reactor

Abstract

A reactor 100 includes a conductor 10 having a meandering shape in which depressions and protrusions are alternately repeated in a first direction Y1; and a first magnetic body 20. The conductor 10 includes: a first conductor portion 11 in which first depressions and first protrusions are alternately formed repeatedly; and a second conductor portion 12 in which second depressions and second protrusions are alternately formed repeatedly, the first conductor portion 11 and the second conductor portion 12 being arranged side by side in a second direction Y2 orthogonal to the first direction Y1 in a manner such that the first depressions and the second protrusions are arranged side by side in the second direction Y2 and the first protrusions and the second depressions are arranged side by side in the second direction Y2, and being connected in series. The first magnetic body 20 includes a first through portion 21 passing through a first opening formed by the first depressions and the second protrusions adjacent to each other, and a second through portion 22 passing through a second opening formed by the first protrusions and the second depressions adjacent to each other. The meandering shape of the conductor 10 is formed by edgewise bending.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a reactor. [Background technology]

[0002] A reactor is a passive element that uses inductance, and in recent years has been installed in various electronic devices as a circuit element. For example, inverters installed in vehicles such as electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles incorporate converters that step up or step down battery voltage, and reactors are used as key components of these converters.

[0003] As one such reactor, Patent Document 1 discloses a reactor including a conductor formed by meander wiring and a magnetic body.

[0004] FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating a main portion of reactor 200 described in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. 23, conductor 210 has a plurality of structures including first structures 211 in which first recesses and first protrusions are alternately formed, and second structures 212 in which second recesses and second protrusions are alternately formed. First structures 211 and second structures 212 are arranged adjacent to each other, and are arranged such that the first recesses and second protrusions are aligned, and the first protrusions and second recesses are aligned. As shown in FIG. 23, conductor 210 is formed by flatwise bending, which bends a rectangular conductor wire in the thickness direction.

[0005] The magnetic body 220 is provided in a manner that penetrates the internal space formed by the adjacent first recess and second protrusion, and the internal space formed by the adjacent first protrusion and second recess. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-17158 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the reactor described in Patent Document 1, the conductor wire is bent flatwise, so the widths of the first structure 211 and the second structure 212 are large. This makes it impossible to form a dense coil, and the magnetic path length becomes long. Therefore, to ensure the desired inductance, it is necessary to increase the number of turns of the conductor wire, but increasing the number of turns increases loss.

[0008] The present invention is devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a reactor that can shorten the magnetic path length and reduce loss even when the conductor has a meandering shape. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The reactor of the present invention comprises: a conductor having a meander shape in which recesses and protrusions are alternately repeated in a first direction; a first magnetic body; Equipped with the conductor includes a first conductor portion in which first recesses and first protrusions are alternately and repeatedly formed, and a second conductor portion in which second recesses and second protrusions are alternately and repeatedly formed, the first conductor portion and the second conductor portion are arranged side by side in the second direction such that the first recesses and the second protrusions are aligned in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the first protrusions and the second recesses are aligned in the second direction, and are connected in series; the first magnetic body has a first through portion that penetrates a first opening formed by the first recess and the second protrusion that are adjacent to each other, and a second through portion that penetrates a second opening formed by the first protrusion and the second recess that are adjacent to each other, The meander shape is formed by edgewise bending. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the reactor of the present invention, the conductor having a meander shape in which concave portions and convex portions are alternately formed in a first direction includes a first conductor portion in which first concave portions and first convex portions are alternately formed, and a second conductor portion in which second concave portions and second convex portions are alternately formed, the first conductor portion and the second conductor portion being connected in series in a second direction in which the first concave portions and the second convex portions are aligned in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the first convex portions and the second concave portions are aligned in the second direction. Because the meander shape of the conductor is formed by edgewise bending, the first conductor portion and the second conductor portion can be densely aligned in the second direction, thereby shortening the magnetic path length. This allows for fewer turns of the conductor wire and lower losses compared to reactors with longer magnetic path lengths. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a configuration of a reactor according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a reactor in a state where an insulating layer covering a conductor is removed. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the configuration of a conductor. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a conductor covered with an insulating layer. [Figure 5] FIG. 2(a) is a side view schematically showing a first conductor portion constituting the conductor, and FIG. 2(b) is a side view schematically showing a second conductor portion constituting the conductor. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a magnetic flux passing through a first magnetic body. [Figure 7] 10 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a reactor when the height dimension of a first magnetic shield part is greater than the height dimension of a first magnetic body. FIG. [Figure 8]10 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a configuration of a reactor in which the dimension of a first magnetic shield portion in a second direction is larger than the dimension of a first magnetic body. FIG. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining a method for manufacturing a reactor, in which (a) is a plan cross-sectional view showing a state in which a conductor and a first magnetic shield portion are arranged in a mold, and (b) is a plan cross-sectional view showing a state in which a first magnetic body is formed. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a method for manufacturing a reactor by combining a plurality of divided pieces of a first magnetic body with a conductor. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a reactor according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a reactor according to a second embodiment when a pair of side walls is provided. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a reactor in a second embodiment when a refrigerant pipe is provided that passes through a first opening that is not penetrated by a first penetrating portion and a second opening that is not penetrated by a second penetrating portion. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a reactor according to a third embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a reactor according to a third embodiment when a pair of side walls is provided. [Figure 16] 10 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a reactor according to a third embodiment in which a coolant flow path for flowing a coolant is provided inside a second magnetic shield portion. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a reactor according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 18] 18 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the reactor shown in FIG. 17 taken along line XVIII-XVIII. [Figure 19] 19 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of the reactor shown in FIG. 17 taken along line XIX-XIX, and is a diagram for explaining the flow of magnetic flux. FIG. [Figure 20]10 is a perspective view schematically showing a state in which second magnetic bodies are arranged in a plurality of holes in a heat dissipation section having a plurality of holes. FIG. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically showing a state in which a heat dissipation section is disposed between a first reactor section and a second reactor section. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a reactor according to a fourth embodiment when a pair of side walls is provided. [Figure 23] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a main part of a reactor described in Patent Document 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The features of the present invention will be specifically described below by showing embodiments of the present invention.

