Patent ID: 7823442
Filing Date: 2010-11-02
Classification: F02D

Abstract:
1. A throttle position sensor assembly comprising: a housing, a body rotatably mounted in said housing, an alignment clip attached to said body so that said alignment clip rotates in unison with said body, said alignment clip dimensioned to receive an end of a throttle plate shaft and align said body to said throttle plate shaft, a sensor mounted to said housing, said sensor generating an output signal representative of the rotational position of said body relative to said housing, wherein said end of said throttle plate shaft includes two flattened portions which lie in spaced apart and parallel planes, and wherein said alignment clip is constructed of spring steel and a base and two spaced apart and parallel sides. said sides of said clip forming a slot therebetween, said slot having a width less than the spacing of said flattened portions of said throttle plate shaft so that, upon insertion of said end of said throttle plate shaft into said alignment clip slot, said sides of said alignment clip engage said flattened portions of said throttle plate shaft to automatically resiliently align said throttle plate shaft to said clip, and wherein said body has a noncircular recess complementary in shape to the base of said alignment clip, said alignment clip being disposed in said recess to thereby automatically align said clip to said body.