Transformer/rectifier assembly with a figure eight secondary structure

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In conventional full bridge transformers, the structural design and choice of materials for the primary and secondary windings lead to difficulties in magnetic coupling, connection congestion, output filtering, heat transfer, fabrication, assembly and mounting.
The novel transformer of the present invention alleviates these problems by the use of a secondary structure which defines two conducting paths which encircle different parts of the core structure and cross in different directions in the window of the core in a FIG.
8 pattern.
This pattern of the secondary structure allows the connections to the secondary to be positioned at opposite ends of the transformer thereby reducing mechanical congestion.
In addition, this secondary structure allows greater flexibility in positioning the rectifiers themselves, accommodating spacing of the rectifiers to reduce thermal density, and thus permitting greater heat dissipation.
This spacing of the rectifiers also allows for shorter and therefore lower inductance connections.
By using appropriately constructed and connected windings on both core legs, magnetic coupling as tight as a sandwich structure is achieved, without physically interleaving or sandwiching the primary and secondary windings.
This further leads to a reduced height of the transformer itself and also allows for greater heat transfer since there are fewer interfaces for heat to cross before reaching a heat sink.
In the overlapping portion of the secondary conducting paths in the waist of the FIG.
8, an additional magnetic flux path can be incorporated into the core structure to provide inductive filtering.
This permits, in the limit, elimination of the need for external inductive filtering.