Patent ID: 7098567

Claim:
An electrical machine comprising: a rotor; a stator adapted to magnetically interact with the rotor, the stator comprising a plurality of stator teeth, the plurality of stator teeth comprising a first stator tooth comprising a first free end and first and second channels disposed in the first stator tooth at the first free end, the first and second channels having a substantially curvilinear shape, a second stator tooth disposed circumferentially adjacent to the first stator tooth, the second stator tooth comprising a second free end and third and fourth channels disposed in the second stator tooth at the second free end, the third and fourth channels having the substantially curvilinear shape, and a third stator tooth disposed circumferentially adjacent to the second stator tooth, the third stator tooth comprising a third free end and fifth and sixth channels disposed in the third stator tooth at the third free end, the fifth and sixth channels having the substantially curvilinear shape; wherein each of the six channels comprises a respective opening having an opening width (w o ); wherein the stator defines a first slot opening between the first stator tooth and the second stator tooth, and a second slot opening between the second stator tooth and the third stator tooth, each of the first and second slot openings having the width (w o ); wherein each of the curvilinear shapes of the six channels has a respective centerline, and each of the curvilinear shapes of the six channels follows an arc of a circle with a center on the respective centerline; and wherein the first slot opening has a first slot centerline disposed between the first stator tooth and the second stator tooth, the second slot opening has a second slot centerline disposed between the second stator tooth and the third stator tooth, and the centerlines of the third and fourth channels divide an interval between the first and second slot centerlines into three equal intervals.