Interior magnet machine with non-perpendicular slots

1. A rotor comprising:

a cylindrical periphery having a central axis of rotation;

a cross-section taken perpendicular to the central axis of rotation, said cross section of the rotor comprising:

a plurality of interior permanent magnets, each interior permanent magnet having two poles and having a longitudinal dimension which is greater than a transverse dimension;

a plurality of non-magnetic peripheral slots, at least two non-magnetic peripheral slots associated with each pole of the interior permanent magnets, each non-magnetic peripheral slot positioned between the cylindrical periphery and its associated interior permanent magnet and each non-magnetic peripheral slot is not contiguous with its associated interior permanent magnet, each non-magnetic peripheral slot having a longitudinal dimension which is greater than a transverse dimension, wherein an axis of the longitudinal dimension of each non-magnetic peripheral slot is not perpendicular to an axis of the longitudinal dimension of its associated interior permanent magnet, wherein the axis of the longitudinal dimension of each non-magnetic peripheral slot is not coaxial with a line within the cross-section intersecting the central axis of rotation, and wherein the non-magnetic peripheral slots associated with each interior permanent magnet pole have different lengths; and

a plurality of non-magnetic end slots, each non-magnetic end slot contiguous to and integral with each end of each pole of each interior permanent magnet wherein at least part of each non-magnetic end slot has a central axis which is coaxial with a radius of the rotor.

2. The rotor of claim 1 wherein at least one of the non-magnetic slots has at least one of the following shapes: a tear-shape and an S-shape.

3. The rotor of claim 1 further comprising non-magnetic starting cage slots forming an interior starting cage of the rotor.

4. The rotor of claim 3 wherein the non-magnetic slots are positioned between the non-magnetic staffing cage slots and the magnets.

5. A machine comprising:

a stator; and

a rotor in magnetic coupling engagement with the stator, said rotor comprising a cylindrical periphery having a central axis of rotation;

a cross-section taken perpendicular to the central axis of rotation, said cross section of the rotor comprising:

a plurality of buried interior permanent magnets, each magnet having two poles and having a longitudinal dimension which is greater than a transverse dimension;

a plurality of non-magnetic peripheral slots, at least two non-magnetic peripheral slots associated with each pole of the magnets and positioned between the cylindrical periphery and the magnet with which the non-magnetic peripheral slot is associated, each non-magnetic slot having a longitudinal dimension which is greater than a transverse dimension, wherein the non-magnetic peripheral slots associated with each interior permanent magnet pole have different lengths, wherein each non-magnetic peripheral slot is not contiguous with its associated interior permanent magnet; and wherein an axis of the longitudinal dimension of each non-magnetic peripheral slot is not perpendicular to an axis of the longitudinal dimension of its associated interior magnet, and wherein the axis of the longitudinal dimension of the non-magnetic slot is not coaxial with a line within the cross-section intersecting the central axis of rotation; and

a plurality of non-magnetic end slots contiguous to and integral with each end of each magnet wherein at least part of each non-magnetic end slot has an axis which is coaxial with a radius of the rotor.

6. The machine of claim 5 wherein at least one of the non-magnetic peripheral slots has at least one of the following shapes: a tear-shape and an S-shape.

7. The machine of claim 5 further comprising non-magnetic staffing cage slots forming an interior starting cage of the machine.

8. A rotor comprising:

a plurality of laminations, each having a cylindrical periphery having a central axis of rotation;

a cross-section taken perpendicular to the central axis of rotation, said cross section of each lamination comprising:

a plurality of interior permanent magnet slots, each interior permanent magnet slot having a longitudinal dimension which is greater than a transverse dimension;

a plurality of non-magnetic peripheral slots, each non-magnetic peripheral slot associated with one of the interior permanent magnet slots and positioned between the cylindrical periphery and the interior permanent magnet slots with which the non-magnetic peripheral slot is associated, wherein each non-magnetic peripheral slot is not contiguous with its associated interior permanent magnet, each non-magnetic peripheral slot having a longitudinal dimension which is greater than a transverse dimension wherein an axis of the longitudinal dimension of each non-magnetic peripheral slot is not perpendicular to an axis of the longitudinal dimension of its associated interior permanent magnet; and

a plurality of non-magnetic end slots contiguous to and integral with each end of each interior permanent magnet slot wherein at least part of each non-magnetic end slot has an axis which is coaxial with a radius of the rotor.

9. The rotor of claim 8 wherein an axis of the longitudinal dimension of the non-magnetic peripheral slot is not coaxial with a line within the cross-section intersecting the central axis of rotation.

10. The rotor of claim 9 wherein the non-magnetic peripheral slots associated with each interior permanent magnet pole have different lengths.

11. The rotor of claim 10 wherein at least one of the non-magnetic slots has at least one of the following shapes: a tear-shape and an S-shape.

12. The rotor of claim 11 wherein each interior permanent magnet slot has a permanent magnet having two poles and wherein at least two of said non-magnetic peripheral slots are associated with each said pole.

13. The rotor of claim 12 further comprising non-magnetic starting cage slots forming an interior staffing cage of the rotor.

14. The rotor of claim 13 wherein the non-magnetic slots are positioned between the non-magnetic starting cage slots and the magnets.

15. The rotor of claim 8 wherein the non-magnetic peripheral slots associated with each interior permanent magnet pole have different lengths.

16. The rotor of claim 8 wherein at least one of the non-magnetic slots has at least one of the following shapes: a tear-shape and an S-shape.

17. The rotor of claim 8 wherein each interior permanent magnet slot has a permanent magnet having two poles and wherein at least two of said non-magnetic peripheral slots are associated with each said pole.

18. The rotor of claim 8 further comprising non-magnetic starting cage slots forming an interior staffing cage of the rotor.

19. The rotor of claim 18 wherein the non-magnetic slots are positioned between the non-magnetic starting cage slots and the magnets.

20. The rotor of claim 7 wherein the non-magnetic slots are positioned between the non-magnetic starting cage slots and the magnets.