Patent ID: 7233091

Claim:
An electric motor, comprising: a. a multi-piece stator having a plurality of pole pieces with a plurality of return path pieces mated to each of the pole pieces and a plurality of field coils; i. each return path piece having opposed ends with a projection extending from each end; ii. each pole piece having a neck with opposed receiving pockets therein between opposed outer fingers of a radial outer end of the neck and opposite sides of a radially outer section of a pole tip section of the pole piece, each opposed receiving pocket having one of the projections of one of the return oath pieces received therein, each pole piece secured to the return path pieces mated to the pole piece by deformation of the opposed outer fingers of the radial outer end of the neck of the pole piece against the projections of those return oath pieces, the fingers of the radial outer end of the neck of each pole piece having radially inwardly extending projections and the projections of the return path pieces have recesses that are distally spaced from junctions of the projections of the return path pieces and the ends of the return path pieces, the radially inwardly extending projections of the fingers of the radial outer end of the neck of each pole piece received in the recesses of the return path pieces when the fingers are deformed against the projections of the return path pieces received in the opposed receiving pockets of the pole pieces to form mating detects that mechanically lock the pole piece and the return path pieces together, the mating detents distally spaced from the junctions of the ends of the return path pieces and the projections of the return oath pieces to increase a critical length of the pole piece and return path pieces mated to the pole piece; iii. at least one of the field coils disposed around each pole piece between the pole tip section of the pole piece and the return path pieces mated to the pole piece; and b. an armature received in the stator.