Patent ID: 11869695
Assignee: MAXIM INTEGRATED PRODUCTS, INC.
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 10:
11. A switching power converter assembly, comprising:
a coupled inductor including:
first and second magnetic rails being separated from each other in a first direction, the first magnetic rail having a first cross-sectional area (A1) as seen when viewed in the first direction,
a plurality of connecting magnetic elements disposed between the first and second magnetic rails in the first direction, the plurality of connecting magnetic elements collectively having a second cross-sectional area (A2) as seen when viewed in the first direction, a ratio of A1/(A1−A2) being at least 2.0, and
a respective winding wound at least partially around each connecting magnetic element;

a respective switching stage electrically coupled to each winding of the plurality of windings of the coupled inductor, each switching stage being configured to repeatedly switch a terminal of its respective winding between at least two different power nodes; and
a controller configured to control each switching stage so that each switching stage repeatedly switches the terminal of its respective winding between at least two different power nodes out-of-phase with each other switching stage.