[0013] First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the configuration of a reactor 100 according to the first embodiment. The reactor 100 according to the first embodiment includes a conductor 10 and a first magnetic body 20. As will be described later, the conductor 10 is covered with an insulating layer 13. Fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the reactor 100 with the insulating layer 13 removed.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the conductor 10. FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing the conductor 10 covered with an insulating layer 13. In this embodiment, the conductor 10 is made of a rectangular wire having a flat cross-sectional shape. The conductor 10 has a meandering shape in which recesses and protrusions are alternately repeated in the first direction Y1. There is no particular restriction on the number of recesses and protrusions.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 3, the meander shape of the conductor 10 is formed by edgewise bending. Edgewise bending is a method of bending the short side of the cross section of the conductor 10, which is a rectangular wire, in the width direction. One end of the conductor 10 constitutes the input terminal 10a, and the other end constitutes the output terminal 10b.

[0016] The conductor 10 includes a first conductor portion 11 having first recesses 11a and first protrusions 11b alternately arranged, and a second conductor portion 12 having second recesses 12a and second protrusions 12b alternately arranged. FIG. 5(a) shows a side view of the first conductor portion 11, and FIG. 5(b) shows a side view of the second conductor portion 12. In this embodiment, one end of the first conductor portion 11 located outside in a second direction Y2 perpendicular to the first direction Y1 constitutes an input terminal 10a, but the input terminal 10a is omitted in FIG. 5(a). Furthermore, one end of the second conductor portion 12 located outside in the second direction Y2 constitutes an output terminal 10b, but the output terminal 10b is omitted in FIG. 5(b).

[0017] The first conductor 11 and the second conductor 12 are arranged side by side in the second direction Y2 such that the first recess 11a and the second protrusion 12b are aligned in the second direction Y2 and the first protrusion 11b and the second recess 12a are aligned in the second direction Y2. The first conductor 11 and the second conductor 12 are connected in series.

[0018] In this embodiment, multiple first conductor portions 11 and multiple second conductor portions 12 are arranged alternately in the second direction Y2, and all adjacent first conductor portions 11 and second conductor portions 12 are connected in series so that current flows from the input terminal 10a through all the first conductor portions 11 and second conductor portions 12 to the output terminal 10b.

[0019] The number of first recesses 11a and first protrusions 11b of the first conductor portion 11 and the number of second recesses 12a and second protrusions 12b of the second conductor portion 12 can be any number, provided that the total number of first recesses 11a and first protrusions 11b of the first conductor portion 11 is the same as the total number of second recesses 12a and second protrusions 12b of the second conductor portion 12.

[0020] Furthermore, Figure 3 shows a configuration in which the conductor 10 includes eight first conductor portions 11 and eight second conductor portions 12, but the number of first conductor portions 11 and the number of second conductor portions 12 are not limited to eight and can be any number.

[0021] The conductor 10 is made of a metal material such as copper, aluminum, or an alloy thereof. The rectangular wire constituting the conductor 10 has a width of, for example, 2 mm or more and 20 mm or less, and a thickness of, for example, 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less.

[0022] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the surface of the conductor 10 except for the input terminal 10a and the output terminal 10b is covered with an insulating layer 13. The thickness of the insulating layer 13 is, for example, 0.1 mm or more and 5 mm or less. The insulating layer 13 is made of, for example, polyimide resin, polyamide-imide resin, epoxy resin, fluororesin, polyether ether ketone (PEEK) resin, or the like. Since polyether ether ketone resin has high heat resistance, when the insulating layer 13 is made of polyether ether ketone resin, a coating with even higher heat resistance can be obtained.

[0023] For ease of understanding, the insulating layer 13 covering the conductor 10 is omitted from FIG. 6 and subsequent figures.

[0024] The first conductor portion 11 and the second conductor portion 12 may be formed integrally or separately. When the first conductor portion 11 and the second conductor portion 12 are formed integrally, the conductor 10 is formed from a single rectangular wire. That is, the first conductor portion 11 is formed from a rectangular wire and then bent flatwise in the second direction Y2. Next, the second conductor portion 12 is formed and then bent flatwise in the second direction Y2 to form the first conductor portion 11 again. By repeating the above-described process, the conductor 10 in which the first conductor portion 11 and the second conductor portion 12 are formed integrally is obtained.

[0025] When the first conductor portion 11 and the second conductor portion 12 are fabricated separately, the first conductor portion 11 and the second conductor portion 12 that are fabricated separately are connected by a method such as crimping or welding.

