Patent Publication Number: US-11646145-B2

Title: Low-profile housing for electronic components

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/754,413 filed on Nov. 1, 2018, entitled “LOW-PROFILE HIGH-CREEPAGE HOUSING,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Field 
     The field relates to housings for electronic components such as transformers. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Electronic components such as transformers are closely regulated and must satisfy various standards. As examples, regulations generally require electronic components to have minimum creepage and clearance distances. Minimum creepage is the shortest path between two conductive parts measured along the surface of insulation between the two conductive parts. Minimum clearance is the shortest path between two conductive parts as measured through the air. 
     The requirements to provide minimum creepage and clearance distances often conflict with the desire to provide small form factor devices. Minimum creepage and clearance distances can be satisfied by elongating parts to increase the path between two conductive parts. Small form factor devices can achieve minimum creepage and clearance distances through potting (e.g., filling voids in the device with an insulating compound such as epoxy) however potting significantly increases the cost of such devices. Accordingly, there remains a need for electronic components having a small form factor that can satisfy minimum creepage and clearance distances. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, a low-profile electronic component housing includes: a body including a cavity; an electronic component housed in the cavity of the body; a lid secured to the body, the lid including an extension portion that extends into the cavity of the body from a lateral portion of the lid; a wire; and a terminal electrically coupled to the electronic component by way of the wire, wherein a minimum creepage path is disposed between the terminal and the electronic component, the minimum creepage path including a distance between the terminal and the electronic component as measured along a surface of insulation, and wherein the minimum creepage path extends along the extension portion of the lid. 
     In some embodiments, the electronic component includes a wire-wound electronic component. The wire-wound electronic component can be a transformer. The minimum creepage path can extend between the extension portion and the body. The wire can be routed along a lateral side of the electronic component housing. The wire can be routed into the cavity through a side opening disposed on the lateral side of the electronic component housing. No terminals can be disposed along the lateral side of the electronic component housing. The body may further include a sidewall. The sidewall and the extension portion may extend vertically in opposing directions. 
     The extension portion may include two rounded wall portions extending from two ends of a center wall portion. The sidewall may include two rounded sidewall portions extending from two ends of a center sidewall portion. The two rounded wall portions of the extension portion may be configured to mate with the two rounded sidewall portions of the sidewall and the center wall portion of the extension portion can be configured to mate with the center sidewall portion of the sidewall. The electronic component housing may have a front side disposed non-parallel relative to the lateral side, wherein the sidewall and the lid cooperate to define a front opening in the front side which exposes the electronic component to an exterior of the electronic component housing. 
     The electronic component housing can include another terminal including a plurality of pins disposed along the front side of the electronic component housing. 
     In some embodiments, the lid may further include a locking feature that secures the lid to the body and at least partially secures the wire against a portion of the body. The minimum creepage path may have a length of at least 8.0 mm. The housing may have a height of 7.5 mm or less, a depth of 12.5 mm or less, and a width of 11 mm or less. The wire can include an insulated wire. The insulated wire can be triple insulated wire. 
     In another aspect, a low-profile electronic component housing includes: a body having a base and a sidewall extending non-parallel relative to the lateral base; an electronic component housed within a cavity of the body; a lid secured to the body, the lid comprising an extension portion extending towards the body along the sidewall from a lateral portion of the lid; and a terminal electrically coupled to the electronic component by way of a wire. 
     In some embodiments, the electronic component includes a wire-wound electronic component. The wire-wound electronic component can be a transformer. The extension portion and the sidewall can be at least partially disposed around the electronic component. The low-profile electronic component housing can include another terminal electrically coupled to the electronic component. The another terminal can be disposed along a front side of the housing, the front side can include a front opening that exposes the electronic component to an exterior of the housing. The another terminal can be electrically coupled to the electronic component through the front opening. 
     The wire can be routed along a lateral side of the housing and may extend into the housing through a side opening in the lateral side of the housing, the lateral side disposed non-parallel relative to the front side. The lid can at least partially secures the wire to the body. The lid can include at least one tab which secures the wire between the tab and the body when the lid is secured to the body. The at least one tab can include two tabs located at adjacent corners of the lid. The wire can include two wires which are routed along opposite sides of the body and wherein each tab is configured to secure a different wire to a different side of the body. 
     The lid can include a locking mechanism that secures the lid to the body and at least partially secures the wire against a portion of the body. The wire can be an insulated wire. The insulated wire can be triple insulated wire. The extension portion and the sidewall may be vertically formed. The terminal may be positioned on a side of the extension portion and sidewall that is opposite the cavity. 
