Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to inductors and methods for manufacturing an inductor.

Background

[0002] Flexible devices are trendy with recent developments seen in foldable smartphones.

[0003] On the other hand, it is known that flexible printed circuit boards (PCBs) may be used to produce flexible inductors and transformers (for example an ultra-thin flexible inductor is described in US 7417523 B2 and in WO 2005020254 A2, and a flexible transformer is described in Tsujimoto, H.; Ieyasu, O., "High frequency transmission characteristic of co- planar film transformer fabricated on flexible polyamide film," in Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on, vol.31, no.6, pp.4232-4234, Nov 1995, DOI: 10.1109/20.489936).

[0004] It may be desired to integrate these technologies to power electronics circuitries and provide the needed power. For example, flexible integrated power electronics is described in Guoen Cao; Hee-Jun Kim; Sung-Tae Lim; Gyung-Seok Han, "An Embedded Inductor Using Sendust Powder Composite Films for Step-Up DC-DC Converter," in Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on , vol.50, no.l l, pp.1-4, Nov. 2014, DOI: 10.1109/TMAG.2014.2332170.

Summary

[0005] According to the present invention, an inductor is provided.

[0006] The inductor may include: a plurality of slices, each slice comprising a coil; a plurality of connectors configured to provide electrical connection between the respective coils of neighboring slices; and a flexible mounting member configured to hold the plurality of slices. This may provide the inductor with a high degree of freedom with respect to its geometrical arrangement. [0007] According to various embodiments, the plurality of connectors may be configured to connect the respective coils of the plurality of slices to a common coil. This may allow the inductor to have a high inductance despite its flexibility with respect to geometrical arrangement.

[0008] According to various embodiments, the flexible mounting member may include a hose. This may provide protection for the inductor.

[0009] According to various embodiments, the plurality of slices may be mounted in the flexible mounting member using an adhesive. This may avoid shortcuts between the plurality of slices of the inductor.

[0010] According to various embodiments, the plurality of slices may be mounted in the flexible mounting member using a flexible gum. This may provide shock resistance of the inductor.

[0011] According to the present invention, a method for manufacturing an inductor is provided.

[0012] The method may include: providing a coil; slicing the coil into a plurality of slices; providing a plurality of connectors to provide electrical connection between respective partial coils of neighboring slices; and mounting the plurality of slices on a flexible mounting member. Thus, an inductor with a high degree of freedom with respect to its geometrical arrangement may be manufactured.

[0013] According to various embodiments, the plurality of connectors may connect the respective partial coils to a coil which at electrically least substantially corresponds to the provided coil. This may allow manufacturing of an inductor with a high inductance despite its flexibility with respect to geometrical arrangement.

[0014] According to various embodiments, the flexible mounting member may include a hose. This may allow manufacturing of an inductor which is well-protected. [0015] According to various embodiments, the plurality of slices may be mounted in the flexible mounting member using an adhesive. This may allow manufacturing of an inductor without shortcuts between the plurality of slices.

[0016] According to various embodiments, the plurality of slices may be mounted in the flexible mounting member using a flexible gum. This may allow manufacturing of a shock resistant inductor.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the following description, various embodiments are described with reference to the following drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 A shows an illustration of an inductor according to various embodiments;

Fig. IB shows a flow diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing an inductor according to various embodiments;

Fig. 2A shows a cross-sectional view of a commonly used inductor;

Fig. 2B shows a cross-sectional view of an inductor according to various embodiments;

Fig. 2C shows a cross-sectional view of an inductor according to various embodiments;

Fig. 2D shows a three-dimensional view of a single slice according to various embodiments; and

Fig. 3 shows that the flexible inductor according to various embodiments looks like a normal metal hose from the outside.

Description

[0018] Commonly used thin inductors and transformers are very small and not suitable for bigger devices which need higher power. Putting those thin devices in series and/or in parallel connection might be a solution, but this would result in excessive cost and reduction in flexibility and efficiency.

[0019] According to various embodiments, the flexibility of thin magnetic components from 2D (with a thin layout) may be extended to 3D. This may results in less conduction loss and higher power. Various embodiments may use a flexible hose (e.g. a metal hose or a plastic hose) to realize flexibility in magnetic components.

[0020] According to various embodiments, flexible magnetic devices may be provided.

[0021] Fig. 1A shows an illustration 100 of an inductor according to various embodiments. The inductor may include a plurality of slices 102. Each slice of the plurality of slices 102 may include a respective coil (so that in total a plurality of coils are provided). The inductor may further include a plurality of connectors 104 configured to provide electrical connection between the respective coils of neighboring slices. The inductor may further include a flexible mounting member 106 configured to hold the plurality of slices 102 (and/ or the plurality of connectors 104), like illustrated by lines 108.