[0026] The first magnetic body 20 has a first through portion 21 that penetrates a first opening 1 configured with a first recess 11a and a second protrusion 12b adjacent to each other in the second direction Y2, and a second through portion 22 that penetrates a second opening 2 configured with a first protrusion 11b and a second recess 12a adjacent to each other in the second direction Y2. In this embodiment, the first through portion 21 is provided in all of the multiple first openings 1, and the second through portion 22 is provided in all of the multiple second openings 2.

[0027] In this embodiment, the first magnetic body 20 further has a connecting portion 23 that connects the first through portion 21 and the second through portion 22. As shown in Fig. 6, the first through portion 21, the second through portion 22, and the connecting portion 23 are configured to form a closed magnetic circuit, which makes it possible to obtain a larger inductance.

[0028] In this embodiment, the first magnetic body 20 includes a plurality of first through-holes 21, a plurality of second through-holes 22, and a plurality of connecting portions 23, and is configured to form a plurality of closed magnetic circuits. The plurality of closed magnetic circuits are aligned in the first direction Y1.

[0029] The first magnetic body 20 includes a magnetic body made of a soft magnetic metal material, a ferrite material, etc. For example, the first magnetic body 20 may be a soft magnetic metal material powder molded with resin or glass as a binder, or may be a ferrite sintered body, which is a sintered body of a ferrite material.

[0030] The soft magnetic metal material is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include various crystalline alloy powder materials such as Fe-Si alloys, Fe-Si-Cr alloys, Fe-Al alloys, Fe-Ni alloys, and Fe-Co alloys, amorphous materials with excellent soft magnetic properties that contain Fe as the main component, and nanocrystalline metal materials in which an amorphous phase and a nanocrystalline phase are mixed, etc. When using such soft magnetic metal materials, it is preferable to form a coating layer made of an insulating material such as phosphate or silicone resin on the surface of the metal powder in order to ensure insulation.

[0031] The ferrite material is also not particularly limited, and various ferrite materials containing Fe2O3 as the main component, such as Ni-based, Cu-Zn-based, Ni-Zn-based, Mn-Zn-based, and Ni-Cu-Zn-based, can be used.

[0032] When the soft magnetic metal material powder and resin are mixed to form the first magnetic body 20, an epoxy resin can be used as the resin. However, the resin is not limited to the epoxy resin, and other types of resins such as silicone resin can also be used.

[0033] When glass is used as a binder instead of resin, the heat resistance of the first magnetic body 20 is improved compared to when resin is used.

[0034] To suppress magnetic saturation, etc., a magnetic gap may be formed in the first magnetic body 20. However, if good DC bias characteristics are obtained, such as when the first magnetic body 20 is molded by mixing soft magnetic metal material powder with resin, the magnetic gap is not necessary.

[0035] The reactor 100 in this embodiment further includes a first magnetic shield portion 30 disposed between adjacent closed magnetic circuits. While the first magnetic shield portion 30 can be omitted, it is preferable to provide it for reasons described below. The first magnetic shield portion 30 is intended to block magnetic flux flowing from one adjacent closed magnetic circuit to the other and is made of a metal such as aluminum. The first magnetic shield portion 30 is preferably disposed between all adjacent closed magnetic circuits. In FIG. 6, the magnetic flux passing through the first magnetic body 20 is schematically indicated by arrows. However, by providing the first magnetic shield portion 30 between adjacent closed magnetic circuits, leakage magnetic flux can be prevented from penetrating into adjacent closed magnetic circuits.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 1, the dimensions of the first magnetic shield portion 30 in a third direction Y3 perpendicular to the first direction Y1 and the second direction Y2 are the same as the dimensions of the first magnetic body 20, but do not have to be the same.

[0037] 7 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of the reactor 100 when the dimension of the first magnetic shield part 30 in the third direction Y3 is larger than the dimension of the first magnetic body 20. As shown in Fig. 7, the dimension of the first magnetic shield part 30 in the third direction Y3 is the same as the dimension of the conductor 10, but may be different. By making the dimension of the first magnetic shield part 30 larger than the dimension of the first magnetic body 20 in the third direction Y3, it is possible to suppress the intrusion of magnetic flux leaking from the outside of the first magnetic body 20 in the third direction Y3 into an adjacent closed magnetic circuit.

[0038] The reactor 100 may be provided with a cooling mechanism that uses a refrigerant such as air or water. When the refrigerant flows in the second direction Y2, the first magnetic shield part 30 does not obstruct the flow of the refrigerant even if the dimension of the first magnetic shield part 30 in the height direction is increased as in the configuration shown in FIG.

[0039] On the other hand, when the refrigerant flows in the first direction Y1, it is not preferable to increase the dimension of the first magnetic shield part 30 in the third direction Y3, as shown in Fig. 7, because the first magnetic shield part 30 interferes with the flow of the refrigerant. In this case, by making the dimension of the first magnetic shield part 30 in the second direction Y2 larger than the dimension of the first magnetic body 20, it is possible to more effectively suppress the intrusion of leakage magnetic flux into adjacent closed magnetic circuits without interfering with the flow of the refrigerant.

[0040] FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of the reactor 100 when the dimension of the first magnetic shield portion 30 in the second direction Y2 is larger than the dimension of the first magnetic body 20. FIG. 8 illustrates a configuration in which three first magnetic bodies 20 are provided. As shown in FIG. 8, the dimension of the first magnetic shield portion 30 in the third direction Y3 is the same as the dimension of the first magnetic body 20, so the flow of the refrigerant indicated by the arrows is not impeded. Furthermore, because the dimension of the first magnetic shield portion 30 in the second direction Y2 is larger than the dimension of the first magnetic body 20, it is possible to suppress the intrusion of leakage magnetic flux from the outside of the first magnetic body 20 in the second direction Y2 into an adjacent closed magnetic circuit.

