The present invention relates to a reactor device and a method for manufacturing a reactor device.
Generally, a reactor device includes a core and coils that are wound around the core. Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a reactor device 200, which includes a core 201 and coils 204, as shown in
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2010-251364
A reactor device may need to be reduced in size. However, a reactor device having a reduced size is not preferred since this may result in loss when a sufficient magnetic path through which magnetic flux flows cannot be obtained.
Further, the heat dissipation efficiency of a reactor device may need to be improved. In this case, since the maximum width of the base 202 shown in
It is an object of the present invention to provide a reactor device that is reduced in size while obtaining a magnetic path and improves the heat dissipation efficiency and to provide a method for manufacturing the reactor device.
A reactor device that achieves the above object includes a first core, a second core, and coils. The first core and the second core each include a plate-shaped base and two legs that extend from one plate surface of the base and are arranged in a layout direction. The first core and the second core are arranged so that the legs of the first core are extended toward and spaced apart from the legs of the second core. Each of the coils is wound around a corresponding one of the legs of the first core and a corresponding one of the legs of the second core. Each of the bases includes narrow portions and a wide portion. The narrow portions are respectively arranged at two ends of the base in the layout direction. The narrow portions each include an end surface that is flush with a side surface of a corresponding one of the legs in a thickness-wise direction of the base. The wide portion is arranged between the two narrow portions. The wide portion has a larger dimension in a widthwise direction orthogonal to the thickness-wise direction and the layout direction than a maximum dimension of the legs in the widthwise direction.
In a method for manufacturing a reactor device that achieves the above object, the reactor device includes a first core, a second core, coils, and a box-shaped case having a closed end that accommodates the first core, the second core, and the coils. The method includes preparing the first core and the second core, each including a plate-shaped base and two legs that extend from one plate surface of the base and are arranged in a layout direction. Each of the bases includes narrow portions and a wide portion. The narrow portions are respectively arranged at two ends of the base in the layout direction. The narrow portions each include an end surface that is flush with a side surface of a corresponding one of the legs in a thickness-wise direction of the base. The wide portion is arranged between the two narrow portions. The wide portion has a dimension in a widthwise direction orthogonal to the thickness-wise direction and the layout direction that is larger than a maximum dimension of the legs in the widthwise direction. The method further includes arranging the second core on a bottom surface of the case so that the legs of the second core extend upward, arranging each of the coils to encompass a corresponding one of the legs of the second core, and arranging the first core so that the legs of the first core are extended toward and spaced apart from the legs of the second core.
In a method for manufacturing a reactor device that achieves the above object, the reactor device includes a first core, a second core, coils, and a box-shaped case having a closed end that accommodates the first core, the second core, and the coils. The method includes preparing the first core and the second core, each including a plate-shaped base and two legs that extend from one plate surface of the base and are arranged in a layout direction, arranging the second core on a bottom surface of the case so that the legs of the second core extend upward, arranging each of the coils to encompass a corresponding one of the legs of the second core, and arranging the first core so that the legs of the first core are extended toward and spaced apart from the legs of the second core.
One embodiment of a reactor device will now be described.
As shown in
Each of the cores 11 and 12 is a magnetic body formed from, for example, a powder magnetic core. The first core 11 and the second core 12 are identically shaped and opposed to each other.
As shown in
The second core 12 includes a second base 41 and second legs 42 in the same manner as the first core 11. The second base 41 and the second legs 42 are shaped identically to the corresponding portions of the first core 11 and thus will not be described.
To assist understanding, the direction orthogonal to the thickness-wise direction Z of the bases 31 and 41 and the layout direction X of the two first legs 32 (or two second legs 42) are hereinafter referred to as the widthwise direction Y. The thickness-wise direction Z of the bases 31 and 41 is the extension direction of the legs 32 and 42.
