Coil components

Abstract

In a wound-type coil component with a structure in which a wire is wound around a core, the present invention provides a structure that prevents a metal terminal, which is made of a metal plate attached to the flange of the core, from easily coming off the flange. [Solution] The flange portion (3,4) of the core (5) has a mounting surface (7,8), a top surface (9,10), an inner end surface (11,12), an outer end surface (13,14), a first side surface (15,16), and a second side surface (17,18). The metal terminal (23,24) is made of a metal plate and has mounting surface facing portions (25,26), outer end surface facing portions (27,28), and side facing portions (29,30,31,32) that face the mounting surface, the outer end surface, and at least one of the first and second side surfaces, respectively. The coil component (1) further includes a second restricting portion (45,47,49,51) for restricting the movement of the metal terminal in the L direction relative to the flange portion, and a first restricting portion (46,48,50,52) for restricting movement in the T direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a wound coil component having a structure in which a wire is wound around a core, and particularly to a structure for attaching a metal terminal made of a metal plate to the core.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-4989 (Patent Document 1) describes a wound coil component having a structure in which a wire is wound around a core. More specifically, the core has a winding core portion extending in the axial direction and a pair of flange portions provided at opposite ends of the winding core portion in the axial direction. A metal terminal made of a metal plate is attached to each flange portion. A wire is wound around the winding core portion, and the wire is connected to the metal terminal.

[0003] The flange portion has a mounting surface facing the mounting substrate side during mounting, a top surface facing the opposite side of the mounting surface, and a connecting portion connecting the mounting surface and the top surface. The flange portion has an inner end surface facing the winding core portion side and positioning the end portion of the winding core portion in the axial direction, and an outer end surface facing the opposite side of the inner end surface.

[0004] On the other hand, the metal terminal has a mounting surface facing portion, an outer end surface facing portion, and a top surface facing portion respectively facing the mounting surface, the outer end surface, and the top surface of the flange portion. The mounting surface facing portion is connected to the outer end surface facing portion via a bent portion, and the outer end surface facing portion is connected to the top surface facing portion via a bent portion. <8000017> In the invention described in Patent Document 1, at least one of the angle formed by the outer end surface and the mounting surface and the angle formed by the outer end surface and the top surface in the flange portion is an acute angle. As a result, the flange portion is sandwiched between the mounting surface facing portion and the top surface facing portion, and the metal terminal is made difficult to come off from the flange portion.

[0006] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 describes that the mounting surface and top surface of the flange portion are provided with circular recesses, and the mounting surface-facing and top surface-facing portions of the metal terminal are provided with spherical protrusions. It is stated that the protrusions fitting into the recesses make it easier to position the metal terminal relative to the flange portion, and also makes it less likely for the metal terminal to become misaligned relative to the flange portion, which in turn contributes to making it less likely for the metal terminal to come off the flange portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-4989 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] There are typically six directions in which external forces act on the core, or more specifically, the directions in which external forces cause the metal terminals to detach from the flange. These are two positive and negative directions along the axial direction of the winding core (hereinafter also referred to as the "L direction"), two positive and negative directions along the direction perpendicular to the L direction and connecting the mounting surface and the top surface (hereinafter also referred to as the "T direction"), and two positive and negative directions along the direction in which the mounting surface and the top surface extend (hereinafter also referred to as the "W direction"). Therefore, in order for the metal terminals to not detach from the flange, they must withstand external forces in these six directions. Note that external forces from the mounting surface to the top surface in the T direction do not normally occur when the coil component is mounted on the mounting board, but they can occur instantaneously due to impacts such as drops.

[0009] In the coil component described in Patent Document 1, each of the pair of metal terminals has a mounting surface-facing portion, an outer end surface-facing portion, and a top surface-facing portion. Therefore, it is considered that the component can sufficiently withstand external forces in four directions, such as positive and negative in the T direction and positive and negative in the L direction, because a specific surface of the metal terminal and a specific surface of the flange portion come into contact with each other.

[0010] On the other hand, when a temperature change occurs while the coil component is mounted on a circuit board, the difference in thermal expansion between the core and the circuit board causes the circuit board to expand more than the core. As a result, an external force can be generated at the metal terminal that rotates the metal terminal, for example, around an axis extending in the W direction. This rotational external force causes the outer end face of the metal terminal to move away from the outer end face of the flange of the core, which can cause the metal terminal to detach from the flange. However, the coil component described in Patent Document 1 does not have a structure that can sufficiently withstand this rotational external force.

[0011] Furthermore, as mentioned above, Patent Document 1 describes that the mounting surface and top surface of the flange portion are provided with circular recesses, and the mounting surface-facing and top surface-facing portions of the metal terminal are provided with spherical protrusions. However, the resistance to external forces due to the protrusions fitting into the recesses is relatively weak and is not considered to be sufficient to cope with the rotational external forces mentioned above.

[0012] Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide a coil component with a structure that can withstand rotational external forces better than the technology described in Patent Document 1. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] This invention relates to a coil component comprising: a core having an axially extending core portion and a pair of flanges provided at opposite ends of the core portion in the axial direction; at least one pair of metal terminals, each made of a metal plate, attached to each flange portion; and at least one wire connected to each of the at least one pair of metal terminals and wound around the core portion.

