Patent ID: 8772996

Claim:
A stator for an electric rotating machine comprising: an annular stator core which has a plurality of slots arrayed in a circumferential direction thereof; a stator winding made up of a plurality of conductor segments, each of the conductor segments having a leg including an in-slot portion positioned within one of the slots of the stator core and a protrusive end extending outside the one of the slots, the protrusive ends of the conductor segments being welded together to form the stator winding; first conductor segments that are at least two of the conductor segments, the first conductor segments having the in-slot portions disposed in one of the slots radially outwardly of the stator core, each of the protrusive ends of the first conductor segments including 1) a radially outwardly-oriented bend, as defined by a portion of the protrusive end that extends more radially outwardly of the stator core than the in-slot portion and 2) a straight portion that extends away from the outwardly-oriented bend in a manner that maintains a substantially constant radial positioning relative to the stator core; and second conductor segments that are at least two of the conductor segments, the second conductor segments having the in-slot portions disposed in one of the slots radially inwardly of the stator core, each of the protrusive ends of the second conductor segments including 1) a radially inwardly-oriented bend, as defined by a portion of the protrusive end that extends more radially inwardly of the stator core than the in-slot portion and 2) a straight portion that extends away from the inwardly-oriented bend in a manner that maintains a substantially constant radial positioning relative to the stator core, wherein the protrusive end of each of the first conductor segments is twisted the circumferential direction of the stator core, and wherein the protrusive end of each of the second conductor segments is twisted in the circumferential direction of the stator core.