[0041] In the reactor 100 of the first embodiment, the meandering shape of the conductor 10 is formed by edgewise bending, which allows the first conductor portions 11 and the second conductor portions 12 to be arranged more densely in the second direction Y2 than in a configuration formed by flatwise bending, thereby shortening the magnetic path length. Therefore, the number of turns of the conductor wire can be reduced compared to a reactor with a long magnetic path length, thereby reducing loss.

[0042] Furthermore, in the reactor 100 of this embodiment, the conductor 10 further has a connection portion 23 that connects the first through portion 21 and the second through portion 22, and is configured so that a closed magnetic circuit is formed by the first through portion 21, the second through portion 22, and the connection portion 23, thereby obtaining a larger inductance.

[0043] Furthermore, in the reactor 100 of this embodiment, the first magnetic shield section 30 is provided between adjacent closed magnetic circuits, thereby making it possible to suppress the intrusion of leakage magnetic flux into the adjacent closed magnetic circuit. In a configuration in which the first magnetic shield section 30 is not provided, the magnetic flux flowing from one adjacent closed magnetic circuit to the other collide with the magnetic flux passing through the other closed magnetic circuit, generating leakage magnetic flux and resulting in increased loss. However, by providing the first magnetic shield section 30, it is possible to suppress the above-mentioned leakage magnetic flux.

[0044] Furthermore, by configuring the first magnetic shield part 30 to be made of metal, it is possible to make the first magnetic shield part 30 function as a heat dissipation member, thereby improving the heat dissipation performance of the reactor 100.

[0045] 1, the surface of reactor 100 is not flat, but has a protruding shape of conductor 10 covered with insulating layer 13. Therefore, when a refrigerant such as air flows, the refrigerant is more likely to come into contact with conductor 10, improving heat dissipation.

[0046] (Reactor manufacturing method) A method for manufacturing the reactor 100 according to the first embodiment will be described below.

[0047] First, the conductor 10 is fabricated by edgewise bending a rectangular wire into a meandering shape. As described above, the conductor 10 may be fabricated using a single rectangular wire, or the first conductor portion 11 and the second conductor portion 12 may be fabricated separately and then connected by crimping, welding, or other methods to fabricate the conductor 10.

[0048] Subsequently, the conductor 10 is coated with the insulating layer 13. Coating with the insulating layer 13 can be performed by any method such as dipping, coating, or electrodeposition.

[0049] Next, the first magnetic body 20 is provided on the conductor 10 covered with the insulating layer 13. Here, an example in which the first magnetic body 20 is provided using a mold will be described.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 9(a), a conductor 10 coated with an insulating layer 13 is placed in a prepared mold 31. Note that Figs. 9(a) and 9(b) show the conductor 10 without the insulating layer 13. Also, as shown in Fig. 9(a), a first magnetic shield portion 30 is placed in the mold 31.

[0051] Next, a material constituting the first magnetic body 20, for example, a mixture of Fe-Si powder, which is a soft magnetic metal material, and resin, is poured into a mold 31 and cured. The particle size of the Fe-Si powder is, for example, 5 μm or more and 100 μm or less. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the first magnetic body 20 is formed, which has a first through portion 21 that penetrates the first opening 1 of the conductor 10, a second through portion 22 that penetrates the second opening 2 of the conductor 10, and a connecting portion 23 that connects the first through portion 21 and the second through portion 22.

[0052] However, as shown in FIG. 10 , the reactor 100 may be manufactured by preparing segments 24 obtained by dividing the first magnetic body 20 into multiple pieces and combining the segments 24 with a conductor 10 covered with an insulating layer 13. FIG. 10 also shows the conductor 10 without the insulating layer 13. The segments 24 have a shape obtained by cutting the first through portion 21 and the second through portion 22 of the first magnetic body 20 at their centers in the second direction Y2. When combining the segments with the conductor 10, the segments 24 may be bonded together with an adhesive or the like. In this case, the first magnetic shield portion 30 may be inserted after the first magnetic body 20 is provided.

[0053] The reactor 100 can be manufactured through the above-described steps.

[0054] <Second embodiment> In the reactor 100 of the first embodiment, the first through portion 21 penetrates through all of the plurality of first openings 1, and the second through portion 22 penetrates through all of the plurality of second openings 2.

[0055] In contrast, in the reactor 100A of the second embodiment, the multiple first openings 1 include some that are not penetrated by the first through-portion 21, and the multiple second openings 2 include some that are not penetrated by the second through-portion 22.

[0056] Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a reactor 100A according to the second embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 11, of the three first openings 1, the first opening 1 located in the middle does not have a first through-portion 21. Furthermore, of the three second openings 2, the second opening 2 located in the middle does not have a second through-portion 22. However, the positions of the first openings 1 that are not penetrated by the first through-portion 21 may be arbitrary positions, and the positions of the second openings 2 that are not penetrated by the second through-portion 22 may be arbitrary positions.

[0057] According to this configuration, the contact area between the insulating layer 13 covering the conductor 10 and the refrigerant such as air increases, and therefore the heat dissipation performance of the reactor 100A is improved compared to the reactor 100 in the first embodiment.

