US 2024/0347255 A1Published application

Inductor and method for manufacturing same

AssigneePanasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

InventorsTOMOHIRO SUGIMURA, YUYA ISHIDA, TOMOHIRO TSUBOTA, KOTARO AKIYAMA, TAKUMI TANIKAWA

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Abstract

An inductor includes a magnetic core, a coil element embedded in the magnetic core and including an end portion protruding from an end surface of the magnetic core, and an electrode electrically and mechanically connected to the end portion of the coil element. The electrode is bent along the end surface and a bottom surface of the magnetic core such that the electrode includes an end-surface portion facing the end surface of the magnetic core and a bottom-surface portion facing the bottom surface of the magnetic core. The end portion of the coil element is placed on the electrode to be connected to the electrode. The end surface of the magnetic core includes: a first region connected to the bottom surface of the magnetic core and having the inner surface of the electrode disposed thereon; and two second regions connected to the bottom surface of the magnetic core and located on both sides of the first region across the first region. An angle formed by the bottom surface of the magnetic core and each of the two second regions of the end surface of the magnetic core is less than 90.0° and is greater than an angle formed by the bottom surface of the magnetic core and the outer surface of the end-surface portion of the electrode.

Claims13

Dependent claims

An inductor comprising:

a magnetic core containing magnetic material powder and binder agent mixed with the magnetic material powder, the magnetic core having a bottom surface and an end surface connected to the bottom surface;
a coil element embedded in the magnetic core, the coil element including an end portion protruding from the end surface of the magnetic core;
and
an electrode electrically and mechanically connected to the end portion of the coil element, wherein:
the electrode is bent along the end surface and the bottom surface of the magnetic core such that the electrode includes an end-surface portion facing the end surface of the magnetic core and a bottom-surface portion facing the bottom surface of the magnetic core,
the end-surface portion of the electrode has an inner surface facing the magnetic core and an outer surface opposite to the inner surface,
the outer surface of the end-surface portion of the electrode has a recess therein that sinks toward the magnetic core,
the end portion of the coil element is placed on the recess of the electrode to be connected to the electrode,
the inner surface of the end-surface portion of the electrode is embedded in the magnetic core,
the end surface of the magnetic core includes:
a first region connected to the bottom surface of the magnetic core, the inner surface of the electrode being disposed on the first region;
and
two second regions connected to the bottom surface of the magnetic core and located on both sides of the first region across the first region, and
an angle formed by the bottom surface of the magnetic core and each of the two second regions of the end surface of the magnetic core is less than 90.0° and is greater than an angle formed by the bottom surface of the magnetic core and the outer surface of the end-surface portion of the electrode.

11 more elements

A method of manufacturing an inductor, comprising:

providing a coil assembly which includes:
a coil element including a first end portion and a second end portion which are drawn out in directions opposite to each other,
a first electrode including a first end-surface portion and a first bottom-surface portion connected to the first end-surface portion, the first end-surface portion being electrically and mechanically connected to the first end portion of the coil element, and
a second electrode including a second end-surface portion and a second bottom-surface portion connected to the first end-surface portion, the second end-surface portion being electrically and mechanically connected to the second end portion of the coil element;
providing a first magnetic powder tablet containing magnetic material powder and resin mixed with the magnetic material powder;
placing the first magnetic powder tablet and the coil assembly into a die;
forming a magnetic core by compression-molding the first magnetic powder tablet while the first magnetic powder tablet and the coil assembly are placed in the die;
and
bending the first bottom-surface portion of the first electrode and the second bottom-surface portion of the second electrode, wherein
the magnetic core has a bottom surface, a first end surface connected to the bottom surface, and a second end surface connected to the bottom surface at an opposite side to the first end surface,
the first end surface of the magnetic core includes:
a first region connected to the bottom surface of the magnetic core, an inner surface of the first end-surface portion of the first electrode being disposed on the first region;
and
two second regions connected to the bottom surface of the magnetic core and located on both sides of the first region across the first region;
the second end surface of the magnetic core includes:
a third region connected to the bottom surface of the magnetic core, an inner surface of the second end-surface portion of the second electrode being disposed on the third region;
and
two fourth regions connected to the bottom surface of the magnetic core and located on both sides of the third region across the third region,
in said forming the magnetic core, a first inner wall surface of the die contacts an outer surface of the first end-surface portion of the first electrode and the two second regions of the first end surface of the magnetic core, and a second inner wall surface of the die contacts an outer surface of the second end-surface portion of the second electrode and the two fourth regions of the second end surface of the magnetic core,
a slope of a portion of the first inner wall surface of the die that contacts the outer surface of the first end-surface portion of the first electrode in said forming the magnetic core is different from a slope of portions of the first inner wall surface of the die that contact the two second regions of the first end surface of the magnetic core in said forming the magnetic core, such that an angle formed by the bottom surface of the magnetic core and each of the two second regions of the first end surface of the magnetic core is less than 90.0° and is greater than an angle formed by the bottom surface of the magnetic core and the outer surface of the first end-surface portion of the first electrode, and
a slope of a portion of the second inner wall surface of the die that contacts the outer surface of the second end-surface portion of the second electrode in said forming the magnetic core is different from a slope of portions of the second inner wall surface of the die that contact the two fourth regions of the second end surface of the magnetic core in said forming the magnetic core, such that an angle formed by the bottom surface of the magnetic core and each of the two fourth regions of the second end surface of the magnetic core is less than 90.0° and is greater than an angle formed by the bottom surface of the magnetic core and the outer surface of the second end-surface portion of the second electrode.

18 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.