[0014] Each flange portion has a mounting surface that faces the mounting substrate side during mounting, a top surface that faces the opposite side of the mounting surface, an inner end surface that connects the mounting surface and the top surface and faces the winding core side and positions the end of the winding core in the axial direction, an outer end surface that faces the opposite side of the inner end surface, and a first side surface and a second side surface that connect the inner end surface and the outer end surface and face in opposite directions to each other.

[0015] In this invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, each metal terminal has a mounting surface facing portion that faces the mounting surface, an outer end surface facing portion that faces the outer end surface, and a side surface facing portion that faces at least one of the first side surface and the second side surface. Furthermore, the metal terminal is characterized by having a first restricting portion for restricting at least the outer end surface facing portion from moving away from the outer end surface (one direction in the L direction) relative to the flange portion, and a second restricting portion for restricting at least the mounting surface facing portion from moving away from the mounting surface (one direction in the T direction). [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to this invention, since it is equipped with both a first restricting portion for restricting at least the portion facing the outer end face from moving away from the outer end face (L direction), and a second restricting portion for restricting at least the portion facing the mounting surface from moving away from the mounting surface (T direction), the metal terminal can be made less likely to come off the flange not only against external forces in the L and T directions, but also against external forces that rotate it about an axis extending in the W direction. This is because an external force that rotates it about an axis extending in the W direction can be considered as a combination of the external force in the L direction and the external force in the T direction. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the appearance of the coil component 1 according to the first embodiment of this invention, with the mounting surfaces 7 and 8 facing upward. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the mounting state of coil component 1. [Figure 3]It is a perspective view for explaining a typical external force exerted on the coil component 1 in the mounted state shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view for explaining an external force in the rotational direction exerted on the coil component 1 in the mounted state shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view showing the appearance of the coil component 1a according to the second embodiment of the present invention with the mounting surfaces 7 and 8 facing upward. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view showing the appearance of the coil component 1b according to the third embodiment of the present invention with the mounting surfaces 7 and 8 facing upward. [Figure 7] It is a perspective view showing the appearance of the coil component 1c according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention with the mounting surfaces 7 and 8 facing upward. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view showing the appearance of the coil component 1d according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention with the mounting surfaces 7 and 8 facing upward.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the coil component 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The coil component 1 includes a drum-shaped core 5 having a bobbin portion 2 extending in the axial direction (L direction), and a pair of flange portions provided at opposite ends of the bobbin portion 2 in the L direction, that is, a first flange portion 3 and a second flange portion 4. The core 5 is made of a magnetic material such as ferrite, a resin containing ferrite powder or metal magnetic powder, or a non-magnetic material such as alumina. The bobbin portion 2 has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape in the drawing, but may have other shapes such as a polygonal shape such as a hexagonal shape, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, or a combination thereof.

[0019] The first flange portion 3 has a mounting surface 7 facing the mounting substrate 6 (see FIG. 2) side during mounting, a top surface 9 facing the opposite side of the mounting surface 7, and connects the mounting surface 7 and the top surface 9. It also has an inner end surface 11 facing the bobbin core portion 2 side and positioning the end portion of the bobbin core portion 2 in the L direction, an outer end surface 13 facing the opposite side of the inner end surface 11, and a first side surface 15 and a second side surface 17 that connect the inner end surface 11 and the outer end surface 13 and face in opposite directions to each other.

[0020] Similarly, the second flange portion 4 has a mounting surface 8 facing the mounting substrate 6 side during mounting, a top surface 10 facing the opposite side of the mounting surface 8, and connects the mounting surface 8 and the top surface 10. It also has an inner end surface 12 facing the bobbin core portion 2 side and positioning the end portion of the bobbin core portion 2 in the L direction, an outer end surface 14 facing the opposite side of the inner end surface 12, and a first side surface 16 and a second side surface 18 that connect the inner end surface 12 and the outer end surface 14 and face in opposite directions to each other.

[0021] The dimensions of the core 5 are not limited. As an example, the dimension in the L direction is 3.2 mm, the dimension in the direction orthogonal to the L direction and in the direction (W direction) in which the mounting surfaces 7 and 8 and the top surfaces 9 and 10 extend is 2.5 mm, and the dimension in the direction (T direction) connecting the mounting surfaces 7 and 8 and the top surfaces 9 and 10 is 1.8 mm.

[0022] The coil component 1, for example, constitutes a wound-type inductor and includes a wire 21 wound around the bobbin core portion 2 of the core 5. The wire 21 includes, for example, a center wire made of a highly conductive metal such as copper, silver, or gold, and an insulating coating made of an electrically insulating resin such as polyamideimide, polyurethane, or polyesterimide that covers the center wire. The diameter of the center wire of the wire 21 is not limited, but it is preferably, for example, 80 μm or more and 200 μm or less. Also, the number of turns of the wire 21 on the bobbin core portion 2 is not limited.

[0023] A pair of metal terminals 23 and 24 are attached to the flanges 3 and 4. More specifically, the first metal terminal 23 is attached to the first flange 3, and the second metal terminal 24 is attached to the second flange 4. The opposite first and second ends of the wire 21 described above are connected to the first metal terminal 23 and the second metal terminal 24, respectively.