As shown in
As shown in
The reactor device 10 includes upper bobbins (not shown), which surround the first legs 32, and lower bobbins (not shown), which surround the second legs 42. The coils 21 and 22 are wound around the upper and lower bobbins, respectively. However, the upper and lower bobbins may be omitted.
The winding direction of the coil 21 differs from that of the coil 22. The coil 21 is wound in the counterclockwise direction as viewed from above, and the coil 22 is wound in the clockwise direction as viewed from above.
As shown in
The first legs 32 each extend across the narrow portion 51 and the wide portion 52. More specifically, the outer half of the first leg 32 (semi-cylindrical portion) in the layout direction X is located in the narrow portion 51, and the inner half of the first leg 32 is located in the wide portion 52.
The narrow portions 51 each include an end surface 51a, which is flush with a side surface 32a of the first leg 32 in the thickness-wise direction Z of the first base 31. Since the first leg 32 is cylindrical as described above, the side surface 32a of the first leg 32 is curved. The end surface 51a of the narrow portion 51 is accordingly curved at the same curvature as the side surface 32a of the first leg 32. More specifically, the end surface 51a of the narrow portion 51 is a semicircular surface curved at the same curvature as the side surface 32a of the first leg 32.
As shown in
The wide portion 52, which has a larger width than the narrow portion 51, includes width enlarging portions 53 and a fixed width portion 54. The width enlarging portions 53 each gradually widen from the narrow portion 51 toward the middle part of the first base 31 in the layout direction X. The fixed width portion 54, which has a fixed width, is continuous with the width enlarging portions 53. As shown in
As shown in
The fixed width portion 54 has the maximum width of the wide portion 52, and the width of the fixed width portion 54 corresponds to the maximum width W2 of the wide portion 52. The maximum width W2 is set to be greater than or equal to the maximum width W3 of each of the coils 21 and 22 (in the present embodiment, outer diameter of coils 21 and 22). In the present embodiment, the maximum width W2 of the wide portion 52 is set to be equal to the maximum width W3 of each of the coils 21 and 22.
As shown in
The second base 41 of the second core 12 includes narrow portions 61 and a wide portion 62 in the same manner as the first base 31 of the first core 11. The narrow portions 61 each include an end surface 61a, which is flush with a side surface 42a of the second leg 42 in the thickness-wise direction Z of the second base 41. The wide portion 62 has a larger width than the narrow portions 61. The narrow portions 61 and the wide portion 62 are shaped identically to the narrow portions 51 and the wide portion 52 of the first base 31 and thus will not be described in detail. More specifically, the maximum width W0 and the cross-sectional area S1 of the first leg 32 are respectively equal to the maximum width W0 and the cross-sectional area S1 of the second leg 42, the thickness D of the first base 31 is equal to the thickness D of the second base 41, and the maximum width W2 of the wide portion 52 is equal to the maximum width W2 of the wide portion 62.
A method for manufacturing the reactor device 10 will now be described with reference to
As shown in
Before setting the second core 12, thermal grease may be applied to the location where the second core 12 is set. That is, the second core 12 may be directly set on the bottom surface 30a of the case 30 or indirectly set on the bottom surface 30a of the case 30 with thermal grease applied in between.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The operation of the present embodiment will now be described.
The cores 11 and 12 are arranged so that the legs 32 and 42 oppose each other with the gap plates 50 located in between. This forms an annular magnetic path. In this case, the narrow portions 51 and 61 are respectively arranged at the two ends of the bases 31 and 41 of the cores 11 and 12 in the layout direction X. Thus, the first base 31 includes portions where magnetic flux smoothly flows, more specifically, portions that are continuous with the legs 32 and a portion that is located between the first legs 32. The first base 31 does not include portions where the flow of magnetic flux is unsmooth, for example, portions located at the outer sides of the first legs 32 in the layout direction X. In the same manner, the second base 41 includes portions where magnetic flux smoothly flows, more specifically, portions that are continuous with the legs 42 and a portion that is located between the second legs 42. The second base 41 does not include portions where the flow of magnetic flux is unsmooth, for example, portions located at the outer sides of the second legs 42 in the layout direction X.
