Patent ID: 7476998

Claim:
A magnetic drive apparatus comprising: a rotor having a rotor magnetic flux generator; a stator having a stator magnetic flux generator and stator magnetic paths; and magnetic flux controller provided in intermediate positions in said stator magnetic paths for controlling a magnetic flux flowing through the stator magnetic paths, wherein said stator magnetic paths divide both poles of said stator magnetic flux generator into multiple branches with each branch end being a magnetic pole end of a single magnetic pole that is magnetically separated, the magnetic pole ends are arranged around said rotor at a predetermined angle, said magnetic flux controller controls magnetic characteristics of said stator magnetic paths to control a flow of the magnetic flux flowing to said magnetic pole ends in order to switch a balance between positive and negative magnetic forces appearing at the magnetic pole ends, and the rotor is rotated with respect to the stator by switching the balance between positive and negative magnetic forces to change a direction of the magnetic flux flowing to the rotor. wherein said magnetic flux controller comprises a variable magnetic characteristics member whose magnetic characteristics are variable and magnetic characteristics controller for controlling magnetic characteristics of the variable magnetic characteristics member, and said magnetic characteristics controller is next to, embedded in, or mixed with said variable magnetic characteristics member, and wherein said magnetic characteristics controller is one of: a stress application element that applies stress to the variable magnetic characteristics member to control magnetic characteristics of the variable magnetic characteristics member, and a temperature application element that changes a temperature of the variable magnetic characteristics member to control magnetic characteristics of the variable magnetic characteristics member, and wherein each of said application members controls the magnetic characteristics according to a change in a physical amount caused by a control signal.