Appeal No. 2005-2042 Page 2
Application No. 09/946,298
the stator. Accordingly, the armature rotates through magnetic lines of induction
provided by the stationary field winding. In high-power industrial applications, the field
winding rotates, while the armature constitutes the stator.
Regardless of the configuration, the rotor requires a degree of freedom to rotate
about its longitudinal axis. Mechanical bearings, such as journal bearings, ball
bearings, and roller bearings are commonly used for this purpose. Such bearings
necessarily involve friction between the rotating element and the bearing components.
This reduces the efficiency of the unit and introduces heat and wear. (Spec. at 1.)
In contrast, the appellant interleaves conductive lap windings with conventional
loops in the stator of his motor. The motor's rotor provides magnetic induction lines
that, when rotated, cut across the lap windings and the loops. When the rotor is laterally
displaced from its equilibrium axis of rotation, the magnetic lines of induction induce a
current in the lap windings. The induced current interacts with the magnetic lines of
induction to generate a radial force that returns the rotor to its equilibrium axis of
rotation. (id. at 2-3.)
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