Abstract: A rotary position sensor connected to the butterfly valve of an internal combustion engine, the sensor having a dual magnet structure interconnected by a pole piece having a generally C-shaped cross section forming a varying dimension air gap. The magnets, the pole piece and the air gap define a closed magnetic circuit. A Hall effect sensor is fixedly mounted in the air gap and is exposed to a well defined but varying magnetic field. Through the use of specific magnetic materials and sloping, curved surfaces, a precise yet tolerance friendly magnetic circuit is produced so that the sensor produces signals as a function of the angular positions of the magnets.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 4, 1994
Date of Patent:
May 26, 1998
Assignee:
CTS Corporation
Inventors:
Jeffrey L. McCurley, Robert J. Campbell, James E. White, Scott L. Spence