A four-phase toroidal TLVR inductor

Abstract

This invention discloses a four-phase toroidal TLVR inductor, assembled from prefabricated pairs of primary and secondary magnetic cores and four sets of primary and secondary coils. The secondary magnetic core has four corner-shaped second slots separated by a central cross-shaped rib. The primary and secondary coils overlap in their respective middle sections, and any two coils in each set are sequentially embedded in the second slots with the primary coil on top and the secondary coil on the bottom. The primary magnetic core covers the middle section of the primary coil and is flush with the secondary magnetic core, forming a single, integral solidification. Four sets of circumferentially distributed secondary electrode pads are formed on the bottom of the package, and four sets of primary electrode pads are formed on the top of each side of the package and the bottom of its adjacent right side. This inductor helps maintain a stable package structure and reduces space requirements, while also improving the transient response of the inductor. The coupling coefficient between any two phases of the TLVR is less than 0.1, further improving the circuit's operating environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to an inductor, and more particularly to a four-phase ring TLVR inductor, belonging to the field of basic electronic components technology. Background Technology

[0002] Inductors are one of the most commonly used components in electronic devices, widely used in various circuits to perform functions such as filtering, energy storage, matching, and resonance. With the increasing miniaturization and portability of electronic products, and the high-density assembly of components, inductor components have developed rapidly. Furthermore, considering electromagnetic compatibility, the ability of electronic products to resist electromagnetic interference has become a basic design requirement, thus increasing the demand for and application of inductors.

[0003] The TLVR (Trans-Inductor Voltage Regulator) architecture is an emerging VR (Voltage Regulator) power supply architecture. Its biggest difference from the traditional DC to DC Buck and DC (DC) architectures is that it improves the traditional single-wound ordinary inductor into a TLVR inductor with dual windings, similar to a transformer. Ordinary inductors have only one set of windings with two pins, while TLVR inductors have two sets of mutually coupled windings with four pins. The two have a great difference in structural form.

[0004] Currently, when designing TLVR inductors, in addition to the primary goal of improving coupling efficiency between the two coil stages, the number of components and the space occupied in high-density PCBs are also key concerns. Therefore, the integration of multiple TLVR inductors within limited space and the optimization of coupling coefficients have become a crucial technological gap that the industry urgently needs to fill. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned defects in the existing technology, the purpose of this utility model is to propose a four-phase toroidal TLVR inductor, which optimizes the internal structure of the device to reduce the space occupied by multi-phase integrated devices and improve the performance of the finished product.

[0006] One technical solution of this utility model to achieve the above-mentioned objective is: a four-phase toroidal TLVR inductor, which is assembled from prefabricated pairs of primary magnetic cores, secondary magnetic cores, and four sets of primary coils and secondary coils. The secondary magnetic core is provided with four corner-shaped second slots separated by a central cross-shaped rib. The primary coils and secondary coils overlap in their respective middle sections, and any two coils in any set are successively embedded in the second slots in a combination of primary on top and secondary on the bottom. The primary magnetic core covers the middle section of the primary coil and is flush with the secondary magnetic core and hot-pressed into a whole. The secondary coils have four sets of circumferentially distributed secondary electrode pads formed at the bottom of the package, and the primary coils have four sets of primary electrode pads formed at the top of each side of the package and the bottom of the adjacent right side.

[0007] Furthermore, the primary magnetic core is provided with four corner-shaped first receiving slots separated by a central cross-shaped rib, and one end of the first receiving slot extends to one side wall of the primary magnetic core, while the other end of the first receiving slot extends to the top surface of the primary magnetic core, and a first notch is formed at the adjacent side wall for the primary coil to partially accommodate it.

[0008] Furthermore, both ends of the second slot extend to the bottom surface of the secondary core, and a second notch formed at one end of the second slot is suitable for partial accommodating the secondary coil relative to a pair of adjacent sidewalls at any corner of the secondary core, and a third notch formed at the other end of the second slot is suitable for accommodating the overlapping portion of the primary coil and the secondary coil.

[0009] Furthermore, the primary coil is formed by cutting and bending a flat copper strip, including a middle section bent at a right angle in a flat state and a bent leg section bent vertically in the opposite direction, and the entire surface of the primary coil is covered with insulating varnish.

[0010] Furthermore, the secondary coil is formed by cutting and bending flat enameled wire, including a middle section bent at a right angle in a flat state and a lead section bent vertically in the same direction.

[0011] Furthermore, both the primary and secondary magnetic cores are cold-pressed bodies made of powder material based on a customized mold.

[0012] Furthermore, the surface of the thermo-pressed inductor semi-finished product is provided with a roll-sprayed insulating coating, and the top and bottom surfaces of the inductor semi-finished product are subjected to paint stripping and electroplating treatment at the ends of the two-stage coils to form the electrode pads corresponding to the PCB assembly.