[0022] In other words, an inductor may be provided which includes a plurality of slices 102, which are movable relative to each other, and which are in electrical connection to form the inductor.

[0023] According to various embodiments, the plurality of connectors 104 may be configured to connect the respective coils of the plurality of slices 102 to a common coil.

[0024] According to various embodiments, the flexible mounting member 106 may include or may be a hose, for example a metal hose or a plastic hose.

[0025] According to various embodiments, the plurality of slices 102 may be mounted in the flexible mounting member 106 using an adhesive.

[0026] According to various embodiments, the plurality of slices 102 may be mounted in the flexible mounting member 106 using a flexible gum. [0027] Fig. IB shows a flow diagram 110 illustrating a method for manufacturing an inductor according to various embodiments. In 112, a coil may be provided. In 114, the coil may be sliced into a plurality of slices. In 116, a plurality of connectors to provide electrical connection between respective partial coils of neighboring slices may be provided. In 118, the plurality of slices may be mounted on (or in) a flexible mounting member.

[0028] According to various embodiments, the plurality of connectors may connect the respective partial coils to a coil which at electrically least substantially corresponds to the provided coil.

[0029] According to various embodiments, the flexible mounting member may include or may be a hose, for example a metal hose or a plastic hose.

[0030] According to various embodiments, the plurality of slices may be mounted in the flexible mounting member using an adhesive.

[0031] According to various embodiments, the plurality of slices may be mounted in the flexible mounting member using a flexible gum.

[0032] According to various embodiments, non-flexible magnetic components may be provided in (in other words: may be divided into) multiple thin parts. According to various embodiments, the multiple thin parts may be combined inside a structure of a metal hose.

[0033] Fig. 2A shows a cross-sectional view 200 of a commonly used inductor. In the cross-sectional view 200, a coil of the inductor is shown in two portions 202 and 204, wherein each of the portions 202 and 204 is related to a plurality of turns of the coil. A core 203 may surround the coil. The core 203 may for example be a metallic core.

[0034] Fig. 2B shows a cross-sectional view 206 of an inductor according to various embodiments, wherein the inductor is divided into a plurality of (for example thin) slices 208. Together with the slices 208, the coils are divided in a plurality of portions 210 and 212, and electrical connections between the portions 212 of the coil are provided, for example using connecting wires 214. It will be understood that the portions 210 and the portions 212 are portions of the same coil (although shown as separate portions in the cross-sectional view 206), and are thus electrically connected.

[0035] Fig. 2C shows a cross-sectional view 216 of an inductor according to various embodiments, similar to the inductor according to various embodiments shown in the cross- sectional view 206 of Fig. 2B, wherein furthermore, the slices 208 are located in a metal hose 218. The slices 208 may be fixed in position using an adhesive or using a flexible gum 220.

[0036] Fig. 2D shows a three-dimensional (3D) view of a single slice 208 according to various embodiments. According to various embodiments, the single slice (and for example each of the plurality of slice provided according to various embodiments) may be a circular slice. The cut core 203 may become two parts: a central magnetic part 222 and a surrounding magnetic part 224. Fig. 2D illustrates that the portions 210/212 shown in Fig. 2A to Fig. 2C actually belong to common windings. The windings 210/212 may be positioned in the middle of the two parts and may create magnetic field. An example of magnetic flux line 226 is shown in Fig. 2D. The magnetic flux line 226 may create a loop going through both the central magnetic part 222 and the surrounding magnetic part 224.

[0037] Fig. 2A to Fig. 2D illustrate how a commonly used non-flexible inductor may be transformed into a flexible inductor according to various embodiments. According to various embodiments, an inductor may be divided into a plurality of slices and the slices may be put into a metal hose structure. The metal hose may provide not only a protection with flexibility but also an EMI (electromagnetic interference) shielding effect to protect other devices from the inevitable leakage flux from the air gaps in the structure. Flexible gum 220 may be used to connect the thin slices with the metal hose structure.

[0038] The flexible structure (in other words: the flexible inductor) according to various embodiments may be used to make transformers as well as other flexible electronic devices. [0039] Fig. 3 shows that the flexible inductor 300 according to various embodiments looks like a normal metal hose from the outside.

[0040] Various embodiments (for example flexible power electronics devices) may be used in electric mobility devices, for example electric vehicles, for example electric cars or electric bikes, in mobile phones, in table computers, in mobile computing devices, or in any other electronics device where flexibility of the device is desired.

[0041] While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to specific embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The scope of the invention is thus indicated by the appended claims and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced.