom and a protruding surface located above the lowermost portion. The terminal has: an embedded portion embedded in the base portion; a protruding portion, which is continuous with the embedded portion and protrudes downward from the protruding surface in a straight line; a curved portion continuous with the protruding portion and curved toward a side of the base portion; as well as The mounting portion includes a mounting surface facing downward, and the mounting portion is continuous with the bent portion.

2. The coil component according to claim 1, wherein The base portion has a side wall arranged outside the protruding portion in the bending direction of the bent portion. The protrusion overlaps with the side wall in an overlapping area when viewed from below, The protrusion is in contact with the side wall in the overlapping region.

3. The coil component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The base portion has a side wall arranged outside the protruding portion in the bending direction of the bent portion. The mounting portion overlaps with the side wall in a second overlapping region when viewed from above, The mounting portion contacts the side wall in the second overlapping region.

4. The coil component according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: A terminal recess is provided on the lower surface of the base portion and is surrounded by a peripheral wall and the protruding surface. The protrusion protrudes from the protruding surface of the top wall of the terminal recess and is surrounded by the surrounding wall. A portion of the peripheral wall is the side wall and is in contact with the protrusion. The other portion of the peripheral wall is disposed near the protruding portion and is separated from the protruding portion.

5. The coil component according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein The height of the protruding surface based on the lowermost portion is greater than the vertical dimension of the bent portion.

6. The coil component according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein A vertical dimension of the protruding portion is larger than a vertical dimension of the bent portion.

7. The coil component according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein The bending angle of the bent portion is smaller than 90 degrees, The protruding portion is arranged to be inclined relative to the mounting portion.

8. The coil component according to claim 7, wherein The side wall becomes thinner toward the bottom.

9. The coil component according to claim 8, wherein The terminal is formed so that a portion including the mounting portion and the protruding portion branches off at a base end from a connecting wire portion connected to an end of a coil conductor drawn out from the coil. The terminal is bent at a second bent portion located between the base end portion and the protruding portion, The base end portion has a lower surface that is continuous with the mounting surface and faces downward.

10. The coil component according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein The protrusion has an inner surface facing downward, The upper portion of the inner surface is covered by a covering portion which is a part of the base portion and extends from the protruding surface and is in close contact with the upper portion. The lower portion of the inner surface is exposed from the covering portion of the base portion, The upper portion of the protrusion is arranged between the side wall and the covering portion, The thickness of the covering portion is smaller than the thickness of the side wall.

11. The coil component according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein The terminal has a connecting wire portion electrically connected to the mounting portion and to which an end of a coil conductor drawn out from the coil is fixed. The connecting line portion protrudes from the outer side surface of the base portion toward the outside of the base portion. The coil element has a core held by the base portion, The outer side of the core in the protruding direction of the connecting wire portion is covered by the wall portion of the base portion. The core is exposed from the base portion in a plan view, The upper surface of the wall portion or the outer side surface has a bottomed recessed portion, The recessed portion opens between the core and the connecting wire portion when viewed from above or from a direction opposite to the outer side surface.

12. The coil component according to claim 11, wherein The coil element has a plurality of connecting wire portions protruding in the same direction. The wall portion has a plurality of recessed portions corresponding to the plurality of connecting line portions, respectively. The recessed portions corresponding to different connecting line portions are separated from each other.

13. The coil component according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: The recessed portion is recessed downward from the upper surface of the wall portion, The lateral dimension of the recessed portion becomes smaller or remains the same as it goes downward.

14. The coil component according to claim 13 as dependent on claim 12, wherein: The lateral dimensions of the plurality of recesses decrease downward. The peripheral walls that define the plurality of recesses are inclined. The depth of one of the plurality of recesses is smaller than the depths of the other recesses. The inclination angle of the peripheral wall of one of the recesses is larger than the inclination angle of the peripheral walls of the other recesses.

15. The coil component according to any one of claims 11 to 14 as dependent on claim 4, wherein: The connecting line portion and the mounting portion are staggered when viewed from above. The protruding surface of the terminal recess and the bottom surface of the recess are offset in the same direction as the direction in which the connecting wire portion is offset with respect to the mounting portion in a plan view. The coil component according to claim 15 , wherein: The terminal recess is arranged outside a part of the recess in the protruding direction in a plan view.

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