[0024] The first metal terminal 23 and the second metal terminal 24 each consist of a single metal plate and have substantially the same shape or a point-symmetrical shape. As the metal plates constituting the metal terminals 23 and 24, for example, plates made of phosphor bronze with Ni plating and Sn plating are used.

[0025] The first metal terminal 23 has mounting surface facing portion 25, outer end face facing portion 27, first side face facing portion 29, and second side face facing portion 31 that face the mounting surface 7, outer end face 13, first side face 15, and second side face 17 of the first flange portion 3, respectively. The second metal terminal 24 has mounting surface facing portion 26, outer end face facing portion 28, first side face facing portion 30, and second side face facing portion 32 that face the mounting surface 8, outer end face 14, first side face 16, and second side face 18 of the second flange portion 4, respectively.

[0026] In this embodiment, in the first metal terminal 23, the outer end face portion 27 is connected to the mounting surface portion 25 via the first bent portion 33, and the first side portion 29 and the second side portion 31 are connected to the mounting surface portion 25 via the second bent portion 35. Similarly, in the second metal terminal 24, the outer end face portion 28 is connected to the mounting surface portion 26 via the first bent portion 34, and the first side portion 30 and the second side portion 32 are connected to the mounting surface portion 26 via the second bent portion 36.

[0027] The first and second ends of the wire 21 are connected to the mounting surface-facing portion 25 of the first metal terminal 23 and the mounting surface-facing portion 26 of the second metal terminal 24, respectively, by, for example, thermocompression bonding.

[0028] As shown in Figure 2, the coil component 1 is mounted on the mounting substrate 6 with its metal terminals 23 and 24 connected to conductive lands 37 and 38 via solder. Figure 2 illustrates a fillet 39 formed by solder connecting the conductive land 37 and the first metal terminal 23.

[0029] A top plate 40 is provided on the coil component 1 so as to connect the top surface 9 of the first flange portion 3 and the top surface 10 of the second flange portion 4 of the core 5. The top plate 40 is joined to the core 5 by adhesive. As the adhesive, for example, a thermosetting epoxy resin is used. Inorganic fillers such as silica fillers may be added to the adhesive to improve the thermal shock resistance of the adhesive. As for the method of applying the adhesive, methods such as a printing method to apply the adhesive to the top plate 40, a method of dipping the top surfaces 9 and 10 of the flange portions 3 and 4 of the core 5 into the adhesive, and a method of dispensing the adhesive to both the top plate 40 and the core 5 can be employed.

[0030] The material used for the top plate 40 may be a magnetic material such as ferrite, a resin containing ferrite powder or metallic magnetic powder, or a non-magnetic material such as alumina. When both the core 5 and the top plate 40 are made of magnetic material, the core 5 and the top plate 40 form a closed magnetic circuit. Instead of the top plate 40, a resin coating may be applied. Note that the top plate 40 may be omitted, and the resin coating may also be omitted.

[0031] The configuration described above produces the following effects. Referring to Figures 1 to 4, in the mounted state of the coil component 1, the core 5 can withstand external forces acting on it in both positive and negative directions in the L direction through contact between the outer end face 13 of the first flange 3 and the opposing outer end face portion 27 of the first metal terminal 23, and through contact between the outer end face 14 of the second flange 4 and the opposing outer end face portion 28 of the second metal terminal 24.

[0032] Furthermore, in the mounted state of the coil component 1, the core 5 can withstand external forces acting on it in both positive and negative directions in the W direction through contact between the first side surface 15 of the first flange 3 and the first side facing portion 29 of the first metal terminal 23, the second side surface 17 of the first flange 3 and the second side facing portion 31 of the first metal terminal 23, the first side surface 16 of the second flange 4 and the first side facing portion 30 of the second metal terminal 24, and the second side surface 18 of the second flange 4 and the second side facing portion 32 of the second metal terminal 24.

[0033] Furthermore, in the mounted state of the coil component 1, the external forces acting on the core 5 in the direction from the top surfaces 9 and 10 toward the mounting surfaces 7 and 8 in the T direction can be withstood by the contact between the mounting surface 7 of the first flange portion 3 and the mounting surface-facing portion 25 of the first metal terminal 23, and by the contact between the mounting surface 8 of the second flange portion 4 and the mounting surface-facing portion 26 of the second metal terminal 24.

[0034] As described above, the metal terminals 23 and 24 can withstand external forces in at least the five directions described above without detaching from the flanges 3 and 4. In this embodiment, the metal terminals 23 and 24 are provided with a structure that makes them even less likely to detach from the flanges 3 and 4. Specifically, the metal terminals 23 and 24 are further provided with restricting portions to prevent at least the mounting surface-facing portions 25 and 26 from moving away from the mounting surfaces 7 and 8 relative to the flanges 3 and 4.

[0035] As mentioned above, of the external forces acting on the core 5, the external forces in the T direction from the mounting surfaces 7 and 8 toward the top surfaces 9 and 10 do not normally occur when the coil component 1 is mounted on the mounting board, but they may occur instantaneously due to impacts such as drops. The aforementioned restricting section is effective against the external forces acting on the core 5 in the T direction from the mounting surfaces 7 and 8 toward the top surfaces 9 and 10.

