Abstract: A power tool has a motor having a stator made by separately forming pole pieces, return path pieces and field coils. The field coils are placed over necks of the pole path pieces and the return path pieces are affixed to the pole pieces. An armature having an outside diameter of at least 0.625 the outside diameter of the stator is placed in the stator. The field coils may be formed so that they extend beyond pole tips of the pole pieces.

Abstract: A power tool has a motor having a stator made by separately forming pole pieces, return path pieces and field coils. The field coils are placed over necks of the pole path pieces and the return path pieces are affixed to the pole pieces. An armature having an outside diameter of at least 0.625 the outside diameter of the stator is placed in the stator. The field coils may be formed so that they extend beyond pole tips of the pole pieces.

Abstract: An electric motor has a stator in which an armature is disposed. The armature has a lamination stack having slots in which magnet wires are wound. An armature shaft extends coaxially through the lamination stack and a commutator is disposed on the armature shaft to which ends of the magnet wires are electrically coupled. The magnet wires are at least partially encased in thermally conductive plastic. When the thermally conductive plastic is molded, a balancing feature is formed of the thermally conductive plastic. In aspects, the balancing feature can include a layer of the plastic from which plastic can be removed during balancing; one or more balancing rings adjacent axial sides of the lamination stack from which plastic can be removed to balance the armature; or one or more balancing rings having one or more pockets therein in which one or more weights are disposed to balance the armature.

Abstract: A method of forming a power tool includes forming and balancing an armature by securing a lamination stack having slots therein on an armature shaft securing a commutator on one end of the armature shaft, winding magnet wires in the slots in the lamination stack and securing ends of the magnet wires to the commutator, and molding plastic to at least partially encase the magnet wires in plastic and forming a balancing feature. Plastic is removed from the balancing feature during dynamic balancing of the armature. The armature is then disposed in a stator to form an electric motor and the electric motor is disposed in a power tool.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a power tool includes forming an armature by placing an electrically insulative sleeve on an armature shaft, securing a lamination stack having slots therein on the armature shaft with the insulative sleeve disposed therebetween, securing a commutator on one end of the armature shaft with the insulative sleeve disposed therebetween, winding magnet wires in the slots in the lamination stack and securing ends of the magnet wires to the commutator, and molding thermally conductive plastic to at least partially encase the magnet wires in plastic. The armature is then disposed in a stator to form an electric motor and the electric motor is disposed in a power tool. In an aspect, electrically insulative plastic is molded in the slots of the lamination stack to form slot liners and around the ends of the lamination stack to form end spiders.

Abstract: An electric motor has a field assembly, such as a stator, for a dynamoelectric machine has field coils that are wound to a net shape. Lead wires are brought out from the ends of each field coil. The field coils are insulated with insulating sleeves or insulating slot liners. The field coils are assembled with stator core pieces, such as pole pieces and return path pieces, into the stator. The stator core pieces are formed prior to being assembled with the field coils. In an aspect of the invention, the pole pieces and return path pieces are separately formed and then assembled together with the field coils, which have also been separately formed.

Abstract: An electric motor has a rotor and a stator. The rotor or the stator has arced permanent magnets that have essentially the same inner radius (IR) and outer radius (OR). In an aspect, the stator has a stator housing having a plurality of poles. Each pole includes a plurality of flat magnets affixed to an inner surface of the stator housing. In an aspect, flats on the outside of the stator housing key the stator assembly in a power tool housing. In an aspect, flat magnets are pre-magnetized, pre-assembled with alternating magnetic polarities, inserted into a stator housing, and remagnetized to a final, desired magnetic polarity configuration. In an aspect, pre-magnetized magnets and unmagnetized magnets are pre-assembled with unmagnetized magnets between magnetized magnets, the pre-assembled magnets inserted into a stator housing, and the unmagnetized magnets magnetized to a final, desired magnetic polarity configuration.

Abstract: A power tool having an electronically commutated DC motor capable of providing various operating modes ranging from a maximum efficiency operating mode to a maximum power operating mode. The motor has a rotor having permanent magnets mounted in recesses in a back iron of the rotor. In one embodiment the motor has three phase windings, each having at least a pair of coils. The phase windings are connected in either a delta or a wye configuration via electromechanical or electronic switching components, or a combination of both, by a controller within the tool. The coils in each phase winding can also be switched between series and parallel configurations to configure the motor to provide its various operating modes. In one embodiment a dual wound motor is disclosed that has its phase coils dynamically or statically switchable between series and parallel configurations.

Abstract: A power tool has an electric motor with field windings. In an aspect of the invention, each field winding includes two coils wound with the same number of turns of the same gauge magnet wire. When the motor is first energized, the two coils of each field winding are connected in series, reducing in-rush current. Upon expiration of a soft start period, which can be after the motor reaches a predetermined speed or upon expiration of a predetermined time period, the two coils of each field winding are connected in parallel. In another aspect of the invention, an electric motor used in a power tool includes field windings that are connected in series with a separate start winding when the motor is first energized. Upon expiration of the soft start period, the start winding is bypassed. In another aspect of the invention, the separate start winding includes two sub-windings.