[0058] Note that, as shown in Fig. 12, side walls 32 extending in the first direction Y1 may be provided. Fig. 12 shows a configuration example in which a pair of side walls 32 are provided facing each other in the second direction Y2 and sandwiching the conductor 10 and the first magnetic body 20. Providing the side walls 32 improves the strength of the reactor 100A. In this case, too, a flow path for a refrigerant such as air is secured in the third direction Y3, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 12, and therefore the reactor 100A has high heat dissipation properties.

[0059] 13, a refrigerant pipe 33 may be provided that passes through the first opening 1, which is not penetrated by the first through-portion 21, and the second opening 2, which is not penetrated by the second through-portion 22. The refrigerant pipe 33 is a pipe for flowing a liquid refrigerant such as water. According to this configuration, by flowing a liquid refrigerant such as water through the refrigerant pipe 33, the heat dissipation performance of the reactor 100A can be more effectively improved.

[0060] The reactor 100A of the second embodiment can be manufactured by the same method as the reactor 100 of the first embodiment. When using a mold 31, it is sufficient to use a mold with a shape that prevents the material constituting the first magnetic body 20 from flowing into positions where the first magnetic body 20 is not provided. Furthermore, when combining the divided bodies 24, it is sufficient not to combine the divided bodies 24 in positions where the first magnetic body 20 is not provided.

[0061] <Third embodiment> The reactor 100B in the third embodiment has a structure in which two reactors 100 in the first embodiment are prepared and stacked.

[0062] 14 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the configuration of a reactor 100B according to the third embodiment. The reactor 100B according to the third embodiment includes a first reactor unit 110 including the conductor 10 and the first magnetic body 20 according to the first embodiment, a second reactor unit 120 including the conductor 10 and the first magnetic body 20 according to the first embodiment, and a second magnetic shield unit 40 disposed between the first reactor unit 110 and the second reactor unit 120. The second reactor unit 120 is connected in series with the first reactor unit 110. That is, one end of the conductor 10 of the first reactor unit 110 is connected to one end of the conductor 10 of the second reactor unit 120.

[0063] The configurations of the first reactor section 110 and the second reactor section 120 are the same as the configuration of the reactor 100 in the first embodiment. As in the reactor 100 in the first embodiment, in the reactor 100B in the third embodiment, it is preferable that a first magnetic shield section 30 is disposed between adjacent first magnetic bodies 20.

[0064] As described above, one end of the conductor 10 of the first reactor section 110 and one end of the conductor 10 of the second reactor section 120 are connected to each other. Any method, such as welding or screwing, can be used for the connection. With this configuration, the other end of the conductor 10 of the first reactor section 110 forms the input terminal 110a, and the other end of the conductor 10 of the second reactor section 120 forms the output terminal 120a. However, the other end of the conductor 10 of the first reactor section 110 may also form the output terminal, and the other end of the conductor 10 of the second reactor section 120 may also form the input terminal.

[0065] The second reactor section 120 is disposed in a third direction Y3 with respect to the first reactor section 110. In the example shown in FIG.

[0066] The second magnetic shield section 40 is intended to block magnetic flux from one of the first reactor section 110 and the second reactor section 120 to the other, and is made of a metal such as aluminum.

[0067] The reactor 100B in the third embodiment can be manufactured by the same manufacturing method as the reactor 100 in the first embodiment, by fabricating a first reactor portion 110 and a second reactor portion 120, connecting one end of the conductor 10 of the first reactor portion 110 to one end of the conductor 10 of the second reactor portion 120, and arranging the second magnetic shield portion 40 between the first reactor portion 110 and the second reactor portion 120.

[0068] The reactor 100B of the third embodiment can achieve higher inductance without increasing the mounting area. That is, as shown in FIG. 14, by arranging the second reactor section 120 on the first reactor section 110, the mounting area remains the same as that of the reactor 100 of the first embodiment, but the inductance increases. Furthermore, by configuring the second magnetic shield section 40 to be made of metal, the second magnetic shield section 40 can function as a heat dissipation member. This further improves the heat dissipation performance of the reactor 100B.

[0069] Here, as shown in Fig. 15, a side wall 32 extending in the first direction Y1 may be provided. Fig. 15 shows a configuration example in which a pair of side walls 32 are provided facing each other in the second direction Y2 and sandwiching the first reactor section 110 and the second reactor section 120. Providing the side walls 32 improves the strength of the reactor 100B.

[0070] Furthermore, a refrigerant flow path 41 for flowing a refrigerant may be provided inside the second magnetic shield part 40. Fig. 16 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a reactor 100B in which a refrigerant flow path 41 extending in the first direction Y1 is provided inside the second magnetic shield part 40. A refrigerant such as air flows through the refrigerant flow path 41. By providing the refrigerant flow path 41 inside the second magnetic shield part 40, the heat dissipation performance of the reactor 100B can be further improved.

[0071] <Fourth embodiment> The reactor 100C of the fourth embodiment also has a structure in which two reactors 100 of the first embodiment are stacked.

[0072] Fig. 17 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the configuration of a reactor 100C according to the fourth embodiment. Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of the reactor 100C shown in Fig. 17 taken along line XVIII-XVIII.

[0073] The reactor 100C in the fourth embodiment includes a first reactor section 130, a second reactor section 140, a second magnetic body 50, and a third magnetic body 60.

