inductor

Abstract

The present invention relates to an inductor which may include a core part, a winding part, a coil part, and a base. The base may comprise: a support plate, the upper portion of which contacts the lower surface of the core and that of the coil and supports same, and the lower portion of which contacts a PCB and supports same; a cavity formed to include long sided and short sided at the center portion of the support plate; and first and second setting guides formed to protrude upwards along the longitudinal direction of both facing long sides of the hollow, the first and second setting guides having inner contact surfaces formed such that the coil is contact-guided thereby and having outer contact surfaces formed opposite the inner contact surfaces such that the core is contact-guided thereby. In addition, first and second terminal holes are formed in one direction of the first and second setting guides such that terminals of the coil part penetrate same, respectively. The first and second terminal holes may be formed on a diagonal line communicating with the short sides of the cavity, respectively. The inductor according to the present invention enables core part slimness, increases the area of contact between the core part and the coil part, thereby improving heat conduction efficiency, and may provide assembly structure stability.

Description

Inductor

[0001] The present invention relates to an inductor, and more specifically, to an inductor capable of slimming the core portion and increasing the contact area between the core portion and the coil portion, thereby improving heat conduction efficiency and providing stability of the assembly structure.

[0002] Typically, vehicles equipped with electric motors are equipped with a high-voltage battery to drive the electric motor and an auxiliary battery to power the electrical load. The auxiliary battery can be charged using the power from the high-voltage battery. To charge the auxiliary battery, the DC power from the high-voltage battery must be converted to DC power corresponding to the voltage of the auxiliary battery. For this purpose, a DC-DC converter can be used.

[0003] The DC converter is placed between the first battery and the second battery and may include a drive circuit, a transformer, and an output circuit.

[0004] The first battery outputs DC voltage and DC current, the transformer can convert AC voltage and AC current, the drive circuit converts the DC current output by the first battery into AC current that varies over time so that AC current is input to the transformer, and supplies it to the primary coil of the transformer, and the output circuit converts the AC current output from the transformer into DC current and transmits it to the second battery.

[0005] The above output circuit is generally composed of a configuration including an output inductor and an output capacitor, and the output inductor is designed with a coil factor in mind to withstand the high current transmitted from the transformer. In particular, for large-capacity inductors of 2 kW or more, a square-sectioned square (or flat) coil is usually applied.

[0006] When applying these types of coils, there are limitations to using screw fastening methods that utilize screw threads for terminal fastening for mounting on a circuit board. Specifically, when screw fastening, current is transmitted through pressurized contact between the terminal and screw. However, this method poses concerns about reduced characteristics due to deterioration caused by increased contact resistance. Furthermore, applying separate extension wires or bus bars increases the size and requires separate fixing means.

[0007] Therefore, an inductor structure is required that can have the terminals of the output inductor directly soldered to the substrate, yet has vibration resistance in a vehicle environment and enables efficient heat dissipation.

[0008] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an inductor having a slim core portion, a wide contact area between the core portion and the coil portion, improved heat conduction efficiency, and stability of the assembly structure.

[0009] The present invention for solving the above technical problem comprises: a core part; a winding part wound around the middle of the core part, and a coil part forming two terminals extending from the winding part; and a base disposed below the coil part and supporting at least a portion of the outer circumference of the winding part, wherein the base comprises: a support plate having an upper portion in contact with the lower surface of the core and the coil and a lower portion in contact with the PCB side and supported; a hollow portion formed in the central portion of the support plate to include a long side and a short side; And an inductor can be provided, which includes first and second setting guides which protrude upward along the longitudinal direction of both long sides facing each other of the hollow, and have an inner contact surface formed on which a coil is contact-guided, and an outer contact surface formed on the opposite side of the inner contact surface on which a core is contact-guided; and first and second terminal holes are formed in one direction of the first and second setting guides so that a terminal of a coil part passes through them, respectively, and the first and second terminal holes are formed on a diagonal line which is in communication with the short side of the hollow, respectively.