[0013] Another technical solution of this utility model to achieve the above-mentioned objective is: a four-phase toroidal TLVR inductor, which is assembled from prefabricated pairs of primary magnetic cores, secondary magnetic cores, and four sets of primary coils and secondary coils. The secondary magnetic core is provided with four corner-shaped second slots separated by a central cross-shaped rib. The primary coils and secondary coils overlap in their respective middle sections, and any two coils in any set are successively embedded in the second slots in a combination of primary on top and secondary on the bottom. The primary magnetic core covers the middle section of the primary coil and is flush with the edge of the secondary magnetic core. All contact positions of the two magnetic cores and the two coils are glued and baked into a whole. The secondary coils have four sets of secondary electrode pads circumferentially distributed at the bottom of the package, and the primary coils have four sets of primary electrode pads formed on the top of each side of the package and the bottom of the adjacent right side.

[0014] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of the TLVR inductor of this invention are as follows: The inductor optimizes the forming shape of the core relative to the multiple sets of primary and secondary coils in a separated assembly, and the multiple sets of coils and their electrode pads are distributed in a ring-shaped polygonal pattern. This facilitates stable packaging of the assembly, improves insulation isolation between the four-phase two-stage coils, reduces the coupling coefficient between any two phases of the TLVR to less than 0.1, and improves the transient response of this type of inductor. Therefore, it can be integrated into high-density PCBs and better applied in the manufacturing of power supply hardware for popular industries such as AI, data centers, autonomous driving, and smart scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the assembled TLVR inductor of this utility model.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the primary magnetic core of the TLVR inductor of this utility model.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the secondary magnetic core of the TLVR inductor of this utility model.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the primary coil of the TLVR inductor of this utility model.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the secondary coil of the TLVR inductor of this utility model.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly state of the two-stage coil of the TLVR inductor of this utility model.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the evolution of the external shape of a preferred embodiment of the four-phase toroidal TLVR inductor of this utility model during assembly and manufacturing.

[0022] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the evolution of the external shape of a preferred embodiment of the four-phase toroidal TLVR inductor of this utility model during assembly and manufacturing. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of this application, and not all of it. Based on the following embodiments, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0024] To reduce the space occupied by finished inductors on high-density PCBs, efforts are focused on optimizing the internal structure of the magnetic core and the coil forming structure to achieve integrated multi-inductor design. Key innovative features include... Figures 2 to 7 As shown, the four-phase toroidal TLVR inductor is assembled from prefabricated pairs of primary magnetic cores 1, secondary magnetic cores 2, and four sets of primary coils 3 and secondary coils 4. The secondary magnetic core 2 is integrally formed into a cube, with a flat bottom surface and four corner-shaped second receiving slots 22 separated by a cross-shaped rib 21 in the middle of the secondary core. The primary coils 3 and secondary coils 4 overlap in their respective middle sections, and any pair of coils in a set is arranged with the primary coil on top and the secondary coil on the bottom. Figure 6 As shown, the primary magnetic core 1 is also formed into a cube, with a flat top surface and a first groove on the bottom surface opposite to the second groove. The primary magnetic core covers the middle section of the primary coil and is flush with the edge of the secondary magnetic core and hot-pressed into a single unit. As the connection base of the inductor to the PCB, the secondary coil has four sets of secondary electrode pads 61 arranged in a ring at the bottom of the package, and the primary coil has four sets of primary electrode pads 62 formed on the top of each side of the package and the bottom of the adjacent right side.

[0025] As can be seen from the inductor structure outlined above, for the pre-assembled unit, each group of primary and secondary coils is isolated by the cross-shaped ribs of the secondary magnetic core, and each group of primary and secondary coils is also mutually insulated. For the assembled unit, the first and second slots close together to enclose the four groups of coils, while the cross-shaped ribs and four corner bosses outside the slots are completely closed. This results in four-phase primary and secondary coils that achieve reliable isolation while being integrated as a single device, thereby minimizing mutual coupling interference, achieving a coupling coefficient k < 0.1, and increasing the coupling coefficient of each phase's primary and secondary coils.

[0026] Looking at more detailed features, such as Figure 2The primary magnetic core 1 shown above is provided with four corner-shaped first receiving grooves 12 separated by a cross-shaped rib 11 in the middle of the primary core. One end of the first receiving groove 12 extends to one side wall of the primary magnetic core and is formed into a notch 121. The other end of the first receiving groove extends to the top surface of the primary magnetic core and forms a first notch 122 at the adjacent side wall where the primary coil is partially compatible.

