Electronic Components

Abstract

To provide an electronic component which allows resin to be easily filled inside a case.SOLUTION: An electronic component 10 has: capacitor chips 20a and 20b; and a case 60 having a housing recess 62 in which the capacitor chips 20a and 20b are housed, and a protrusion 64 which divides the housing recess 62 along an X-axis direction into a first housing space 62a and a second housing space 62b. The protrusion 64 has: a first protrusion 64a; and a second protrusion 64b located away from the first protrusion 64a along a Y-axis direction. The first protrusion 64a and the second protrusion 64b are located such that they sandwich a communication space 69 for bringing the first housing space 62a into communication with the second housing space 62b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic component having a case capable of housing a chip component. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of an electronic component having a case capable of accommodating chip components is the electronic component described in Patent Document 1. In the electronic component described in Patent Document 1, a accommodating recess for accommodating chip components is provided in the case. The interior of the accommodating recess is divided by partition walls, and by accommodating multiple chip components in multiple accommodating spaces separated by the partition walls, it is possible to ensure good insulation between the multiple chip components.

[0003] In this type of electronic component, a process is performed in which the inside of the accommodating recess is filled with a sealing resin while the chip component is accommodated in the accommodating recess. To fill the resin, for example, an injection tool such as a dispenser is used, and the injection tool is inserted between the chip component and the partition wall, and the resin is poured in through the gap between the chip component and the partition wall, thereby filling the inside of the accommodating recess with resin.

[0004] However, when a chip component is housed in the accommodating recess, the flow of resin is hindered by partition walls and the like, so not only does it take a long time to fill the resin, the resin is prone to overflowing from the accommodating recess, and it is difficult to fill the inside of the accommodating recess evenly with resin, so improvements are desired. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-107872 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic component whose case can be easily filled with resin. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the electronic component according to the present invention comprises: Chip components, a case including a recessed portion for accommodating the chip component therein, and a protruding portion for dividing the recessed portion into a first accommodating space and a second accommodating space along a first axial direction, the protrusion has a first protrusion and a second protrusion arranged apart from the first protrusion along a second axis direction perpendicular to the first axis direction, The first protrusion and the second protrusion are disposed with a communication space therebetween, the communication space connecting the first accommodating space and the second accommodating space.

[0008] In the electronic component according to the present invention, the convex portion has a first convex portion and a second convex portion arranged at a distance from the first convex portion along a second axial direction perpendicular to the first axial direction, and the first convex portion and the second convex portion are arranged with a communication space between them that communicates the first accommodation space and the second accommodation space. By forming the communication space between the first convex portion and the second convex portion, it is possible to use the communication space as an installation space for an injection tool or a flow path for the resin when filling the inside of the accommodation recess with resin. That is, by installing an injection tool between the first convex portion and the second convex portion (communication space) and injecting the resin, it is possible to pour the resin into the inside of the accommodation recess through the communication space. As a result, the flow of the resin is not hindered by the convex portion, and a sufficient amount of resin can be filled into the inside of the accommodation recess in a short time, and the resin can be prevented from overflowing from the accommodation recess.

[0009] In addition, the resin injected into the communication space by the injection tool branches out and flows out from the communication space toward each of the first and second storage spaces. Therefore, it is possible to fill both the first and second storage spaces with resin by filling the resin once, and productivity can be increased by the amount that does not need to be filled separately into each of the first and second storage spaces. In addition, since a substantially constant amount of resin flows out from the communication space into each of the first and second storage spaces, the amount of resin filled into the first storage space and the amount of resin filled into the second storage space can be made uniform.

[0010] Preferably, the inside of the accommodating recess is filled with resin, and the communication space is filled with resin. By filling the inside of the accommodating recess with resin and sealing the chip components accommodated in the accommodating recess with resin, an electronic component with excellent moisture resistance, vibration resistance, dust resistance, heat dissipation, etc. can be realized. In addition, by filling the communication space with resin, the first convex portion and the second convex portion are connected by the hardened resin, and the first accommodation space and the second accommodation space are blocked in the first axial direction via the convex portion and the resin. Therefore, when a plurality of chip components are accommodated in both the first accommodation space and the second accommodation space, insulation between the chip components arranged in the first accommodation space and the chip components arranged in the second accommodation space can be well ensured.

[0011] Preferably, the length of the communication space along the second axis direction is equal to or greater than the thickness of the protrusion along the first axis direction. With this configuration, it is possible to form a communication space between the first protrusion and the second protrusion that has enough space for installing an injection tool. This makes it easier to install an injection tool in the communication space, and facilitates the process of filling the inside of the accommodating recess with resin.

[0012] Preferably, the first convex portion and the second convex portion are separated along the second axial direction and raised from the bottom surface of the storage recess. With this configuration, a communication space extending to the bottom surface of the storage recess is formed between the first convex portion and the second convex portion, and an injection tool can be inserted to the vicinity of the bottom surface of the storage recess through the communication space. When resin is poured into the communication space from the vicinity of the bottom surface of the storage recess, the resin is gradually pushed up from the bottom surface of the storage recess toward the opening due to the pressure at the time of injection, so that the resin is filled into the storage recess, and it is possible to effectively prevent the resin from overflowing from the storage recess. In addition, it is possible to effectively shorten the time required to fill the storage recess with resin, and to effectively increase the uniformity of the amount of resin filled into each of the first storage space and the second storage space.

[0013] Preferably, at least one of the first and second convex portions is connected to an inner wall surface of the accommodating recess, and a communication groove is formed at a connection portion between the inner wall surface of the accommodating recess and at least one of the first and second convex portions, the communication groove being recessed toward the bottom surface of the accommodating recess and communicating between the first and second accommodating spaces. For example, by inserting a conductive terminal into the communication groove and connecting a terminal electrode of a chip component accommodated in the first accommodating space and a terminal electrode of a chip component accommodated in the second accommodating space via the conductive terminal, these chip components can be electrically connected inside the case.

[0014] Preferably, a bottom groove is formed in the bottom surface of the accommodating recess, passing between the first convex portion and the second convex portion and extending toward the outer edge of the bottom surface of the accommodating recess. With this configuration, the resin poured into the communication space by the injection tool flows inside the bottom groove toward the outer edge of the bottom surface of the accommodating recess, so that the resin can be efficiently distributed toward the outer edge of the bottom surface of the accommodating recess.

[0015] Preferably, the bottom groove portion has a first bottom groove portion extending along the first axial direction between the first convex portion and the second convex portion, and a second bottom groove portion connected to the first bottom groove portion and extending along the second axial direction. With this configuration, the resin poured into the communication space by the injection tool flows inside the first bottom groove portion along the first axial direction toward the outer edge of the bottom of the accommodating recess, and branches off from the first bottom groove portion to flow inside the second bottom groove portion along the second axial direction, so that the resin can be efficiently distributed toward the outer edge of the bottom of the accommodating recess in the first axial direction and the outer edge of the bottom of the accommodating recess in the second axial direction.

[0016] Preferably, a pair of connecting protrusions protruding outward from the side surface of the case and a connecting recessed portion recessed inward from the side surface of the case are formed on the side surface of the case. With this configuration, when an electronic component is equipped with multiple cases (e.g., two cases), the connecting protrusions of one case can be engaged with the connecting recessed portion of the other case, and the multiple cases can be connected. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic component according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the case of the electronic component shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the chip component shown in FIG. 1 taken along a cross section parallel to the XY plane. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing the internal state of the case shown in FIG. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a plan view of the case shown in FIG. 4A. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the case shown in FIG. 4A. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the case shown in FIG. 5A rotated 180 degrees about the Z axis. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the case taken along line VI-VI shown in FIG. 4A. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the conductive terminal shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an electronic component according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9A] FIG. 9A is a perspective view showing an internal state of the electronic component shown in FIG. [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B is a perspective view showing a connected state of the cases shown in FIG. 9A. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the conductive terminal shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an electronic component according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the case taken along line XII-XII shown in FIG. [Figure 13] 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modified example of the electronic component shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the embodiments shown in the drawings.

[0019] First embodiment As shown in Fig. 1, an electronic component 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention has two capacitor chips (chip components) 20a and 20b, and a case 60. A plurality of conductive terminals are attached to the case 60. In this embodiment, a first individual metal terminal 30a, a second individual metal terminal 30b, and a common metal terminal 40 are attached as the conductive terminals. The inside of the case 60 is filled with a sealing resin 70, which makes it possible to resin-seal the two capacitor chips 20a and 20b.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 2, the capacitor chips 20a and 20b each have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and are substantially the same in shape and size. As shown in Fig. 3, the capacitor chip 20a (20b) has an element body in which an internal electrode layer 26 and a dielectric layer 27 are laminated along the X-axis direction. A first terminal electrode 21 and a second terminal electrode 22 are formed on a first end face 23 and a second end face 24 of the element body that face each other in the Y-axis direction (longitudinal direction), respectively.

