Patent ID: 7633301

Claim:
A seat track sensor apparatus for detecting the position or proximity of a movable rail configured to move along a path defined by a fixed rail, said seat track sensor apparatus comprising: a dielectric substrate; a sensor comprising: a first conductive electrode pad disposed on a surface of said substrate in a substantially continuous form defining a pad surface area of conductive material; a second conductive electrode disposed on said surface of said substrate in a spaced relationship to said first electrode pad, and defining a surface area of conductive material; and an integrated control circuit (ICC) disposed on said substrate proximate said first and second electrodes and electrically coupled to said first and second electrodes, such that proximity of a selected rail activates the ICC; and a dielectric housing carrying said substrate, said housing including a support adapted to fasten said housing to one of the movable rail and the fixed rail, wherein said rail fastened to said sensor is designated a sensor mounting rail and the rail not fastened to said sensor is designated a triggering rail; wherein said sensor is configured to sense the proximity of said target triggering rail when said movable rail moves along said defined path; wherein the shortest distance between said triggering rail and one of said first conductive electrode pad and said second conductive electrode is greater than the shortest distance between said triggering rail and the other of said first conductive electrode pad and said second conductive electrode at least when the triggering rail and mounting rail are in first and second relationships with respect to each other along said path; and wherein the distance perpendicular to said path between said triggering rail and said second conductive electrode is greater than the distance perpendicular to said path between said triggering rail and said first conductive electrode pad when said triggering rail overlies at least a portion of each of said first conductive electrode pad and said second conductive electrode.