     In another aspect, a low-profile electronic component housing, includes: a body having a base and a sidewall disposed non-parallel relative to the base; an electronic component housed within the cavity; a lid secured to the body over the cavity and the electronic component, the lid comprising an engagement member that extends towards the base from a lateral portion of the lid; and a wire extending through a side opening between the engagement member and the sidewall. 
     In some embodiments the low-profile electronic component housing can include a terminal electrically coupled to the electronic component by way of the wire. 
     All of these embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the invention herein disclosed. These and other embodiments will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments having reference to the attached figures, the invention not being limited to any particular preferred embodiment(s) disclosed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Specific implementations of the invention will now be described with reference to the following drawings, which are provided by way of example, and not limitation. 
         FIG.  1    is a front perspective view of an electronic component housing with an installed electronic component, according to various embodiments. 
         FIG.  2    is a cross-sectional side view of the electronic component housing of  FIG.  1    with a transformer disposed therein, and also schematically showing a minimum creepage path. 
         FIGS.  3 A- 3 F  show various schematic diagrams of the electronic component housing of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  4 A  is a bottom-up view of a lid portion of the electronic component housing of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  4 B  is a perspective view of the lid portion of  FIG.  4 A . 
         FIG.  5 A  is a perspective view of a body portion of the electronic component housing of  FIG.  1   , showing a back side of the body portion. 
         FIG.  5 B  is a perspective view of the body portion of  FIG.  5 A , showing a front side of the body portion. 
         FIG.  6    is a rear perspective view of the electronic component housing of  FIG.  1   , showing the lid portion coupled to the body portion. 
         FIG.  7    is an exploded perspective view of the electronic component housing and electronic component of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  8    is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a lid portion of a housing, according to another embodiment. 
         FIG.  9    is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a body portion configured to mate with the lid portion of  FIG.  8   . 
         FIG.  10    is a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary embodiment of the housing of  FIGS.  8  and  9    with a transformer disposed therein, and also schematically showing a minimum creepage path. 
         FIG.  11    is a perspective view of the housing and transformer of  FIG.  10   . 
         FIG.  12    is an exploded perspective view of the housing and transformer of  FIGS.  10  and  11   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various embodiments disclosed herein relate to a housing for an electronic component, the housing having both a low profile and high minimum creepage path. The housing may include an electronic component (or components), for example, a transformer in some embodiments. The electronic components and accompanying housing typically may be subject to regulatory requirements on minimum creepage for safety and proper operation. As an example, the housing may house a transformer and the housing may provide sufficient minimum creepage and clearance distances to satisfy regulatory requirements for operation of the transformer within specified operating parameters (e.g., for a specified working voltage, for specified environmental conditions, etc.), while still meeting customer demands for small form factors. The housing may include one or more features or structures that increase the minimum creepage and/or clearance distances, within a compact design. 
     Minimum creepage is the shortest path between two conductive parts measured along the surface of insulation between the two conductive parts. A proper and sufficient minimum creepage distance should protect against tracking, which is a failure mode in which an insulation surface is degraded and made at least partially conducting. Damage to insulators from tracking generally develops over time and is accelerated by various factors including excessive working voltages, humidity in the environment, contaminants in or on the insulators, corrosive materials or other pollutants including dust in the environment, humidity and moisture levels, and even the altitude at which the electronic component is operated. Thus, the minimum creepage distance specified by regulators is a function of multiple factors including, but not necessarily limited to, the expected working voltage, the insulator material properties, and the expected working environment (e.g., dry, wet, clean, dusty, salinity, corrosive, high or low altitude, etc.). 
     The expected working environment may sometimes be categorized according to pollution degrees. The first pollution degree may include environments with no pollution or only dry and non-conductive pollution (e.g., pollution having no influence on tracking). The second pollution degree may include environments that normally include only non-conductive pollution, but with tolerance for occasional temporary conductivity caused by condensation (some standards state condensation is acceptable only when the device is not operating). The third pollution degree includes environments with conductive pollution or dry non-conductive pollution that is allowed to become conductive due to condensation. The fourth pollution degree includes environments with persistent conductivity caused by conductive dust, rain, snow, or other such pollutants. 
     The resistance of an insulating material to tracking may be described by a comparative tracking index (CTI), determined by placing a test voltage across the insulator until a certain amount of current flows across the insulator. Materials having a higher CTI-value are more resistant to tracking and thus require shorter minimum creepage distances to satisfy regulations. Some materials, including inorganics like glass and ceramic, are not susceptible to tracking. In generally, plastics like polyethylene are more resistant to tracking than printed circuit board material (e.g., FR4 glass-reinforced epoxy laminate material), which is turn is more resistant to tracking than glass-filled PCB FR4, which is turn is more resistant to tracking than phenolic resins. 