[0021] The first terminal electrode 21 has a first end surface electrode portion 21a and a second side surface electrode portion 21b. The first end surface electrode portion 21a is formed on the first end surface 23 of the capacitor chip 20a (20b) and is connected to the ends of the multiple internal electrode layers 26 exposed from the first end surface 23 on the positive side of the Y axis. The first side surface electrode portion 21b is formed to wrap around from the first end surface 23 of the capacitor chip 20a (20b) to the end of the side surface 25 on the positive side of the Y axis.

[0022] The second terminal electrode 22 has a second end surface electrode portion 22a and a second side surface electrode portion 22b. The second end surface electrode portion 22a is formed on the second end surface 24 of the capacitor chip 20a (20b) and is connected to the ends of the multiple internal electrode layers 26 exposed from the second end surface 24 on the negative Y-axis direction side. The second side surface electrode portion 22b is formed to wrap around from the second end surface 24 of the capacitor chip 20a (20b) to the ends of the side surfaces 25 on the negative Y-axis direction side.

[0023] The material of the dielectric layers 27 in the capacitor chips 20a and 20b is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a dielectric material such as calcium titanate, strontium titanate, barium titanate, or a mixture thereof. The thickness of each dielectric layer 27 is not particularly limited, but is generally 1 μm to several hundred μm. In this embodiment, the thickness of each dielectric layer 27 is preferably 1.0 to 5.0 μm.

[0024] The conductive material contained in the internal electrode layer 26 is not particularly limited, but if the constituent material of the dielectric layer 27 has reduction resistance, a relatively inexpensive base metal can be used. As the base metal, Ni or a Ni alloy is preferable. The internal electrode layer 26 can also be formed from a commercially available electrode paste. The thickness of the internal electrode layer 26 may be appropriately determined depending on the application, etc.

[0025] The material of the first terminal electrode 21 and the second terminal electrode 22 is not particularly limited, and copper, copper alloy, nickel, nickel alloy, etc. are usually used, but silver, an alloy of silver and palladium, etc. can also be used. The thickness of the first terminal electrode 21 and the second terminal electrode 22 is not particularly limited, and is usually about 10 to 50 μm. At least one metal coating selected from Ni, Cu, Sn, etc. may be formed on the surface of the first terminal electrode 21 and the second terminal electrode 22. For example, such a metal coating may be a metal coating having a baking layer mainly composed of Cu, a Ni plating layer formed on the baking layer, and a Sn plating layer formed on the Ni plating layer.

[0026] The shape and size of the capacitor chips 20a and 20b may be appropriately determined depending on the purpose and use. The capacitor chips 20a and 20b are, for example, about 1.0 to 6.5 mm in length (dimension on the Y axis shown in FIG. 2)×0.5 to 5.5 mm in width (dimension on the X axis shown in FIG. 2)×0.3 to 3.5 mm in thickness (dimension on the Z axis shown in FIG. 2). The multiple capacitor chips 20a and 20b may each have a different size and shape.

[0027] 4A, the case 60 is formed to be capable of accommodating the capacitor chips 20a and 20b, and has an outer wall 61, an accommodating recess 62, a bottom wall 63, a protrusion 64, an opening edge surface 66, a groove 67, and a connecting portion 68. The case 60 is made of an insulating material such as ceramic, glass, or synthetic resin. The outer wall 61 has an outer side surface 61a and an inner wall surface 61b having a substantially rectangular shape, and surrounds the accommodating recess 62 together with the bottom wall 63.

[0028] The accommodating recess 62 is a recess capable of accommodating two capacitor chips 20a and 20b, and opens toward one side in the Z-axis direction (upward). The accommodating recess 62 can accommodate the capacitor chips 20a and 20b in a state in which they are arranged side by side in the X-axis direction (see FIG. 2). That is, the capacitor chips 20a and 20b are accommodated in the accommodating recess 62 in a state in which they are arranged along a direction (X-axis direction) perpendicular to their respective longitudinal directions (Y-axis direction). By accommodating the capacitor chips 20a and 20b inside the accommodating recess 62, the capacitor chips 20a and 20b can be effectively protected from impacts and the like. As shown in FIG. 3, the longitudinal direction of the capacitor chip 20a (20b) corresponds to the direction in which the first terminal electrode 21 (first end surface electrode portion 21a) and the second terminal electrode 22 (second end surface electrode portion 22a) face each other.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4A, the accommodation recess 62 can be divided into a first accommodation space 62a and a second accommodation space 62b by the protrusion 64, either physically or conceptually. The details of the protrusion 64 will be described later. The first accommodation space 62a is a space formed on the negative X-axis direction side of the accommodation recess 62, sandwiching the protrusion 64, and the second accommodation space 62b is a space formed on the positive X-axis direction side of the accommodation recess 62, sandwiching the protrusion 64. The first accommodation space 62a and the second accommodation space 62b are formed adjacent to each other in the X-axis direction, sandwiching the protrusion 64. The first accommodation space 62a and the second accommodation space 62b are not completely separated by the protrusion 64, but are communicated with each other via a communication space 69. The details of the communication space 69 will be described later.

[0030] The first housing space 62a is capable of housing the capacitor chip 20a, and the second housing space 62b is capable of housing the capacitor chip 20b. The length of the first housing space 62a along the Y-axis direction corresponds to the length of the capacitor chip 20a in the vertical direction (Y-axis direction or longitudinal direction), and the length of the first housing space 62a along the X-axis direction corresponds to the length of the capacitor chip 20a in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction or short side direction). The length of the second housing space 62b along the Y-axis direction corresponds to the length of the capacitor chip 20b in the vertical direction, and the length of the second housing space 62b along the X-axis direction corresponds to the length of the capacitor chip 20b in the horizontal direction.

[0031] The depth of the accommodating recess 62 is greater than the thickness or height of the capacitor chips 20a and 20b, so that when the capacitor chips 20a and 20b are accommodated in the accommodating recess 62, the side surfaces 25 of the capacitor chips 20a and 20b do not protrude from the opening (opening edge surface 66) of the accommodating recess 62.

[0032] 2, inside the accommodating recess 62, the capacitor chip 20a accommodated in the first accommodating space 62a and the capacitor chip 20b accommodated in the second accommodating space 62b are disposed at a predetermined interval in the X-axis direction. This interval corresponds to the thickness of the protrusion 64 in the X-axis direction or the length (width) of the communication space 69 in the X-axis direction.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, the accommodating recess 62 can be filled with resin 70 while the two capacitor chips 20a and 20b are accommodated therein. The resin 70 is filled to a height approximately equal to the side (top) surface of the capacitor chips 20a and 20b accommodated in the accommodating recess 62. However, the amount of resin 70 may be greater or less than this. By filling the interior of the accommodating recess 62 with resin 70 and sealing the capacitor chips 20a and 20b accommodated in the accommodating recess 62 with resin, an electronic component 10 having excellent moisture resistance, vibration resistance, impact resistance, dust resistance, heat dissipation, and the like can be realized. Thermosetting resins such as epoxy resins and phenolic resins can be used as the resin 70.

[0034] 4A, the bottom wall 63 has a substantially square shape when viewed from the Z-axis direction, and forms the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62. The capacitor chips 20a and 20b are placed on the bottom wall 63. A convex portion 64 and a bottom surface groove portion 67 are formed on the upper surface of the bottom wall 63 (the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62). The detailed configurations of these will be described later.

[0035] The opening edge surface 66 is formed on the upper surface of the outer wall 61 along the opening surface of the receiving recess 62. The opening edge surface 66 is formed in a substantially ring shape so as to go around the upper surface of the outer wall 61. A taper is formed at the intersection of the opening edge surface 66 and the outer side surface 61a of the outer wall 61, and similarly, a taper is formed at the intersection of the opening edge surface 66 and the inner wall surface 61b of the outer wall 61. As shown in FIG. 2, the first individual metal terminal 30a, the second individual metal terminal 30b, and the common metal terminal 40 can be fixed to the opening edge surface 66. These conductive terminals are attached to the case 60 so as to straddle the opening edge surface 66 in the Y-axis direction.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 4A, a step portion 660 is formed in a part of the opening edge surface 66 located on the Y-axis negative side. The step portion 660 extends from one end to the other end in the X-axis direction of the case 60, and has a predetermined width in the Y-axis direction. For example, the step portion 660 may be used to fix (engage) the common metal terminal 40 (see FIG. 2). In the example shown in FIG. 2, a part (side electrode portion 46) of the common metal terminal 40 is fixed to the outer surface 61a (third surface 61a3) of the outer wall 61, but the part may be fixed to or engaged with the vertical surface (surface parallel to the YZ plane) of the step portion 660.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 4A, the connecting portion 68 is formed on the outer surface 61a of the outer wall 61. As shown in Figs. 5A and 5B, the outer surface 61a has a first surface 61a1 located on the Y-axis positive direction side, a second surface 61a2 adjacent to the first surface 61a1 in the clockwise direction, a third surface 61a3 adjacent to the second surface 61a2 in the clockwise direction, and a fourth surface 61a4 adjacent to the third surface 61a3 in the clockwise direction. The connecting portion 68 has a pair of connecting protrusions 681 and a connecting recess 682, and the pair of connecting protrusions 681 are formed on the first surface 61a1 and the second surface 61a2, and the connecting recess 682 is formed on the third surface 61a3 and the fourth surface 61a4.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 5A, the pair of connecting protrusions 681 formed on the first surface 61a1 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the X-axis direction and extend approximately parallel to the Z-axis direction. Each of the pair of connecting protrusions 681 has a columnar structure having a predetermined length in the Z-axis direction. More specifically, each of the pair of connecting protrusions 681 has an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape having a longitudinal direction in the Z-axis direction, and its cross-sectional shape (cross-sectional shape parallel to the XY plane) is a rectangle (more specifically, a parallelogram). Each of the pair of connecting protrusions 681 extends continuously along the Z-axis direction from the lower end of the first surface 61a1 to near the center of the first surface 61a1. Note that each of the pair of connecting protrusions 681 may extend discontinuously along the Z-axis direction from the lower end of the first surface 61a1 to near the center of the first surface 61a1.

