Coupled inductors and associated systems

A coupled inductor, comprising:

• a base magnetic plate;
• a supporting magnetic element extending from the base magnetic plate in a first direction;
• a top magnetic plate disposed on the supporting magnetic element in the first direction;
• a first open circuit inductance (OCL) magnetic element and a second OCL magnetic element, each of the first OCL magnetic element and the second OCL magnetic element being disposed between the base magnetic plate and the top magnetic plate in the first direction, each of the first OCL magnetic element and the second OCL magnetic element being separated from one of the base magnetic plate and the top magnetic plate in the first direction, the first and second OCL magnetic elements being separated from each other in a second direction, the second direction being orthogonal to the first direction;
• a first short circuit inductance (SCL) magnetic element and a second SCL magnetic element, each of the first SCL magnetic element and the second SCL magnetic element being disposed between the base magnetic plate and the top magnetic plate in the first direction, each of the first SCL magnetic element and the second SCL magnetic element being separated from one of the base magnetic plate and the top magnetic plate in the first direction, the first SCL magnetic element and the second SCL magnetic element being separated from each other in a third direction that is orthogonal to each of the first direction and the second direction;
• a first winding wound around the supporting magnetic element;
• and
• a second winding wound around the supporting magnetic element, the first winding and the second winding having opposing orientations when the coupled inductor is viewed cross-sectionally in the first direction.

A multi-phase switching power converter, comprising:

• a first switching stage;
• a second switching stage;
• a coupled inductor, including:
• a base magnetic structure, including:
• a base magnetic plate,
• a supporting magnetic element extending from the base magnetic plate in a first direction,
• a first open circuit inductance (OCL) magnetic element and a second OCL magnetic element, each of the first OCL magnetic element and the second OCL magnetic element extending from the base magnetic plate in the first direction, the first and second OCL magnetic elements being separated from each other in a second direction, the second direction being orthogonal to the first direction, and
• a first short circuit inductance (SCL) magnetic element and a second SCL magnetic element, each of the first SCL magnetic element and the second SCL magnetic element extending from the base magnetic plate in the first direction, the first SCL magnetic element and the second SCL magnetic element being separated from each other in a third direction that is orthogonal to each of the first direction and the second direction,
• a top magnetic plate disposed on the supporting magnetic element in the first direction such that the top magnetic plate is separated from each of the first OCL magnetic element, the second OCL magnetic element, the first SCL magnetic element, and the second SCL magnetic element,
• a first winding wound around the supporting magnetic element, a first end of the first winding being electrically coupled to the first switching stage, and
• a second winding wound around the supporting magnetic element, a first end of the second winding being electrically coupled to the second switching stage, the first winding and the second winding having opposing orientations when the coupled inductor is viewed cross-sectionally in the first direction.