     In contrast with minimum creepage, minimum clearance is the shortest through-the-air path between two conductive parts. Like minimum creepage, the minimum clearance distances specified by regulators depend on multiple factors including, but not necessarily limited to, the expected working voltage and the expected working environment (e.g., dry, wet, clean, dusty, corrosive, high or low altitude, etc.). 
     In at least some embodiments, the housing described herein is configured with a minimum creepage path of at least 9.2 mm, which may exceed the distance specified for a working voltage of 400V with the expected operating environment and insulator materials. At the same time, the housing may have compact dimensions including a height of approximately 6.8 mm (or 7.0 mm), a depth of approximately 12.1 mm, and a width of 10.4 mm. In some embodiments, the housing may have a height of 8.0 mm or less, 7.5 mm or less, 7.0 mm or less, 6.5 mm or less, 6.0 mm or less, between 7.5 and 8.0 mm, between 7.0 and 7.5 mm, between 6.5 and 7.0 mm, or between 6.0 and 6.5 mm. At the same time, the housing may have a depth of 13.0 mm or less, 12.5 mm or less, 12.0 mm or less, 11.5 mm or less, 11.0 mm or less, 10.5 mm or less, between 12.5 and 13.0 mm, between 12.0 and 12.5 mm, between 11.5 and 12.0 mm, between 11.0 and 11.5 mm, or between 10.5 and 11.0 mm. Additionally, the housing may have a width of 11.5 mm or less, 11.0 mm or less, 10.5 mm or less, 10.0 mm or less, 9.5 mm or less, 9.0 mm or less, between 11.0 and 11.5 mm, between 10.5 and 11 mm, between 10.0 and 10.5 mm, between 9.5 and 10.0 mm, or between 9.0 and 9.5 mm. Furthermore, the housing may have such dimensions while maintaining minimum creepage paths of at least 7.0 mm, at least 7.5 mm, at least 8.0 mm, at least 8.5 mm, at least 9.0 mm, at least 9.5 mm, at least 10.0 mm, between 7.0 and 7.5 mm, between 7.5 and 8.0 mm, between 8.0 and 8.5 mm, between 8.5 and 9.0 mm, between 9.0 and 9.5 mm, or between 9.5 and 10.0 mm. 
       FIG.  1    is a front perspective view of an electronic component housing  100  according to one exemplary embodiment. As shown in  FIG.  1   , the housing  100  may include a body portion  200  and a lid portion  300 . In some embodiments, the lid portion  300  is removably coupled to the body portion  200  via engagement members  302  and  304  of the lid portion  300 . The engagement members  302  and  304  engage with respective engagement portions of the body portion  200 . In some embodiments, the engagement members  302 ,  304  may engage with the body portion  200  by way of a tool-less connection, e.g., a snapfit connection. In some embodiments, an adhesive may be used to assist in securing the lid portion  300  to the body portion  200 . In various embodiments, the lid portion  300  may be more permanently secured to the body portion  200  (e.g., following installation of component  400 ). The body portion  200  and lid portion  300  may be formed from any desired material, including plastic. 
     The housing  100  may house an electronic component  400  such as a wire-wound electronic component, which can be connected to external circuitry (e.g., other electronic devices, a package substrate such as a printed circuit board, or any other suitable external device) via terminals or pins  202  and  204 . The wire-wound electronic component can be a transformer  400 . In other embodiments, the electronic component  400  may comprise other types of electronic devices. Pins  202  may be coupled to primary windings of the transformer  400 , while pins  204  may be coupled to secondary windings of the transformer  400 . In general, references herein to primary and secondary may be used interchangeably (e.g., the secondary side may, if desired, be operated as the primary side and the primary side may be operated as the secondary side). Pins  204  can be the first terminal and pins  202  can be the second terminal. 
     In various embodiments, transformer  400  may be inserted into the body portion  200  while the lid portion  300  is removed. The lid portion  300  may be secured to the body portion  200  after the transformer  400  is inserted into the cavity between the lid and body portions. In some embodiments, a front opening  401  in a front side  130  of the housing  100  may be provided which exposes the electronic component to an exterior of the electronic component housing. The front opening  401  provides benefits such as permitting the evaporation of liquids used during assembly (such as a post soldering wash). In other embodiments, however, the front side  130  may not include the front opening but may instead by closed, e.g., by providing a wall between pillars  131  connected to pins  202  and the transformer  400 . Additionally, the design of housing  100  may at least partially protect the wire  402  from solder heat when, for example, the pins  202 ,  204  are soldered to an external device such as a package substrate. As shown, the pins  202  may be disposed along the front side  130  of the housing  100 , e.g., the same side as the front opening  401 . 
