Patent ID: 7851958

Claim:
An electric machine comprising: a stator; a rotor opposing the stator; and a plurality of slots formed in the rotor, the plurality of slots configured in a plurality of nested V-shaped slot arrangements, each nested V-shaped slot arrangement comprising an inner V-shaped slot arrangement and an outer V-shaped slot arrangement, wherein a first slot and a second slot provide opposite legs of the inner V-shaped slot arrangement and wherein a third slot and a fourth slot provide opposite legs of the outer V-shaped slot arrangement, each of the inner and outer V-shaped slot arrangements defining a vertex end and a mouth end, the vertex end positioned closer to a center of the rotor than the mouth end, wherein a stator side of each inner and outer V-shaped slot arrangement faces the mouth end, each of the plurality of slots including a stator side and an opposing side with the stator side of the slot closer to the mouth end of the V-shaped slot arrangement than the opposing side of the slot, each of the plurality of slots including a magnet retaining portion positioned between opposing end portions of the slot, wherein the magnet retaining portion is defined by at least one protrusion formed on the stator side of the slot, the at least one protrusion separating the magnet retaining portion from one of the end portions of the slot.