[0039] The pair of connecting protrusions 681 each protrude outward in the Y-axis direction from the first surface 61a1. One connecting protrusion 681 extends outward in the Y-axis direction while inclining toward the negative X-axis direction, and the other connecting protrusion 681 extends outward in the Y-axis direction while inclining toward the positive X-axis direction. In other words, the pair of connecting protrusions 681 extend outward in the Y-axis direction while spreading out in the X-axis direction so as to move away from each other, and the distance between each of the pair of connecting protrusions 681 along the X-axis direction becomes larger the farther they are from the first surface 61a1 in the Y-axis direction.

[0040] An outer surface 681a on the negative X-axis direction side of one connecting protrusion 681 is a tapered surface, and similarly, an outer surface 681b on the positive X-axis direction side of the other connecting protrusion 681 is a tapered surface. The outer surfaces 681a and 681b extend outward in the Y-axis direction while spreading out in the X-axis direction so as to move away from each other, and the distance between the outer surfaces 681a and 681b in the X-axis direction becomes larger the farther they are from the first surface 61a1 in the Y-axis direction.

[0041] The pair of connecting protrusions 681 formed on the second surface 61a2 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the Y-axis direction and extend approximately parallel to the Z-axis direction. The pair of connecting protrusions 681 formed on the second surface 61a2 have the same shape as the pair of connecting protrusions 681 formed on the first surface 61a1. The pair of connecting protrusions 681 each extend continuously along the Z-axis direction from the lower end of the second surface 61a2 to near the center of the second surface 61a2. Note that the pair of connecting protrusions 681 may each extend discontinuously along the Z-axis direction from the lower end of the second surface 61a2 to near the center of the second surface 61a2. An outer surface 681a on the Y-axis positive side of one connecting protrusion 681 is a tapered surface, and similarly, an outer surface 681b on the X-axis negative side of the other connecting protrusion 681 is a tapered surface.

[0042] The pair of connecting protrusions 681 each protrude outward in the X-axis direction from the second surface 61a2. One connecting protrusion 681 extends outward in the X-axis direction while inclining toward the negative Y-axis direction, and the other connecting protrusion 681 extends outward in the X-axis direction while inclining toward the positive Y-axis direction. That is, the pair of connecting protrusions 681 extend outward in the X-axis direction while spreading out in the Y-axis direction so as to move away from each other, and the distance between each of the pair of connecting protrusions 681 along the Y-axis direction becomes larger the farther they are from the second surface 61a2 in the X-axis direction.

[0043] An outer surface 681a on the Y-axis positive side of one connecting protrusion 681 is a tapered surface, and similarly, an outer surface 681b on the X-axis negative side of the other connecting protrusion 681 is a tapered surface. The outer surfaces 681a and 681b extend outward in the X-axis direction while spreading out in the Y-axis direction so as to move away from each other, and the distance between the outer surfaces 681a and 681b in the Y-axis direction becomes larger the farther they are from the second surface 61a2 in the X-axis direction.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 5B, the connecting recess 682 formed in the third surface 61a3 is recessed from the third surface 61a3 toward the inside (center) in the Y-axis direction. The connecting recess 682 extends continuously along the Z-axis direction from the lower end of the third surface 61a3 to near the center of the third surface 61a3. The width of the connecting recess 682 in the X-axis direction is constant along the Z-axis direction. The connecting recess 682 has a predetermined depth along the Y-axis direction, and the width of the connecting recess 682 along the X-axis direction becomes wider toward the inside of the case 60 in the Y-axis direction. In other words, the width of the connecting recess 682 along the X-axis direction becomes larger as the depth of the connecting recess 682 becomes deeper, and the cross-sectional shape of the engagement recess 682 (cross-sectional shape parallel to the XY plane) is approximately trapezoidal.

[0045] Inner wall surface 682a on the positive X-axis direction side of connecting recess 682 is a tapered surface, and similarly, inner wall surface 682b on the negative X-axis direction side of connecting recess 682 is a tapered surface. Inner wall surface 682a and inner wall surface 682b extend toward the inside (center) in the Y-axis direction of case 60 while spreading out in the X-axis direction so as to move away from each other, and the distance between inner wall surface 682a and inner wall surface 682b along the X-axis direction becomes larger toward the inside of case 60 in the Y-axis direction.

[0046] The connecting recess 682 formed in the fourth surface 61a4 is recessed from the fourth surface 61a4 toward the inside (center) in the X-axis direction. The connecting recess 682 extends continuously from the lower end of the fourth surface 61a4 along the Z-axis direction to near the center of the fourth surface 61a4. The width of the connecting recess 682 in the X-axis direction is constant along the Z-axis direction. The connecting recess 682 has a predetermined depth along the X-axis direction, and the width of the connecting recess 682 along the Y-axis direction becomes wider toward the inside of the case 60 in the X-axis direction. In other words, the width of the connecting recess 682 along the Y-axis direction becomes larger as the depth of the connecting recess 682 becomes deeper, and the cross-sectional shape of the engagement recess 682 (cross-sectional shape parallel to the XY plane) is approximately trapezoidal.

[0047] Inner wall surface 682a on the Y-axis negative direction side of connecting recess 682 is a tapered surface, and similarly, inner wall surface 682b on the Y-axis positive direction side of connecting recess 682 is a tapered surface. Inner wall surface 682a and inner wall surface 682b extend toward the inside (center) in the X-axis direction of case 60 while spreading out in the Y-axis direction so as to move away from each other, and the distance between inner wall surface 682a and inner wall surface 682b along the Y-axis direction becomes larger toward the inside in the X-axis direction of case 60.

[0048] By providing case 60 with connecting protrusion 681 and connecting recess 682, when electronic component 10 is provided with multiple (e.g., two) cases 60, it becomes possible to engage connecting protrusion 681 of one case 60 with connecting recess 682 of the other case 60, thereby enabling multiple cases 60 to be connected.

[0049] For example, as shown in FIG. 9B, a pair of connecting protrusions 681 (see FIG. 5A) of one case 60a can be inserted while sliding from the lower end side of a connecting recess 682 (see FIG. 5B) of the other case 60b toward one side in the Z-axis direction (upward), so that the pair of connecting protrusions 681 of case 60a enters inside the connecting recess 682 of case 60b and engages with them.

[0050] In a state where the pair of connecting protrusions 681 of case 60a are engaged with the connecting recess 682 of case 60b, the outer side surface 681a (FIG. 5A) of one connecting protrusion 681 and the outer side surface 681b of the other connecting protrusion 681 respectively abut against the inner wall surface 682a (FIG. 5B) and the inner wall surface 682b of the connecting recess 682. As described above, the outer side surfaces 681a and 681b are each made of tapered surfaces that spread in the X-axis direction toward the outside in the Y-axis direction of case 60a (the side where case 60b is arranged), and the inner wall surfaces 682a and 682b are each made of tapered surfaces that spread in the X-axis direction toward the inside in the Y-axis direction of case 60b (the side opposite to the side where case 60a is arranged), so that a strong engagement state can be formed by these abutting against each other.

[0051] In other words, when the pair of connecting protrusions 681 of case 60a are engaged with the connecting recess 682 of case 60b, the distance between each of the pair of connecting protrusions 681 of case 60a in the X-axis direction becomes larger as one progresses toward the inside (bottom) of the connecting recess 682 of case 60b, so that even if an external force is applied in the Y-axis direction toward the side where case 60a is located, case 60a and case 60b will not come loose from each other in the Y-axis direction.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 4A, the protrusion 64 is formed inside the accommodation recess 62 and divides (partitions) the accommodation recess 62 into a first accommodation space 62a and a second accommodation space 62b along the X-axis direction. The protrusion 64 is formed in the approximate center of the accommodation recess 62 in the X-axis direction so that the volumes of the first accommodation space 62a and the second accommodation space 62b are approximately equal. The protrusion 64 is formed so as to straddle the inner wall surface 61b and the bottom wall 63 of the accommodation recess 62. The inner wall surface 61b has a first surface 61b1 located on the Y-axis positive direction side, a second surface 61b2 adjacent to the first surface 61b1 in the clockwise direction, a third surface 61b3 adjacent to the second surface 61b2 in the clockwise direction, and a fourth surface 61b4 adjacent to the third surface 61b3 in the clockwise direction.