[0036] More specifically, the restricting portion is provided with respect to the first metal terminal 23 by a first protrusion 41 provided on at least one of the first side surface 15 and the second side surface 17 of the first flange portion 3, and a notch 42 located on at least one of the first side facing portion 29 and the second side facing portion 31 of the first metal terminal 23, and which receives the first protrusion 41.

[0037] With respect to the second metal terminal 24, the restricting portion is provided by a first protrusion 43 provided on at least one of the first side surface 16 and the second side surface 18 of the second flange portion 4, and a notch 44 located on at least one of the first side facing portion 30 and the second side facing portion 32 of the second metal terminal 24, and which receives the first protrusion 43.

[0038] In this way, by selecting at least one of the first side-facing portion 29 and the second side-facing portion 31 of the first metal terminal 23 as the position where the notch portion 42 is provided, it is possible to secure a larger area for the outer end-facing portion 27 and the mounting surface-facing portion 25 of the first metal terminal 23, which are subjected to relatively large external forces. The same applies to the notch portion 44 of the second metal terminal 24. Therefore, the effect of making it difficult for the metal terminals 23 and 24 to come off the flange portions 3 and 4 can be further enhanced.

[0039] In this embodiment, with respect to the first metal terminal 23, the first protrusion 41 is provided on both the first side surface 15 and the second side surface 17 of the first flange 3, and the notch 42 is located on both the first side facing portion 29 and the second side facing portion 31 of the first metal terminal 23. Furthermore, with respect to the second metal terminal 24, the first protrusion 43 is provided on both the first side surface 16 and the second side surface 18 of the second flange 4, and the notch 44 is located on both the first side facing portion 30 and the second side facing portion 32 of the second metal terminal 24.

[0040] As described above, when the first protrusion 41 is provided on both the first side surface 15 and the second side surface 17 of the first flange portion 3, and the first protrusion 43 is provided on both the first side surface 16 and the second side surface 18 of the second flange portion 4, the metal terminals 23 and 24 are less likely to come off the flange portions 3 and 4, and the effect is further enhanced.

[0041] With the restricting portion formed by the combination of the first protrusions 41 and 43 and the notches 42 and 44 as described above, it is possible to restrict not only the mounting surface facing portions 25 and 26 from moving away from the mounting surfaces 7 and 8, but also the outer end surface facing portions 27 and 28 from moving away from the outer end surfaces 13 and 14.

[0042] In this embodiment, with respect to the first metal terminal 23, the first protrusion 41 is provided with a first rising wall 45 extending in the direction in which the top surface 9 and the mounting surface 7 of the first flange 3 face each other, and a second rising wall 46 extending in the direction in which the outer end surface 13 and the inner end surface 11 face each other, and the notch 42 is provided with a first opposing wall 47 facing the first rising wall 45 and a second opposing wall 48 facing the second rising wall 46.

[0043] Furthermore, with respect to the second metal terminal 24, the first protrusion 43 is provided with a first rising wall 49 extending in the direction in which the top surface 10 and the mounting surface 8 of the second flange 4 face each other, and a second rising wall 50 extending in the direction in which the outer end surface 14 and the inner end surface 12 face each other, and the notch 44 is provided with a first opposing wall 51 facing the first rising wall 49 and a second opposing wall 52 facing the second rising wall 50.

[0044] The contact between the first rising walls 45 and 49 and the first opposing walls 47 and 51 restricts the movement of the metal terminals 23 and 24 relative to the flanges 3 and 4, with at least the outer end face opposing portions 27 and 28 moving away from the outer end faces 13 and 14. However, when no external force is applied, this contact state does not necessarily need to be maintained.

[0045] When viewed toward the first sides 15 and 16 and the second sides 17 and 18, it is preferable that the first rising walls 45 and 49 extend linearly parallel to the inner end faces 11 and 12, respectively, and the second rising walls 46 and 50 extend linearly parallel to the mounting surfaces 7 and 8, respectively.

[0046] In this way, when the first rising walls 45 and 49 extend linearly parallel to the inner end faces 11 and 12, and the second rising walls 46 and 50 extend linearly parallel to the mounting surfaces 7 and 8, it is possible to reliably prevent the metal terminals 23 and 24 from detaching from the flanges 3 and 4 without bias in force distribution in the direction away from the mounting surfaces 7 and 8 for the mounting surface facing portions 25 and 26, and in the direction away from the outer end faces 13 and 14 for the outer end surface facing portions 27 and 28.

[0047] Furthermore, when viewed toward the first side surface 15 and the second side surface 17 of the first flange portion 3, the first protrusion 41 is positioned so as to be in contact with the corner where the outer end surface 13 and the mounting surface 7 intersect on the first side surface 15 and the second side surface 17, and the notch 42 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the edge on the inner end surface 11 side and the edge on the top surface 9 side of the first side facing portion 29 and the second side facing portion 31 of the first metal terminal 23. In other words, the first side facing portion 29 and the second side facing portion 31 have an L-shape that is shifted toward the inner end surface 11 side and the top surface 9 side.

