COMPONENT AND USE OF A COMPONENT

Abstract

A component having an active volume, the active volume not being centrally positioned along a height of the component, and/or not being centrally positioned along a width of the component. Use of the component is also disclosed. Further aspects relate to a use of the component and to a component. The component can be an NTC thermistor or a PTC thermistor or a temperature measurement element. Use of the component for monitoring a temperature of a battery or in a vehicle is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A component, wherein an active volume of the component is not arranged centrally over a height of the component, or wherein an active volume is not arranged centrally over a width of the component.

2. The component according to claim 1, wherein the active volume is arranged close to a side face of the component, and/or wherein the active volume is arranged close to a bottom side of the component, and/or wherein the active volume is arranged close to a top side of the component.

3. The component according to claim 1, wherein the component has inner electrodes, wherein inner electrodes that are adjacent to one another in a stacking direction overlap with one another in at least one overlap region, wherein the active volume of the component is formed by the at least one overlap region of the inner electrodes.

4. The component according to claim 1, wherein the component has two inner electrodes which are arranged in one plane and are not in contact with one another, wherein a region between the inner electrodes forms the active volume of the component.

5. The component according to claim 1, wherein the height of the component extends from a bottom side to a top side of the component, wherein the active volume is arranged in a lower region between the bottom side and a height of 30% of the height and/or in an upper region between a height of 70% of the height and the top side.

6. The component according to claim 1, wherein the width of the component extends from a first side face to a second side face of the component, wherein the active volume is arranged in a left-hand-side region, which extends from the first side face as far as a width of not more than 30% of the width, and/or in a right-hand-side region, which extends from the second side face as far as a width of at least 70% of the width, and wherein, in the width direction, a central region, which is free of inner electrodes, is arranged between the left-hand-side region and the right-hand-side region and directly adjoins the left-hand-side region and the right-hand-side region in each case.

7. The component according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the inner electrodes of the component is a floating electrode.

8. The component according to claim 1, wherein the active volume has a plurality of partial volumes which are arranged symmetrically.

9. The component according to claim 1, wherein at least one inner electrode has two parts which are separated from one another by a gap which runs perpendicularly to the height and to the width of the component.

10. The component according to claim 1, wherein the active volume makes up less than 30% of a total volume of the component.

11. The component according to claim 1, wherein the component has an outer electrode which is arranged on a third side face of the component, wherein at least one of the inner electrodes is connected to the outer electrode, wherein the outer electrode partially overlaps the inner electrode that is connected to the outer electrode, and the inner electrode that is connected to the outer electrode projects beyond a region which is overlapped by the outer electrode.

12. The component according to claim 1, wherein the component is a ceramic component, and/or wherein the component is a multilayer component, and/or wherein the component is configured for surface mounting.

13. The component according to claim 1, wherein the component is an NTC thermistor or a PTC thermistor.

14. The component according to claim 1, wherein the component is a temperature measuring element.

15. The use of a component according to claim 1, for monitoring a temperature of a battery.

16. The use of a component according to claim 1, for monitoring a temperature in a vehicle.

17. A component, wherein an active volume of the component is not arranged centrally over a height of the component and wherein the active volume is not arranged centrally over a width of the component.

Description

[0028] Preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the figures.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross section through a component according to a first exemplary embodiment,

[0030] FIG. 2 shows the component from FIG. 1, wherein the regions in which the active volume can be arranged are indicated,

[0031] FIG. 3 shows a cross section through a component according to a second exemplary embodiment,

[0032] FIG. 4 shows another cross section through a component according to the second exemplary embodiment.

[0033] FIG. 5 shows a third exemplary embodiment of the component.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a cross section through a component. The component is a ceramic multilayer component.

[0035] In particular, the component is an NTC thermistor (NTC=negative temperature coefficient). The component is intended to be surface mounted (SMD component, SMD=surface mounted device).

[0036] The component has inner electrodes and layers of a ceramic material 1. The inner electrodes and the ceramic layers 1 are arranged one above the other in a stacking direction S. The extent of the component in the stacking direction S is also referred to as the height H of the component. The height H extends from a bottom side 2 to a top side 3 of the component. The surface normals of the bottom side 2 and of the top side 3 each point in the stacking direction S. The inner electrodes are of planar design and are arranged parallel to the bottom side 2 and parallel to the top side 3 of the component.

[0037] The component is cuboidal. The component has a first side face 4, a second side face 5, a third side face 6 and a fourth side face 7 which are each perpendicular to the top side 3 and the bottom side 2. The first side face 4 and the second side face 5 are free of outer electrodes.

