Surface mountable electronic device

摘要

A surface mountable electronic device and method of making same wherein a discrete electronic device is encapsulated in a body of electrical insulating material having opposite ends and mounting surface extending between the ends, and an electrode is provided on each end. Each electrode includes a portion on the end of the body in electrical contact with the corresponding lead of the discrete electronic device and a contact portion extending along the mounting surface for making electrical connection to a circuit portion defined on a surface to which the device is mountable. The discrete electronic device is manufactured, prior to encapsulation, by known techniques. Preferably the body is a rectangular solid with each of the four sides having electrode contact portions thereon to serve as one of four possible mounting surfaces each with substantial mechanical stability. When the discrete electronic device is an inductor, interruption of the magnetic field is minimized by spacing the ends of the inductor core from the ends of the encapsulating body, separating the electrode contact portions, having the area of the electrode end portion less than the area of the end of the encapsulating body, and having the cross-sectional area of the most narrow section of the electrode end portion no less than the cross sectional area of the magnetic wire of the inducator winding. In the case of a shielded inductor, phenolic core inductor or non-inductive device, electrodes or diode, solid metal electrode can be employed.