Patent ID: 7459822

Claim:
An electric machine having a rotational axis, the machine comprising: a rotor assembly comprising: a rotor hub disposed in a rotational plane that is substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis; and a plurality of rotor teeth affixed to the rotor hub, the rotor teeth disposed in a substantially circular path about the rotational axis, the rotor teeth including at least a first rotor tooth, a second rotor tooth and a third rotor tooth; and one or more stator chuck arrangements disposed around and adjacent the rotor assembly, each stator chuck arrangement comprising a plurality of stator chuck sets including at least a first stator chuck set and a second stator chuck set, each stator chuck set comprising at least a first stator chuck and a second stator chuck, the first and second stator chucks each having a first chuck pole, a second chuck pole and a chuck winding, the first and second chuck poles being disposed adjacent the rotor teeth as the rotor assembly rotates about the rotational axis, where during operation of the electric machine, a flux path passes from the first chuck pole of the first chuck of the first stator chuck set into the first rotor tooth, through the first rotor tooth and into the first chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set, from the first chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set to the second chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set, and from the second chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set into the second rotor tooth, where during operation the flux path further passes through the second rotor tooth and into the second chuck pole of a first stator chuck of the second stator chuck set, from the second chuck pole of the first stator chuck of the second stator chuck set to the first chuck pole of the first stator chuck of the second stator chuck set, and from the first chuck pole of the first stator chuck of the second stator chuck set into the third rotor tooth.