[0048] Similarly, when viewed toward the first side surface 16 and the second side surface 18 of the second flange portion 4, the first protrusion 43 is positioned so as to be in contact with the corner where the outer end surface 14 and the mounting surface 8 intersect on the first side surface 16 and the second side surface 18, and the notch 44 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the edge on the inner end surface 12 side and the edge on the top surface 10 side of the first side facing portion 30 and the second side facing portion 32 of the second metal terminal 24. In other words, the first side facing portion 30 and the second side facing portion 32 have an L-shape that is shifted toward the inner end surface 12 side and the top surface 10 side.

[0049] With the arrangement of the first protrusions 41 and 43 and the notches 42 and 44 as described above, the area of ​​each of the first protrusions 41 and 43 can be made larger. In addition, the rising walls of the first protrusions 41 and 43 along the mounting surfaces 7 and 8 become flush with the mounting surfaces 7 and 8, and the rising walls of the first protrusions 41 and 43 along the outer end surfaces 13 and 14 become flush with the outer end surfaces 13 and 14, making it easier to mold the core 5 having the first protrusions 41 and 43.

[0050] Furthermore, it is preferable that the first flange portion 3 further comprises a second protrusion 53 facing the direction in which the top surface 9 and the mounting surface 7 face each other, on at least a portion of the edge of the first metal terminal 23 on the top surface 9 side, and the second flange portion 4 further comprises a second protrusion 54 facing the direction in which the top surface 10 and the mounting surface 8 face each other, on at least a portion of the edge of the second metal terminal 24 on the top surface 10 side.

[0051] With these second protrusions 53 and 54, the metal terminals 23 and 24 can be more reliably prevented from detaching from the flanges 3 and 4 in response to the rotational external forces R1 and R2 shown in Figure 4. The rotational external force R1 occurs around an axis oriented in the W direction, and the rotational external force R2 occurs around an axis oriented in the L direction. Of these rotational external forces R1 and R2, external force R1 can occur, for example, when a temperature change occurs while the coil component 1 and the mounting substrate 6 are mounted on the mounting substrate 6, due to the difference in thermal expansion between the core 5 and the mounting substrate 6, causing the mounting substrate 6 to expand more thermally than the core 5. These rotational external forces R1 and R2 cause the outer end face opposing portions 27 and 28 of the metal terminals 23 and 24 to move away from the core 5, thus causing the metal terminals 23 and 24 to detach from the flanges 3 and 4.

[0052] In this embodiment, the second protrusion 53 is provided across the first side surface 15, outer end surface 13, and second side surface 17 of the first flange portion 3, and the second protrusion 54 is provided across the first side surface 16, outer end surface 14, and second side surface 18 of the second flange portion 4.

[0053] In terms of resistance to the rotational external forces R1 and R2 described above, it is particularly effective that the second protrusion 53 is positioned to face the edge on the top surface 9 side of the first side facing portion 29 and the second side facing portion 31 of the first metal terminal 23, and that the second protrusion 54 is positioned to face the edge on the top surface 10 side of the first side facing portion 30 and the second side facing portion 32 of the second metal terminal 24.

[0054] Furthermore, the outer end face opposing portions 27 and 28 of the metal terminals 23 and 24 may form a step on the outer end face 13 and 14 side of the flange portions 3 and 4, but the portions of the second protrusions 53 and 54 located on the outer end face 13 and 14 contribute to eliminating or reducing such a step. Therefore, it is possible to make it less likely for the tip of, for example, tweezers to get stuck between the outer end face opposing portions 27 and 28 of the metal terminals 23 and 24 and the outer end face 13 and 14 of the flange portions 3 and 4.

[0055] Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 correspond to Figure 1, showing coil component 1a according to the second embodiment, coil component 1b according to the third embodiment, coil component 1c according to the fourth embodiment, and coil component 1d according to the fifth embodiment, respectively. In Figures 5 to 8, elements corresponding to those shown in Figure 1, or elements corresponding to each other in Figures 5 to 8, are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0056] The coil component 1a shown in Figure 5 differs from the coil component 1 shown in Figure 1 in the shape and bending of the metal plates that constitute the respective metal terminals 23a and 24a. More specifically, in the first metal terminal 23a, the outer end face facing portion 27 is connected to the mounting surface facing portion 25 via the first bent portion 55, and the first side facing portion 29 and the second side facing portion 31 are each connected to the outer end face facing portion 27 via the second bent portion 57.

[0057] Similarly, in the second metal terminal 24a, the outer end face facing portion 28 is connected to the mounting surface facing portion 26 via the first bent portion 56, and the first side facing portion 30 and the second side facing portion 32 are connected to the outer end face facing portion 28 via the second bent portion 58, respectively.

[0058] The coil component 1b shown in Figure 6 can be seen as a modified version of the coil component 1a shown in Figure 5, with respect to the metal terminals 23b and 24b. More specifically, in the first metal terminal 23b, the mounting surface facing portion 25 is divided into a first mounting surface facing end portion 61 on the first side surface 15 side, a second mounting surface facing end portion 63 on the second side surface 17 side, and a mounting surface facing central portion 65 sandwiched between the first mounting surface facing end portion 61 and the second mounting surface facing end portion 63. These first mounting surface facing end portion 61, second mounting surface facing end portion 63, and mounting surface facing central portion 65 are connected to the outer end surface facing portion 27 via the first bent portion 55.

