Electrical Isolation Device Capable Of Limiting Magnetic Saturation Even Upon Receipt Of High Power DC Bias And Method For Making The Same
An electrical device is produced by winding wires around a core. The device may be used as a transformer. Wires are inserted into, through and around a first hole and a first side of a core a desired number of times. Thereafter, the wires are extended along either a top or a bottom of the core and then passed through and around a second hole of the core. After the wires are wound around the second hole of the core and a second side of the core, the production of the device is complete.
The connector industry is moving towards an environment where virtually any device maybe powered over a network using an ethernet cable. Previously, such power requirements reached as high as 15 watts. Now standards are requiring that ethernet cables and corresponding connectors handle as much as 30 watts. In a typical RJ45 type connector assembly where a modular plug mates in a male-female relationship with a jack, an isolating magnetic device is used in the connector to handle direct current (“DC”) offsets. Such offsets may be caused by various factors including imbalances in the wires of the plug.
For example, data is frequently transmitted over a pair of conductive wires. When transmitting data, the pair of wires may ideally have voltage potentials to ground such that a voltage in one wire of the pair is equal and opposite to the voltage in the other wire of the pair. For example, one wire may have a potential of −2.5 volts and the other wire may have a potential of +2.5 volts. I there are imbalances in the pair of wires or extraneous electro-magnetic interference, the two wires may not have exactly equal and opposite voltages. For example, one wire may have −2 volts and the other wire may have +3 volts. Although there is still a net difference across the pair of wires of +5 volts (which may, for example, correspond to a logic “1”), such a voltage imbalance will generate a current imbalance. Conventional technology uses isolating magnetic devices to deal with such imbalances. However, prior art magnetic devices cannot physically handle the magnetizing force which may be induced by imbalanced DC current having a power complying with the power requirements of new standards. If the transformer is not capable of handling such imbalances, the transformer may saturate and data may not transmit from one side of the transformer to the others For example, prior art transformers are able to handle low tolerances such as 8 mA of DC current bias and the corresponding power such current produces. Now, industry standards are requiring that isolating magnetics handle 24 mA and as much as 34 mA of DC current bias. For example, the IEEE 802.3 AN standard requires such current bias tolerance. Prior a transformers are generally not capable of handling such currents and power.
As an illustrative example, referring to
Therefore, there is a need in the an for an electric device which can handle higher power DC current bias than transformers available in the prior art and a method for manufacturing such a device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONOne aspect of the invention is a method for producing an electric device. The method comprises inserting at least a first wire through a first hole in a core and wrapping the first wire around a first side of the core. The method further comprises inserting at least a second wire through a second hole in the core, the second hole being spaced from the first hole and having a long axis extending substantially parallel to a long axis of the first hole; and wrapping the second wire around a second side of the core, the second side being spaced from the first side.
Another aspect of the invention is an electrical device produced by a method of inserting at least a first wire through a first hole in a core and wrapping the first wire around a first side of the core. The method further comprises inserting at least a second wire through a second hole in the core, the second hole being spaced from the first hole and having a long axis extending substantially parallel to a long axis of the first hole; and wrapping the second wire around a second side of the core, the second side being spaced from the first side.
Yet another aspect of the invention is a connector for enabling electrical communication with a plug. The connector comprises a set of contacts and a filter circuit in communication with the set of contacts. The connector further comprises a set of terminals in communication with the filter circuit; wherein the filter circuit includes a transformer with a core. The transformer is produced by the steps of inserting at least a first wire through a first hole in the core and wrapping the first wire around a first side of the core. The transformer is further produced by inserting at least a second wire through a second hole in the core, the second hole being spaced from the first hole and having a long axis extending substantially parallel to a long axis of the first hole. The transformer is further produced by wrapping the second wire around a second side of the core, the second side being spaced from the first side.
Another aspect of the invention is a method for producing an electrical device. The method comprises wrapping a first and second wire around a first core and inserting the first and second wire and a third and a fourth wire through a first hole in a second core. The method further comprises wrapping the first, second, third and fourth wires around a first side of the second core and inserting fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth wires through a second hole in the second core, the second hole being spaced from the first hole and having a long axis extending substantially parallel to a long axis of the first hole. The method further comprises wrapping the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth wires around a second side of the second core, the second side being spaced from the first side; and wrapping the fifth and sixth wires around the first core.
Yet another aspect of the invention is a connector for enabling electrical communication with a plug. The connector comprises a set of contacts and a filter circuit in communication with the set of contacts. The connector further comprises a set of terminals in communication with the filter circuit. The filter circuit is produced by the steps of wrapping a first and second wire around a first core and inserting the first and second Wire and a third and a fourth wire through a first hole in a second core. The filter circuit is further produced by the steps of wrapping the first, second, third and fourth wires around a first side of the second core and inserting fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth wires through a second hole in the second core, the second hole being spaced from the first hole and having a long axis extending substantially parallel to a long axis of the first hole. The filter circuit is farther produced by the steps of wrapping the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth wires around a second side of the second core, the second side being spaced from the first side; and wrapping the fifth and sixth wires around the first core.
Yet another aspect of the invention is an electrical device comprising a body having first and second holes extending therethough, the holes being spaced from one another and having longitudinal axes extending substantially parallel to one another. The electrical device further comprises at least one wire extending through the first hole, the wire wrapped around a first side of the body and at least a second wire extending through the second hole in the body and wrapped around a second side of the body, the second side being spaced from the first side.
A more complete appreciation of the present invention and many of the attendant features and advantages thereof will be readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals describe identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and more particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3A-3C, a core 50 resembles an ellipsoid with its ends cut off and with a substantially racetrack shaped cross-section. Core 50 may be made of a MgZn material with a permeability of 5000. As shown in
Referring to
If desired, device 70 may be combined with a conventional common mode choke 72 as shown in
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Thus, by implementing a new winding method, a new electric device may be realized which can handle higher power currents and magnetizing forces which would saturate devices of the prior art As discussed, any number of turns may be used for each of the windings. The number of turns may be based on a desired return loss parameter. Moreover, although four wires are shown, clearly any number of wire may be used.
In the prior art devices, high power DC currents create a magnetic flux which may saturate the entire transformer. As a consequence, AC data cannot pass through the transformer because there is no magnetizing force available. In contrast, in the invention, the center of the electric device does not necessarily saturate and so data may pass therethrough. Moreover, higher power and corresponding induced magnetizing force can be handled and the device may comply with current IEEE standards. Furthermore, in the prior art, some attempts to deal with these issues include use of a larger transformer. In contrast, a core with the size of, for example, ¼ inch by ¼ inch by ⅛ of an inch may be used in the invention. In the prior art, a toroid of twice that size may be required. An electric device in accordance with the invention may be backward compatible and may also be used in low power applications.
While preferred embodiments of the invention have described, the scope of the invention is only limited by the claims.
Claims
1. A method for producing an electric device, the method comprising:
- inserting at least a first wire through a first hole in a core;
- wrapping the first wire around a first side of the core;
- inserting at least a second wire through a second hole in the core, the second hole being spaced from the first hole and having a long axis extending substantially parallel to a long axis of the first hole; and
- wrapping the second wire around a second side of the core, the second side being spaced from the first side.
2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second wires each comprise four wires.
3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
- performing both steps of inserting and both steps of wrapping a defined number of times.
4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the core is substantially a cut-off ellipsoid.
5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the core has substantially a racetrack cross-section.
6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second wires are part: of a single wire and the method further comprises extending the first wire over a top or bottom of the core after the wrapping the first wire around the first side of the core.
