Patent ID: 7615903

Claim:
An electromechanical transmission comprising: an annular rotor rotatable about an axis of rotation; an annular stator circumscribing said rotor; a stationary structural support member having a radially outer portion circumscribing an outer surface of said stator and supporting said stator; wherein said structural support member has a radially inner portion that extends radially-inward of said rotor and at least partially supports said rotor; a rotor hub supporting an inner surface of said rotor, rotatable with respect to said structural support member and supported by said structural support member radially outward of said radially inner portion of said structural support member; wherein said structural support member substantially encloses said stator, said rotor hub and said rotor in one direction along said axis of rotation, and encloses said stator, said rotor hub and said rotor both radially inward and radially outward of said stator, said rotor hub and said rotor, with no portion of said rotor hub being radially inward of said radially inner portion of said structural support member or radially outward of said radially outer portion of said structural support member; and wherein said stator and rotor are characterized by an absence of an additional support member enclosing said stator and said rotor in an opposing direction along said axis of rotation.