encapsulated transformer having an "E" shaped core, a
PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING A single or multi-phase polymeric encapsulated trans
POLYMERIC ENCAPSULATED TRANSFORMER former having a "C" shaped core, and a single or multiphase polymeric encapsulated transformer having a
BACKGROUND 5 toroidal shaped core.
This application is a contmuation-in-part of co-pend- BRI£F DESCRIpTION OF THE DRAWINGS mg U.S. patent application Ser. No. 493,585, filed Mar.
14, 1990, now abandoned. FIG. 1A and IB are drawings of the double wall coil
HMT bobbin used in the process of the present invention.
TECHNICAL FIELD 10 FIG 1A is a three-dimensional view of the double wall
The present invention relates to a novel and efficient coil bobbin and FIG. IB is a side view of the double
process for manufacturing a transformer that is encap- wall coil bobbin. The double wall coil bobbin has an
sulated with an electrical insulating resin and encapsu- outer wall (10) and an inner wall (11).
lated with a thermally conductive material, the purpose FIGS. 2A and 2B are drawings of the single wall,
of which is to improve heat dissipation properties. The 15 smgie flanged coil bobbin. FIG. 2A is a three dimen
process of the present invention more specifically re- sionai view of the single wallj singie flanged coil bobbin
lates to a process for manufacturing a polymeric encap- and FIG • 2B is a side view of the single wail, single
sulated transformer having an "E" shaped core, a poly- flanged coil bobbin xhe single wall is indicated by 12
menc encapsulated transformer having an "E" shaped and the fl is indicated b 13 core, a polymeric encapsulated transformer having a zu
"C" shaped core, and a polymeric encapsulated trans- DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
former having a toroidal shaped core. Each such poly- INVENTION
meric encapsulated transformer may be single phase or . , , . . , .
, , „ , „ .° The present invention relates to a novel and efficient
multi-phase, where multi-phase means two or more r „ n , ,
phases. The term "phase" is well known to those skilled 25 Process for manufacturing a polymeric encapsulated
in the art to mean the succession of electrical impulses transformer. The present invention more specifically
of an alternating current in an electrical device. relates to processes for manufacturing a single or multi
The process of the present invention results in a poly- Phase P°lymeric encapsulated transformer having an
meric encapsulated transformer that is superior in terms "E" shaped core, a single or multi-phase polymeric
of safety and performance to conventional transform- 30 encapsulated transformer having a "C" shaped core,
ers. The process of the present invention further is supe- and a single or multi-phase polymeric encapsulated
rior to conventional processes due to superior process transformer having a toroidal shaped core,
efficiency, the end-result of which is that the process of The concept of polymeric encapsulated transformers
the present invention requires considerably less time to is a recent development in the art. Such transformers
complete than do other conventional processes for man- 35 are deemed to be superior in terms of safety and perfor
ufacturing a transformer. mance in comparison to conventional, oil-based trans
■ formers. In the present invention, a process has been developed for manufacturing such polymeric encapsuCo-pending commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. lated transformers and the process has been found to be No. 07/251,783 discloses improved thermally conduc- 40 much more efficient than the processes followed for the tive materials and, more particularly, it relates to a manufacture of conventional oil-based transformers, carbon fiber reinforced resin matrix that can be used as Qne of the measures of efficiency for a process for a strong, structurally stable thermally conductive mate- manufacturing a transformer is the "in-process time" rial. These materials are used in the process of the pres- required to produce the transformer. "In-process time" ent invention to encapsulate certain parts of the trans- 45 is the actual net lapsed time required to produce a transformer. ,. , , . , , . former and it is defined herein as the sum of the time U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,975 d.scloses electrical device ifed tQ c lete each of the ific operations, or co.l forms and, more particularly, it relates to coil forms of the ess which are led hef and
produced from fiber reinforced resin materials. Such _ . , / , .. „ , A t
F ., - , . it_ . it_ . ,„ must be performed sequentially to produce a transcoil forms are used in the process of the present inven- 50 r J * • I J . r r former. In-process time does not include the time the
"So-pending commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. components of the process are in storage racks. A reNo. 07/433,819 discloses encapsulated electrical and ductl°" ln ln-Pr°cesus «TM ls a Pure mfasure of Pr°electronic devices and more particularly, it relates to cess efficiency, which translates into reductions in inelectrical and electronic devices encapsulated with both 55 ventory costs and eductions in time required to manuan insulating material and a thermally conductive mate- facture a transformer. The "in-process time" required
by the process of the present invention is, on average,
While the preceding references relate to certain com- approximately 800 minutes. In contrast, the "in-process
ponent parts used in the process of the present inven- time" required by conventional processes is, on aver
tion, and the last reference describes a polymeric encap- 60 aSe> 1800 minutes. Such a short time period can be
sulated transformer, none of the references disclose the attributed, in part, to the encapsulation steps used in the
particular process of the present invention. process of the present invention, said steps reducing
significantly the time consuming heating steps used in
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION conventional processes. Thus, the process of the present
The present invention relates to novel and efficient 65 invention provides a faster, more efficient means by processes for manufacturing polymeric encapsulated which to manufacture a polymeric encapsulated transtransformers. It specifically relates to a novel process former than do those processes already known in the for manufacturing a single or multi-phase polymeric art.