[0053] The protrusion 64 has a first protrusion 64a and a second protrusion 64b arranged along the Y-axis direction at a distance from the first protrusion 64a. The first protrusion 64a and the second protrusion 64b have the same shape and are substantially rectangular parallelepiped shapes. The first protrusion 64a and the second protrusion 64b are physically separated along the Y-axis direction and rise from the bottom surface (bottom wall 63) of the accommodation recess 62. The upper end surface of the first protrusion 64a is a flat surface, and the upper end surface of the second protrusion 64b is a flat surface.

[0054] The first protrusion 64a is formed on the Y-axis negative side of the accommodating recess 62, protrudes from the third surface 61b3 of the inner wall surface 61b toward the Y-axis positive side, and protrudes from the bottom wall 63 toward the Z-axis positive side. The second protrusion 64b is formed on the Y-axis positive side of the accommodating recess 62, protrudes from the first surface 61b1 of the inner wall surface 61b toward the Y-axis negative side, and protrudes from the bottom wall 63 toward the Z-axis positive side. The first protrusion 64a and the second protrusion 64b are disposed opposite each other in the Y-axis direction.

[0055] The first protrusion 64a and the second protrusion 64b are disposed with a communication space 69 therebetween, which communicates the first accommodation space 62a and the second accommodation space 62b. The communication space 69 is a space located between the first protrusion 64a and the second protrusion 64b, and is surrounded by a side surface of the first protrusion 64a facing the positive Y-axis direction, a side surface of the second protrusion 64b facing the negative Y-axis direction, and a bottom surface of the accommodation recess 62. The communication space 69 is connected to the first accommodation space 62a on the negative X-axis direction side, and is connected to the second accommodation space 62b on the positive X-axis direction side. The upper side of the communication space 69 is open, and the communication space 69 provides the protrusion 64 with a recess that opens in the same direction as the opening of the accommodation recess 62 at the position of the communication space 69. That is, in this embodiment, the protrusion 64 has a recess that is recessed at the position of the communication space 69, and the recess separates the protrusion 64 into a first protrusion 64a and a second protrusion 64b. The length of the communication space 69 along the Y axis direction is equal to the distance along the Y axis direction between the first protrusion 64a and the second protrusion 64b.

[0056] As described above, the inside of the storage space 62 is filled with resin 70 (see FIG. 1), and in this state, the communication space 69 is filled with resin 70. That is, only resin 70 exists inside the communication space 69, and in this embodiment, it is not assumed that any other members are placed other than the resin 70. Therefore, the volume of the resin 70 filled inside the communication space 69 is approximately equal to the volume of the communication space 69. Furthermore, the shape of the resin 70 filled inside the communication space 69 is approximately equal to the spatial shape of the communication space 69.

[0057] By filling the communication space 69 with the resin 70, the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b are connected along the Y-axis direction by the hardened resin 70 (the resin 70 located in the communication space 69). In addition, the first housing space 62a and the second housing space 62b are blocked (partitioned) in the X-axis direction by the first convex portion 64a, the second convex portion 64b, and the resin 70 (the resin 70 located in the communication space 69). Therefore, when the capacitor chips 20a and 20b are housed in both the first housing space 62a and the second housing space 62b, it is possible to ensure good insulation between the capacitor chip 20a arranged in the first housing space 62a and the capacitor chip 20b arranged in the second housing space 62b.

[0058] The communication space 69 is used as an installation space for an injection tool (dispenser, nozzle, needle, etc.) or as a flow path for the resin 70 when filling the inside of the accommodating recess 62 with the resin 70. That is, when filling the resin 70, the injection tool is installed (inserted) between the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b (into the communication space 70), and the resin 70 is poured into the communication space 69 using the injection tool, thereby making it possible to fill the inside of the accommodating recess 62 with the resin 70.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 4B, the ratio W / L1 of the interval (length of the communication space 69 along the Y-axis direction) W between the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b to the length L1 of the accommodation recess 62 along the Y-axis direction is preferably 1 / 16≦W / L1<1, more preferably 1 / 8≦W / L1<1, and particularly preferably 1 / 4≦W / L1<9 / 10. By setting the value of the ratio W / L1 within the above range, a relatively wide communication space 69 is formed between the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b, making it easier to install an injection tool between the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b, and facilitating the process of filling the interior of the accommodation recess 62 with resin. In addition, the resin 70 is more likely to flow out of the communication space 69 into each of the first accommodation space 62a and the second accommodation space 62b. The value of the ratio W / L1 may be changed as appropriate according to the size of the injection tool to be placed between the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b.

[0060] The length L1 of the accommodating recess 62 along the Y-axis direction is approximately equal to the length along the vertical direction (longitudinal direction or Y-axis direction) of the capacitor chips 20a and 20b shown in Fig. 3. More precisely, the length L1 is approximately equal to the length along the vertical direction of the capacitor chips 20a and 20b plus the thickness of the first individual metal terminal 30a or 30b and the thickness of the common metal terminal 40 shown in Fig. 2.

[0061] The interval W between the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b (the length of the communication space 69 along the Y-axis direction) may be equal to or greater than the length L2 of the first convex portion 64a along the Y-axis direction, or may be equal to or greater than the length L3 of the second convex portion 64b along the Y-axis direction. The interval W between the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b may be equal to or greater than the sum of the length L2 of the first convex portion 64a along the Y-axis direction and the length L3 of the second convex portion 64b along the Y-axis direction. In this way, even when W≧L2, W≧L3, or W≧L2+L3, a relatively wide communication space 69 is formed between the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b, and the above-mentioned effect can be obtained.

[0062] Furthermore, the interval W between the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b (the length of the communication space 69 along the Y-axis direction) may be equal to or greater than the thickness L7 of the first convex portion 64a or the second convex portion 64b along the X-axis direction. By making W≧L7, it is possible to form the communication space 69 between the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b, which has a sufficient space for installing an injection tool. This makes it easier to install an injection tool in the communication space 69, and facilitates the process of filling the inside of the accommodating recess 62 with the resin 70.

[0063] The ratio L2 / L1 of the length L2 along the Y-axis direction of the first convex portion 64a to the length L1 along the Y-axis direction of the accommodation recess 62 is preferably 1 / 32 ≤ L2 / L1 < 1 / 2, more preferably 1 / 32 ≤ L2 / L1 < 3 / 8, and particularly preferably 1 / 16 ≤ L2 / L1 < 1 / 4. The same applies to the ratio L3 / L1 of the length L3 along the Y-axis direction of the second convex portion 64b to the length L1 along the Y-axis direction of the accommodation recess 62. By setting the value of the ratio L2 / L1 or L3 / L1 within the above range, a relatively wide communication space 69 is formed between the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b, and the above-described effects can be obtained.

[0064] The sum of the length L2 along the Y-axis direction of the first convex portion 64a and the length L3 along the Y-axis direction of the second convex portion 64b is smaller than the length L1 along the Y-axis direction of the accommodation recess 62. The relationship L2 > 0, L3 > 0, and L2 + L3 < L1 being satisfied is a condition for forming the communication space 69 between the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b. Preferably, by setting L2 + L3 < L1 / 2, a relatively wide communication space 69 is formed between the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b, and the above-described effects can be obtained. The length L2 along the Y-axis direction of the first convex portion 64a and the length L3 along the Y-axis direction of the second convex portion 64b are equal, but L2 > L3 or L3 > L2 may also be the case. In this case, the communication space 69 will be formed at a position biased to one side or the other side in the Y-axis direction.