Abstract: An electric motor has a field assembly, such as a stator, for a dynamoelectric machine has field coils that are wound to a net shape. Lead wires are brought out from the ends of each field coil. The field coils are insulated with insulating sleeves or insulating slot liners. The field coils are assembled with stator core pieces, such as pole pieces and return path pieces, into the stator. The stator core pieces are formed prior to being assembled with the field coils. In an aspect of the invention, the pole pieces and return path pieces are separately formed and then assembled together with the field coils, which have also been separately formed.

Abstract: An electric motor has a field assembly, such as a stator, for a dynamoelectric machine has field coils that are wound to a net shape. Lead wires are brought out from the ends of each field coil. The field coils are insulated with insulating sleeves or insulating slot liners. The field coils are assembled with stator core pieces, such as pole pieces and return path pieces, into the stator. The stator core pieces are formed prior to being assembled with the field coils. In an aspect of the invention, the pole pieces and return path pieces are separately formed and then assembled together with the field coils, which have also been separately formed.

Abstract: A cordless power tool (300) has a transmission (12) having multiple speed ranges In the light torque range, the speed of a motor (8) of the cordless power tool is held constant to hold an output speed of the transmission (12) constant until motor power reaches a predetermined percentage of the maximum watts out of the motor.

Abstract: A pneumatic compressor capable of supplying compressed gas to a pneumatic tool. The compressor can be powered alternatively by either a battery or an AC power source. The compressor comprises a permanent magnet DC electric motor and circuitry for converting the AC power source to DC power. The compressor includes a receptacle for accommodating one or more of a plurality of batteries and includes circuitry for using batteries having different voltages. The AC power source may also be used to charge a battery connected to the compressor.

Abstract: A power tool has a motor having a stator made by separately forming pole pieces, return path pieces and field coils. The field coils are placed over necks of the pole path pieces and the return path pieces are affixed to the pole pieces. An armature having an outside diameter of at least 0.625 the outside diameter of the stator is placed in the stator. The field coils may be formed so that they extend beyond pole tips of the pole pieces.

Abstract: A method for forming an armature for an electric motor includes securing a lamination stack having slots therein on an armature shaft. A commutator is secured on one end of the armature shaft. Magnet wires are wound in the slots in the lamination stack and ends of the magnet wires are secured to the commutator. Plastic is molded around the lamination stack, commutator and magnet wires. Excess plastic is machined off. The magnet wires can have a layer of heat activated adhesive that is activated when the plastic is molded. Slots in the lamination stack can include slot liners formed of thermally conductive plastic. A fan can be formed when the thermally conductive plastic is molded to encapsulate the magnet wires.

Abstract: An electric motor has a field assembly, such as a stator, has field coils that are wound to a net shape. Lead wires are brought out from the ends of each field coil. The field coils are insulated. The field coils are assembled with stator core pieces, such as pole pieces and return path pieces, into the stator. The stator core pieces are formed prior to being assembled with the field coils. In an aspect of the invention, the pole pieces and return path pieces are separately formed and then assembled together with the field coils, which have also been separately formed. The pole pieces and return path pieces are formed with mating features that are mated to hold the pole pieces and return path pieces together.

Abstract: An electric motor has an armature and a stators. The armature has a lamination stack having slots therein. An internal shaft extends coaxially through the lamination stack. A plurality of magnet wires are wound in the slots of the lamination stack. A commutator is disposed on the armature shaft to which ends of the magnet wires are electrically coupled. The internal is shaft coupled to an external pinion and bearing journal by an insulated coupling. The magnet wires are at least partially encased in thermally conductive plastic. The magnet wires can have a layer of heat activated adhesive that is activated when the plastic is molded. Slots in the lamination stack can include slot liners formed of thermally conductive plastic. A fan can be formed when the thermally conductive plastic is molded to encapsulate the magnet wires. A power tool has the electric motor.

Abstract: An electric motor, power tool using the electric motor, and method of making the electric motor includes making a stator that includes pole portions that have axial lengths less than an axial length of a back iron portion. Alternatively, or in addition, the pole portions have axially opposed ends that decrease in width. Alternatively, or in addition, the pole portions have dovetail features that are received in corresponding recesses of the back iron portion.

Abstract: An electric motor, power tool using the electric motor, and method of making the electric motor includes making a stator that includes pole portions that have axially opposed ends that gradually decrease in width. The pole portions may also have dovetail features that are received in corresponding recesses of the back iron portion.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a flux ring for an electric motor which has a ring with an anchoring mechanism. The ring is placed inside of a die. A first isotropic magnetic material is added into the die such that the anchoring mechanism secures the first isotropic magnetic material onto the ring. A second anisotropic magnetic material is added into the die adjacent the first isotropic magnetic material. The anchoring mechanism secures the second anisotropic magnetic material onto the ring.