Patent ID: 7005847

Claim:
A position sensor, wherein the position sensor comprises: a sensor, the sensor including an electronic device being responsive to magnetic fields and a flux-gathering pole piece for collecting and directing magnetic flux to the sensor, the flux-gathering pole piece being constructed by the symmetric placement of a first and a second L-shaped section of magnetically permeable material forming a U-shape with a bifurcated base, the bifurcated base of the U-shaped pole piece having a gap separating the first and second L-shaped sections wherein the gap is sized to provide intimate contact with the electronic device, and a magnetic flux source for generating a magnetic field that varies in a substantially linear manner, the magnetic flux source being cylindrically shaped and having a length essentially two-thirds of the internal width of the flux-gathering pole piece such that when rotated between the first and second L-shaped sections of the flux-gathering pole piece the magnetic flux source generates a signal representative of the displacement between the sensor and the magnetic flux source.