Patent ID: 7423420

Claim:
A sensor having a scale situated at a specified distance from the sensor, the sensor comprising: a housing; and at least one magnetic field-sensitive GMR sensor element provided in the housing, the housing also having at least one magnetic field source respectively associated with the at least one GMR sensor element, wherein the magnetic field source is accommodated in a shield enclosing the same in a U-shape, and the magnetic field source, the at least one GMR sensor element, and/or the housing are tilted at a specified distance and by a predetermined angle relative to the reference plane of the scale; wherein a GMR sensor element is associated with a reference signal track in the scale for generating a reference signal; wherein two GMR sensor elements are associated with an incremental signal track in such a way that the GMR sensor elements generate two phase-displaced signals; wherein the magnetic field source is fixed in place by a plastic mounting in the housing; wherein the plastic mounting accommodates two magnetic field sources, together with the U-shaped shield enclosing same, one of which is situated opposite from the at least one GMR sensor element associated with the incremental signal track, whereas the other magnetic field source is situated opposite from the GMR sensor element associated with the reference signal track.