[0074] The first reactor section 130 includes the conductor 10 in the first embodiment, and the first through portion 21 and the second through portion 22 of the first magnetic body 20. The second reactor section 140 includes the conductor 10 in the first embodiment, and the first through portion 21 and the second through portion 22 of the first magnetic body 20.

[0075] In the reactor 100B of the third embodiment described above, the first reactor section 110 and the second reactor section 120 are connected in series. In contrast, in the reactor 100C of the fourth embodiment, the conductor 10 of the first reactor section 130 and the conductor 10 of the second reactor section 140 are not connected. Therefore, the first reactor section 130 has a first input terminal 130a and a first output terminal 130b, and the second reactor section 140 has a second input terminal 140a and a second output terminal 140b. That is, the reactor 100C of this embodiment has two input terminals 130a, 140a and two output terminals 130b, 140b.

[0076] The second reactor section 140 is disposed in the third direction Y3 with respect to the first reactor section 130. In the example shown in FIG.

[0077] One of the first through portion 21 and the second through portion 22 constituting the first magnetic body 20 of the first reactor portion 130 and one of the first through portion 21 and the second through portion 22 constituting the first magnetic body 20 of the second reactor portion 140 are positioned to overlap with each other in the third direction Y3. Also, the other of the first through portion 21 and the second through portion 22 constituting the first magnetic body 20 of the first reactor portion 130 and the other of the first through portion 21 and the second through portion 22 constituting the first magnetic body 20 of the second reactor portion 140 are positioned to overlap with each other in the third direction Y3.

[0078] The third magnetic body 60 connects one of the first through-portion 21 and the second through-portion 22 constituting the first magnetic body 20 of the first reactor section 130 to one of the first through-portion 21 and the second through-portion 22 constituting the first magnetic body 20 of the second reactor section 140, which are positioned to overlap each other in the third direction Y3, and also connects the other of the first through-portion 21 and the second through-portion 22 constituting the first magnetic body 20 of the first reactor section 130 to the other of the first through-portion 21 and the second through-portion 22 constituting the first magnetic body 20 of the second reactor section 140.

[0079] As shown in Fig. 17 , a closed magnetic circuit is formed by one of the first through-portion 21 and the second through-portion 22 constituting the first magnetic body 20 of the first reactor 130, one of the first through-portion 21 and the second through-portion 22 constituting the first magnetic body 20 of the second reactor 140, and a third magnetic body 60 connecting the two through-portions together. In the configuration example shown in Fig. 17 , there are a plurality of closed magnetic circuits. In addition, a closed magnetic circuit is formed by the other of the first through-portion 21 and the second through-portion 22 constituting the first magnetic body 20 of the first reactor 130, the other of the first through-portion 21 and the second through-portion 22 constituting the first magnetic body 20 of the second reactor 140, and a third magnetic body 60 connecting the two through-portions together. There are a plurality of such closed magnetic circuits in the configuration example shown in Fig. 17. The plurality of closed magnetic circuits described above are aligned in the first direction Y1.

[0080] The third magnetic body 60 includes a magnetic body made of a soft magnetic metal material, a ferrite material, or the like. The third magnetic body 60 may be made of the same material as the first magnetic body 20, or may be made of a different material. For example, the third magnetic body 60 is made of a composite material in which soft magnetic alloy powder such as FeSi powder, which has a high saturation magnetic flux density, is mixed with resin.

[0081] In the present embodiment, a third magnetic shield portion 70 is provided between adjacent closed magnetic circuits in the first direction Y1. More specifically, the third magnetic shield portion 70 is provided between the first through portion 21 and the second through portion 22 that are adjacent to each other in the first reactor portion 130, and between the first through portion 21 and the second through portion 22 that are adjacent to each other in the second reactor portion 140. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17 , the third magnetic shield portion 70 is provided in all spaces between the first through portion 21 and the second through portion 22 that are adjacent to each other in the first reactor portion 130, and in all spaces between the first through portion 21 and the second through portion 22 that are adjacent to each other in the second reactor portion 140.

[0082] The third magnetic shield section 70 is intended to block magnetic flux flowing from one adjacent closed magnetic circuit to the other, and is made of a metal such as aluminum. The third magnetic shield section 70 is preferably disposed between all adjacent closed magnetic circuits. The provision of the third magnetic shield section 70 can prevent leakage magnetic flux from entering adjacent closed magnetic circuits.

[0083] The second magnetic body 50 is disposed between the first reactor unit 130 and the second reactor unit 140. The second magnetic body 50 includes a magnetic body made of a soft magnetic metal material, a ferrite material, or the like. The second magnetic body 50 may be made of the same material as the first magnetic body 20, or may be made of a different material. In addition, a magnetic gap may be provided in the second magnetic body 50.

[0084] In this embodiment, the second magnetic body 50 is arranged so as to be included inside the heat dissipation unit 80, which will be described later, as shown in Fig. 18. However, the second magnetic body 50 is exposed at both ends of the heat dissipation unit 80 in the second direction Y2, and is in contact with the third magnetic body 60. In this embodiment, the second magnetic body 50 is provided at a position overlapping with the first through portion 21 and the second through portion 22 in the third direction Y3, as shown in Fig. 18.