       FIG.  1    also illustrates a wire  402  that is routed along a lateral side  132  of the housing  100 . The lateral side  132  of the housing can be non-parallel to (e.g., generally perpendicular to) the front side  130  and disposed between the front side  130  and a rear side  134  opposite the front side  130 . The wire  402  may be an insulated wire such as a triple insulated wire. The wire  402  may include multiple triple insulated wires and may also include a combination of triple insulated wires and other types of wires. The wire  402  may be coupled to pins  204  and routed from the rear side  134  of the housing  100 . The wire  402  may be coupled to the transformer and may run from the cavity of the housing  100  through a side opening  133   a  of the housing  100  along the lateral side  132 . The side opening  133   a  may be disposed on a lateral side of the housing (e.g., lateral side  132  or  136 ) in which no terminals or pins are provided. Providing the side opening on a side without terminals can beneficially maintain a large minimum clearance. As shown in  FIG.  3 B , a second side opening  133   b  can be provided through the opposing lateral side  136  of the housing  100 , which may also be void of terminals or pins. 
     In some embodiments, body portion  200  may have a groove  210  and the wire  402  may be disposed within the groove  210 . The lid portion  300  may protect and/or secure wire  402  in place. As an example, engagement member  302  of the lid portion  300  may, in addition to securing lid portion  300  to body portion  200 , serve as a locking feature that secures the wire  402  in place when the lid portion  300  is secured to the body portion  200 . While  FIG.  1    illustrates groove  210  on one lateral side  132  of the housing  100 , a similar groove (and second wire) may be disposed on the other opposing lateral side  136  (see  FIG.  3 B ) of the housing  100 . If desired, both of the engagement members on the front portion of the lid portion  300  may be engagement members  302  and can secure wire  402  in place, thus allowing users to select a desired side of the housing  100  for running the wire  402  and permitting users to route wires  402  along both sides of the housing  100 . 
       FIG.  2    is a cross sectional view of the housing  100  with an electronic component comprising a transformer  400  housed within the housing  100 . The bolded line connecting the pins  204  to the transformer  400  illustrates the minimum creepage path  212  in housing  100 . As described previously, typically, the minimum creepage path  212  is designed to be sufficiently long so as to satisfy regulatory requirements on minimum creepage for safety and proper operation. In some embodiments, lid portion  300  may include an extension  310  that causes the minimum creepage path  212  to meander, thereby significantly increasing the length of the minimum creepage path. Further, the body portion  200  includes a vertically formed sidewall  218  which is shaped to fit flush with or adjacent to the extension  310  such that the sidewall  218  extends along a length of the extension portion  310 . The Pins  204  can be positioned on a side of the extension portion  310  and sidewall  218  that is opposite a cavity  234  of the body portion  200 . Advantageously by including the extension  310  to the lid portion  300  and corresponding vertically formed sidewall  218 , the minimum creepage path  212  is extended without increasing the form factor of the overall device. For example, the extension  310  can vertically overlap the sidewall  218 , such that the minimum creepage path  210  extends vertically upward between the extension  310  and the sidewall  218 , over an upper rim  219  of the body portion  200  and along an exterior side surface  221  of the body portion  200 . 
     In some embodiments, the minimum creepage path  212  may be at least 7.0 mm, at least 7.5 mm, at least 8.0 mm, at least 8.5 mm, at least 9.0 mm, at least 9.5 mm, at least 10.0 mm, between 7.0 and 7.5 mm, between 7.5 and 8.0 mm, between 8.0 and 8.5 mm, between 8.5 and 9.0 mm, between 9.0 and 9.5 mm, or between 9.5 and 10.0 mm. In some embodiments, the minimum creepage path may be 9.2 which can be higher than a minimum requirement of 8.0 mm of minimum creepage path for working voltages of 400V. Without the extension  310  of lid portion  300 , the minimum creepage path length may be reduced to approximately 5.5 mm, which may be below the minimum requirement of 8.0 mm of minimum creepage path for working voltages of 400V. 
     In some embodiments, the height of the housing is 8.0 mm or less, 7.5 mm or less, 7.0 mm or less, 6.5 mm or less, 6.0 mm or less, between 7.5 and 8.0 mm, between 7.0 and 7.5 mm, between 6.5 and 7.0 mm, or between 6.0 and 6.5 mm. The housing may have a depth of 13.0 mm or less, 12.5 mm or less, 12.0 mm or less, 11.5 mm or less, 11.0 mm or less, 10.5 mm or less, between 12.5 and 13.0 mm, between 12.0 and 12.5 mm, between 11.5 and 12.0 mm, between 11.0 and 11.5 mm, or between 10.5 and 11.0 mm. Additionally, the housing may have a width of 11.5 mm or less, 11.0 mm or less, 10.5 mm or less, 10.0 mm or less, 9.5 mm or less, 9.0 mm or less, between 11.0 and 11.5 mm, between 10.5 and 11 mm, between 10.0 and 10.5 mm, between 9.5 and 10.0 mm, or between 9.0 and 9.5 mm. In some embodiments, the housing may have compact dimensions including a height of approximately 6.8 mm (or 7.0 mm), a depth of approximately 12.1 mm, and a width of approximately 10.4 mm. 