[0059] Similarly, in the second metal terminal 24b, the mounting surface facing portion 26 is divided into a first mounting surface facing end portion 62 on the first side surface 16 side, a second mounting surface facing end portion 64 on the second side surface 18 side, and a mounting surface facing central portion 66 sandwiched between the first mounting surface facing end portion 62 and the second mounting surface facing end portion 64. These first mounting surface facing end portion 62, second mounting surface facing end portion 64, and mounting surface facing central portion 66 are connected to the outer end surface facing portion 28 via the first bent portion 56.

[0060] In the coil component 1b shown in Figure 6, when it is mounted on the mounting board, solder is applied to the central portions 65 and 66 of the metal terminals 23b and 24b that face each other on the mounting surface. On the other hand, at the first metal terminal 23b, the first end of the wire 21 is connected to either the first mounting surface facing end 61 or the second mounting surface facing end 63, for example, to the first mounting surface facing end 61, and at the second metal terminal 24b, the second end of the wire 21 is connected to either the first mounting surface facing end 62 or the second mounting surface facing end 64, for example, to the second mounting surface facing end 64.

[0061] As shown in Figure 6, the coil component 1b, as described above, has its mounting surface-facing central portions 65 and 66, to which solder is applied during mounting, and its mounting surface-facing ends 61 and 26 or second mounting surface-facing ends 63 and 64, to which the wire 21 may be connected, separated from each other. Therefore, the effects of loads such as heat and stress on the mounting surface-facing central portions 65 and 66 are less likely to affect the first mounting surface-facing ends 61 and 62 or the second mounting surface-facing ends 63 and 64, and the effects of loads such as heat and stress on the first mounting surface-facing ends 61 and 62 or the second mounting surface-facing ends 63 and 64 are less likely to affect the mounting surface-facing central portions 65 and 66. As a result, the connection reliability between the mounting substrate and the metal terminals 23b and 24b, and the connection reliability between the metal terminals 23b and 24b and the wire 21 can be improved.

[0062] The coil component 1c shown in Figure 7 can be seen as a modified version of the coil component 1b shown in Figure 6, with respect to the metal terminals 23c and 24c. More specifically, in the first metal terminal 23c, similar to the case of the coil component 1b shown in Figure 6, the mounting surface facing portion 25 is divided into a first mounting surface facing end portion 61 on the first side surface 15 side, a second mounting surface facing end portion 63 on the second side surface 17 side, and a mounting surface facing central portion 65 sandwiched between the first mounting surface facing end portion 61 and the second mounting surface facing end portion 63. The mounting surface facing central portion 65 is connected to the outer end surface facing portion 27 via a first bent portion 55, while the first mounting surface facing end portion 61 and the second mounting surface facing end portion 63 are connected to the first side surface facing portion 29 and the second side surface facing portion 31, respectively, via a third bent portion 67.

[0063] Similarly, in the second metal terminal 24c, the mounting surface facing portion 26 is divided into a first mounting surface facing end portion 62 on the first side surface 16 side, a second mounting surface facing end portion 64 on the second side surface 18 side, and a mounting surface facing central portion 66 sandwiched between the first mounting surface facing end portion 62 and the second mounting surface facing end portion 64. The mounting surface facing central portion 66 is connected to the outer end surface facing portion 28 via a first bent portion 56, while the first mounting surface facing end portion 62 and the second mounting surface facing end portion 64 are connected to the first side surface facing portion 30 and the second side surface facing portion 32, respectively, via a third bent portion 68.

[0064] In the coil component 1c shown in Figure 7, as in the case of coil component 1b shown in Figure 6, when it is mounted on the mounting board, solder is applied to the central portions 65 and 66 of the metal terminals 23c and 24c facing each other on the mounting surface.

[0065] Furthermore, at the first metal terminal 23c, the first end of the wire 21 is connected to either the first mounting surface facing end 61 or the second mounting surface facing end 63, for example, to the first mounting surface facing end 61, and at the second metal terminal 24c, the second end of the wire 21 is connected to either the first mounting surface facing end 62 or the second mounting surface facing end 64, for example, to the second mounting surface facing end 64.

[0066] In the coil component 1c shown in Figure 7, similar to the case of the coil component 1b shown in Figure 6, the central parts 65 and 66 facing the mounting surface, to which solder is applied during mounting, and the ends 61 to 64 facing the mounting surface, to which the wire 21 may be connected, are separated from each other. However, in the coil component 1c shown in Figure 7, the ends 61 to 64 facing the mounting surface are connected to the outer end faces 27 and 28 via the side faces 29 to 32. Therefore, compared to the coil component 1b shown in Figure 6, the ends 61 to 64 facing the mounting surface are less affected by loads such as heat and stress exerted on the central parts 65 and 66 facing the mounting surface, and the central parts 65 and 66 facing the mounting surface are less affected by loads such as heat and stress exerted on the ends 61 to 64 facing the mounting surface. As a result, the connection reliability between the mounting substrate and the metal terminals 23c and 24c, and the connection reliability between the metal terminals 23c and 24c and the wire 21 can be improved compared to the coil component 1b shown in Figure 6.

