A curvilinear track section of a linear motor system for use with a moving element including a machine readable medium, the track section including: a curvilinear track portion having a predetermined curved shape; a plurality of sensors provided to the track portion such that each of the plurality of sensors is oriented perpendicular to the direction of motion while the plurality of sensors are placed along the direction of motion and the plurality of sensors are configured such that the machine readable medium will overlap at least two of the plurality of sensors at the same time; and a processor configured to determine a position of the moving element on the curvilinear track section based on the readings from the sensors.

A method for forming a coil that is formed by winding a flat rectangular conductor wire a plurality of times, the method includes forming, in the coil end portion, an offset portion bent in a stacking direction of the flat rectangular conductor wire with an offset in the stacking direction of the flat rectangular conductor wire by an amount corresponding to a width of the single flat rectangular conductor wire by moving the outer die on the one side in the divided outer die relative to the outer die on the other side in a direction along the stacking direction.

An electric machine provided with a stator structure including internal and external layers of interleaved pre-wound coils made of rectangular wire coated with enamel insulation varnish is described herein. The two layers of pre-wound coils allow the use of slightly different size of pre-wound coils, which facilitates their insertion into the stator slots.

A motor system comprises a device having a plurality of conductors coupled to a plurality of isolated connection bars, wherein the plurality of conductors is divided symmetrically into a plurality of conductor groups, and all conductors in a conductor group are connected to a connection bar, a first power converter group connected between a first power source and a first conductor group, a second power converter group connected between a second power source and a second conductor group, wherein the first group of conductors and the second group of conductors are configured such that a charge balance between the first power source and a second power source is achieved and a rotor magnetically coupled to a stator.

An electric motor includes a shaft, and a stator disposed around the outer periphery of the shaft and including a plurality of slots extending toward the shaft. A plurality of coil units are arranged respectively in the plurality of slots. The coil units are each formed of a plurality of wires connected in parallel. One of the coil units that is arranged in at least one of the plurality of slots formed in the stator includes a plurality of winding groups that are connected in series and that have a different number of turns from each other. The winding groups are arranged in the slot in descending order of the number of turns in the direction toward the shaft.

A curvilinear track section of a linear motor system for use with a moving element including a machine readable medium, the track section including: a curvilinear track portion having a predetermined curved shape; a plurality of sensors provided to the track portion such that each of the plurality of sensors is oriented perpendicular to the direction of motion while the plurality of sensors are placed along the direction of motion and the plurality of sensors are configured such that the machine readable medium will overlap at least two of the plurality of sensors at the same time; and a processor configured to determine a position of the moving element on the curvilinear track section based on the readings from the sensors.

An apparatus for manufacturing a stator includes a placement table, a supporting member and a resistance heating device. The placement table is configured to have a stator core, which has coil segments and insulators inserted in slots thereof, placed thereon. The stator core is formed of steel sheets that are laminated in an axial direction of the stator core. The coil segments together form a stator coil. The insulators are formed of a material that is foamable upon being heated. The supporting member is configured to support, in the axial direction of the stator core, distal end portions of teeth of the stator core so as to prevent gaps from being formed between the steel sheets forming the stator core. The resistance heating device is configured to heat, through energization of the stator coil, the insulators along with the stator coil and thereby cause the insulators to foam.

A method for manufacturing a curvilinear track section including: forming a curvilinear track portion; cutting out a first slot grouping from an exterior edge of the curvilinear track portion, wherein the first slot grouping is at a first predetermined angle; cutting out a second slot grouping from the exterior edge of the curvilinear track portion, wherein the second slot grouping is at a second predetermined angle; and inserting motor units into the first and second slot groupings. A curvilinear track section having: a curvilinear track portion; a first slot grouping formed in an exterior edge of the curvilinear track portion, wherein the first slot grouping is at a predetermined angle relative to the exterior edge; a second slot grouping formed in the exterior edge of the curvilinear track portion, wherein the second slot grouping is at a second predetermined angle; and motor units inserted into the first and second slot groupings.

A system comprises a stator magnetically coupled to a rotor and a plurality of conductor assemblies distributed evenly along a perimeter of the device, wherein each conductor assembly is evenly distributed into at least two branches of conductors, and wherein each branch comprising a plurality of conductors, all the branches form a plurality of windings, wherein a winding comprises a positive segment and a negative segment, and wherein each segment has a plurality of branches, and wherein one segment is in more than two conductor assemblies and the plurality of windings is symmetrically divided into a plurality of groups, wherein each group of windings forms a balanced multi-phase system and is connected to a connection bar, and wherein at least two connection bars are isolated from each other.

An artificial muscle fiber includes an external fiber and an internal fiber. The external fiber includes a first linear array of actuators having protrusions directed in a first direction. The internal fiber includes a second linear array of actuators having protrusions directed in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The internal fiber further includes a channel attached to the second linear array of actuators.