Flat coil element for an electric motor and method of manufacturing the same

Claim 2

A flat coil element for an electric motor of at least two poles, comprising: at least one first conductive coil segment in the form of an arcuate flat band part having two substantially linear first ends of substantially equal length, wherein said first ends define first bending lines; and at least one second conductive coil segment in the form of an arcuate flat band part and having two substantially linear second ends of substantially equal length, wherein said second ends define second bending lines each coincident with a different one of said first bending lines of said first conductive coil segment, said second segment has overlapping parts in close contact with opposed parts of said first coil segment, said second conductive coil segment being electrically connected to said first conductive coil segment at the coincident first and second bending lines to define a closed loop folded band together with said first conductive coil segment.

Claim 3

A flat coil element according to claim 1, wherein said flat coil element is for a 2-pole motor, and comprises one said first conductive coil segment and one said second conductive coil segment which has said second ends connected with the coincident first ends of said first conductive coil segment.

Claim 4

A flat coil element for an electric motor comprising: at least one first conductive coil segment in the form of an arcuate flat band part having two substantially linear first ends of substantially equal length, wherein said first ends define first bending lines; and at least one second conductive coil segment in the form of an arcuate flat band part and having two substantially linear second ends of substantially equal length, wherein said second ends define second bending lines each coincident with a different one of said first bending lines of said first conductive coil segment and said second conductive segment has overlapping parts in close contact with opposed parts of said first coil segment, said second conductive coil segment being electrically connected to said first conductive coil segment at the coincident first and second bending lines to define a closed loop folded band together with said first conductive coil segment; wherein said flat coil element is for at least a 4-pole motor and comprises two said first conductive coil segments and two said second conductive coil seqments, and each of said second conductive coil segments has a second end connected to a first end of one of said two first conductive coil seqments and the other second end connected to a first end of the other one of said two first conductive coil segments.

Claim 5

A flat coil element for an electric motor comprising: at least one first conductive coil segment in the form of an arcuate flat band part having two substantially linear first ends of substantially equal length, wherein said first ends define first bending lines; and at least one second conductive coil segment in the form of an arcuate flat band part and having two substantially linear second ends of substantially equal length, wherein said second ends define second bending lines each coincident with a different one of said first bending lines of said first conductive coil segment and said second conductive segment has overlapping parts in close contact with opposed parts of said first coil segment, said second conductive coil segment being electrically connected to said first conductive coil segment at the coincident first and second bending lines to define a closed loop folded band together with said first conductive coil segment; wherein said flat coil element is for at least a 4-pole motor and comprises two said first conductive coil segments and two said second conductive coil seqments, and each of said second conductive coil segments has a second end connected to a first end of one of said two first conductive coil seqments and the other second end connected to a first end of the other one of said two first conductive coil segments.

Claim 6

A flat coil element according to claim 3, wherein said flat coil element is for a 6-pole motor, and comprises three said first conductive coil segments and three said second conductive coil segments, each of said second conductive coil segments having its second ends connected to first ends of two different ones of said first conductive coil segments.

Claim 7

A flat coil element according to claim 3, wherein said flat coil element is for an 8-pole motor, and comprises four said first conductive coil segments and four said second conductive coil segments, each of said second conductive coil segments having its second ends connected to first ends of two different ones of said first conductive coil segments.

Claim 8

A flat coil element according to claim 1, wherein said closed loop folded band is of substantially truncated conical block form when unfolded.

Claim 9

A flat coil element according to claim 1, wherein said closed loop folded band is of substantially flat ring shape when unfolded.

Claim 10

A flat coil element according to claim 1, wherein an overlapping part between said first conductive coil segment and said second conductive coil segment is disposed within an area of said flat coil element which is defined by two lines forming an angle θP expressed by: θP=360°/2nm where 2n is the number of poles and m is the number of flat coil elements to be combined.

