Patent ID: 8672656

Claim:
A progressing cavity pump/motor, comprising: a stator housing having an interior surface, a plurality of axially-extending and necked grooves formed in the interior surface of the stator housing, and a plurality of necked grooves also formed in the interior surface of the stator housing and having a circumferential component, wherein the plurality of axially-extending and necked grooves intersect the plurality of necked grooves having a circumferentially-extending component each of the axially-extending and necked grooves and each of the necked grooves having the circumferentially-extending component being provided with a neck portion having a width which is less than a width of a radially deeper portion of the necked groove; a polymeric layer molded onto the interior surface of the stator housing and having a radially interior surface and a plurality of radially outwardly projecting portions received within the axially extending and necked grooves of the stator housing and also within the necked grooves having the circumferentially-extending component, each of the radially outwardly projecting portions of the polymeric layer having a radially inwardly disposed width corresponding to the neck portion width of the necked grooves and a radially outwardly disposed width corresponding to the width of the radially deeper portion of the necked grooves; a rotor radially interior of the polymeric layer and rotatable relative to the stator housing and the radially interior surface of the polymeric layer disposed therein; and wherein the plurality of radially outwardly projecting portions of the polymeric layer are molded within the necked grooves formed in the interior surface of the stator housing to provide an interlocking fit to secure the polymeric layer in its molded position within the stator housing.