       FIGS.  3 A- 3 F  illustrate various schematic diagrams of the housing  100  from  FIG.  1   .  FIGS.  3 A- 3 F  show similar features as are described in  FIG.  1    and will not be repeated in detail. 
       FIG.  3 A  illustrates a bottom down view of the housing  100 . As described in  FIG.  1   , the transformer  400  may be connected to pins  204  which are the first terminal. The pins  204  may be spaced approximately 2.9 mm to 3.20 mm apart or approximately 3.00 mm to 3.10 mm apart. For example, in one embodiment, the pins  204  may be spaced approximately 3.05 mm apart. Alternatively, the pins  204  can be spaced apart a different amount depending on various factors which would benefit from a different spacing. The transformer  400  may be connected to pins  202  which are the second terminal. Similarly, the pins  202  may be spaced approximately 2.9 mm to 3.20 mm apart or approximately 3.00 mm to 3.10 mm apart. For example, in one embodiment, the pins  202  may be spaced approximately 3.05 mm apart. Alternatively, the pins  202  can be spaced apart a different amount depending on various factors which would benefit from a different spacing. 
       FIG.  3 B  illustrates a side view of the housing  100  from the front side  130  where the pins  202  that make up the second terminal are positioned. The wires  402  include at least two wires which are both connected to the transformer  400  and run alongside the body portion  200 . The wires run alongside the body portion  200  in two separate grooves  210  which channel the wires to the pins  204  that make up the first terminal. As shown, the height of the housing  100  may be approximately 8.0 mm or less, approximately 7.5 mm or less, approximately 7.0 mm or less, approximately 6.5 mm or less, approximately 6.0 mm or less, between approximately 7.5 mm and approximately 8.0 mm, between approximately 7.0 mm and approximately 7.5 mm, between approximately 6.5 mm and approximately 7.0 mm, or between approximately 6.0 mm and approximately 6.5 mm. For example, in one embodiment, the height of the housing  100  may be approximately 6.8 mm. Further, the pins  202  may extend approximately 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm or 0.15 mm to 0.25 mm below the housing  100 . For example, in one embodiment, the pins  202  may extend approximately 0.2 mm below the housing  100 . 
       FIG.  3 C  illustrates another side view of the housing  100  from the lateral side  132  along which no pins may be provided. As shown, the pins  204  that make up the first terminal and the pins  202  that make up the second terminal may be provided on the opposing rear and front sides  134 ,  132 , respectively. As displayed, the distance between the end of the pins  204  that make up the first terminal to the pins  202  that make up the second terminal may be approximately 13.1 mm or less, approximately 12.6 mm or less, approximately 12.1 mm or less, approximately 11.6 mm or less, approximately 11.1 mm or less, approximately 10.6 mm or less, between approximately 12.6 mm and approximately 13.1 mm, between approximately 12.1 mm and approximately 12.6 mm, between approximately 11.6 mm and approximately 12.1 mm, between approximately 11.1 mm and approximately 11.6 mm, or between approximately 10.6 mm and approximately 11.1 mm. For example, in one embodiment, the distance between the end of the pins  204  that make up the first terminal to the pins  202  that make up the second terminal may be approximately 12.2 mm. Alternatively, the distance between the ends of the pins  202  and pins  204  can be different depending on various factors. An example would be, depending on the size of the transformer  400  the housing  100  size can change which would alter the distance between the pins  202  and pins  204 . Also as displayed, the pins  202  and  204  can have an extending portion which may have a length of approximately 0.4 mm to approximately 0.8 mm or 0.5 mm to approximately 0.7 mm. For example, in one embodiment, the extending portion may have a length of approximately 0.6 mm. Alternatively, the extending portion can have a length of a different amount depending on various factors. For example, different connectors adapted for use with the pins  202 ,  204  may have different lengths and therefore it would be advantageous to use pins adapted for the different lengths. 
