An electric motor having low vibration and/or noise comprises a rotor or stator comprising permanent magnets each comprising at least two pole pairs, with an internal flux gap within the permanent magnets between adjacent internal pole pairs. The internal flux gap between the internal pole pairs may be similar to an external pole to pole physical spacing between adjacent poles of adjacent magnets. The motor is suitable for use in for example a laundry washing machine or dryer or washer-dryer.

A three-dimensional magnet structure (6) made up of a plurality of individual magnets (4), the magnet structure (6) having a thickness that forms its smallest dimension, the magnet structure (6) incorporating at least one mesh (5a) exhibiting mesh cells each one delimiting a housing (5) for a respective individual magnet (4), each housing (5) having internal dimensions just large enough to allow an individual magnet (4) to be inserted into it, the mesh cells being made from a fibre-reinforced insulating material, characterized in that a space is left between the housing (5) and the individual magnet (4), which space is filled with a fibre-reinforced resin, the magnet structure (6) comprising a non-conducting composite layer coating the individual magnets (4) and the mesh structure (5a).

A rare earth magnet capable of reducing an eddy current loss by virtue of a low-cost, simple configuration, when mounted in a motor, is to be provided, where the rare earth magnet comprising: a magnet body comprising a rare earth element and iron; and a resistive layer formed on at least one surface of the magnet body, the resistive layer comprising a rare earth element, iron, and oxygen and having an average volume resistivity of 10.sup.3 Ωcm or more and a thickness of from 3 to 25 μm, as is shown in FIG. 2.

The present invention provides an R-T-B based sintered magnet including R.sub.2T.sub.14B crystal grains wherein; a grain boundary is formed by two or more adjacent R.sub.2T.sub.14B crystal grains, an R—O—C concentrated part, in which concentrations of R, O and C are higher than those in the R.sub.2T.sub.14B crystal grains respectively, is in the grain boundary, and a ratio (O/R) of O atom to R atom in the R—O—C concentrated part satisfies the following formula (1):
0.4<(O/R)<0.7.

Provided is a combined type RFeB-based magnet, including: a first unit magnet; a second unit magnet; and an interface material that bonds the first unit magnet and the second unit magnet, in which the first unit magnet and the second unit magnet are RFeB-based magnets containing a light rare earth element R.sup.L that is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Nd and Pr, Fe, and B, in which the interface material contains at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a carbide, a hydroxide, and an oxide of the light rare earth element R.sup.L, and in which an amount of a heavy rare earth element R.sup.H that is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Dy, Tb and Ho in the second unit magnet is more than that in the first unit magnet.

There is provided a compression-bonded magnet with a case, which can realize high magnetic properties, high corrosion resistance and high durability strength even at low cost. The compression-bonded magnet with a case is a compression-bonded magnet with a case 1, comprising: a compression-bonded magnet 2 comprising a rare earth magnet powder such as an isotropic Nd—Fe—B magnet powder and a resin binder of a thermosetting resin; a case 3 for inserting the compression-bonded magnet 2; and a sealing member 4, wherein the compression-bonded magnet 2 is formed by compression-molding a mixture comprising the rare earth magnet powder and the resin binder into a green compact and curing the resin binder contained in the green compact, the rare earth magnet powder is contained in a large amount with respect to the entire compression-bonded magnet (for example, in a volume ratio of 85% to 90%), the sealing member 4 is fixed at an insertion opening part 3a of the case 3, and the compression-bonded magnet 2 is hermetically sealed by the sealing member 4 and the case 3.

An attachment system comprises an attachment assembly having a side with an exposed surface. A magnetic structure comprises a plurality of assembly field emission sources having positions and polarities relating to an attachment spatial force function. A plurality of assembly pole pieces are coupled to the magnetic structure such that a spatial spacing is created between the magnetic structure and the side. Each assembly pole piece is coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of assembly field emission sources for directing magnetic flux. An attachment target attaches to the exposed surface based on the attachment spatial force function. The attachment target comprises a plurality of target field emission sources having positions and polarities relating to the attachment spatial force. The attachment spatial force function is in accordance with a code and corresponds to the relative alignment of the plurality of assembly field emission sources and the plurality of target field emission sources to each other.

A magnet apparatus for generating a high gradient and/or high strength magnetic field, comprises: two permanent magnets (2, 4) located side-by-side with oppositely oriented magnetic field polarities and end surfaces of opposite polarities next to one another, wherein the magnetic anisotropy of the magnets exceeds the magnetic induction of the material of the magnets; and a mask (6) or masks (6) on a first end of each of the adjacent permanent magnets (2, 4), the mask(s) 6 comprising a non-retentive material covering adjacent end surfaces of the two permanent magnets (2, 4) with a gap (8) along a joining line between the two permanent magnets (2, 4) to form a zone of high-gradient magnetic field above the joining line; wherein the mask(s) (6) are embedded within the magnets (2, 4) and/or have a varying thickness and wherein the mask(s) (6) each have a maximum thickness greater than a tenth of the thickness of the respective magnet (2, 4).

A fixing structure for a permanent magnet includes: a cylindrical housing; a permanent magnet housed inside the housing; and an adhesive layer formed in a gap G between the housing and the permanent magnet and having an adhesive for fixing the permanent magnet to the housing. The adhesive layer is formed such that a filling rate of the adhesive is higher in the gap at another axial end of the permanent magnet than at one axial end of the permanent magnet. The permanent magnet is configured such that a density at said other axial end is higher than the density at said one axial end.

A sputtering apparatus comprises: a target holder; and a magnet unit of a rectangular shape having long and short sides. The magnet unit includes: a first magnet; a second magnet disposed surrounding the first magnet and magnetized in a different and opposite direction from a direction of magnetization of the first magnet, and a third magnet located at part between the first magnet and the second magnet in the short-side direction and at least at a center position between the first magnet and the second magnet, the third magnet being magnetized in the short-side direction. In the third magnet, a surface facing the second magnet has the same polarity as that of a surface of the second magnet on the target holder side, and a surface facing the first magnet has the same polarity as that of a surface of the first magnet on the target holder side.