[0065] The length L2 of the first convex portion 64a along the Y-axis direction may be equal to or less than the length L4 in the Y-axis direction of the second side electrode portion 22b of the second terminal electrode 22 of the capacitor chip 20a (20b) shown in FIG. 3. The same applies to the length L3 of the second convex portion 64b along the Y-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the second side electrode portion 22b of the second terminal electrode 22 of the capacitor chip 20a and the second side electrode portion 22b of the second terminal electrode 22 of the capacitor chip 20b are arranged to face each other in the X-axis direction with the first convex portion 64a interposed therebetween. Also, the first side electrode portion 21b of the first terminal electrode 21 of the capacitor chip 20a and the first side electrode portion 21b of the first terminal electrode 21 of the capacitor chip 20b are arranged to face each other in the X-axis direction with the second convex portion 64b interposed therebetween. When 0 < L2 ≤ L4 or 0 < L3 ≤ L4 and the first convex portion 64a or the second convex portion 64b is formed relatively small, it is possible to sufficiently prevent the contact between the first side electrode portion 21b of the first terminal electrode 21 of the capacitor chip 20a and the first side electrode portion 21b of the first terminal electrode 21 of the capacitor chip 20b, and to sufficiently secure the insulation distance therebetween, thereby achieving good insulation between them.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 6, the ratio H1 / H2 of the height H1 of the first convex portion 64a to the height H2 of the accommodation recess 62 (the height from the bottom surface of the accommodation recess 62 to the opening) is preferably 1 / 2 ≤ H1 / H2 ≤ 7 / 8, and more preferably 1 / 2 ≤ H1 / H2 ≤ 3 / 4. The same applies to the ratio of the height of the second convex portion 64b to the height of the accommodation recess 62. By setting the value of the ratio H1 / H2 within the above range, the volume of the first convex portion 64a becomes relatively small, so that it is possible to make the volume of the accommodation recess 62 relatively large, and a sufficient amount of resin 70 can be filled inside the accommodation recess 62. Also, although the connection portion 48 of the common metal terminal 40 shown in FIG. 7 is arranged on the upper end surface of the first convex portion 64a, by setting the value of the ratio H1 / H2 within the above range, it is possible to arrange the connection portion 48 in a stable state on the upper end surface of the first convex portion 64a.

[0067] The height H1 of the first protrusion 64a may be smaller than the height (thickness) of the capacitor chips 20a and 20b. The first protrusion 64a and the second protrusion 64b have the function of providing insulation between the capacitor chips 20a and 20b by positioning the capacitor chips 20a and 20b accommodated in the accommodation recess 62 (by preventing misalignment), so the height H1 of the first protrusion 64a may be high enough to provide this function. The same applies to the second protrusion 64b.

[0068] 4A, a bottom groove 67 is formed on the bottom surface (the upper surface of the bottom wall 63) of the accommodating recess 62. The bottom groove 67 passes between the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b and extends toward the outer edge of the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62. The bottom groove 67 is spread out in a mesh-like pattern on the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62, and an end of the bottom groove 67 intersects with the inner wall surface 61b of the accommodating recess 62.

[0069] The bottom groove 67 functions as a flow path for the resin 70 when the resin 70 is filled into the inside of the storage recess 62. That is, the resin 70 poured into the communication space 69 by the injection tool flows through the inside of the bottom groove 67 toward the outer edge of the bottom of the storage recess 62. This allows the resin 70 to be efficiently distributed toward the outer edge of the bottom of the storage recess 62. The bottom groove 67 has a first bottom groove 671 extending along the X-axis direction between the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b, and a second bottom groove 672 connected to the first bottom groove 671 and extending along the Y-axis direction.

[0070] The bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62 is formed with one first bottom surface groove 671 extending from one end to the other end in the X-axis direction, but the number of first bottom surface groove 671 may be two or more. Also, the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62 is formed with two second bottom surface grooves 672 extending from one end to the other end in the Y-axis direction, but the number of second bottom surface grooves 672 may be one, or three or more.

[0071] 4B, the first bottom groove 671 is composed of a single groove extending linearly along the X-axis direction on the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62, and is formed in approximately the center of the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62 in the Y-axis direction. The first bottom groove 671 extends from one end to the other end of the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62 in the X-axis direction, and is connected to inner wall surfaces located on the negative and positive sides of the X-axis of the accommodating recess 62. The ratio L5 / W of the width L5 of the first bottom groove 671 along the Y-axis direction to the interval W between the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b (the length of the communicating space 69 along the Y-axis direction) is preferably 1 / 16≦L5 / W<1, and more preferably 1 / 8≦L5 / W≦1 / 2. By setting the value of L5 / W within the above range, the resin 70 can flow smoothly inside the first bottom groove portion 671, and the resin 70 can be efficiently distributed toward the outer edge of the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62.

[0072] Note that the width L5 of the first bottom surface groove 671 along the Y-axis direction does not necessarily need to be constant along the X-axis direction, and the width L5 may change at an intermediate position along the X-axis direction of the first bottom surface groove 671. In this case, the width L5 may be larger than the interval W between the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b (the length of the communication space 69 along the Y-axis direction).

[0073] 6, when the capacitor chips 20a and 20b are accommodated in the accommodating recess 62, a gap (space) corresponding to the depth D of the first groove 671 is formed along the X-axis direction between the side (lower surface) of the capacitor chips 20a and 20b and the bottom wall 63 at the position of the first groove 671. The resin 70 filled inside the accommodating recess 62 flows inside this gap along the X-axis direction and hardens inside this gap. That is, the resin 70 is filled not only on the sides or above the capacitor chips 20a and 20b but also below the condenser chips 20a and 20b, and a resin layer made of the resin 70 is formed below the condenser chips 20a and 20b.

[0074] The ratio D / H2 of the depth D of the first bottom groove 671 to the height H2 of the accommodating recess 62 (the height from the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62 to the opening) is preferably 1 / 64≦D / H2≦1 / 8, and more preferably 1 / 32≦D / H2≦1 / 16. By setting the value of D / H2 or the value of D within the above range, smooth flow of the resin 70 inside the first bottom groove 671 can be ensured.

[0075] 4B, the second bottom groove 672 is a groove extending linearly along the Y-axis direction on the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62. The second bottom groove 672 intersects with the first bottom groove 671 while being substantially perpendicular to it. In this embodiment, the second bottom groove 672 includes a second bottom groove 672a and a second bottom groove 672b formed on the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62. The second bottom groove 672a is formed on the X-axis negative side of the protrusion 64, and the second bottom groove 672b is formed on the X-axis positive side of the protrusion 64.

[0076] The second bottom groove 672a is formed in approximately the center in the X-axis direction of the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62 located in the second accommodating space 62a. The second bottom groove 672 extends from one end to the other end in the Y-axis direction of the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62, and is connected to the inner wall surfaces located on the negative and positive sides of the Y-axis of the accommodating recess 62. The second bottom groove 672b is formed in approximately the center in the X-axis direction of the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62 located in the second accommodating space 62b. The second bottom groove 672 extends from one end to the other end in the Y-axis direction of the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62.

[0077] Immediately after the resin 70 is poured into the communication space 69 (toward the first bottom groove 671) using the injection tool, the resin 70 poured through the communication space 69 flows directly into the first bottom groove 671, whereas the resin 70 flowing through the first bottom groove 671 branches and flows into the second bottom groove 672a. Therefore, the flow rate of the resin 70 flowing through the second bottom groove 672 (second bottom groove 672a / second bottom groove 672b) is smaller than the flow rate of the resin 70 flowing through the first bottom groove 671. Therefore, the width L6 of the second bottom groove 672 along the X-axis direction may be smaller than the width L5 of the first bottom groove 671 along the Y-axis direction.

[0078] Furthermore, the width L6 of the second bottom groove portion 672 along the X-axis direction does not necessarily have to be constant along the Y-axis direction, and the width L6 may change at an intermediate position along the Y-axis direction of the second bottom groove portion 672.

[0079] Although detailed illustration is omitted, when the capacitor chips 20a and 20b are accommodated in the accommodating recess 62, a gap (space) corresponding to the depth of the second bottom surface groove 672 is formed along the Y-axis direction between the side surface (lower surface) of the capacitor chips 20a and 20b and the bottom wall 63 at the position of the second bottom surface groove 672. The resin 70 filled inside the accommodating recess 62 flows inside this gap along the Y-axis direction and hardens inside this gap to form a resin layer below the capacitor chips 20a and 20b. The depth of the second bottom surface groove 672 is the same as the depth of the first groove 671, but may be shallower than the depth of the first groove 671.

[0080] The intersection of the first bottom groove 671 and the second bottom groove 672a is located below the capacitor chip 20a accommodated in the first housing space 62a. The intersection of the first bottom groove 671 and the second bottom groove 672b is located below the capacitor chip 20b accommodated in the second housing space 62b.

[0081] The first bottom groove 671, the second bottom groove 672a, and the second bottom groove 672b are formed on the bottom surface of the accommodation recess 62, so that the first step surface 63a, the second step surface 63b, the third step surface 63c, the fourth step surface 63d, the fifth step surface 63e, and the sixth step surface 63f are formed on the bottom surface of the accommodation recess 62. The step heights of the step surfaces 63a to 63d correspond to the depths of the first bottom groove 671, the second bottom groove 672a, and the second bottom groove 672b. The widths of the step surfaces 63a to 63d along the Y-axis direction and along the X-axis direction are determined according to the widths and intervals of the first bottom groove 671, the second bottom groove 672a, and the second bottom groove 672b.

