Patent ID: 7608963

Claim:
A rotor having a substantially cylindrical configuration for use in a brushless direct current electric motor having a high torque to size ratio, said rotor having an outer peripheral surface, the rotor comprising: a central rotor shaft having first through sixth receiving surfaces; a first phase of magnets configured to provide a magnetic flux with a stator with the first phase of magnets including at least six magnets radially disposed around each of the first through sixth receiving surfaces of the central rotor shaft at a first location; a second phase of magnets configured to provide a magnetic flux with the stator with the second phase of magnets including at least six magnets radially disposed around each of the first through sixth receiving surfaces of the central rotor shaft at a second location that is spaced from the first location; a third phase of magnets configured to provide a magnetic flux with the stator with the third phase of magnets including at least six magnets radially disposed around each of the first through sixth receiving surfaces of the central rotor shaft at a third location being spaced from the second first location with the second location being between the first and the third locations; and a collared device configured to retain each of the first through third phases of magnets on the central rotor shaft and provide a minimum gap distance between the first through third phases of magnets and a winding of the stator for rotation of the central rotor shaft.