Patent ID: 8384375

Claim:
A non-contact position sensor, comprising: a magnet having a pole surface; magnetoresistive elements arranged on a line extending in a predetermined direction on the pole surface of the magnet with predetermined intervals between the magnetoresistive elements, the magnetoresistive element being connected serially between a power supply and a ground, a first magnetoresistive element being connected to a second magnetoresistive element at a first node and the second magnetoresistive element being connected to a third magnetoresistive element at a second node; a first voltage divider circuit including two first fixed resistors connected serially to each other at a third node; a first comparator for comparing a voltage potential of the first node with a voltage potential of the third node, and for outputting a digital signal consisting of a high level signal and a low level signal based on a result of the comparison; a second comparator for comparing a voltage potential of the second node with a fixed voltage potential and for outputting a digital signal consisting of a high level signal and a low level signal based on a result of the comparison; a digital to analog converter for converting a digital signal including the digital signal output from the first comparator and the digital signal output from the second comparator into an analog signal; and an object displaceable in the predetermined direction, the object being made of magnetic material, the object including: a projection that faces the magnetoresistive elements, and a shaft connected to the projection, the shaft being located away from the pole surface by a distance longer than a distance between the projection and the pole surface of the magnet, wherein the projection has a width in the predetermined direction that is equal to or smaller than twice an interval between the magnetoresistive elements.