Patent ID: 7714479

Claim:
A rotor for an axial airgap, dynamoelectric machine, the rotor being adapted to be supported for rotation about a rotation axis and comprising a plurality of magnet subassemblies, wherein: a. each magnet subassembly: i. has opposing subassembly faces and a periphery defined by two radial sides and inner and outer sides; ii. comprises a rotor magnet having substantially parallel opposing faces and appointed to be magnetized along a preferred magnetization direction that is substantially perpendicular to the opposing faces; and iii. is wrapped with a fibrous belt having a length direction extending around the periphery of the magnet subassembly, the belt providing high tensile strength at least along the radial sides of the magnet subassembly; and iv. wherein the magnet subassemblies are shaped to permit the plurality of subassemblies to be assembled collectively into an annulus by joining circumferentially adjacent ones of the assemblies along their adjacent radial sides; and b. the plurality of magnet subassemblies are configured to form an annulus, the preferred magnetization directions of the magnets being substantially parallel to the rotation axis, and adjacent radial sides of circumferentially adjacent ones of the magnet subassemblies are adhesively bonded to one another with an adhesive to form the rotor.