Patent ID: 9018944
Filing Date: 2015-04-28
Classification: G01D,G01P

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising a first physical component, a second physical component and a sensor arrangement for sensing a relative kinematic state of the first and second components with respect to each other, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a magnet that is stationary with respect to the first physical component, and at least one Hall-effect sensor that are stationary with respect to the second physical component; each of the at least one Hall-effect sensor is an electronic surface-mount device Hall-effect sensor and has a Hall plate; the magnet is configured for generating a magnetic field having an orientation primarily parallel to the Hall plate; and the sensor arrangement comprises a magnetic-field collecting means for changing the orientation of the magnetic field to be primarily perpendicular to the Hall-plate at a location of the at least one Hall-effect sensor, the magnetic-field collecting means comprising of only a single component, the magnet defines a first plane, the magnetic-field collecting means defines a second plane, the first plane and the second plane being planar parallel and spaced apart, and the at least one Hall-effect sensors being located on a substrate that defines a third plane that is positioned between the first plane and the second plane, the magnet, the substrate and the magnetic-field collecting means each having a central opening that the first physical component passes through such that the first physical component is surrounded by the magnet, the substrate, and the magnetic-field collecting means and the first physical component intersects and traverses the first plane, the second plane, and the third plane, the magnetic-field collecting means and the at least one Hall-effect sensor being stationary with respect to each other.