Patent ID: 6940275

Claim:
A position sensor comprising: a stationary tubular shaped yoke formed of magnetic material having first and second generally semi-circular portions spaced from one another forming a first gap, a rotatable coupling member having a center of rotation, first and second movable, arcuately shaped magnets mounted in fixed, diametrically opposed relation to each other on the coupling member and being disposed within and being evenly spaced from the tubular shaped yoke, the magnets each having one side facing toward the yoke and another side facing toward a center of rotation of the coupling member, first and second stator elements formed of magnetic material, each stator element having an arcuately shaped outer periphery first stator portion radially spaced from a respective arcuately shaped magnet on the side of the magnet facing the center of rotation, a second stator portion extending from each respective first stator portion diametrically toward the center of rotation and the first and second stator elements being spaced from one another forming a second gap, the coupling member rotatable to move the magnets between first and second extremities, a first Hall Effect sensor having a first electrical output disposed in the first air gap exposed to magnetic flux which varies with the rotatable position of the magnets and a second Hall Effect sensor having a second electrical output disposed in the second gap exposed to magnetic flux which is essentially independent of the position of the magnets.