Patent ID: 6844646

Claim:
An electric motor including a rotor with a generally cylindrical rotor wall and a plurality of magnetic field producing elements mounted on an inside surface of the rotor wall, the rotor being mounted for rotation around a central stator, wherein the magnetic field producing elements are mounted on the rotor wall by means of a plurality of resilient retaining members, at least one resilient retaining member being located between and engaging with edges of two adjacent magnetic field producing elements, said edges of the magnetic field producing elements extending generally parallel to an axis of rotation of the rotor, the resilient retaining member being elastically deformed so as to exert a retaining force on the magnetic field producing elements, wherein each resilient retaining member includes a first and a second portion each with a first edge and an opposite second edge, the first and second portions being joined along their first edges and inclined relative to one another at an angle of between 0 and 90°, and the edges of the magnetic field producing elements are inclined to conform to the shape of the resilient retaining member.