[0027] And such Figure 3 The secondary magnetic core 2 shown above has two ends of the second slot 22 extending towards the bottom surface of the secondary magnetic core. A second notch 221 formed at one end of the second slot, relative to a pair of adjacent sidewalls at any corner of the secondary magnetic core, is suitable for partial accommodating the secondary coil. A third notch 222 formed at the other end of the second slot is suitable for accommodating the overlapping portion of the primary and secondary coils. The dimensions of the first slot, the second slot, and each notch are matched to the dimensional parameters and forming shape of the assembled two-stage coils.

[0028] More specifically, such as Figure 4 The primary coil 3 shown above is formed by cutting and bending a flat copper strip, including a primary middle section 31 bent at a right angle in a flat state and a bent leg section bent vertically in the opposite direction, including a primary upper end 32 and a primary lower end 33. The entire surface of the primary coil is coated with insulating varnish to enhance insulation isolation from the secondary coil. Because the flat copper strip is relatively thick, its vertical bend is roughly an arc shape with a large bending radius, thus effectively increasing the isolation distance from the secondary coil at the corresponding gaps. And as... Figure 5 The secondary coil 4 shown above is formed by cutting and bending flat enameled wire, including a secondary middle section 41 bent at right angles in a flat state and a lead section 42 bent vertically in the same direction, thereby adapting to the turning extension of the second cavity. In the packaged state, the insulation isolation between the two coils is maintained above DC 150V, but a high intra-group coupling coefficient is still guaranteed.

[0029] After the semi-finished product formed by the above-mentioned thermo-press packaging is discharged, it still needs to undergo surface painting treatment to form an insulating coating 5 on its surface. Then, the paint is partially peeled off and electroplated on the corresponding primary coil and secondary coil to form electrode pads, thereby increasing the isolation distance between them to meet the application assembly requirements of circuit board soldering.

[0030] like Figure 7The diagram shows the external shape evolution during the manufacturing process of a preferred embodiment of the TLVR inductor. The process is briefly described as follows: S1. Pre-fabrication: A first mold and a second mold are fabricated according to the preset shape and design dimensions. Magnetic core powder is then filled into both molds and molded to obtain the primary and secondary magnetic cores. Flat copper strips and flat enameled wires are used as materials, and prefabricated in batches according to specifications to obtain the secondary and primary coils. All of the above parts can be prefabricated in batches. The magnetic powder used for prefabricating the two magnetic cores is one or a mixture of two or more of Fe-based / FeSiCr / FeNi / FeSiAl / FeSi / amorphous / nanocrystalline materials, with epoxy resin, silicone resin, or acrylic resin added selectively. The cold pressing pressure is between 6 Tons / cm² and 10 Tons / cm².

[0031] S2. First, take one secondary magnetic core with the second slot facing upwards. Then, take four secondary coils and insert them one-to-one into each of the second slots to obtain the first pre-assembled body A. Next, take four primary coils and press... Figure 6 The stacked configuration shown (intermediate section overlap and splicing) is placed one by one into the second cavity to obtain the second pre-assembled body B. Here, the depth of the second cavity is greater than the thickness of the secondary coil, so the primary coil is effectively contained within it.

[0032] S3. Take a primary magnetic core and align it with the first slot facing down. Align it with the secondary magnetic core from top to bottom to obtain a complete assembly C.

[0033] S4. Transfer the complete assembly into a hot-press molding die, fill all pores and seams with magnetic powder, and then apply hot-pressing pressure and temperature to the die to obtain a package D with completely eliminated seams. Here, the magnetic powder used for hot pressing is one or more of Fe-based / FeSiCr / FeNi / FeSiAl / amorphous / nanocrystalline materials, and is uniformly mixed with epoxy resin, silicone resin or acrylic resin. The packaging parameters include a molding temperature between 100-200℃, a molding pressure between 4 Tons / cm² and 12 Tons / cm², and a molding time between 30-180 seconds.

[0034] S5. Then, the package D is transferred to the roller spraying workshop for full coverage with the insulating coating 5 to obtain the full package E.

[0035] S6. Then, the paint is partially stripped from the entire package using laser stripping technology to expose the end 34 of the primary coil lead section and the end 43 of the secondary coil lead section. Then, electroplating is performed on each exposed copper surface to obtain four sets of primary electrode pads 62 and four sets of secondary electrode pads 61, and finally, a four-phase ring TLVR inductor F with smooth sidewalls is obtained.