[0038] The component further has a first outer electrode 8 and a second outer electrode 9. The first outer electrode 8 is arranged on the third side face 6 of the component. The first outer electrode 8 in each case partially overlaps the top side 3 and the bottom side 2 of the component. The second outer electrode 9 is arranged on the fourth outer face 7 of the component. The second outer electrode 9 partially overlaps the top side 3 and the bottom side 2 of the component.

[0039] The extent of the component from the third side face 6 to the fourth side face 7 is referred to as the length L of the component.

[0040] The first and the second side face 4, 5 are parallel to one another. The first side face 4 and the second side face 5 are each arranged perpendicularly to the top side 3 and the bottom side 2 as well as to the third side face 6 and to the fourth side face 7. The extent of the component from the first side face 4 to the second side face 5 is referred to as the width B of the component.

[0041] The inner electrodes of the component comprise first inner electrodes 10, second inner electrodes 11 and third inner electrodes 12. The first inner electrodes 10 are each in electrical contact with the first outer electrode 8. The second inner electrodes 11 are each in electrical contact with the second outer electrode 9. In each case a first inner electrode 10 and a second inner electrode 11 are arranged in a common layer in the stack construction. In this case, the first and the second inner electrode 10, 11 are not in contact with one another.

[0042] The third inner electrodes 12 are floating inner electrodes. Accordingly, the third inner electrodes 12 are not directly electrically connected to one of the outer electrodes 8, 9. In each case a third inner electrode 12 is arranged in an electrode layer which is adjacent to the electrode layer in which a first inner electrode 10 and a second inner electrode 11 are arranged.

[0043] In this case, the third inner electrode 12 overlaps with the first inner electrode 10 in a first overlap region 13. The third inner electrode 12 further overlaps with the second inner electrode 11 in a second overlap region 14. The two overlap regions 13, 14, in which inner electrodes that are adjacent to one another overlap with one another, form an active volume A of the component.

[0044] The active volume A of the component is not arranged centrally in the component. Rather, the active volume A is arranged in an upper region 15 of the component, which upper region is close to the top side 3, and in a lower region 16 of the component, which lower region is close to the bottom side 2. In this case, the active volume A is made up of partial volumes. A region 17, which is in the center in the vertical direction and is situated between the upper region 15 and the lower region 16, is free of the active volume.

[0045] Since the active volume A of the component is therefore arranged close to the outer faces of the component, a change in temperature of the surrounding area very rapidly reaches the active volume A. Accordingly, that region of the component which is critical for the thermal time constant, specifically the active volume A, is very rapidly influenced by a change in the ambient temperature.

[0046] A change in temperature of the component does not take place homogeneously. Rather, in the event of a change in temperature, the temperature of the outer faces, i.e. the top and the bottom side 3, 2 as well as the side faces 4, 5, 6, 7, and those regions of the component that are situated close to the outer faces changes first. The change in temperature then gets ever more close to the interior of the component, until the entire component has adapted to the changed temperature. A change in the ambient temperature therefore always affects the upper and the lower region 15, 16 of the component first and only then the central region 17 of the component. The change in temperature of the component proceeds in the vertical direction from the outer regions, i.e. the upper and the lower region 15, 16, the temperature of which changes first, to the central region 17, the temperature of which changes somewhat later.

[0047] In the component shown in FIG. 1, the active volume A is therefore placed in the regions 15, 16 of the component that are affected by the change in temperature first. The electrical properties of the component are therefore very rapidly influenced by the change in temperature.

[0048] The component is symmetrical with respect to the plane of symmetry that is indicated by the dashed line. The components are often manufactured as bulk goods, wherein the manner in which the component is installed with respect to the top and bottom side 3, 2 is not predefined. Therefore, a symmetrical design of the component with respect to the plane of symmetry is advantageous.

[0049] FIG. 2 shows the component shown in FIG. 1, wherein the lower region 15 and the upper region 16, in which the partial volumes of the active volume A are formed, and the active volume A are marked. The lower region 15 extends from the bottom side 2 as far as a height of at most 30% of the height H. The upper region 16 extends from the top side 3 as far as a height of at least 70% of the height H. The region 17, which is in the center in the vertical direction and is situated between these regions 15, 16, is free of the active volume A of the component. In the event of a change in the ambient temperature, the central region 17 is adapted to the changed ambient temperature last. Owing to the partial volumes of the active volume A being shifted into the lower and the upper region 15, 16, it can be possible to adapt the active volume A to the changed temperature particularly rapidly and in this way to cause, for example, a change in resistance of the component.

