Patent ID: 7911104

Claim:
A rotor retention system, comprising: a rotor hub having a plurality of axially extending channels configured to receive therein complementarily shaped portions of pole pieces and effective to retain the pole pieces therein against centrifugal forces; a plurality of axially extending clamp members configured with lateral extensions which engage under pole-hub gaps between the pole pieces and the rotor hub, the clamp members also configured to contain therein complementarily shaped permanent magnets; and for each permanent magnet, a pair of axially extending wedge-shaped base members configured to fit between the permanent magnet and the rotor hub, the wedge-shaped base members tapered to have inclined surfaces which engage against each other in sliding fashion, the wedge-shaped base members expanding laterally as thicker portions of the tapers abut and creating lateral forces that force the lateral extensions of the respective clamp member into the pole-hub gaps of adjacent pole pieces.