[0082] A first protrusion 64a is disposed on the first step surface 63a, and a second protrusion 64b is disposed on the second step surface 63b. In the first housing space 62a, the capacitor chip 20a is placed across the first step surface 63a, the second step surface 63b, the third step surface 63c, and the fourth step surface 63d. In the second housing space 62b, the capacitor chip 20b is placed across the first step surface 63a, the second step surface 63b, the fifth step surface 63e, and the sixth step surface 63f. The step surfaces 63a to 63d are flat surfaces, and the capacitor chips 20a and 20b can be stably placed thereon.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 7, the first individual metal terminal 30a and the second individual metal terminal 30b are formed by bending a single flat conductive plate piece (for example, a metal plate). The thickness of the metal plate is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 0.01 to 2.0 mm. The material of the metal plate is not particularly limited as long as it is a metal material having conductivity, and for example, iron, nickel, copper, silver, etc., or an alloy containing these can be used. The surfaces of the first individual metal terminal 30a and the second individual metal terminal 30b may be formed with a metal coating by plating, for example, using Ni, Sn, Cu, etc. as a material. The first individual metal terminal 30a and the second individual metal terminal 30b may be formed as conductive terminals made of a conductive material other than metal. The above points are the same for the common metal terminal 40 described later, and also for the first linking metal terminal 50a and the second linking metal terminal 50b described in the second embodiment.

[0084] 2 and 7, the first individual metal terminal 30a and the second individual metal terminal 30b are attached to an opening edge surface 66 located on the positive side of the Y-axis of the case 60. The first individual metal terminal 30a and the second individual metal terminal 30b are disposed adjacent to each other in the X-axis direction. The first individual metal terminal 30a is electrically connected to the capacitor chip 20a accommodated in the first accommodation space 62a of the accommodation recess 62. The second individual metal terminal 30b is electrically connected to the capacitor chip 20b accommodated in the second accommodation space 62b of the accommodation recess 62.

[0085] The first individual metal terminal 30a and the second individual metal terminal 30b each have an inner electrode portion 32, an opening edge electrode portion 34, and a side electrode portion 36. The inner electrode portion 32 of the first individual metal terminal 30a is inserted along the inner wall surface of the first housing space 62a on the Y-axis positive side of the case 60, and comes into contact with and is electrically connected to the first terminal electrode 21 of the capacitor chip 20a. The width of the inner electrode portion 32 of the first individual metal terminal 30a along the X-axis direction is approximately equal to the width of the first terminal electrode 21 of the capacitor chip 20a along the X-axis direction.

[0086] The inner electrode portion 32 of the second individual metal terminal 30b is inserted along the inner wall surface of the second housing space 62b on the positive Y-axis side of the case 60, and comes into contact with and is electrically connected to the first terminal electrode 21 of the capacitor chip 20b. The width of the inner electrode portion 32 of the second individual metal terminal 30b along the X-axis direction is approximately equal to the width of the first terminal electrode 21 of the capacitor chip 20b along the X-axis direction.

[0087] Each inner electrode portion 32 has a curved portion 320. Each curved portion 320 applies a spring force toward the capacitor chip 20a or the capacitor chip 20b accommodated in the accommodating recess 62. This makes it possible to firmly fix the capacitor chips 20a and 20b inside the accommodating recess 62.

[0088] The opening edge electrode portion 34 is formed continuously with the inner electrode portion 32, and is disposed along the opening edge surface 66 of the case 60. The opening edge electrode portion 34 is preferably in contact with the opening edge surface 66, but there may be some gap between the opening edge electrode portion 34 and the opening edge surface 66.

[0089] The terminal side fixing portion 36 is formed continuously with the opening edge electrode portion 34, and is disposed (fixed) along the outer wall 61 (outer surface 61a) of the case 60. By sandwiching the upper end portion of the outer wall 61 between the terminal side fixing portion 36 and the inner electrode portion 32, it is possible to fix the first individual metal terminal 30a or the second individual metal terminal 30b to the case 60.

[0090] The common metal terminal 40 is attached to an opening edge surface 66 located on the negative Y-axis direction side of the case 60. The common metal terminal 40 is electrically connected to the capacitor chip 20a accommodated in the first accommodation space 62a of the accommodation recess 62 and the capacitor chip 20b accommodated in the second accommodation space 62b of the accommodation recess 62. The common metal terminal 40 has a pair of inner electrode portions 42, an opening edge electrode portion 44, a side electrode portion 46, and a connecting portion 48.

[0091] The pair of inner electrode portions 42 are formed adjacent to each other in the X-axis direction. One inner electrode portion 42 is inserted along the inner wall surface of the first housing space 62a on the Y-axis negative side of the case 60, and comes into contact with and is electrically connected to the second terminal electrode 22 of the capacitor chip 20a. The width of one inner electrode portion 42 along the X-axis direction is approximately equal to the width of the second terminal electrode 22 of the capacitor chip 20a along the X-axis direction.

[0092] The other inner electrode portion 42 is inserted along the inner wall surface of the second housing space 62b on the negative Y-axis side of the case 60, and contacts and is electrically connected to the second terminal electrode 22 of the capacitor chip 20b. The width of the other inner electrode portion 42 along the X-axis direction is approximately equal to the width of the second terminal electrode 22 of the capacitor chip 20b along the X-axis direction.

[0093] The pair of inner electrode portions 42 are arranged to sandwich the outer surface of the first protrusion 64a on the X-axis positive direction side and the outer surface of the first protrusion 64a on the X-axis negative direction side. Unlike the first individual metal terminal 30a and the second individual metal terminal 30b, each inner electrode portion 42 does not have a structure equivalent to the curved portion 320, but may have such a structure.

[0094] The opening edge electrode portion 44 is formed continuously with the inner electrode portion 42, and is disposed along the opening edge surface 66 of the case 60. The terminal side fixing portion 46 is formed continuously with the opening edge electrode portion 44, and is disposed (fixed) along the outer wall 61 (outer surface 61a) of the case 60. The common metal terminal 40 can be fixed to the case 60 by sandwiching the upper end portion of the outer wall 61 between the terminal side fixing portion 46 and the inner electrode portion 42. The terminal side fixing portion 46 may be disposed along the vertical surface (surface parallel to the YZ plane) of a step portion 660 formed on the opening edge surface 66.

[0095] The connecting portion 48 connects the upper ends of the inner electrode portions 42 in the X-axis direction, and is disposed along an inner wall surface 61b (third surface 61b3) of the accommodating recess 62 of the case 60. The connecting portion 48 is disposed above the first protrusion 64a, and the lower end of the connecting portion 48 contacts the upper end surface of the first protrusion 64a. Therefore, the upper end surface of the first protrusion 64a and the outer surface on the X-axis positive direction side and the outer surface on the X-axis negative direction side are surrounded by the connecting portion 48 and the pair of inner electrode portions 42.

[0096] By connecting a first individual metal terminal 30a to the first terminal electrode 21 of capacitor chip 20a, connecting a second individual metal terminal 30b to the first terminal electrode 21 of capacitor chip 20b, and connecting a common metal terminal 40 to the second terminal electrode 22 of capacitor chip 20a and the second terminal electrode 22 of capacitor chip 20b, capacitor chip 20a and capacitor chip 20b can be connected in series inside case 60.

[0097] 4A, in electronic component 10 according to this embodiment, a communication space 69 is formed between first convex portion 64a and second convex portion 64b, and therefore, by placing an injection tool between first convex portion 64a and second convex portion 64b (i.e., communication space 69) and injecting resin 70, it becomes possible to pour resin 70 into accommodating recess 62 through communication space 69. This makes it possible to fill a sufficient amount of resin 70 into accommodating recess 62 in a short time without the flow of resin 70 being hindered by convex portion 64, and also makes it possible to prevent resin 70 from overflowing from the opening of accommodating recess 62.

[0098] In addition, the resin 70 injected into the communication space 69 by the injection tool branches out and flows out from the communication space 69 toward the first housing space 62a and the second housing space 62b in the negative and positive directions of the X-axis. Therefore, it is possible to fill both the first housing space 62a and the second housing space 62b with the resin 70 by filling the resin 70 once, and it is not necessary to fill the first housing space 62a and the second housing space 62b with the resin 70 separately, thereby improving productivity during the manufacture of the electronic component 10. In addition, since a substantially constant amount of the resin 70 flows out from the communication space 69 into each of the first housing space 62a and the second housing space 62b, the amount of the resin 70 filled into the first housing space 62a and the amount of the resin 70 filled into the second housing space 62b can be made uniform.

[0099] In this embodiment, the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b are separated along the Y-axis direction and are raised from the bottom surface (upper surface of the bottom wall 63) of the storage recess 62. Therefore, a communication space 69 extending from the opening of the storage recess 62 to the bottom surface along the Z-axis direction is formed between the first convex portion 64a and the second convex portion 64b, and an injection tool can be inserted to the vicinity of the bottom surface of the storage recess 62 through the communication space 69. When the resin 70 is poured into the communication space 69 from the vicinity of the bottom surface of the storage recess 62, the resin 70 is gradually pushed up from the bottom surface of the storage recess 62 toward the opening due to the pressure at the time of injection, and is filled inside the storage recess 62. Therefore, unlike the case where the resin 70 is injected from the vicinity of the opening of the storage recess 62, it is possible to effectively prevent the resin 70 from overflowing from the storage recess 62. In addition, the time required to fill the inside of the accommodating recess 62 with resin 70 can be effectively shortened, and the uniformity of the amount of resin 70 filled into each of the first accommodating space 62a and the second accommodating space 62b can be effectively increased.

