Patent ID: 7859153

Claim:
A motor stator mounting device, including: a motor housing disposed about a longitudinal housing axis, the housing including a cylindrical housing section centered on the housing axis and having a proximal end, a distal end, and an interior surface region between the proximal and distal ends and inclined to gradually converge in a distal direction, the housing further including a transversely oriented distal end housing section integral with the cylindrical housing section; and a stator retaining member having an annular platform centered on a retainer axis and a stator centering component disposed circumferentially about the platform, extending away from the platform in a selected direction parallel to the retainer axis, and tapered to provide a decreasing radial thickness in the selected direction; wherein the proximal end is open to receive a cylindrical motor stator for a distal insertion into the cylindrical housing section toward a selected axial location in which a distal end of the stator engages the distal end housing section, and the interior surface region is adapted to engage the stator during said distal insertion and urge a distal end region of the stator radially toward a centering about the housing axis responsive to said distal insertion, thus to substantially center the stator distal end region within the housing; wherein the stator retaining member is insertable distally into the cylindrical housing following said distal insertion of the stator, with the retainer and housing axes substantially coincident and with the centering component directed distally of the platform, to locate the centering component radially between the interior surface region and an exterior surface region of the stator near a proximal end thereof, wherein movement of the retaining member distally toward a stator retaining position produces a wedging action of the centering component against said interior and exterior surface regions, tending to center the proximal end of the stator on the housing axis while positioning the stator at the selected axial location; and wherein the stator retaining member is adapted for an attachment to the housing while in the retaining position, to permanently fix the stator.