Patent ID: 7679357
Filing Date: 2010-03-16
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. A current sensor for detecting an electric current flowing through a conductor, the current sensor comprising: a ring shaped magnetic core having a gap, the magnetic core surrounding the conductor so that a magnetic field generated by the electric current appears in the gap; a bare semiconductor chip arranged in the gap of the magnetic core, the bare semiconductor chip having a first surface and a vertical Hall effect element placed to the first surface; a case including a case body, a case cover, and a conductive terminal, the case body having an inner room for accommodating the magnetic core and the bare semiconductor chip, the case cover being attached to the case body to seal the inner room, the conductive terminal being supported in the case body and having a first end exposed to the inner room; and a bonding wire for electrically connecting the bare semiconductor chip to the first end of the conductive terminal, wherein the first surface of the bare semiconductor chip is parallel to a direction of the magnetic field, the conductor is one of a plurality of conductors, the magnetic core is one of a plurality of magnetic cores, the bare semiconductor chip is one of a plurality of bare semiconductor chips, the case has a plurality of through holes, each of which receives a corresponding one of the plurality of conductors, and two of the plurality of conductors are coupled to two of three outputs of an external three-phase inverter, respectively.