Patent ID: 7847457

Claim:
A brushless direct current (BLDC) electric motor assembly of the type used in liquid fuel pumps and the like, said motor assembly comprising: a stator for producing a controlled electro-magnetic field, said stator defining a central longitudinal axis; a shaft supported for rotation about said longitudinal axis, said shaft including a hub section having an outer surface; a plurality of permanent magnet segments supported on said outer surface of said hub for co-rotation with said shaft, each of said magnet segments having opposite, longitudinally spaced ends, said magnet segments arranged side-by-side in equal arcuate increments around said hub; an annular ring encircling at least one of said ends of said arrayed plurality of magnet segments, said ring having been deformed in an electromagnetic forming operation so as to exert a generally uniform compression on each of said magnet segments to hold said magnet segments in an operative position around said hub; and said hub section including an integral retaining pocket for receiving one of said longitudinally spaced ends of each of said magnets.