A stepping motor includes a stator, and a rotor disposed in opposed relation to the stator and movable in a predetermined movement direction. The stator has a plurality of main poles, windings for the respective main poles, a plurality of stator teeth disposed on each of the main poles and spaced circumferentially from each other, and stator slots provided between respective adjacent pairs of the stator teeth. The rotor has a plurality of rotor teeth spaced from each other in the movement direction, and rotor slots provided between respective adjacent pairs of the rotor teeth. Slot magnets of hard magnetic inserts each magnetized in a slot depth direction are respectively provided in the stator slots and/or the rotor slots. The slot magnets each have a width that is 60% to 80% of the width of each of the slots as measured in the movement direction.

A motor control device is provided, which drives a two-phase synchronous motor. The motor control device includes: control current waveform generating means which generates a control current waveform by superposing a fundamental sinusoidal wave and a reluctance torque correction waveform that suppresses the fluctuation of the reluctance torque of the two-phase synchronous motor; and current control signal generating means which generates a current control signal for supplying a current to the windings of the two-phase synchronous motor according to the control current waveform generated by the control current waveform generating means. The reluctance torque correction waveform may have a waveform profile such that an original waveform having a frequency twice that of the fundamental sinusoidal wave and having a phase matched with that of the fundamental sinusoidal wave is full-wave-rectified to the same sign as or a different sign from that of the fundamental sinusoidal wave.

A bi-polar hybrid stepper motor includes a stator having a primary winding. The stator and the primary winding are positioned within a housing. A rotor has a magnetic component. The rotor is rotationally operable relative to the stator. An axial coil assembly is positioned within the housing and located proximate ends of the rotor and having a secondary winding. At least a portion of the magnetic component of the rotor is produced by the axial coil assembly in an energized state. The energized state produces an electromagnetic communication between the rotor and the stator.

A bi-polar hybrid stepper motor includes a stator having a primary winding. The stator and the primary winding are positioned within a housing. A rotor has a magnetic component. The rotor is rotationally operable relative to the stator. An axial coil assembly is positioned within the housing and located proximate ends of the rotor and having a secondary winding. At least a portion of the magnetic component of the rotor is produced by the axial coil assembly in an energized state. The energized state produces an electromagnetic communication between the rotor and the stator.

A rotation-detecting apparatus includes the following: a rotor coil provided on a rotor; detection coils provided on stators; a control circuit that detects the relative rotational angle between the rotor and the stators by processing detection signals induced in the detection coils as a result of the rotor coil being excited by an excitation signal; and a communicating means for performing data communication with an external device. The control circuit in the rotation-detecting apparatus has functionality whereby a switch signal that turns on and off at preset rotational angles is outputted on the basis of the aforementioned detection signals. Also, the control circuit is designed such that the set rotational angles for the aforementioned switch signal can be changed by the external device via the abovementioned communicating means.

A two-phase bipolar step motor, comprises a rotor having a plurality of pairs of rotor poles of alternating magnetic polarity, and a stator having four primary energizable stator poles with conductive windings around those primary stator poles and four passive inter-poles located uniformly between every adjacent pair of primary stator poles, the passive inter-poles lacking any conductive windings. Both 18° steppers with five pairs of rotor poles and 30° steppers with three pairs of rotor poles are provided. Also provided are both PM hybrid mix steppers with 2D magnetic flux paths and hybrid steppers with 3D magnetic flux paths having an axial component. In each case, the overall lengths of the flux paths are substantially reduced from conventional designs resulting in improved motor efficiency.

A hybrid stepping motor has a connector housing formed integrally with an insulator having an upper insulator and a lower insulator. The hybrid stepping motor includes a stator core and output terminals concentrically disposed outside the stator core. A wiring pattern serving as the output terminals has connector pins and land portions disposed eccentrically with respect to one another. The land portions are formed on an outer edge side of the wiring pattern. A surface, which is an uppermost surface of the wiring pattern, is located below a lowermost surface, in which jumper wires and lead wires pass, of the lower insulator. The lead wires are pulled out from a lower side, and are pulled out to guiding grooves.

A hybrid stepping motor has a connector housing formed integrally with an insulator having an upper insulator and a lower insulator. The hybrid stepping motor includes a stator core and output terminals concentrically disposed outside the stator core. A wiring pattern serving as the output terminals has connector pins and land portions disposed eccentrically with respect to one another. The land portions are formed on an outer edge side of the wiring pattern. A surface, which is an uppermost surface of the wiring pattern, is located below a lowermost surface, in which jumper wires and lead wires pass, of the lower insulator. The lead wires are pulled out from a lower side, and are pulled out to guiding grooves.

A motorized pump system includes a switched reluctance motor with a motor rotor and a motor stator, and a pump surrounding the switched reluctance motor. The motor rotor is positioned radially inward or outward of the motor stator, and the pump includes a pump rotor integrated with the motor rotor. The pump rotor includes at least one impeller connected to the motor rotor.

A motorized pump system includes a switched reluctance motor with a motor rotor and a motor stator, and a pump surrounding the switched reluctance motor. The motor rotor is positioned radially inward or outward of the motor stator, and the pump includes a pump rotor integrated with the motor rotor. The pump rotor includes at least one impeller connected to the motor rotor.