Further, the wide portion 52, which is wider than the maximum width W0 of the first leg 32, is located between the two narrow portions 51 of the first base 31. The wide portion 62, which is wider than the maximum width W0 of the second leg 42, is located between the two narrow portions 61 of the second base 41. Thus, in comparison with the conventional base 202 of
The present embodiment has the advantages described below.
(1) The bases 31 and 41 of the cores 11 and 12 respectively include the narrow portions 51 and 61, which are arranged at the two sides in the layout direction X of the two first legs 32 (or two second legs 42). The narrow portions 51 and 61 respectively include the end surfaces 51a and 61a, which are flush with the side surfaces 32a and 42a of the legs 32 and 42 in the thickness-wise direction Z of the bases 31 and 41. Further, the first base 31 of the first core 11 includes the wide portion 52, which is located between the two narrow portions 51 and is wider than the maximum width W0 of the first leg 32. In the same manner, the second base 41 of the second core 12 includes the wide portion 62, which is located between the two narrow portions 61 and is wider than the maximum width W0 of the second leg 42. Thus, as compared with the conventional base 202 of
Further, the bases 31 and 41 include larger regions that oppose the end surfaces 21a and 22a in the axial direction of the coils 21 and 22 than the conventional base 202. Thus, heat generated by the coils 21 and 22 is transmitted to the bases 31 and 41 in a favorable manner. This reduces the reactor device 10 in size while obtaining a magnetic path. This also improves the heat-dissipation efficiency of the reactor device 10.
In addition, the two ends of the bases 31 and 41 of the cores 11 and 12 in the layout direction X are the narrow portions 51 and 61. Thus, the bases 31 and 41 do not include portions where the flow of magnetic flux is unsmooth. This reduces the costs of the cores 11 and 12 while obtaining a magnetic path.
(2) The maximum width W2 of the wide portions 52 and 62 is larger than or equal to the maximum width W3 of the coils 21 and 22. Thus, since heat transmitted from the coils 21 and 22 to the wide portions 52 and 62 is diffused over wider regions than when the maximum width W2 is smaller than the maximum width W3, the heat is smoothly transmitted to the case 30. This improves the heat dissipation efficiency of the wide portions 52 and 62. As a result, the heat dissipation efficiency of the reactor device 10 is further improved.
(3) The cross-sectional area S1 of each of the legs 32 and 42 in the direction orthogonal to the thickness-wise direction Z is set to be equal to the cross-sectional area S2 of the widest portions of the wide portions 52 and 62 in the direction orthogonal to the layout direction X. This reduces the loss resulting from changes in the cross-sectional area of the magnetic path.
More specifically, the thickness D of each of the bases 31 and 41 is set to a value that is obtained by dividing the cross-sectional area S1 of each of the legs 32 and 42 by the maximum width W2 of the wide portions 52 and 62. Thus, the cross-sectional area S1 and the cross-sectional area S2 are equal. In this case, the maximum width W2 of each of the wide portions 52 and 62 is larger than the maximum width W0 of each of the legs 32 and 42. Thus, the thickness D of each of the bases 31 and 41 is smaller than the conventional base 202 although the cross-sectional area S1 and the cross-sectional area S2 are equal. Accordingly, the size of the reactor device 10 is further reduced in the thickness-wise direction Z.
(4) The wide portion 52 of the first base 31 includes the width enlarging portions 53, each of which gradually widens from the narrow portion 51 toward the middle part of the first base 31 in the layout direction X. Thus, the first core 11 does not include portions where the flow of magnetic flux is relatively unsmooth. This reduces the cost of the first core 11 while obtaining a magnetic path. The same applies to the second core 12.