[0067] The coil component 1d shown in Figure 8 differs from the coil component 1a shown in Figure 5 in the positions of the first protrusions 41d and 43d. More specifically, in the coil component 1a shown in Figure 5, the first protrusion 41 is positioned on the first side surface 15 and the second side surface 17 of the first flange portion 3 so as to be in contact with the corner where the outer end surface 13 and the mounting surface 7 intersect, and the first protrusion 43 is positioned on the first side surface 16 and the second side surface 18 of the second flange portion 4 so as to be in contact with the corner where the outer end surface 14 and the mounting surface 8 intersect. In contrast, in the coil component 1d shown in Figure 8, the first protrusion 41d is positioned on the first side surface 15 and the second side surface 17 of the first flange portion 3 so as to be away from the corner where the outer end surface 13 and the mounting surface 7 intersect, and the first protrusion 43d is positioned on the first side surface 16 and the second side surface 18 of the second flange portion 4 so as to be away from the corner where the outer end surface 14 and the mounting surface 8 intersect.

[0068] In accordance with the changes to the first protrusions 41d and 43d described above, the positions of the notches 42d and 44d provided on the metal terminals 23d and 24d have also been changed. Furthermore, the functions of the first protrusions 41d and 43d are substantially the same as those of the first protrusions 41 and 43.

[0069] Although the present invention has been described above in relation to the illustrated embodiments, various other embodiments are possible within the scope of this invention. For example, the coil components to which this invention is applied may not only constitute a single coil, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, but may also constitute a common mode choke coil, a transformer, a balun, and the like. Therefore, the number of wires may also be changed according to the function of the coil component, and accordingly, the number of metal terminals provided on each flange may also be changed. Typically, two metal terminals may be arranged side by side in the W direction on one flange.

[0070] As described above, when two metal terminals are arranged side by side in the W direction on a single flange, each metal terminal has a mounting surface facing portion that faces an area less than half the width dimension of the mounting surface, an outer end face facing portion that faces an area less than half the width dimension of the outer end face, and a side facing portion that faces one of the first side and the second side. The mounting surface facing portion has a mounting connection portion that can be connected to a conductor on the mounting substrate side during mounting, and a wire connection portion to which a wire can be connected. The central mounting surface facing portion that becomes the mounting connection portion is less than half the width dimension of the illustrated part, and has one mounting surface facing end portion as a wire connection portion.

[0071] Furthermore, in this invention, adhesive fixing is not essential when attaching the metal terminals 23 and 24 to the flanges 3 and 4. However, adhesive fixing may encounter the following problems.

[0072] (1) The stronger the adhesive fixation, the less meaningful the metal terminal becomes. The advantage of metal terminals lies in the fact that, due to the spring properties of the metal plate, even if some external force is applied, the metal terminal itself will flex, releasing the stress and preventing breakage. However, the stronger the adhesive fixation of the metal terminal, the less the spring properties of the metal plate can be utilized. In other words, it becomes weaker against solder crack propagation during long-term reliability testing and against deflection tests.

[0073] (2) Adhesives are generally sensitive to heat, and their function as adhesives is lost after being exposed to temperatures of around 300°C for just a few minutes. However, in the manufacturing of conventional coil components using metal terminals, it is necessary to attach the metal terminals to the core and then connect the wires to the metal terminals using heat, so it is unavoidable that the adhesive will be exposed to heat.

[0074] However, according to this invention, adhesive fixing is not required when attaching the metal terminals 23 and 24 to the flanges 3 and 4, so sufficient heating can be applied when connecting the wire to the metal terminal. Therefore, relatively thick wires can be used in the coil component. It should be noted that this invention does not preclude the use of adhesive.

[0075] Furthermore, in constructing the coil component according to this invention, partial substitution or combination of configurations is possible between the different embodiments described in this specification. Embodiments of this invention include the following:

[0076] <1> A core having a winding core portion extending in the axial direction and a pair of flange portions provided at opposite ends of the winding core portion in the axial direction, Each flange portion is attached to at least one pair of metal terminals, each made of a metal plate, Each of the at least one pair of metal terminals is connected to at least one wire wound around the core, Equipped with, Each flange portion has a mounting surface that faces the mounting substrate side during mounting, a top surface that faces the opposite side of the mounting surface, an inner end surface that connects the mounting surface and the top surface and faces the winding core side and positions the axial end of the winding core, an outer end surface that faces the opposite side of the inner end surface, and a first side surface and a second side surface that connect the inner end surface and the outer end surface and face in opposite directions. Each of the metal terminals has a mounting surface facing portion that faces the mounting surface, an outer end surface facing portion that faces the outer end surface, and a side surface facing portion that faces at least one of the first side surface and the second side surface. The metal terminal further comprises a first restricting portion for restricting at least the portion facing the mounting surface from moving away from the mounting surface, and a second restricting portion for restricting at least the portion facing the outer end face from moving away from the outer end face. Coil components.

[0077] <2> The flange portion has a first rising wall extending along the direction in which the inner end face extends, The metal terminal has a first opposing wall that faces the first rising wall, The first restricting portion is provided by the contact between the first rising wall and the first opposing wall, <1> The coil component described above.

[0078] <3> The flange portion has a second rising wall that extends along the direction in which the mounting surface extends, The metal terminal has a second opposing wall that faces the second rising wall, The second restricting portion is provided by the contact between the first rising wall and the first opposing wall, <2> The coil component described above.