[0010] In one or more embodiments, the base may further include a disengagement prevention guide facing the first and second setting guides on both sides of the support plate and guiding the lower edge of the core portion to contact the first and second setting guides, respectively.

[0011] In one or more embodiments, the upper vertex of the anti-separation guide may be formed flat or round to form a first groove between the core portion and the adhesive, thereby expanding the adhesive application area.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the contact surface that comes into contact with the core of the anti-separation guide may be formed in a round shape, and the roundness of the contact surface may be formed with a greater curvature than the roundness of the corner of the core portion.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the height of the anti-separation guide may be formed lower than the heights of the first and second setting guides.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, the first and second setting guides may be formed such that a first virtual line extending in a vertical direction of the outer contact surface is positioned between the inner diameter and the outer diameter of the winding portion, and a second virtual line extending in a horizontal direction from the upper height of the outer contact surface is positioned between the inner diameter and the outer diameter of the winding portion.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the upper vertices of the first and second setting guides may be formed flat or round to form a second groove between the coil portion (120) and the core portion (110), thereby expanding the adhesive application area.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the base may form a plurality of pedestals protruding downwardly from the lower edge of the support plate to ensure an observation space between the base and the PCB.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, the distance between the supports and the supports may be formed to be equal to or greater than the outer diameter of the winding portion.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, the observation space may include an observation space provided between terminals of the coil portion and an observation space provided on the opposite side of the observation space based on the terminal.

[0019] The inductor according to the present invention can have a slim core portion, increase the contact area between the core portion and the coil portion, thereby improving heat conduction efficiency and providing stability of the assembly structure.

[0020] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an inductor according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 is a partially assembled perspective view of an inductor according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 is a front exploded view of an inductor according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 is a front assembly drawing of an inductor according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 is a plan view of a base according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 6 is a bottom view of a base according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the coil unit coupled to the base of Fig. 6.

[0027] Fig. 8 is an exemplary diagram of mounting an inductor according to one embodiment of the present invention on a PCB.

[0028] The advantages and features of the present invention, and the methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided only to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

[0029] “And / or” includes each and every combination of one or more of the items mentioned.

[0030] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments only and is not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, the singular also includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise. As used herein, the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, operations, and / or elements mentioned.

[0031] Additionally, throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only cases where it is "directly connected" but also cases where it is "indirectly" or "electrically connected" with other members or components in between.

[0032] Additionally, throughout the specification, the description that each layer (film), region, pattern or structure is formed "on" or "under" the substrate, each layer (film), region, pad or pattern includes both being formed directly or through the interposition of another layer. The criteria for being on / over or under / under each layer are explained based on the drawings.

[0033] Additionally, expressions such as 'first, second', etc. are used only to distinguish between multiple components, and do not limit the order or other characteristics between the components.

[0034] In addition, the flowcharts illustrated in the drawings are merely exemplary sequences for obtaining the most desirable results in carrying out the present invention, and it is obvious that other steps may be added or some steps may be deleted.

[0035] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein may be used in their common sense to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Furthermore, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not to be interpreted ideally or excessively unless explicitly and specifically defined otherwise.

[0036] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an inductor according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partially assembled perspective view of an inductor according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a front exploded view of an inductor according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a front assembled view of an inductor according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a plan view of a base according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a bottom view of a base according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a bottom view of a coil portion coupled to the base of FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is an exemplary view of mounting an inductor according to one embodiment of the present invention on a PCB.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 1, an inductor (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. The inductor (100) may largely include a core portion (110), a coil portion (120), and a base (130).

[0038] The above core portion (110) may have a form in which two cores (111, 112) of a left-right symmetrical shape are combined with each other. In this case, each core (111, 112) may be an “E”-shaped core.