[0050] FIG. 3 shows a cross section through a component according to a second exemplary embodiment, wherein the cross section is cut perpendicularly to the stacking direction S. The cross section shows an electrode layer in which a first inner electrode 10 and a second inner electrode 11 are arranged.

[0051] The first inner electrode 10 has a first part 18 and a second part 19. A gap 20 is arranged between the first part 18 and the second part 19. The gap 20 extends in the longitudinal direction of the component. The gap 20 is therefore perpendicular to the outer electrodes 8, 9 and runs parallel to the first and to the second part 18, 19 of the first inner electrode 10. Accordingly, a region 21 that is in the center in the width direction is free of the first inner electrode. The second inner electrode 11 also has two parts which are separated by a gap 20. The region 21 that is in the center in the width direction is free of the second inner electrode 11. Accordingly, the first and the second inner electrode 11, 12 are therefore arranged in a left-hand-side region 22, which is close to the first side face 4, and in a right-hand-side region 23, which is close to the second side face 5. The component is free of inner electrodes in the region 21 which is in the center in the width direction and is far away both from the first side face 4 and from the second side face 5.

[0052] The change in temperature of the component does not proceed homogeneously in the width direction either. Rather, the temperature of the right-hand-side and of the left-hand-side region 23, 22 changes first and the temperature of the region 21 that is in the center in the width direction changes only somewhat later.

[0053] FIG. 4 shows a cross section perpendicular to the stacking direction S of a further electrode layer of the component according to the second exemplary embodiment, wherein the third inner electrode 12 is arranged in this layer. The third inner electrode 12 is a floating inner electrode which likewise consists of two parts. The two parts are separated from one another by a gap 20 which is arranged in the region 21 that is in the center in the width direction. The partial volumes which make up the active volume A of the component are therefore formed close to the first and, respectively, the second side face 4, 5 in the second exemplary embodiment. The region 21 which is in the center in the width direction and is far away from the first and the second side face 4, 5 does not contain the active volume A.

[0054] The first and the second exemplary embodiment can be combined with one another. Accordingly, the inner electrodes 10, 11, 12 shown in FIG. 1 can each be formed in two parts. As a result, active volumes A which are situated close to the top side 3 or the bottom side 2 and close to the first side face 4 or the second side face 5 can be created. A component in which the active volume A is particularly rapidly influenced by a change in the ambient temperature can be constructed in this way.

[0055] The concept described here is not restricted to components with floating inner electrodes. The active volume A could also be formed by overlapping between first inner electrodes 10, which are connected to a first outer electrode 8, and second inner electrodes 11, which are connected to a second outer electrode 9. In this case, the partial volumes of the active volume A can once again be arranged close to the outer faces of the component.

[0056] FIG. 5 shows a third exemplary embodiment. The third exemplary embodiment is based on the first exemplary embodiment, wherein there are no floating inner electrodes provided in the third exemplary embodiment of the component. The first inner electrode 10 is connected to the first outer electrode 8. The second inner electrode 11 is connected to the second outer electrode 9. A voltage can be applied between the first inner electrode 10 and the second inner electrode 11. The first inner electrode 10 and the second inner electrode 11 are arranged in the same plane and are not in contact with one another. Accordingly, an active volume A is formed in a region between the two inner electrodes. The active volume A is identified in FIG. 5. The inner electrodes 10, 11 and therefore the active volume are arranged close to the top side 3 of the component. A second partial volume of the active volume A is further formed close to the bottom side 2 of the component between two further inner electrodes which are likewise arranged in the same plane and are not in contact with one another. As in the first and the second exemplary embodiment, a change in temperature rapidly reaches the active volume on account of the arrangement of said active volume close to the outer sides.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0057] 1 Ceramic material [0058] 2 Bottom side [0059] 3 Top side [0060] 4 First side face [0061] 5 Second side face [0062] 6 Third side face [0063] 7 Fourth side face [0064] 8 First outer electrode [0065] 9 Second outer electrode [0066] 10 First inner electrode [0067] 11 Second inner electrode [0068] 12 Third inner electrode [0069] 13 First overlap region [0070] 14 Second overlap region [0071] 15 Upper region [0072] 16 Lower region [0073] 17 Region in the center (in the vertical direction) [0074] 18 First part [0075] 19 Second part [0076] 20 Gap [0077] 21 Region in the center in the width direction [0078] 22 Left-hand-side region [0079] 23 Right-hand-side region [0080] S Stacking direction [0081] H Height [0082] L Length [0083] B Width [0084] A Active volume