Transformer with an associated heat-dissipating plastic element

Details Transformer with an associated heat-dissipating plastic element Transformer with an associated heat-dissipating plastic element

2002-09-18

2004-03-23

Mai, Anh (Department: 2832)

Inductor devices

With temperature modifier

C336S060000, C336S061000, C336S090000, C336S096000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06710691

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a transformer. More particularly, the present invention relates to a transformer with an associated heat-dissipating plastic element.
2. Description of Related Art
Following the rapid progress in information technologies, various types of communication products and server structures with multiple functions are developed. Using the ever more popular mobile phone as an example, the transmission/reception of a mobile phone depends on a base station. In general, the base station is located at the top of a high-rise building and hence the broadcasting equipment in a base station is normally housed inside a wafer-proofed casing. In fact, the interior of a wafer-proofed casing can be regarded as a sealed space with little air current flowing inside. Obviously, the heat produced by various devices (all heat producing sources) inside the base station equipment is difficult to get out from the interior by air because air is a poor conductor of heat. Consequently, the best method of dissipating the heat generated by various devices inside the casing of a base station to the outside world is an important issue.
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a conventional transformer structure. As shown in
FIG. 1
, a conventional transformer
100
includes a hollow main body
102
, a core
104
and a coil
106
. The core
104
is installed in the middle of the hollow main body
102
while the coil
106
wraps around the core
104
.
FIG. 2
is a cross-sectional view of a conventional transformer and the sealed space within the transformer. As shown in
FIG. 2
, a conventional transformer
100
normally mounts on top of a circuit board
108
. The circuit board
108
has an open cavity
110
for accommodating a first thermal pad
112
. In general, a second thermal pad
114
is also attached to the upper surface of the hollow main body
102
. Using a base station as an example, the transformer
100
is housed inside the sealed space of a casing
116
. The transformer
100
contacts the casing
116
through the first thermal pad
112
and the second thermal pad
114
to facilitate heat dissipation.
The main source of heat comes from the coil
106
inside the transformer
100
. Because convection circulation inside the sealed interior of the casing
116
is very poor, heat produced by the coil
106
can hardly be channeled away to the exterior. In other words, the heat generated by the coil
106
of the transformer
100
is mainly carried away through the contact with the core
104
. Through the core
104
, heat is conducted away via the hollow main body
102
, the first thermal pad
112
and the second thermal pad
114
to the casing
116
.
In a conventional transformer, contact area between the coil and the core is very limited. Hence, very little heat generated by the coil can be conducted to the core via the contact area for thermal dissipation. It is inevitable that a gap is existing between the coil and the core when copper wires are wrapped around the core to produce the coil, contact area between the coil and the core is diminished even further. Ultimately, the capacity for dissipating heat away from the transformer coil would further get worse for the transformer in a limited space.
Therefore, subject to the effect caused by the very limited contact area between the coil and the core, the coil may be overheated when the transformer is in operation. The low efficiency of thermal dissipation causes an accumulation of thermal into high temperature. This will also directly affect the lifetime and the performance for the transformer and its peripheral electronic devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a transformer with an associated heat-dissipating plastic element therein capable of dissipating heat away from a transformer coil faster.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention provides a transformer with an associated heat-dissipating plastic element. The transformer includes a hollow main body, a core, a coil and a heat-dissipating plastic element. The core is installed inside the hollow main body while the coil wraps around the core. The heat-dissipating plastic element is also installed inside the hollow main body but encloses the core and the coil. In addition, the heat-dissipating plastic element has a heat transfer coefficient higher than air.
In this invention, the hollow main body and the core inside the transformer are formed as an integrative unit made from a material such as ferrous ceramics. In addition, the coil is coated with a layer of lacquer.
In this invention, the transformer may be mounted on a printed circuit board. The circuit board has an open cavity for installing a first thermal pad. The first thermal pad serves to conduct heat away from the hollow main body to the casing. To increase the heat-dissipating capacity of the transformer, a second thermal pad may be installed above the hollow main body for conducting heat away from the hollow main body to the casing via the second thermal pad.
In another embodiment of this invention, the heat-dissipating plastic element occupies the hollow main body and encloses the core and the coil entirely so that the plastic element is able to conduct heat directly from the first thermal pad and the second thermal pad to the casing. In this embodiment, the heat transfer coefficient of the heat-dissipating plastic is higher than the hollow main body.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4843362 (1989-06-01), Heritier-Best
patent: 4866409 (1989-09-01), Umezaki
patent: 5210513 (1993-05-01), Khan et al.
patent: 5469124 (1995-11-01), O'Donnell et al.
patent: 5656984 (1997-08-01), Paradis et al.
patent: 6002318 (1999-12-01), Werner et al.
patent: 6563410 (2003-05-01), Marton

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