(5) The reactor device 10 includes the cores 11 and 12, the coils 21 and 22, and the box-shaped case 30, which has a closed end and accommodates the cores 11 and 12 and the coils 21 and 22. The cores 11 and 12 respectively include the bases 31 and 41, which have the form of plates, and the two legs 32 and 42, which extend from one of the plate surfaces of the bases 31 and 41 and are arranged in the layout direction. The method for manufacturing the reactor device 10 having such a structure includes a process for setting the second core 12 on the bottom surface 30a of the case 30 so that the second legs 42 extend upward and a process for setting the coils 21 and 22 around the second legs 42 of the second core 12. Further, the method for manufacturing the reactor device 10 includes a process for arranging the first core 11 so that the first legs 32 of the first core 11 are extended toward and spaced apart from the second legs 42. In such a structure, the cores 11 and 12 are sequentially stacked in the case 30 to manufacture the reactor device 10. This simplifies and facilitates manufacturing of the reactor device 10.
More specifically, if the cores 11 and 12 and the coils 21 and 22 are first coupled and then the coupled components are accommodated in the case 30, an accommodation process needs to be performed to accommodate the coupled components in the case 30. This complicates the manufacturing of the reactor device 10. In addition, if the direction the cores 11 and 12 and the coils 21 and 22 are coupled differ from the direction the coupled components are accommodated in the case 30, an operation for changing directions needs to be performed. Further, the automation of a series of processes, such as a process for changing the direction of the case 30 and a process for coupling components in different directions, has a tendency to cause complicated manufacturing processes.
In the present embodiment, components are directly arranged in the case 30. Thus, the above accommodation process is omitted. Further, the components are sequentially stacked from bottom to top without changing directions. Thus, the processes of the method for manufacturing the reactor device 10 may be automated relatively easily.
The above embodiment may be modified as described below.
In the embodiment, each first leg 32 of the first core 11 is cylindrical and has a width that changes in accordance with location in the layout direction X. However, the first leg may have any form. For example, as shown in
As shown in
The gap plates 50 may be omitted. In this case, the distance between the first leg 32 and the second leg 42 may be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the flanges 72 and 82 of the bobbins.
Fins may be arranged in at least part of the case 30 to increase the heat dissipation efficiency.
The coils 21 and 22 may be formed by winding round wires.
The maximum width W2 of the wide portions 52 and 62 may be set to be greater than the maximum width W3 of each of the coils 21 and 22.
Further, the maximum width W2 of each of the wide portions 52 and 62 may be set to be smaller than the maximum width W3 of each of the coils 21 and 22. As a result, the bases 31 and 41 do not extend outward from the coils 21 and 22 in the widthwise direction Y.
The width enlarging portions 53 may be omitted, and the wide portions 52 may entirely be the fixed width portion 54. This enlarges the regions of the first base 31 opposing the end surfaces 21a and 22a of the coils 21 and 22 in the axial direction. Thus, the heat dissipation efficiency is further improved. However, it is preferable that the width enlarging portions 53 be arranged for reducing costs such as material costs for the first core 11. The same applies to the second core 12.
More specifically, each wide portion may be shaped so that the width changes in accordance with location in the layout direction X or be shaped so that the width is fixed regardless of location in the layout direction X. When the wide portion is shaped to have a fixed width regardless of location in the layout direction X, the fixed width of the wide portion corresponds to the maximum width.
The end surfaces 51a and 61a of the narrow portions 51 and 61 are semicircular curved surfaces in which the angle of an arc is 90°. Instead, as long as the side surfaces 32a and 42a of the legs 32 and 42 have the same curvature, the angle may be smaller than 90°.
In the embodiment, the leaf spring 91 is arranged on the upper surface of the first core 11. Instead, a heat-transmitting member that transmits the heat generated from the first core 11 may be arranged. This further improves the heat dissipation efficiency.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2013-187052 | Sep 2013 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2014/073572 | 9/5/2014 | WO | 00 |