[0079] <4> A first protrusion is provided on at least one of the first side surface and the second side surface, A notch is provided in the side facing portion to receive the first protrusion. The first protrusion includes an outer peripheral wall that provides the first rising wall and the second rising wall, The notch portion includes an inner circumferential wall that provides the first opposing wall and the second opposing wall. <3> The coil component described above.

[0080] <5> The outer end face facing portion is connected to the mounting surface facing portion via a first bend, and the side facing portion is connected to the mounting surface facing portion via a second bend. <1> or <4> A coil component as described in any of the following.

[0081] <6> The outer end face opposing portion is connected to the mounting surface opposing portion via a first bend, and the side facing portion is connected to the outer end face opposing portion via a second bend. <1> or <4> A coil component as described in any of the following.

[0082] <7> The metal terminal further comprises, at least one end of the first side and the second side of the mounting surface, a mounting surface-facing end adjacent to the mounting surface-facing portion and facing the mounting surface. <6> The coil component described above.

[0083] <8> The end portion facing the mounting surface is connected to the outer end surface portion via a third bent portion. <7> The coil component described above.

[0084] <9> The end portion facing the mounting surface is connected to the side portion via a third bent portion. <7> The coil component described above.

[0085] <10> When viewed toward each of the first and second sides, the first protrusion is positioned so as to be in contact with the corner where the outer end face and the mounting surface intersect on at least one of the first and second sides, The notch is positioned at a predetermined distance from the inner end face edge and the top end face edge of the side facing portion. <4> The coil component described above.

[0086] <11> The flange portion further comprises a second protrusion facing at least a portion of the top edge of the metal terminal. <4> The coil component described above.

[0087] <12> The second protrusion is opposite to the top edge of the side facing portion, <11> The coil component described above.

[0088] <13> Each of the metal terminals has, as the side-facing portion, a first side-facing portion facing the first side and a second side-facing portion facing the second side, connected via the outer end-facing portion. <1> or <12> A coil component as described in any of the following. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0089] 1,1a,1b,1c,1d Coil components 2. Core section 3. First guard section 4. Second guard section 5 cores 6. Implemented circuit board 7,8 Implementation aspects 9,10 Top surface 11,12 Inner end face 13,14 Outer end face 15,16 1st side 17,18 Second aspect 21 wires 23,23a,23b,23c,23d 1st metal terminal 24,24a,24b,24c,24d 2nd metal terminal 25,26 Mounting surface opposing part 27,28 Outer end facing part 29,30 1st side facing part 31,32 2nd side facing part 33, 34, 55, 56 First folding section 35, 36, 57, 58 Second folding section 37,38 Conductive Lands 39 fillets 41, 43, 41d, 43d First convex part 42, 44, 42d, 44d Notches 45,49 First rising wall 46, 50 Second rising wall 47,51 First opposing wall 48, 52 Second opposing wall 53, 54 Second convex part 61,62 First mounting surface opposite end 63,64 Opposite end of second mounting surface 65, 66 Central part facing the mounting surface 67, 68 Third folding section

Claims

1. A core having a winding core portion extending in the axial direction and a pair of flange portions provided at opposite ends of the winding core portion in the axial direction, Each flange portion is attached to at least one pair of metal terminals, each made of a metal plate, Each of the at least pair of metal terminals is connected to at least one wire wound around the core, Equipped with, Each flange portion has a mounting surface that faces the mounting substrate side during mounting, a top surface that faces the opposite side of the mounting surface, an inner end surface that connects the mounting surface and the top surface and faces the winding core side and positions the axial end of the winding core, an outer end surface that faces the opposite side of the inner end surface, and a first side surface and a second side surface that connect the inner end surface and the outer end surface and face in opposite directions. Each of the metal terminals has a mounting surface facing portion that faces the mounting surface, an outer end surface facing portion that faces the outer end surface, and a side surface facing portion that faces at least one of the first side surface and the second side surface. The metal terminal further comprises a first restricting portion for restricting at least the portion facing the outer end face from moving away from the outer end face, and a second restricting portion for restricting at least the portion facing the mounting surface from moving away from the mounting surface. The flange portion further comprises a first protrusion provided on at least one of the first and second sides, and a second protrusion facing at least a portion of the top edge of the metal terminal. Coil components.

2. The coil component according to claim 1, wherein the outer end face facing portion is connected to the mounting surface facing portion via a first bend portion, and the side facing portion is connected to the mounting surface facing portion via a second bend portion.

3. The coil component according to claim 1, wherein the outer end face opposing portion is connected to the mounting surface opposing portion via a first bend portion, and the side facing portion is connected to the outer end face opposing portion via a second bend portion.

4. The coil component according to claim 3, wherein the metal terminal further comprises a mounting surface-facing end adjacent to the mounting surface portion at at least one end of the first side and the second side of the mounting surface, and facing the mounting surface.

5. The coil component according to claim 4, wherein the mounting surface-facing end is connected to the outer end surface-facing portion via a third bent portion.

6. The coil component according to claim 4, wherein the mounting surface-facing end is connected to the side-facing portion via a third bent portion.

7. The coil component according to claim 1, wherein each metal terminal has, as a side-facing portion, a first side-facing portion facing the first side and connected via the outer end-facing portion, and a second side-facing portion facing the second side.

Images