Patent ID: 7242117

Claim:
A linear motor having a moving element and a stator comprising: at least two inductors formed of a magnetic material; each of said at least two inductors including a tooth row at each of both sides in a width direction orthogonal to a moving direction of said moving element, said tooth row being formed of a plurality of teeth provided at predetermined pitch τ 1 in said moving direction, said at least two inductors being arranged in parallel and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined spacing in said width direction orthogonal to said moving direction, an armature having an armature iron core, at least two armature windings, and at least four permanent magnet rows including a plurality of permanent magnets being provided at a predetermined pitch τ 2 in said moving direction, said permanent magnets being so arranged that different polarities alternately appear in said moving direction; said armature iron core including at least three magnetic pole portions and at least two yoke portions each for magnetically coupling adjacent two of said at least three magnetic pole portions, said at least three magnetic pole portions being spaced apart from each other in parallel by a predetermined spacing so that each of said inductors is positioned within the spacing, wherein each of said at least three magnetic pole portions has one or two opposed surfaces opposing said tooth row of each of said inductors, and each of the at least four permanent magnet rows is provided on each of said opposed surfaces, said at least two armature windings are wound around said at least three magnetic pole portions or said at least two yoke portions so that magnetic flux is generated between said plurality of permanent magnets forming said permanent magnetic pole row and said tooth row opposing said permanent magnet pole row, either of said at least two inductors or said armature is used as said moving element and other of said at least two inductors or said armature is used as said stator.