[0039] In addition, the core portion (110) may include a magnetic material. For example, the core portion (110) may include a Mn-Zn ferrite, and the permeability (μ) of the ferrite may be 2,000 to 15,000, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

[0040] The core portion (110) may include a conductive metal, for example, copper or aluminum, and may be formed by winding at least one metal conductor (i.e., a square wire) having a polygonal cross-sectional shape around the center of the core portion (110). One metal conductor forms one coil, and both ends of the conductor may correspond to terminals for fixing and conducting current with other components, such as a substrate of a device including an inductor (e.g., a DC converter).

[0041] The above base (130) is positioned below the coil part (120) to support the coil part, and may overlap at least a portion of the bottom surface of the core part (110) in a vertical direction (e.g., in the Z-axis direction). In addition, the base (130) may include a hollow (132) in the center, so that a portion of the lower side of the coil part (120) is exposed downward as shown in FIG. 3B, thereby assisting in heat dissipation. In addition, when the base (130) includes a material having excellent thermal conductivity, it may promote external dissipation of at least heat generated in the coil part (120) through contact with the outer surface of the coil. Here, the material having excellent thermal conductivity may include, but is not necessarily limited to, aluminum, copper, etc.

[0042] Hereinafter, the individual shapes of each component of the inductor (100) according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

[0043] First, the shape of the core (111, 111') constituting the core part (110) will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Since the core part (110) is a pair of cores (111, 111') that form a left-right symmetrical shape, the description will be based on one of the cores (111) among the two.

[0044] The core (111) may be provided with a rectangular shaped opposing plate portion (112). A cylindrical intermediate leg (113) may be formed protrudingly at the center of the opposing plate portion (112). A pair of outer legs (114) may be formed protrudingly around the circumference of the intermediate leg (113) so as to face each other.

[0045] At this time, the protrusion heights of the middle foot (113) and the outer foot (114) may be the same or the outer foot (114) may be formed to protrude higher than the protrusion height of the middle foot (113).

[0046] The above-mentioned intermediate portion (113) serves as a coupling axis to which the winding portion (121) of the coil portion (120) is axially coupled, and can be formed with a diameter equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the coil portion (120).

[0047] Although the shape of the above-mentioned intermediate leg (113) is shown as having a cylindrical shape through FIGS. 1 and 2, this is merely exemplary and may have various shapes such as a polygonal column or an elliptical column.

[0048] In forming the above core portion (110), the intermediate portion (113) formed in one core (111) and the intermediate portion (113) formed in the other core (111) may extend in a direction facing each other and may be in contact with each other, or may be spaced apart by a predetermined distance (e.g., 100 um) to form a gap.

[0049] The above outer leg (114) can form an arc portion (114a) of the same curvature that contacts the outer diameter (R2) of the coil portion (120) in the concentric direction of the middle leg (113). At this time, the end of the arc portion (114a) can form a straight portion (114b) that forms a plane perpendicular to the direction of the base (130). In addition, the outer side of the arc portion (114a) of the outer leg (114) can be the same plane as the outer edge of the opposing plate portion (112).

[0050] The above outer legs (114) have a pair spaced apart with the middle legs (113) in between. For example, by making the direction of the base (130) and the opposite direction open, a part of the coil part (120) can be exposed to the outside through the opening. The coil part (120) exposed to the outside can be exposed to heat by coming into contact with the atmosphere or a refrigerant.

[0051] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the coil portion (120) may include a winding portion (121) that is axially coupled to the middle leg (113) of the core portion (110), and two terminals (122) that extend from both sides of the winding portion (121) toward the base (130).

[0052] At this time, the winding part (121) may be in the form of a flat coil with a wide width (W1) between the inner diameter (R1) and the outer diameter (R2), as shown in Fig. 3. At this time, the width (W1) of the winding part (121) and the width (W2) of the terminal (122) may be formed to have the same width.

