Patent ID: 7696661

Claim:
A stator assembly for an electric motor comprising: a plurality of stator components composed of generally insulated ferromagnetic particles, said plurality of stator components being assembled together to form a generally annular stator core defining an annular opening; a wire wrapped around at least a portion of the stator core to form a stator winding; a first generally annular end plate and a second generally annular end plate mounted to axially opposite sides of said stator core such that said stator core is axially trapped and retained therebetween; a fastener applying a clamping load to the first and second end plates such that the stator core is compressed therebetween, wherein the fastener extends axially through the annular opening of the stator core; wherein said clamping load from said fastener is applied to said first and second end plates which distribute the clamping load to the stator core such that the plurality of components are held together without said fastener directly applying the clamping load to the stator core a plurality of protrusions defined by the stator core, wherein the wire is wrapped around the protrusions to form the stator winding; and a plurality of gaps defined by the plurality of protrusions, wherein the fastener extends axially through one of the plurality of gaps from the first generally annular end plate to the second generally annular end plate.