[0085] The reactor 100C of the fourth embodiment is configured such that the first reactor section 130 and the second reactor section 140 are magnetically coupled. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of the reactor 100C shown in FIG. 17 when cut along line XIX-XIX, and is a diagram for explaining the flow of magnetic flux. In FIG. 19, the directions of the magnetic fields generated in the first reactor section 130 and the second reactor section 140 are indicated by arrows. The reactor 100C of the present embodiment is configured such that, when current flows through the first reactor section 130 and the second reactor section 140, the magnetic field passing through the first reactor section 130 and the magnetic field passing through the second reactor section 140 are directed toward the second magnetic body 50 in the same direction, as shown in FIG. 19.

[0086] The magnetic field passing through the first reactor section 130 also includes a magnetic field directed toward the second reactor section 140, but this magnetic field cancels out with the magnetic field passing through the second reactor section 140. Similarly, the magnetic field passing through the second reactor section 140 also includes a magnetic field directed toward the first reactor section 130, but this magnetic field cancels out with the magnetic field passing through the first reactor section 130. This makes it possible to suppress magnetic saturation.

[0087] That is, the reactor 100C of this embodiment is small and has excellent superposition characteristics, and can be used in, for example, an interleaved DC-DC converter.

[0088] The reactor 100C in this embodiment further includes a heat dissipation unit 80 disposed between the first reactor unit 130 and the second reactor unit 140 in a manner that the second magnetic body 50 is contained therein. The heat dissipation unit 80 is made of a metal such as aluminum. By including the heat dissipation unit 80 in the reactor 100C, the heat dissipation performance of the reactor 100C can be improved.

[0089] A method for manufacturing the reactor 100C of this embodiment will be described.

[0090] First, a heat dissipation unit 80 having a hole at the position where the second magnetic body 50 is to be placed is prepared, and the second magnetic body 50 is placed in the hole (see FIG. 20). The second magnetic body 50 may be formed by potting using the material that constitutes the second magnetic body 50, or may be provided by inserting a pre-molded body into the hole.

[0091] Next, the first reactor section 130 and the second reactor section 140 are prepared, and the heat dissipation section 80 is arranged between the prepared first reactor section 130 and second reactor section 140 (see FIG. 21). The first reactor section 130 and the second reactor section 140 can each be manufactured by a method similar to the method for manufacturing the reactor 100 in the first embodiment.

[0092] Next, the third magnetic body 60 is used to connect one of the first through portion 21 and the second through portion 22 constituting the first magnetic body 20 of the first reactor section 130 to one of the first through portion 21 and the second through portion 22 constituting the first magnetic body 20 of the second reactor section 140, and to connect the other of the first through portion 21 and the second through portion 22 constituting the first magnetic body 20 of the first reactor section 130 to the other of the first through portion 21 and the second through portion 22 constituting the first magnetic body 20 of the second reactor section 140. The connections are made using, for example, an adhesive.

[0093] The reactor 100C can also be manufactured by placing the conductors 10 of the first reactor portion 130 and the second reactor portion 140, the third magnetic shield portion 70, and the heat dissipation portion 80 in a mold, and then pouring the material constituting the magnetic body into the mold and hardening it. In this case, the first magnetic body 20 of the first reactor portion 130, the first magnetic body 20 of the second reactor portion 140, and the third magnetic body 60 can be formed simultaneously.

[0094] Also, as shown in Fig. 22, side walls 32 extending in the first direction Y1 may be provided. Fig. 22 shows a configuration example in which a pair of side walls 32 are provided facing each other in the second direction Y2 and sandwiching the first reactor section 130, the second magnetic body 50, and the second reactor section 140. Providing the side walls 32 improves the strength of the reactor 100C.

[0095] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various applications and modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, the characteristic configurations described in the above-described embodiments can be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1 First opening 2 Second opening 10 Conductors 10a input terminal 10b output terminal 11 First conductor portion 11a First recess 11b First protrusion 12 Second conductor part 12a Second recess 12b Second protrusion 13 Insulating layer 20 First magnetic material 21 First penetration 22 Second penetration 23 Connection 24 split body 30 First magnetic shield section 31 Mold 32 Side wall 33 Refrigerant piping 40 Second magnetic shield section 41 refrigerant flow path 50 Second Magnetic Material 60 The Third Magnetic Material 70 Third magnetic shield section 80 Heat dissipation part 100, 100A, 100B, 100C reactor 110 first reactor section 110a input terminal 120 Second reactor section 120a output terminal 130 First reactor section 130a First input terminal 130b First output terminal 140 Second reactor section 140a Second input terminal 140b Second output terminal Y1 First direction Y2 Second direction Y3 Third direction

Claims

1. a conductor having a meander shape in which recesses and protrusions are alternately repeated in a first direction; a first magnetic body; Equipped with the conductor includes a first conductor portion in which first recesses and first protrusions are alternately and repeatedly formed, and a second conductor portion in which second recesses and second protrusions are alternately and repeatedly formed, the first conductor portion and the second conductor portion are arranged side by side in the second direction such that the first recesses and the second protrusions are aligned in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the first protrusions and the second recesses are aligned in the second direction, and are connected in series; the first magnetic body has a first through portion that penetrates a first opening formed by the first recess and the second protrusion that are adjacent to each other, and a second through portion that penetrates a second opening formed by the first protrusion and the second recess that are adjacent to each other, the meandering shape is formed by edgewise bending, the first magnetic body further includes a connecting portion that connects the first through portion and the second through portion, a closed magnetic circuit is formed by the first through portion, the second through portion, and the connecting portion, the first magnetic body is configured to include a plurality of the first through portions, a plurality of the second through portions, and a plurality of the connecting portions, so that a plurality of the closed magnetic circuits are formed; A reactor further comprising a first magnetic shield portion disposed between adjacent closed magnetic circuits.