Claim 11

An armature unit for an electric motor including a pair of flat coil elements which are combined at an electrical phase difference of 180°, each flat coil element comprising at least two first conductive coil segments in the form of arcuate flat band parts each having two substantially linear first ends of substantially equal length; and at least two second conductive coil segments in the form of arcuate flat band parts each having two substantially linear second ends of substantially equal width each of which is coincident with a different one of the first ends of said first conductive coil segments, wherein said second conductive coil segments define a closed loop folded band together with said first conductive coil segments, and means for electrically connecting said first conductive coil segments of one of said flat coil elements with said first conductive coil segments of the other one of said flat coil elements.

Claim 12

An armature unit for an electric motor including a pair of flat coil elements which are combined at an electrical phase difference of 180°, each flat coil element comprising at least two first conductive coil segments in the form of arcuate flat band parts each having two substantially linear first ends of substantially equal length; and at least two second conductive coil segments in the form of arcuate flat band parts each having two substantially linear second ends of substantially equal width each of which is coincident with a different one of the first ends of said first conductive coil segments, wherein said second conductive coil segments define a closed loop folded band together with said first conductive coil segments, and means for electrically connecting said first conductive coil segments of one of said flat coil elements with said first conductive coil segments of the other one of said flat coil elements.

Claim 13

An armature unit for an electric motor including a pair of flat coil elements which are combined at an electrical phase difference of 180°, each flat coil element comprising at least two first conductive coil segments in the form of arcuate flat band parts each having two substantially linear first ends of substantially equal length; and at least two second conductive coil segments in the form of arcuate flat band parts each having two substantially linear second ends of substantially equal length each of which is coincident with a different one of the first ends of said first conductive coil segments, wherein said second conductive coil segments define a closed loop folded band together with said first conductive coil segments, and means for electrically connecting said first conductive coil segments of one of said flat coil elements with said first conductive coil segments of the other one of said flat coil elements; wherein each said flat coil element is for at least a 4-pole motor, and comprises two said first conductive coil segments and two said second conductive coil segments, and each of said second conductive coil segments has a second end connected to a first end of one of said two first conductive coil segments and the other second end connected to a first end of the other one of said two first conductive coil segments.

Claim 14

An armature unit for an electric motor including a pair of flat coil elements which are combined at an electrical phase difference of 180°, each flat coil element comprising at least two first conductive coil segments in the form of arcuate flat band parts each having two substantially linear first ends of substantially equal length; and at least two second conductive coil segments in the form of arcuate flat band parts each having two substantially linear second ends of substantially equal length each of which is coincident with a different one of the first ends of said first conductive coil segments, wherein said second conductive coil segments define a closed loop folded band together with said first conductive coil segments, and means for electrically connecting said first conductive coil segments of one of said flat coil elements with said first conductive coil segments of the other one of said flat coil elements; wherein each said flat coil element is for at least a 4-pole motor, and comprises two said first conductive coil segments and two said second conductive coil segments, and each of said second conductive coil segments has a second end connected to a first end of one of said two first conductive coil segments and the other second end connected to a first end of the other one of said two first conductive coil segments.

Claim 15

An armature unit according to claim 10, wherein each said flat coil element is for a 6-pole motor, and comprises three said first conductive coil segments and three said second conductive coil segments, each of said second conductive coil segments having its second ends connected to first ends of two different ones of said first conductive coil segments.

Claim 16

An armature unit according to claim 10, wherein each said flat coil element is for an 8-pole motor, and comprises four said first conductive coil segments and four said second conductive coil segments, each of said second conductive coil segments having its second ends connected to first ends of two different ones of said first conductive coil segments.

Claim 17

An armature unit according to claim 10, wherein each said closed loop folded band is of substantially truncated conical block form when unfolded.

Claim 18

An armature unit according to claim 10, wherein each said closed loop folded band is of substantially flat ring shape when unfolded.

Claim 19

An armature unit according to claim 10, including wire ends which extend from each of said pair of flat coil elements, and said wire ends are mutually connected at one of a number of spaces which are formed in overlapping parts of said flat coil elements.