[0036] In addition, such as Figure 8The image shows the external evolution of a preferred embodiment of the TLVR inductor during its manufacturing process. The manufacturing process and finished product appearance differ slightly from the preferred embodiment, as briefly described below: In step S1, although the components are basically the same in terms of prefabricated shape, after the secondary coil is bent and formed, or the primary coil is bent and painted, the coating / paint is peeled off and electroplated at their respective ends. The magnetic core used can be molded manganese-zinc ferrite or sintered at high temperature from alloy materials (one or more mixed powders of FeSi / FeNi / FeSiAl). The layered assembly shapes and sequences in steps S2 to S3 are the same, except that all contact points of each component are glued and layered. First, glue is applied in sections in the second cavity and each secondary coil is inserted. Then, glue is applied in sections on the upward-facing surface of the secondary coil and each primary coil is inserted. Next, glue is applied in a dispersed manner on the surface of each primary coil and the surface of the secondary magnetic core (including the cross-shaped ribs and four corner bosses in the middle of the secondary coil). Finally, the primary magnetic core is combined with it to form a complete assembly G, which is then cured and shaped through a baking process. Figure 1 As shown, unlike the finished product of the preferred embodiment, the resulting inductor product has a more primitive state on all four sides, with no magnetic powder filling the gaps and seams; however, the surface insulation performance and the insulation isolation between coils are still reliable.

[0037] In summary, the above introduction and detailed description of the four-phase toroidal TLVR inductor of this utility model demonstrate that, compared with existing technologies, this solution possesses substantial features and advancements. Its technical effects are as follows: the inductor optimizes the forming shape of the magnetic core relative to the multiple sets of primary and secondary coils in a separated assembly, and the multiple sets of coils and their electrode pads are distributed in a ring-shaped polygonal pattern. This facilitates stable encapsulation of the assembly, improves insulation isolation between the four-phase two-stage coils, reduces the coupling coefficient between any two phases of the TLVR to less than 0.1, and improves the transient response of such inductor devices. Therefore, it can be integrated into high-density PCBs and better applied in the manufacturing of power supply hardware for popular industries such as AI, data centers, autonomous driving, and smart scenarios.

[0038] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A four-phase toroidal TLVR inductor characterized by: The inductor is assembled from prefabricated pairs of primary magnetic cores, secondary magnetic cores, and four sets of primary and secondary coils. The secondary magnetic core has four corner-shaped second slots separated by a central cross-shaped rib. The primary and secondary coils overlap in their respective middle sections, and any two coils in any set are sequentially embedded in the second slots with the primary coil on top and the secondary coil on the bottom. The primary magnetic core covers the middle section of the primary coil and is flush with the secondary magnetic core and thermo-pressed into a single unit. The secondary coil has four sets of circumferentially distributed secondary electrode pads formed at the bottom of the package, and the primary coil has four sets of primary electrode pads formed at the top of each side of the package and the bottom of the adjacent right side.

2. The four-phase toroidal TLVR inductor of claim 1, wherein: The primary magnetic core is provided with four corner-shaped first receiving slots separated by a central cross-shaped rib. One end of the first receiving slot extends to one side wall of the primary magnetic core, and the other end of the first receiving slot extends to the top surface of the primary magnetic core, forming a first gap at the adjacent side wall for partial accommodation of the primary coil.

3. The four-phase ring TLVR inductor of claim 1, wherein: Both ends of the second slot extend to the bottom surface of the secondary core, and the second notch formed at one end of the second slot is suitable for partial accommodating the secondary coil relative to a pair of adjacent sidewalls at any corner of the secondary core, and the third notch formed at the other end of the second slot is suitable for accommodating the overlapping portion of the primary coil and the secondary coil.

4. The four-phase toroidal TLVR inductor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The primary coil is formed by cutting and bending a flat copper strip, including a middle section that is bent at a right angle in a flat state and a bent leg section that is bent vertically in the opposite direction, and the entire surface of the primary coil is covered with insulating varnish.

5. The four-phase ring TLVR inductor of claim 1, wherein: The secondary coil is formed by cutting and bending flat enameled wire, including a middle section bent at a right angle in a flat state and short pins bent vertically in the same direction.

6. The four-phase ring TLVR inductor of claim 1, wherein: Both the primary and secondary magnetic cores are cold-pressed bodies made of powder material based on a customized mold.

7. The four-phase ring TLVR inductor of claim 1, wherein: The surface of the thermo-pressed inductor semi-finished product is coated with a roll-sprayed insulating coating, and the top and bottom surfaces of the inductor semi-finished product are treated with paint stripping and electroplating at the ends of the two-stage coils to form the electrode pads corresponding to the PCB assembly.

8. A four-phase toroidal TLVR inductor characterized by: The inductor is assembled from prefabricated pairs of primary magnetic cores, secondary magnetic cores, and four sets of primary and secondary coils. The secondary magnetic core has four corner-shaped second slots separated by a central cross-shaped rib. The primary and secondary coils overlap in their respective middle sections, and any two coils in any set are sequentially embedded in the second slots with the primary coil on top and the secondary coil on the bottom. The primary magnetic core covers the middle section of the primary coil and is flush with the edge of the secondary magnetic core. All contact points of the two magnetic cores and the two coils are glued and baked into a single unit. The secondary coil has four sets of secondary electrode pads arranged circumferentially at the bottom of the package, and the primary coil has four sets of primary electrode pads formed on the top of each side of the package and the bottom of the adjacent right side.

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