Patent ID: 8471424

Claim:
A permanent-magnet (PM) rotor comprising: a rotor core having an axis of rotation and an outer surface, the outer surface having a first radius of curvature extending between the axis of rotation and the outer surface; and a plurality of PM bulks each having an outer surface, and an inner surface, the inner surface having an inner radius of curvature substantially equal to the first radius of curvature of the rotor core, and the outer surface having an outer radius of curvature that is smaller than the first radius of curvature; a plurality of clamps each having a clamping portion with an outer surface and two inner clamping surfaces, the inner clamping surfaces each having a radius of curvature substantially equal to the outer radius of curvature of the PM bulks, and the outer surface having an outer radius of curvature; where the plurality of clamps are coupled to the rotor core such that each clamp is disposed between two adjacent PM bulks and such that the outer surface of each of the plurality of clamps is concentrically disposed about the axis of rotation of the rotor core; where the plurality of PM bulks are coupled to the rotor core such that the inner surface of each PM bulk is adjacent to the outer surface of the rotor core; where the plurality of PM bulks are coupled around the axis of rotation of the rotor core at equiangular intervals; and where the outer radius of curvature of the clamps is greater than the first radius of curvature of the rotor core.