[0053] At this time, the terminal (122) is a part mounted on the PCB (200), and the width (W2) of the terminal (122) may be formed wider than the width (W1) of the winding portion (121) to increase the mounting area.

[0054] The terminal (122) may be bent in a direction perpendicular to the base (130), and the bent portion (123) between the terminal (122) and the winding portion (121) may form a certain curvature.

[0055] At this time, when setting the bending position of the terminal (122), the third virtual line (L3) extending vertically from the outside of the terminal (122) can be bent at a position where it comes into contact with the inner diameter (R1) of the winding portion (121).

[0056] For example, it is preferable to fold and form the outer side of the terminal (122) so that it does not exceed the inner diameter range of the winding portion (121). In this way, by designing the outer side of the terminal (122) to be formed within the inner diameter range of the winding portion (121), the widthwise length of the core portion (110) and the base (130) can be shortened, contributing to a slim design. A detailed description thereof will be provided later.

[0057] Additionally, the inner gap width (W3) between the terminals (122) and the terminals (122) can be formed to be the same as the width (W2) of the terminals (122).

[0058] For example, the coil portion (120) of the present invention can provide convenience in PCB (200) mounting work by maintaining the distance between terminals (122) to be the minimum width (W2) of the terminals (122) and positioning the outer side of the terminal (122) within the inner diameter range of the winding portion (121), and can provide the advantage of securing a sufficient viewing angle when checking for abnormalities in the soldering work results.

[0059] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 8, a base (130) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The base (130) is positioned below the coil portion (120) and can support at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the winding portion (121).

[0060] The above base (130) may be provided with a support plate (131) that is supported by contacting the lower surfaces of the core portion (110) and coil portion (120) at the upper portion and by contacting the PCB (200) at the lower portion. At this time, the support plate (131) may have a square plate shape.

[0061] A hollow (132) may be formed in the central portion of the above support plate (131). The hollow may include a long side (132a) and a short side (132b). For example, it may be in the form of a square through hole.

[0062] First and second setting guides (133, 133') can be formed protruding upward along the longitudinal direction of the facing long sides (132a) of the above-mentioned hollow (132). At this time, the first and second setting guides (133, 133') can have a triangular shape with a narrow protruding upper part and a wide lower part.

[0063] On one side of the first and second setting guides (133, 133') above, an inner contact surface (133a) may be formed on which the winding portion (121) of the coil portion (120) is guided by contact, and on the opposite side of the inner contact surface (133a), an outer contact surface (133b) may be formed on which the core (111, 111') is guided by contact.

[0064] The inner contact surface (133a) may be a curved round surface. The round surface may be formed with a curvature equal to or greater than the outer diameter of the winding portion (121) of the coil portion (120). In addition, the outer contact surface (133b) may be an orthogonal surface perpendicular to the support plate (131).

[0065] According to one aspect of the present invention, the upper vertices of the first and second setting guides (133, 133') can be formed into a flat or round shape.

[0066] Through this, as shown in Fig. 4, a second groove (2A) can be formed between the coil portion (120) and the core portion (110). The second groove (2A) can expand the adhesive application area during the bonding process between the core (111, 111') and the coil portion (120) and the base (130), and can act as a bridge to improve the bonding strength by hardening the adhesive accumulated in the second groove (2A).

[0067] In addition, the first and second setting guides (133, 133') can be formed so that the first virtual line (L1) extending in the vertical direction of the external contact surface (133b) is positioned between the inner diameter (R1) and the outer diameter (R2) of the winding portion (121), and the second virtual line (L2) extending in the horizontal direction from the upper height of the external contact surface (133b) is positioned between the inner diameter (R1) and the outer diameter (R2) of the winding portion (121).

[0068] Through this, the support force of the coil part (120) by the first and second setting guides (133, 133') is maintained while the size of the first and second setting guides (133, 133') is reduced as much as possible, thereby contributing to slimming the core part (110) and expanding the contact area between the core part (110) and the coil part (120), thereby improving the heat dissipation performance.

