Patent ID: 7382106

Claim:
A method for operating a motor that includes a rotor supported for rotation about an axis, a first pair of rotor magnets supported on the rotor and mutually spaced angularly about the axis such that the first pair of rotor magnets rotate about the axis along a path having an outermost circumferential perimeter, a second pair of rotor magnets supported on the rotor, mutually spaced angularly about the axis, and spaced axially from the first pair, each rotor magnet having a reference pole and an opposite pole, and a reciprocating magnet having a reference pole and an opposite pole, the method comprising the steps of: (a) rotating the rotor about the axis in one rotational direction at a rotor frequency; and (b) cyclically moving the reciprocating magnet toward and away from the first and second pairs of rotor magnets without passing the reciprocating magnet through a corresponding center of rotation for each of the first pair of rotor magnets and the second pair of rotor magnets, the reciprocating magnet being axially disposed in a first space within a boundary defined by longitudinally extending the outermost circumferential perimeter of the first pair of rotor magnets.