       FIG.  3 D  illustrates a top down view of the housing  100 . As displayed, the depth of the housing  100  may be approximately 13.0 mm or less, approximately 12.5 mm or less, approximately 12.0 mm or less, approximately 11.5 mm or less, approximately 11.0 mm or less, approximately 10.5 mm or less, between approximately 12.5 and approximately 13.0 mm, between approximately 12.0 and approximately 12.5 mm, between approximately 11.5 and approximately 12.0 mm, between approximately 11.0 and approximately 11.5 mm, or between approximately 10.5 and approximately 11.0 mm. For example, in one embodiment, the depth of the housing  100  may be approximately 12.1 mm. Further displayed, the width of the housing  100  may be approximately 11.5 mm or less, approximately 11.0 mm or less, approximately 10.5 mm or less, approximately 10.0 mm or less, approximately 9.5 mm or less, approximately 9.0 mm or less, between approximately 11.0 mm and approximately 11.5 mm, between approximately 10.5 mm and approximately 11 mm, between approximately 10.0 mm and approximately 10.5 mm, between approximately 9.5 mm and approximately 10.0 mm, or between approximately 9.0 mm and approximately 9.5 mm. For example, in one embodiment, the width of the housing  100  may be approximately 10.4 mm. Alternatively, the width and depth of the housing  100  can vary based on a number of different factors. For example, the size of the transformer  400  housed in the housing  100  can change and the housing could be adapted to accommodate the change in size. 
       FIG.  3 E  is a schematic of a cross-sectional view of pins  202 ,  204  in order to illustrate the dimensions and spacing of the pins  202 ,  204 . As shown, the spacing between the center of pins  202  to the center of pins  204  may be approximately 12.6 mm or less, approximately 12.1 mm or less, approximately 11.6 mm or less, approximately 11.1 mm or less, approximately 10.6 mm or less, approximately 10.1 mm or less, between approximately 12.1 mm and approximately 12.6 mm, between approximately 11.6 mm and approximately 12.1 mm, between approximately 11.1 mm and approximately 11.6 mm, between approximately 10.6 mm and approximately 11.1 mm, or between approximately 10.1 mm and approximately 11.6 mm. For example, in one embodiment, the spacing between the center of pins  202  to the center of pins  204  may be 11.10 mm. Further, the spacing from the center of directly adjacent pins  202  may be 2.9 mm to 3.20 mm apart or approximately 3.00 mm to 3.10 mm apart. For example, in one embodiment, the spacing form the center of directly adjacent pins  202  may be 3.05 mm. The spacing from the center of directly adjacent pins  204  can be similarly space to that of pins  202 . The pins  202 ,  204  each have a rectangular shape. The width of pins  202 ,  204  may have a width of between approximately 1.9 mm to approximately 2.1 mm or approximately 1.95 mm to approximately 2.05 mm. For example, in one embodiment, the pins  202 ,  204  may have a width of approximately 2 mm. The length dimension of the pins  202 ,  204  may be approximately 0.9 mm to approximately 1.1 mm or 0.95 mm to approximately 1.05 mm. For example, in one embodiment, the pins  202 ,  204  may have a length dimension of approximately 1.0 mm. Alternatively, the dimensions and spacing can be altered based on design constraints. For example, running a higher voltage through the pins  202 ,  204  could benefit from more spacing between the pins  202 ,  204  and therefore spacing could be altered. 
       FIG.  3 F  is a schematic representation of the transformer  400  connected to the pins  202  and pins  204 . As discussed previously, the transformer  400  includes two sets of windings, a primary winding  402  and a secondary winding  404 . The transformer  400  is illustrated by components captured within the dotted line. The pins  202  are connected to the primary winding  402  whereas the pins  204  are connected to the secondary winding  404 . In particular, pins labelled  1 ,  2 , and  3  may correspond to pins  202  and may be respectively coupled to the beginning, middle, and end of a primary winding in transformer  400 , while pins labelled  4 ,  5 , and  6  may correspond to pins  204  and may be respectively coupled to the beginning, middle, and end of a secondary winding in transformer  400 . In general, references herein to primary and secondary may be used interchangeably (e.g., the secondary side may, if desired, be operated as the primary side and the primary side may be operated as the secondary side). 
       FIG.  4 A  is a bottom perspective view of the lid portion  300  of  FIG.  1   .  FIG.  4 B  illustrates a perspective view of the lid portion  300  of  FIG.  1   . The lid portion  300  includes engagement members  302  and  304  which engage with respective engagement portions of the body portion  200  (not shown). The lid portion  300  also features an extension portion  310  which extends into the cavity of the body from a lateral portion  316  of the lid portion  300  and secures with a vertically formed sidewall  218  of the body portion  200 . When the lid portion  300  is secured with body portion the vertically formed extension portion or fin and the vertically formed sidewall of the body are adjacent with each other. When the vertically formed sidewall and the vertically formed fin are adjacent with one another, they are substantially parallel with a small gap separating the sidewall from the extension portion or fin. In other embodiments, the lid portion  300  and body portion  200  can be dimensioned such that the extension portion  310  and sidewall  218  contact one another. Advantageously, the vertically formed fin or extension portion  310  of the lid portion  300  and the vertically formed sidewall  218  of the body increase the length of the minimum creepage path as described in  FIG.  2   . 
