# US 11,908,603 B2 · Inductor and voltage converter using it > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,908,603 B2 - Document ID: US11908603B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/002,644 - Filed: 2020-08-25 - Published: 2020-12-17 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-23 - Assignees: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Norimichi Onozaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11908603B2 ## CPC - H01F 27/22: Cooling by heat conduction through solid or powdered fillings - H01F 17/04: with magnetic core - H01F 27/2828: {Construction of conductive connections, of leads} - H01F 27/2847: {Sheets; Strips (H01F27/2866 takes precedence)} - H01F 27/292: {Surface mounted devices} - H02M 3/155: using semiconductor devices only - H01F 27/085: {Cooling by ambient air} - H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) ## Abstract An inductor which avoids heat generation and heat dissipation problems, and has a reduced resistance component, when used in a voltage converter. An inductor is configured with a pair of outer electrodes disposed on both end portions of an element assembly and electrically connected to end portions of conductors. The conductors are made of a flat-type wire having a rectangular cross section, are placed side by side between the end portions, and include cylindrical winding sections, respectively, in which the flat-type wire in a long side direction of the rectangular cross section is wound the number of turns less than one about a thickness direction intersecting with a length direction connecting the pair of end portions along the thickness direction. A heat-dissipating member includes a portion being a partition between the conductors and a portion exposed on the top of an outer surface of the element assembly. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An inductor comprising: an element assembly made of an electrical insulating material; a plurality of conductors disposed inside the element assembly and extending between a pair of end portions of the element assembly, each of the plurality of conductors is made of a flat-type wire having a rectangular cross section and includes a cylindrical winding section wound a specific number of turns, each of the plurality of conductors having at least part of one long side surface spaced apart from and facing each other, and the plurality of conductors are connected in parallel with each other; and a pair of outer electrodes disposed on the pair of end portions of the element assembly and electrically connected to end portions of the conductors. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The inductor according to claim 1, wherein each of the conductors includes a cylindrical winding section in which the flat-type wire in a longitudinal direction of the rectangular cross section is wound a number of turns less than one about a second direction intersecting with a first direction connecting the pair of end portions along the second direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The inductor according to claim 1, wherein each of the conductors includes a cylindrical helical section in which the flat-type wire in a longitudinal direction of the rectangular cross section is wound a number of turns more than one about a first direction connecting the pair of end portions along the first direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The inductor according to claim 1, wherein each of the conductors includes a cylindrical winding section in which the flat-type wire in a longitudinal direction of the rectangular cross section is wound a number of turns less than one about a first direction connecting the pair of end portions along the first direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The inductor according to claim 1, further comprising: a heat-dissipating member in contact with the outer electrodes and disposed between the conductors. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The inductor according to claim 5, wherein the heat-dissipating member includes a portion exposed on an outer surface of the element assembly. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The inductor according to claim 1, wherein a distance between each of the conductors and each of the outer electrodes inside the element assembly is set at a predetermined distance. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A voltage converter for converting voltage between an input voltage and an output voltage, the voltage converter comprising an LC smoothing circuit including a power inductor and a capacitor; and a radio-frequency inductor connected to the power inductor, wherein the radio-frequency inductor comprises the inductor according to claim 1. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The inductor according to claim 2, further comprising: a heat-dissipating member in contact with the outer electrodes and disposed between the conductors. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The inductor according to claim 3, further comprising: a heat-dissipating member in contact with the outer electrodes and disposed between the conductors. ### Claim 11 (depends on 4) The inductor according to claim 4, further comprising: a heat-dissipating member in contact with the outer electrodes and disposed between the conductors. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The inductor according to claim 2, wherein a distance between each of the conductors and each of the outer electrodes inside the element assembly is set at a predetermined distance. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The inductor according to claim 3, wherein a distance between each of the conductors and each of the outer electrodes inside the element assembly is set at a predetermined distance. ### Claim 14 (depends on 4) The inductor according to claim 4, wherein a distance between each of the conductors and each of the outer electrodes inside the element assembly is set at a predetermined distance. ### Claim 15 (depends on 5) The inductor according to claim 5, wherein a distance between each of the conductors and each of the outer electrodes inside the element assembly is set at a predetermined distance. ### Claim 16 (depends on 6) The inductor according to claim 6, wherein a distance between each of the conductors and each of the outer electrodes inside the element assembly is set at a predetermined distance. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) A voltage converter for converting voltage between an input voltage and an output voltage, the voltage converter comprising an LC smoothing circuit including a power inductor and a capacitor; and a radio-frequency inductor connected to the power inductor, wherein the radio-frequency inductor comprises the inductor according to claim 2. ### Claim 18 (depends on 3) A voltage converter for converting voltage between an input voltage and an output voltage, the voltage converter comprising an LC smoothing circuit including a power inductor and a capacitor; and a radio-frequency inductor connected to the power inductor, wherein the radio-frequency inductor comprises the inductor according to claim 3. ### Claim 19 An inductor comprising: an element assembly made of an electrical insulating material; a plurality of conductors disposed inside the element assembly and extending between a pair of end portions of the element assembly, each of the plurality of conductors is made of a flat-type wire having a rectangular cross section and includes a cylindrical winding section in which the flat-type wire in a longitudinal direction of the rectangular cross section is wound a number of turns less than one about a second direction intersecting with a first direction connecting the pair of end portions along the second direction, and the plurality of conductors are connected in parallel with each other; and a pair of outer electrodes disposed on the pair of end portions of the element assembly and electrically connected to end portions of the conductors. ### Claim 20 An inductor comprising: an element assembly made of an electrical insulating material; a plurality of conductors disposed inside the element assembly and extending between a pair of end portions of the element assembly, each of the plurality of conductors is made of a flat-type wire having a rectangular cross section and each of the conductors includes a cylindrical winding section in which the flat-type wire in a longitudinal direction of the rectangular cross section is wound a number of turns less than one about a first direction connecting the pair of end portions along the first direction, and the plurality of conductors are connected in parallel with each other; and a pair of outer electrodes disposed on the pair of end portions of the element assembly and electrically connected to end portions of the conductors.