Patent ID: 7218019

Claim:
A linear reluctance motor having an actuation axis, the linear reluctance motor comprising: a stator including a set of spaced blades each extending in the direction of the actuation axis, each blade including a plurality of alternating low permeability and high permeability teeth; a shuffle also including a set of spaced blades each extending in the direction of the actuation axis interleaved with the blades of the stator, each blade of the shuttle also including a plurality of alternating low permeability and high permeability teeth; and an active component associated with either the stator, the shuttle, or both, the active component divided into at least N phases, each phase including a set of blades, a flux return portion, and a coil wound around the flux return portion to produce flux through the sets of interleaved blades in a direction substantially transverse to the actuation axis, wherein the set of blades is substantially electrically isolated from current supplied to the linear reluctance motor such that substantially no flux is generated by the set of blades.