     In some embodiments, the extension portion  310  has a substantially rectangular shape with three sides that are integrally formed. The extension portion  310  can also be other shapes in order to accommodate various electrical components housed within the housing  100 . The extension  310  can also include more or less than three sides. Beneficially, the extension  310  can have a rounded shape on two rounded wall portions  314  extending from two ends of a center wall portion  312 . When the body portion  400  has a corresponding rounded shape on corresponding sidewalls, this feature stabilizes the lid portion  300  when the lid portion  300  is secured within the body portion  400  by preventing the lid portion  300  from sliding. The extension portion  310  includes a lid opening  403  defined between terminating ends of the wall portions  314 . When the lid portion  300  is secured to the body portion  400 , the lid opening  403  of the extension portion  310  and an opening of the sidewall  218  of the body (not shown) can cooperate to at least partially define the front opening  401  in the housing  100  to provide access or to expose the electrical component therein. 
       FIG.  5 A  is a perspective view of the body portion  200 , showing the rear and side of the body portion  200 . The side of body portion  200  may include groove  210  for routing wire  402  (not shown). This groove  210  holds and routes the wire  402  to the pins  204  (not shown) that make up the first terminal. The body portion  200  includes engagement portions  214  and  216  which engage with the engagement members  302  and  304  of the lid portion  300  in order to secure the lid portion  300  to the body portion  200 . While one side of the body portion  200  is depicted, the body portion  200  may be symmetrical and therefore the other side may have the same features. Alternatively, the body portion  200  can be designed to be unsymmetrical where the features on the other side would be different from those of the one side. 
     The body portion  200  includes a vertically formed sidewall  218  extending from a lateral base  236 . Advantageously, the extension portion  310  (not shown) of the lid portion  300  and the vertically formed sidewall  218  of the body portion  200  increase the length of the minimum creepage path as described in  FIG.  2   . Like the extension  310  of the lid portion  300 , the vertically formed sidewall  218  is substantially rectangular shaped and surrounds three sides. The vertically formed sidewall  218  can also be other shapes in order to accommodate various electrical components housed within the housing  100 . The vertically formed sidewall  218  may have a rounded shape on two parallel rounded walls portions  232  extending from two ends of a center wall portion  230  which mirrors the extension  310  of the lid portion  300 . As described above, the rounded shape stabilizes the lid portion  300  when the lid portion  300  is secured within the body portion  400 . 
       FIG.  5 B  is a perspective view of the body portion  200 , showing the front and side of the body portion  200 .  FIG.  5 B  shares the features of  FIG.  5 A  and therefore these features will not be repeated. The body portion  200  includes a cavity  234  which houses an electrical component, such as the transformer  400 . The body portion  200  includes a vertically formed sidewall  218  disposed along three sides. The vertically formed sidewall  218  comprises a body opening  409 , which cooperates with the lid opening  403  to at least partially define the front opening  401  of the housing  100 . Beneficially, leaving the front side  130  of the housing  100  open (for example, by way of front opening  401 ) can permit the evaporation of liquids used during assembly (such as a post soldering wash). Additionally, the design of housing  100  may at least partially protect the wire  402  from solder heat. The sidewalls  218  can further include sidewall openings  405 . When the lid portion  300  is engaged to the body portion  200 , the engagement members  302  of the lid portion  300  can cooperate with the sidewall openings  405  of the body portion  200  to define the side openings  133   a ,  133   b . The wires  402  (not shown) can pass through the side openings  133   a ,  133   b  where they can be routed along respective sides  132 ,  136  of the housing  100 . 
       FIG.  6    is a rear perspective view of the assembled housing  100  with component  400  similar to the view shown in  FIG.  1   .  FIG.  6    has all the features of  FIG.  1    and therefore will not be repeated. As shown, wires  402  may be routed along opposing sides  132 ,  136  of the housing  100  and may be secured within grooves  210  by engagement portions  302 . Further, when the lid portion  300  is secured to the body portion  400 , the lid portion  300  may also protect and/or secure wire  402  in place. The engagement member  302  of the lid portion  300  may, in addition to securing lid portion  300  to the body portion  200 , serve as a locking feature that secures the wire  402  in place when the lid portion  300  is secured to the body portion. 
