An impeller and at least a portion of a cooperating peripheral volute may be
integrated
into, and preferably are integrally injection molded with, concentric outer rotor
and inner stator assemblies, respectively, to achieve a low profile precision impeller
mechanism based on an improved brushless d.c. motor with low length (L) to diameter
(D) ratio and suitable for use in a variety of other applications. In one practical
embodiment of such a motor, a rotating cap has an inner circumference which is
molded about an outer ferromagnetic back ring that in turn supports a permanently
magnetized ring shaped rotor magnet having a number of poles of alternating polarity
defined about its inner circumference and separated by a relatively small cylindrical
air gap from the outwardly projecting radially oriented selectively magnetized
poles of a fixed stator assembly. In one exemplary embodiment, the rotor may have
8 poles and the stator may have 9 poles. The fixed stator assembly is preferably
integrally molded into a base housing that also includes a precision fixed bearing
support that extends upwardly through the center of the stator assembly and that
is rotatably coupled to a rotating shaft that extends downwardly from (and preferably
is integral with) the center of the rotating cap. A coaxial pair of preloaded ball
bearings is preferably supported between an inner cylindrical surface of the fixed
bearing support and an outer cylindrical surface of the rotating shaft, to thereby
permit the rotor to rotate precisely about the stator with minimal variation in
the cylindrical air gap therebetween.