[0069] For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the core portion (110) according to the present invention extends to a position where the positions of the circular portion (114a) and the straight portion (114b) come into contact with the outer contact surface (133b) of the first and second setting guides (133, 133'), thereby allowing the contact area between the coil portion (120) and the core portion (110) to be expanded.

[0070] In addition, the thickness of the middle part (113) of the core part (110) is reduced by the radius of curvature of the arc part (114a), which has the effect of making the core part (110) slimmer.

[0071] Meanwhile, due to the reduction of the first and second setting guides (133, 133'), the support force for the coil part (120) and the core part (110) may be reduced, but the reduced support force can be compensated for through the anti-separation guide (136) formed on the edge of the base (130).

[0072] In one direction of the first and second setting guides (133, 133'), first and second terminal holes (134, 134') can be formed so that the terminals (122) of the coil portion (120) pass through them, respectively.

[0073] Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, the first and second terminal holes (134, 134') may be formed to be staggered in the diagonal direction of the hollow (132), respectively. At this time, the first and second terminal holes (134, 134') may each be in a form that is connected to the hollow (132). That is, the first and second terminal holes (134, 134') may be provided in a form in which a portion of the space on the short side (132b) of the hollow (132) is extended in the longitudinal direction.

[0074] For example, according to an embodiment of the present invention, by providing a structure in which the first and second terminal holes (134, 134') are connected to the hollow (132), the effect of securing a wide heat dissipation space of the coil section can be provided.

[0075] In addition, the base (130) can further form a detachment prevention guide (136) on both edges of the support plate (131).

[0076] The above-described anti-separation guide (136) may be formed at a position facing the first and second setting guides (133, 133'), respectively. The anti-separation guide (136) may be formed in a shape that extends longitudinally along the edge of the support plate (131). In addition, the anti-separation guide (136) may be formed in a triangular shape with a narrow protruding upper portion and a wide lower portion.

[0077] The above-mentioned anti-separation guide (136) serves to guide the lower edge of the core portion (110) in contact, and one side of the anti-separation guide (136) can form a round surface that comes into contact with the core. At this time, the curvature of the round surface can be formed to be equal to or greater than the curvature of the edge of the core (111, 111').

[0078] Additionally, the opposite side of the round surface of the above-mentioned anti-separation guide (136) can form a plane that is in a straight line with the side surface of the core (111, 111').

[0079] At this time, the upper vertex of the above-mentioned detachment prevention guide (136) can be formed as a plane or round. Through this, as shown in Fig. 4, a first groove (1A) can be formed between the core (110). The first groove (1A) can expand the adhesive application area during the process of bonding the core (111, 111') to the base (130), and can serve as a bridge that improves the bonding strength by hardening the adhesive accumulated in the first groove (1A).

[0080] Additionally, the height of the above-mentioned anti-separation guide (136) can be formed lower than the height of the first and second setting guides (133, 133').

[0081] The anti-separation guide (136) according to the embodiment of the present invention assists in the role of the first and second setting guides (133, 133') to ensure stable support of the core portion (110), thereby preventing the coil portion (120) from shaking or the setting position from being distorted during the process of being mounted on the PCB (200).

[0082] In addition, the base (130) may form a plurality of support plates (131a) that protrude downward at the lower edge of the support plate (131). The support plates (131a) may space the support plate (131) of the base and the PCB (200) apart from each other to ensure an observation space (131b) between the support plate (131) and the PCB (200).

[0083] At this time, the above observation space (131b) can simultaneously serve as an exhaust window to enable the worker to visually determine whether there is an abnormality in the mounting work and to discharge the fumes generated during the mounting.

[0084] As shown in Fig. 4, the distance between the above-mentioned supports (131a) and the supports (131a) can be formed to be equal to or greater than the outer diameter (R2) of the winding portion (121), thereby ensuring maximum observation space (131b).

