Patent ID: 8232701

Claim:
A magnetic machine comprising: a first magnetic pole member having a first magnetic pole row formed of a plurality of first magnetic poles arranged side by side in a predetermined direction, said first magnetic pole row being arranged such that each adjacent two of said first magnetic poles are different in polarity from each other; a second magnetic pole member having a second magnetic pole row formed of a plurality of second magnetic poles arranged side by side in the predetermined direction, said second magnetic pole row being arranged such that each adjacent two of said second magnetic poles are different in polarity from each other and said second magnetic pole row is opposed to said first magnetic pole row; and a soft magnetic material member having a soft magnetic material row formed of a plurality of soft magnetic material elements arranged side by side in a manner spaced from each other in the predetermined direction, said soft magnetic material row being arranged between said first magnetic pole row and said second magnetic pole row, wherein during operation of the magnetic machine, magnetic circuits are formed between at least two of said first magnetic pole row, said second magnetic pole row, and said soft magnetic material row, the magnetic machine further comprising m (m is an integer not smaller than 3) magnetic machine structures, each of said magnetic machine structures being formed by a set of said first magnetic pole row, said second magnetic pole row, and said soft magnetic material row, wherein each adjacent two of said magnetic machine structures are configured to be different from each other in a phase difference in electrical angle between said first magnetic poles of said first magnetic pole row and said second magnetic poles of said second magnetic pole row in the predetermined direction, and are configured to be different from each other in a phase difference in electrical angle between said first magnetic poles of said first magnetic pole row and said soft magnetic material elements of said soft magnetic material row in the predetermined direction, and wherein in said m magnetic machine structures, said first magnetic pole row, said second magnetic pole row, and said soft magnetic material row are configured to be relatively movable with respect to each other in the predetermined direction.