Patent ID: 6166472
Filing Date: 2000-12-26
Classification: F16C,F16F,H02K,Y02E

Abstract:
An airgap electrical machine comprising:a stationary member;a rotatable member rotatably mounted within said stationary member such that an air gap is established between said stationary and rotatable members; anda plurality of airgap armature coils that substantially fill said air gap, each airgap armature coil including:at least one electrical conductor that is formed to create a substantially solid shape having two legs and two cross members, said two legs being substantially parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other, said cross members being bent such that said legs and said cross members are in substantially different planes from each other, said cross members and said legs being separated to form a window having a circumferential width about equal to the circumferential width of two legs, said window being such that when two adjacent armature coils are placed over a single armature coil, the window of the single armature coil is substantially filled by the two adjacent legs of said two adjacent armature coils;said rotatable member having a plurality of integral protrusions extending therefrom wherein the circumferential distance between said protrusions is approximately equal to the circumferential distance between the two legs of said armature coil, said rotatable member having an axial thickness that remains substantially constant or decreases when measured at increasing radial positions; andfirst and second leads being connected to said at least one conductor such that said conductor can be connected to external circuitry.