7. An electrical device produced by a method of:
- inserting at least a first wire through a first hole in a core;
- wrapping the first wire around a first side of the core;
- inserting at least a second wire through a second hole in the core, the second hole being spaced from the first hole and having a long axis extending substantially parallel to -a long axis of the first hole; and
- wrapping the second wire around a second side of the core, the second side being spaced from the first side.
8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the first and second wires are part of a single wire and the method further comprises extending the first wire over a top or bottom of the core after the wrapping the first wire around the first side of the core.
9. A connector for enabling electrical communication with a plug, the connector comprising:
- a set of contacts;
- a filter circuit in communication with the set of contacts; and
- a set of terminals in communication with the filter circuit,
- wherein the filter circuit includes a transformer with a core, the transformer produced by the steps of:
- inserting at least a first wire through a first hole in the core;
- wrapping the first wire around a first side of the core;
- inserting at least a second wire through a second hole in the core, the second hole being spaced from the first hole and having a long axis extending substantially parallel to a long axis of the first hole; and
- wrapping the second wire around a second side of the core, the second side being spaced from the first side.
10. The connector as recited in claim 9, wherein the core is substantially a cut-off ellipsoid.
11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the first and second wires are part of a single wire and the method further comprises extending the first wire over a top or bottom of the core after the wrapping the first wire around the first side of the core.
12. A method for producing an electrical device, the method comprising:
- wrapping a &a and second wire around a first core;
- inserting the first and second wire and a third and a fourth wire through a first hole in a second core;
- wrapping the first, second, third and fourth wires around a first side of tie second core;
- inserting fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth wires through a second hole in the second core, the second hole being spaced from the first hole and having a long axis extending substantially parallel to a long axis of the first hole;
- wrapping the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth wires around a second side of the second core, the second side being spaced from the first side; and
- wrapping the fifth and sixth wires around the first core.
13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the first core is a toroid.
14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the second core is substantially a cut-off ellipsoid.
15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the first and fifth wires are part of a single wire, the second and sixth wires are part of a single wire, the third and seventh wires are part of a single wire, the fourth and eighth wires are part of a single wire, and the method further comprises extending the first, second, third and fourth wires over a top or bottom of the second core after the wrapping the first, second, third and fourth wires around the first side of the second core.
16. A connector for enabling electrical communication with a plug, the connector comprising:
- a set of contacts;
- a filter circuit in communication with the set of contacts; and
- a set of terminals in communication with the filter circuit;,
- wherein the filter circuit is produced by the steps of:
- wrapping a first and second wire around a first core;
- inserting the first and second wire and a third and a fourth wire through a first hole in a second core;
- wrapping the first, second, third and fourth wires around a first side of the second core;
- inserting fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth wires through a second hole in the second core, the second hole being spaced from the first hole and having a long axis extending substantially parallel to a long axis of the first hole;
- wrapping the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth wires around a second side of the second core, the second side being spaced from the first side; and
- wrapping the fifth and sixth wires around the first core.
17. The connector as recited in claim 16, wherein the first and fifth wires are part of a single wire, the second and sixth wires are part of a single wire, the third and seventh wires are part of a single wire, the fourth and eighth wires are part of a single wire, and wherein the filter circuit is further produced by extending the first, second, third and fourth wires over a top or bottom of the second core after the wrapping the first, second, third and fourth wires around the first side of the second core.
18. An electrical device comprising:
- a body having first and second holes extending therethough, the holes being spaced from one another and having longitudinal axes extending substantially parallel to one another;
- at least one wire extending through the first hole, the wire wrapped around a first side of the body;
- at least a second wire extending through the second hole in the body and wrapped around a second side of the body, the second side being spaced from the first side.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 16, 2007
Publication Date: Aug 21, 2008
Inventors: Brian J. Buckmeier (San Diego, CA), John Hess (Timonium, MD), Edwin Edralin (San Diego, CA), Joe Berry (San Diego, CA)
Application Number: 11/675,792
International Classification: H01R 11/20 (20060101);