2. The reactor according to claim 1 , wherein the first magnetic shield portion is made of metal.

3. 2. The reactor according to claim 1, wherein a dimension of the first magnetic shield portion in a third direction perpendicular to each of the first direction and the second direction is larger than a dimension of the first magnetic body.

4. The reactor according to claim 1 , wherein a dimension of the first magnetic shield portion in the second direction is larger than a dimension of the first magnetic body.

5. a conductor having a meander shape in which recesses and protrusions are alternately repeated in a first direction; a first magnetic body; Equipped with the conductor includes a first conductor portion in which first recesses and first protrusions are alternately and repeatedly formed, and a second conductor portion in which second recesses and second protrusions are alternately and repeatedly formed, the first conductor portion and the second conductor portion are arranged side by side in the second direction such that the first recesses and the second protrusions are aligned in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the first protrusions and the second recesses are aligned in the second direction, and are connected in series; the first magnetic body has a first through portion that penetrates a first opening formed by the first recess and the second protrusion that are adjacent to each other, and a second through portion that penetrates a second opening formed by the first protrusion and the second recess that are adjacent to each other, the meandering shape is formed by edgewise bending, The plurality of first openings include one through which the first penetrating portion does not penetrate, The plurality of second openings include one through which the second penetrating portion does not penetrate, 2. The reactor according to claim 1, further comprising a refrigerant pipe provided to pass through the first opening, which is not penetrated by the first through-portion, and the second opening, which is not penetrated by the second through-portion.

6. a conductor having a meander shape in which recesses and protrusions are alternately repeated in a first direction; a first magnetic body; Equipped with the conductor includes a first conductor portion in which first recesses and first protrusions are alternately and repeatedly formed, and a second conductor portion in which second recesses and second protrusions are alternately and repeatedly formed, the first conductor portion and the second conductor portion are arranged side by side in the second direction such that the first recesses and the second protrusions are aligned in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the first protrusions and the second recesses are aligned in the second direction, and are connected in series; the first magnetic body has a first through portion that penetrates a first opening formed by the first recess and the second protrusion that are adjacent to each other, and a second through portion that penetrates a second opening formed by the first protrusion and the second recess that are adjacent to each other, the meandering shape is formed by edgewise bending, a first reactor portion including the conductor and the first magnetic body; a second reactor unit including the conductor and the first magnetic body and connected in series with the first reactor unit; a second magnetic shield portion disposed between the first reactor portion and the second reactor portion, The second reactor portion is disposed relative to the first reactor portion in a third direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction.

7. 7. The reactor according to claim 6, wherein a coolant flow path for flowing a coolant is provided inside the second magnetic shield portion.

8. The reactor according to claim 6 , wherein the second magnetic shield portion is made of metal.

9. a conductor having a meander shape in which recesses and protrusions are alternately repeated in a first direction; a first magnetic body; Equipped with the conductor includes a first conductor portion in which first recesses and first protrusions are alternately and repeatedly formed, and a second conductor portion in which second recesses and second protrusions are alternately and repeatedly formed, the first conductor portion and the second conductor portion are arranged side by side in the second direction such that the first recesses and the second protrusions are aligned in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the first protrusions and the second recesses are aligned in the second direction, and are connected in series; the first magnetic body has a first through portion that penetrates a first opening formed by the first recess and the second protrusion that are adjacent to each other, and a second through portion that penetrates a second opening formed by the first protrusion and the second recess that are adjacent to each other, the meandering shape is formed by edgewise bending, a first reactor unit including the conductor and the first magnetic body and having a first input terminal and a first output terminal; a second reactor unit including the conductor and the first magnetic body, having a second input terminal and a second output terminal, and being disposed relative to the first reactor unit in a third direction perpendicular to each of the first direction and the second direction; a second magnetic body disposed between the first reactor portion and the second reactor portion; a third magnetic body connecting one of the first through portion and the second through portion constituting the first magnetic body of the first reactor portion to one of the first through portion and the second through portion constituting the first magnetic body of the second reactor portion, the third magnetic body connecting the other of the first through portion and the second through portion constituting the first magnetic body of the first reactor portion to the other of the first through portion and the second through portion constituting the first magnetic body of the second reactor portion, the third magnetic body being positioned to overlap each other in the third direction.

10. a plurality of closed magnetic circuits are formed by the one through-hole of the first reactor unit, the one through-hole of the second reactor unit, and the third magnetic body connecting the one through-hole of the first reactor unit and the one through-hole of the second reactor unit, and a plurality of closed magnetic circuits are formed by the other through-hole of the first reactor unit, the other through-hole of the second reactor unit, and the third magnetic body connecting the other through-hole of the first reactor unit and the other through-hole of the second reactor unit, The reactor according to claim 9 , further comprising a third magnetic shield portion disposed between the adjacent closed magnetic circuits.

11. The reactor according to claim 9 , further comprising a heat dissipation portion disposed between the first reactor portion and the second reactor portion so as to contain the second magnetic body therein.

12. The reactor according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a pair of side walls that face each other in the second direction and sandwich the conductor and the first magnetic body therebetween.

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