[0100] In addition, in this embodiment, the resin 70 poured into the communicating space 69 by the injection tool flows inside the first bottom groove 671 along the X-axis direction toward the outer edge of the bottom of the accommodating recess 62, and branches off from the first bottom groove 671 and flows inside the second bottom groove 672 along the Y-axis direction, so that the resin 70 can be efficiently distributed toward the outer edge of the bottom of the accommodating recess 62 in the Y-axis direction and the outer edge of the bottom of the accommodating recess 62 in the X-axis direction.

[0101] Second embodiment 8 to 10, an electronic component 110 according to a second embodiment of the present invention has a similar configuration and provides similar effects to the electronic component 10 according to the first embodiment, except for the following points. In the drawings, components common to the electronic component 10 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and some of the descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0102] As shown in Fig. 8, electronic component 110 has a structure in which cases 60a and 60b are connected to each other. Cases 60a and 60b each have a similar configuration to case 60 in the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 9A, capacitor chip 20a is accommodated in first accommodation space 62a of accommodation recess 62 of case 60a, and capacitor chip 20b is accommodated in second accommodation space 62b. Capacitor chip 20c is accommodated in first accommodation space 62a of accommodation recess 62 of case 60b, and capacitor chip 20d is accommodated in second accommodation space 62b.

[0103] 9B, a pair of connecting protrusions 681 formed on a first surface 61a1 of the outer side surface 61a of the case 60a engage with connecting recesses 682 formed on a third surface 61a3 of the outer side surface 61a of the case 60b. The mechanism by which they engage has been described in the first embodiment above, and will not be described here.

[0104] The number of cases 60 to be connected is not limited to two, and may be three or more. For example, a pair of connecting protrusions 681 formed on the second surface 61a2 of the outer surface 61a of the case 60a may be engaged with a connecting recess 682 (see FIG. 5B) formed on the fourth surface 61a4 of the outer surface 61a of the other case 60. Furthermore, a pair of connecting protrusions 681 (see FIG. 5A) formed on the second surface 61a2 of the outer surface 61a of the other case 60 may be engaged with a connecting recess 682 (not shown) formed on the fourth surface 61a4 of the outer surface 61a of the case 60a. In the same manner, another case 60 may be connected to the case 60b.

[0105] As shown in FIG. 9A, when cases 60a and 60b are connected via connecting portion 68, electronic component 110 is provided with first connecting metal terminal 50a and second connecting metal terminal 50b as conductive terminals for electrically connecting capacitor chips 20a and 20b housed in case 60a and capacitor chips 20c and 20d housed in case 60b.

[0106] 10, the first linking metal terminal 50a and the second linking metal terminal 50b have a pair of inner electrode portions 52 and a connection portion 54 connecting each of the pair of inner electrode portions 52. Each of the pair of inner electrode portions 52 is connected integrally to one end and the other end in the Y-axis direction of the connection portion 54. One of the pair of inner electrode portions 52 is provided with a curved portion 520, but the other inner electrode portion 52 may also be provided with a curved portion 520.

[0107] 9A and 10, one inner electrode portion 52 of the first connecting metal terminal 50a is inserted along the inner wall surface of the first housing space 62a on the positive Y-axis direction side of the case 60a and contacts and is electrically connected to the first terminal electrode 21 of the capacitor chip 20a. The other inner electrode portion 52 of the first connecting metal terminal 50a is inserted along the inner wall surface of the first housing space 62a on the negative Y-axis direction side of the case 60b and contacts and is electrically connected to the second terminal electrode 22 of the capacitor chip 20c.

[0108] One inner electrode portion 52 of the second connecting metal terminal 50b is inserted along the inner wall surface of the second housing space 62b on the Y-axis positive side of the case 60a and contacts and is electrically connected to the first terminal electrode 21 of the capacitor chip 20b. The other inner electrode portion 52 of the second connecting metal terminal 50b is inserted along the inner wall surface of the second housing space 62b on the Y-axis negative side of the case 60b and contacts and is electrically connected to the second terminal electrode 22 of the capacitor chip 20d.

[0109] The connecting portion 54 is disposed along and spanning the opening edge surface 66 of the case 60a and the opening edge surface 66 of the case 60b. The capacitor chip 20a housed in the case 60a and the capacitor chip 20c housed in the case 60b are electrically connected via the first connecting metal terminal 50a, and the capacitor chip 20b housed in the case 60a and the capacitor chip 20d housed in the case 60b are electrically connected via the second connecting metal terminal 50b.

[0110] Also, the second terminal electrode 22 of the capacitor chip 20a housed in the case 60a and the second terminal electrode 22 of the capacitor chip 20b housed in the case 60a are electrically connected via the common metal terminal 40. Furthermore, the first terminal electrode 21 of the capacitor chip 20c housed in the case 60b is electrically connected to the first individual metal terminal 30a, and the first terminal electrode 21 of the capacitor chip 20d housed in the case 60b is electrically connected to the first individual metal terminal 30b. As a result, in this embodiment, the four capacitor chips 20a to 20d can be connected in series inside the cases 60a and 60b.

[0111] The present embodiment can also provide the same effects as those of the first embodiment. In addition, in the present embodiment, by connecting the cases 60a and 60b via the connecting parts 68 of the cases 60a and 60b, it becomes possible to configure a combination of a plurality of the cases 60a and 60b, and it is possible to configure an electronic component module made up of the capacitor chips 20a to 20d housed in the plurality of the cases 60a and 60b.

[0112] Third embodiment 11 and 12 has a similar configuration and provides similar effects to electronic component 10 according to the first embodiment, except for the following points. In the drawings, components common to the components in electronic component 10 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and some of the descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0113] 11, the electronic component in this embodiment has a case 260, which differs from case 60 in the first embodiment (see FIG. 4A) in that case 260 has a protruding portion 264. Protruding portion 264 has a first protruding portion 264a and a second protruding portion 264b.

[0114] A communication groove 65a extending along the third surface 61b3 of the inner wall surface 61b is formed at a connection portion between the first protrusion 264a and the inner wall surface 61b (third surface 61b3) of the accommodating recess 62. The first protrusion 264a and the third surface 61b3 of the inner wall surface 61b face each other in the Y-axis direction with the communication groove 65a in between.

[0115] A communication groove 65b extending along the first surface 61b1 of the inner wall surface 61b is formed at the connection portion between the second protrusion 264b and the inner wall surface 61b (first surface 61b1) of the accommodating recess 62. The second protrusion 264b and the first surface 61b1 of the inner wall surface 61b face each other in the Y-axis direction with the communication groove 65b in between.

[0116] The communication grooves 65a and 65b are recessed along the Z-axis direction toward the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62, and communicate the first accommodating space 62a and the second accommodating space 62b along the X-axis direction. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the common metal terminal 40 shown in Fig. 7 is attached to the opening edge surfaces 66 located on the Y-axis positive and negative sides of the case 260, and the connecting portions 48 of the common metal terminal 40 can be disposed (accommodated) inside the communication grooves 65a and 65b.

[0117] The widths of the communication grooves 65a and 65b along the Y-axis direction are equal to or greater than the plate thickness of the common metal terminal 40. Thereby, the connecting portion 48 of the common metal terminal 40 can be smoothly inserted into the communication grooves 65a and 65b.

[0118] The depths of the communication grooves 65a and 65b along the Z-axis direction are substantially equal to the widths of the connecting portion 48 of the common metal terminal 40 along the Z-axis direction shown in FIG. 7, but may be larger than this. By making the depths of the communication grooves 65a and 65b along the Z-axis direction equal to or greater than the widths of the connecting portion 48 along the Z-axis direction, when the common metal terminal 40 is attached to the opening edge surfaces 66 located on the positive Y-axis side and the negative Y-axis side of the case 260, it is possible to prevent the connecting portion 48 from protruding unnecessarily from the opening of the housing recess 62. Note that the height along the Z-axis direction from the bottom surface of the housing recess 62 to the bottoms of the communication grooves 65a and 65b is substantially the same as the height H1 along the Z-axis direction of the first convex portions 64a and 64b shown in FIG. 6.

[0119] A bottom surface groove portion 267 is formed on the bottom surface of the housing recess 62. The bottom surface groove portion 267 consists only of a first bottom surface groove portion 671 extending along the X-axis direction and does not have a second bottom surface groove portion 672 (see FIG. 4A) extending along the Y-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 12, in the present embodiment, the distance (the length along the Y-axis direction of the communication space 69) W between the first convex portion 264a and the second convex portion 264b is equal to the length L5 along the Y-axis direction of the bottom surface groove portion 267. Note that L5 < W may also be used. Further, the bottom surface groove portion 267 may be provided with a second bottom surface groove portion 672.