       FIG.  7    is an exploded perspective view of the assembled housing  100  with component  400 .  FIG.  7    has all the features described in  FIGS.  1  and  6    and therefore will not be repeated. 
     In some embodiments, the housing  100  and component  400  provided herein may provide minimum creepage and minimum clearance distances of at least 8 mm between the primary and secondary windings and pins  202  which make up the first terminal, enabling operation at a working voltage of 400V. 
       FIG.  8    is a bottom side perspective view of an exemplary lid portion  300 . The lid portion  300  of  FIG.  8    is similar to the lid portion  300  described above in  FIGS.  4 A and  4 B . Unless otherwise noted, reference numerals in  FIG.  8    refer to components that are the same as or generally similar to like-numbered components of  FIGS.  1 - 7   . The lid portion  300  illustrated in  FIG.  8    also has tabs  802  which extend from the engagement members  302 . When the lid portion  300  is secured to the body portion  400  (not shown), the wire  402  (not shown) can be secured between the tab  802  and the body portion  400 . The lid portion  300  illustrated in  FIG.  8    includes a longer extension portion  310  when compared to the extension portion  310  of the lid portion  300  of  FIGS.  4 A and  4 B . As discussed in  FIG.  10   , the longer extension portion  310  can further increase the minimum creepage path. 
       FIG.  9    is a top side perspective view of an exemplary body portion  200 . The body portion  200  of  FIG.  9    is similar to the body portion  200  described above in  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B . Their shared features are identified with the same reference numbers and will not be reiterated here. The body portion  200  of  FIG.  9    is adapted to correspond to the lid portion  300  of  FIG.  8   . As previously discussed, the lid portion  300  of  FIG.  8    has a longer extension portion  310  when compared to the extension portion  310  of the lid portion  300  of  FIGS.  4 A and  4 B . Thus, the sidewall portion  218  of the body portion  200  has a shape that corresponds to the longer lid portion  300 . The body portion  200  further includes a protruding portion  220  in the groove  210  which can divide multiple wires  402  when multiple wires  402  are housed in the groove  210 . Beneficially, by dividing the multiple wires  402 , the wires  402  are less likely to get tangled which can aid in assembly of the device. Also displayed is the pin  202  that make up the second terminal. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing size for the pins  202  has been reduced and the pins  202  extend vertically from two ends of the housing. 
       FIG.  10    is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary housing  100  and transformer  400  disposed in the housing  100 . The housing  100  includes the lid portion  300  of  FIG.  8    and the body portion  200  of  FIG.  9   . Further, the housing  100  and transformer  400  of  FIG.  10    are similar to those described above in  FIG.  2    and therefore the shared features will not be described again in detail. As described in the description of  FIG.  8   , the lid portion  300  of  FIG.  8    has a longer extension portion  310  when compared to the extension portion  310  of the lid portion  300  of  FIGS.  4 A and  4 B . Further described in the description of  FIG.  9   , the body portion  200  is adapted to mate with the lid portion  300 . The longer extension portion  310  displayed in  FIG.  10    provides a minimum creepage path  212  in the housing  100  that is greater than the minimum creepage path  212  of  FIG.  2   . As shown in  FIG.  10   , the minimum creepage path  212  of  FIG.  10    extends from a location  410  near the bottom of the transformer  400  whereas the minimum creepage path  212  of  FIG.  2    starts from a location closer to the top of the transformer  400 . A longer minimum creepage path  212  allows the housing  100  and transformer  400  of  FIG.  10    to conform to minimum creepage path regulatory specifications while maintaining a device with compact dimensions. 
       FIG.  11    is a perspective view of the housing  100  and transformer  400  disposed in the housing of  FIG.  10   . The housing  100  includes the lid portion  300  of  FIG.  8    and the body portion  200  of  FIG.  9   . The housing  100  and transformer  400  of  FIG.  11    are similar to those described above in  FIG.  6    and therefore the shared features will not be described again in detail. The body portion  200  includes the protruding portion  220  in the groove  210 . As described above, the protruding portion  220  can divide multiple wires  402  coming from the transformer  400 . Dividing wires  402  can reduce the chances of tangling which can reduce the chances of crosstalk. Further, the lid includes tabs  802  which secure the wires  402  between the tabs  802  and the body portion  200 .  FIG.  12   , is an exploded perspective view of the housing  100  and transformer  400  disposed in the housing  100  of  FIG.  11   . 
     Although this invention has been disclosed in the context of certain embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the invention and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while several variations of the invention have been shown and described in detail, other modifications, which are within the scope of this invention, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure. It is also contemplated that various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the invention. It should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with, or substituted for, one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed invention. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the present invention herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above, but should be determined only by a fair reading of the claims that follow.