[0085] Referring to FIG. 6, the pedestal (131a) may be provided in the form of a square block with the same horizontal width (D1) and vertical width (D1).

[0086] At this time, the horizontal and vertical widths (D1) of the support plate (131a) can be formed to be equal to or smaller than the distance (D2) from one edge of the support plate (131) to the short side (132b) of the hollow (132).

[0087] This is to prevent the terminal (122) of the coil from being covered by the stand (131a) when checking the mounting work and to secure an observation field.

[0088] At this time, the above observation space (131b) may include an observation space provided between the terminals (122) of the coil part (120), as shown in FIG. 8, and an observation space (131b) provided on the opposite side of the observation space (131b) based on the terminal (122).

[0089] In this way, the inductor according to one embodiment of the present invention can make the core portion slimmer and increase the contact area between the core portion and the coil portion, thereby improving heat conduction efficiency and providing stability of the assembly structure.

[0090] Although the present invention has been described as above, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention can be implemented in other forms while maintaining the technical spirit and essential features of the present invention.

[0091] The scope of the present invention will be fundamentally determined by the patent claims, but it should be interpreted that not only the configuration directly derived from the description of the patent claims, but also all changes or modified forms derived from equivalent configurations are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. Core section; A coil portion formed by winding a center portion of the core portion and two terminals extending from the winding portion; and A base is disposed below the coil portion and supports at least a portion of the outer surface of the winding portion, The above base is, The upper part is a support plate that is supported by contacting the lower surface of the core and coil, and the lower part is supported by contacting the PCB side; A hollow formed in the center of the above support plate to include long sides and short sides; and It includes first and second setting guides, which are formed to protrude upward along the longitudinal direction of the facing long sides of the hollow, and have an inner contact surface formed on which the coil is contact-guided, and an outer contact surface formed on the opposite side of the inner contact surface on which the core is contact-guided; An inductor characterized in that the first and second terminal holes are formed so that the terminals of the coil portion penetrate in one direction of the first and second setting guides, respectively, and the first and second terminal holes are formed on a diagonal line that is in communication with the short side of the hollow.

2. In paragraph 1, An inductor characterized in that the base further includes a detachment prevention guide that faces the first and second setting guides on both sides of the support plate and guides the lower edge of the core portion to contact the first and second setting guides.

3. In paragraph 2, An inductor characterized in that the upper vertex of the above-mentioned detachment prevention guide is formed into a flat or round shape to form a first groove between the core portion and the first groove portion, thereby expanding the adhesive application area.

4. In paragraph 3, An inductor characterized in that the contact surface that comes into contact with the core of the above-mentioned anti-separation guide is formed in a round shape, and the round of the contact surface is formed with a greater curvature than the round of the corner of the core portion.

5. In paragraph 3, An inductor characterized in that the height of the above-mentioned anti-separation guide is formed lower than the heights of the first and second setting guides.

6. In paragraph 2, The first and second setting guides are, An inductor characterized in that a first virtual line extending vertically from the external contact surface is formed to be located between the inner diameter and the outer diameter of the winding portion, and a second virtual line extending horizontally from the upper height of the external contact surface is formed to be located between the inner diameter and the outer diameter of the winding portion.

7. In paragraph 6, An inductor characterized in that the upper vertices of the first and second setting guides are formed flat or round to form a second groove between the coil portion and the core portion, thereby expanding the adhesive application area.

8. In paragraph 1, An inductor characterized in that the base forms a plurality of supporters protruding downward at the lower edge of the support plate to secure an observation space between the base and the PCB.

9. In paragraph 8, An inductor characterized in that the distance between the above-mentioned supports is formed to be equal to or greater than the outer diameter of the winding portion.

10. In paragraph 8, An inductor characterized in that the above observation space includes an observation space provided between terminals of a coil section and an observation space provided on the opposite side of the observation space based on the terminal.

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