Low Profile Surface Mount Inductor with Segmented Core
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in the electronics industry is to create miniaturized power inductors for circuit boards that can handle increasing power demands while maintaining a small size, which is difficult with conventional techniques, and also to reduce manufacturing costs for high-volume electronic devices.
Innovation Solution
The design involves a surface mount electromagnetic component with a magnetic core composed of two core pieces and a preformed coil winding, where the core pieces are arranged side-by-side to accommodate a larger coil winding, reducing height and increasing the cross-sectional area, thereby enhancing energy storage and handling higher currents and powers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If conventional inductor designs are used, then power handling capability is limited, but component size cannot be reduced further
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic core is divided into two separate core pieces positioned side-by-side, each supporting a portion of the coil winding. This segmentation allows the coil to have a larger cross-sectional area for improved power handling while maintaining a compact overall component footprint, resolving the contradiction between power capability and size reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The design transitions from a conventional single-core vertical stacking approach to a side-by-side horizontal arrangement of two cores. This dimensional reconfiguration increases the effective cross-sectional area available for magnetic flux and coil winding without increasing the component's height or footprint significantly, enabling higher power handling in a miniaturized package.
2Area of stationary object
If component footprint is reduced, then circuit board area is minimized, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inductor is segmented into two core pieces that can be separately manufactured using standard ceramic or ferrite manufacturing processes, then assembled together with the coil. This modular segmentation maintains compatibility with existing manufacturing capabilities while achieving a reduced footprint, avoiding the need for complex monolithic fabrication processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The two core pieces are merged with the coil winding in a integrated assembly where the cores provide magnetic flux paths and the coil provides inductance. This merging creates a compact unified structure that achieves minimal footprint while using conventional manufacturing techniques for each component, balancing size reduction with manufacturing simplicity.
3Length of stationary object
If component height is reduced, then profile is minimized, but current handling capability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The design shifts from increasing height to expand current handling to utilizing horizontal space through side-by-side core arrangement. This allows the coil to have a larger cross-sectional area for improved current capacity while maintaining a low profile, effectively trading vertical for horizontal dimensioning to resolve the contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The coil winding is configured with different characteristics in different regions - tighter winding in some areas and broader spacing in others - to optimize current distribution and heat dissipation. This local quality variation allows the low-profile design to maintain high current handling capability by optimizing the magnetic path and electrical characteristics in specific zones of the component.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration allows for higher current and power applications with a lower profile, reducing direct current resistance and increasing efficiency, while also being cost-effective for mass production.
Implementation Method 1
Power inductors are designed to induce magnetic fields via current flowing through one or more conductive windings, and store energy via the generation of magnetic fields in magnetic cores associated with the windings
Implementation Method 2
store energy via the generation of magnetic fields in magnetic cores associated with the windings
Data Source
AI summary
A low profile surface mount electromagnetic component such as a power inductor includes first and second core pieces arranged side by side and having longitudinal side walls facing one another. A preformed coil winding includes vertical legs that are received in vertical slots of the facing longitudinal sidewalls of the component. Inset depressed sections are provided in the top surfaces of the first and second magnetic core pieces and receive a main winding section of the coil winding. Surface mount terminal tabs extend on the bottom surfaces of both the first and second magnetic core pieces.