Patent ID: 7615907

Claim:
A segmented inner stator for a brushless permanent magnet motor, the segmented inner stator comprising a stator core having a plurality of radially-extending poles separated by spaces, each of said poles being adapted for receiving a stator winding thereon, said stator core including a plurality of core segments which are mated and retained together in a circular arrangement by at least one retaining ring, wherein each of at least some of the core segments has an opening on an axially-facing surface, the retaining ring having a radial extension extending along the axially-facing surface of the core segments and a plurality of axial projections extending from the radial extension of the retaining rings into at least some of the openings in the core segments so that the core segments are retained axially and radially relative to each other and relative to the retaining ring, said spaces between the poles being substantially free of said axial projections.