[0120] In this embodiment, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained. In addition, in this embodiment, the connecting portions 48 (see FIG. 7) of the common metal terminals 40 are inserted into the communication grooves 65a and 65b, respectively, and the first terminal electrode 21 of the capacitor chip 20a accommodated in the first housing space 62a is connected to the first terminal electrode 21 of the capacitor chip 20b accommodated in the second housing space 62b via one common metal terminal 40, and the second terminal electrode 22 of the capacitor chip 20a accommodated in the first housing space 62a is connected to the second terminal electrode 22 of the capacitor chip 20b accommodated in the second housing space 62b via the other common metal terminal 40, thereby making it possible to connect the capacitor chips 20a and 20b in parallel inside the case 260.

[0121] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

[0122] In the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4A, bottom groove 67 was formed on the bottom surface (bottom wall 63) of accommodating recess 62, but as shown in Fig. 13, bottom groove 67 may be omitted from the bottom surface of accommodating recess 62. In this case, only second bottom groove 672 may be omitted, or only first bottom groove 671 may be omitted. The same applies to the second and third embodiments.

[0123] In the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the capacitor chips 20a and 20b are exemplified as chip components, but the type of chip components is not limited thereto, and other chip components may be used. Examples of other chip components include inductors and resistors. The same applies to the second and third embodiments.

[0124] 1 illustrates a state in which two capacitor chips 20a and 20b are accommodated inside the accommodating recess 62 of the case 60, but the electronic component 10 is not necessarily used in a state in which two capacitor chips 20a and 20b are accommodated inside the accommodating recess 62, and may be used in a state in which either one of the capacitor chips 20a or 20b is accommodated inside the accommodating recess 62. The same applies to the second and third embodiments.

[0125] In the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the first individual metal terminal 30a, the second individual metal terminal 30b, and the common metal terminal 40 are attached to the case 60 as conductive terminals, but the type of conductive terminal attached to the case 60 is not limited to this and may be changed as appropriate. For example, four individual metal terminals 30a may be attached to the case 60 as conductive terminals. In this case, the two capacitor chips 20a and 20b are not electrically connected inside the case 60, but the two capacitor chips 20a and 20b may be electrically connected in an external circuit, for example, when the electronic component 10 is mounted on an external circuit.

[0126] Alternatively, two common metal terminals 40 may be attached as conductive terminals to the case 60. In this case, inside the case 60, the two capacitor chips 20a and 20b can be connected in parallel.

[0127] In the first embodiment, the step portion 660 and the connecting portion 68 shown in Fig. 4A are not essential, and may be omitted from the case 60. The same applies to the second and third embodiments.

[0128] In the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4A, both the first protrusion 64a and the second protrusion 64b are connected to the inner wall surface 61b of the accommodating recess 62, but a gap (space) may be formed along the Y-axis direction between one of the first protrusion 64a and the second protrusion 64b and the inner wall surface 61b. The same applies to the second and third embodiments.

[0129] In the first embodiment, the first protrusion 64a and the second protrusion 64b are physically separated along the Y-axis direction, but they may be connected. For example, a connection portion that connects the first protrusion 64a and the second protrusion 64b in the Y-axis direction may be formed to extend in the Y-axis direction along the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62. The same applies to the second and third embodiments.

[0130] In the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4B, the first bottom groove 671 extends along the X-axis direction, but the shape of the first bottom groove 671 is not limited to this. For example, the multiple first bottom grooves 671 may extend radially from the center of the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62 toward the outer edge of the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62. The same applies to the second and third embodiments.

[0131] In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4B, the second bottom groove 672 extends linearly along the Y-axis direction, but the shape of the second bottom groove 672 is not limited to this. For example, the second bottom groove 672 may extend in a curved shape (for example, an arc or annular shape). The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0132] In the above third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, a communicating groove 65 was formed at the connection portion between the first convex portion 264a and the inner wall surface 61b of the accommodating recess 62, and a communicating groove 65 was formed at the connection portion between the second convex portion 264b and the inner wall surface 61b of the accommodating recess 62, but either one of the communicating grooves 65 may be omitted.

[0133] In the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4A, the first bottom groove 671 extends along the X-axis direction to the end of the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62 in the X-axis direction, but may extend to a position more inward in the X-axis direction than the end. Also, the second bottom groove 672 extends along the Y-axis direction to the end of the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 62 in the Y-axis direction, but may extend to a position more inward in the Y-axis direction than the end. The same applies to the second and third embodiments.

[0134] In the second embodiment, as shown in Fig. 8, two cases 60a and 60b are connected, but the number of connected cases 60 is not limited to two and may be three or more. Furthermore, these cases 60 may be connected along the Y-axis direction or along the X-axis direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 10,110…Electronic components 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d... Capacitor chip 21...First terminal electrode 22…Second terminal electrode 23…First end surface 24…Second end surface 25…Side 26...Internal electrode layer 27...Dielectric layer 30a,30b…Individual metal terminal 30…Common metal terminal 32...Inner electrode part 34...Opening edge electrode part 36…Side electrode part 40…Common metal terminal 42...Inner electrode part 44...Opening edge electrode part 46…Side electrode part 48...Connection part 50a,50b…Connection metal terminal 52...Inner electrode part 520…Bend 54…Connection 56…Side electrode part 60, 60a, 60b, 260...insulating case 61…Exterior wall 61a…Outer surface 61b…Inner wall surface 62…Housing recess 62a…First storage space 62b…Second containment space 63…Bottom wall 63a~63f...1st step surface~6th step surface 64,264…Convex 64a, 264a…First convex part 64b, 264b…Second convex part 65a, 65b…Communication groove 66...Opening edge surface 660…Step 67,267…Bottom groove 671…First bottom groove 672a, 672b…Second bottom groove 68...Connection part 681…Connecting protrusion 681a,681b…outer surface 682…Connection recess 682a, 682b…Inner wall surface 69…Communication space 70…Resin

Claims

1. A chip component, a case including a recessed portion for accommodating the chip component therein, and a protruding portion for dividing the recessed portion into a first accommodating space and a second accommodating space along a first axial direction, The convex portion has a first convex portion and a second convex portion disposed apart from the first convex portion along a second axial direction perpendicular to the first axial direction, The first protrusion and the second protrusion are arranged with a communication space therebetween, the communication space communicating with the first accommodation space and the second accommodation space, The first protrusion and the second protrusion are separated along the second axial direction and stand upright from a bottom surface of the accommodating recess.

2. A chip component, a case including a recessed portion for accommodating the chip component therein, and a protruding portion for dividing the recessed portion into a first accommodating space and a second accommodating space along a first axial direction, The convex portion has a first convex portion and a second convex portion disposed apart from the first convex portion along a second axial direction perpendicular to the first axial direction, The first protrusion and the second protrusion are arranged with a communication space therebetween, the communication space communicating with the first accommodation space and the second accommodation space, At least one of the first protrusion and the second protrusion is connected to an inner wall surface of the accommodating recess, An electronic component in which a connecting groove is formed at a connection portion between at least one of the first convex portion and the second convex portion and an inner wall surface of the accommodating recess, the connecting groove being recessed toward a bottom surface of the accommodating recess and connecting the first accommodating space and the second accommodating space.

3. A chip component, a case including a recessed portion for accommodating the chip component therein, and a protruding portion for dividing the recessed portion into a first accommodating space and a second accommodating space along a first axial direction, The convex portion has a first convex portion and a second convex portion disposed apart from the first convex portion along a second axial direction perpendicular to the first axial direction, The first protrusion and the second protrusion are arranged with a communication space therebetween, the communication space communicating with the first accommodation space and the second accommodation space, An electronic component in which a bottom groove portion is formed on a bottom surface of the accommodating recess, the bottom groove portion passing between the first convex portion and the second convex portion and extending toward an outer edge of the bottom surface of the accommodating recess.

4. The electronic component described in claim 3, wherein the bottom surface groove portion has a first bottom surface groove portion extending along the first axial direction between the first convex portion and the second convex portion, and a second bottom surface groove portion connected to the first bottom surface groove portion and extending along the second axial direction.

5. A chip component, a case including a recessed portion for accommodating the chip component therein, and a protruding portion for dividing the recessed portion into a first accommodating space and a second accommodating space along a first axial direction, The convex portion has a first convex portion and a second convex portion disposed apart from the first convex portion along a second axial direction perpendicular to the first axial direction, The first protrusion and the second protrusion are arranged with a communication space therebetween, the communication space communicating with the first accommodation space and the second accommodation space, The electronic component has a pair of connecting protrusions that protrude outward from the side surface of the case, and a connecting recess that is recessed inward from the side surface of the case.

6. An electronic component as described in claims 1 to 5, wherein the inside of the accommodating recess is filled with resin and the communicating space is filled with resin.

7. An electronic component as described in claims 1 to 6, wherein the length of the communicating space along the second axial direction is equal to or greater than the thickness of the convex portion along the first axial direction.

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