Sensor assembly and apparatus

An apparatus comprising:

• a pinion shaft coupled to a rack housing in which a rack bar is installed and provided with a pinion gear engaged with a rack gear;
• and
• a sensor assembly accommodated in the rack housing and coupled to the pinion shaft to detect a rotation angle of the pinion shaft,
• wherein the sensor assembly comprises a housing, an angle sensor provided in the housing, and a moisture sensor provided in the housing,
• the moisture sensor comprises a ground electrode, a first input electrode, a second input electrode, and a control unit electrically connected to the ground electrode, the first input electrode, and the second input electrode to detect moisture,
• the ground electrode, the first input electrode, and the second input electrode extend downward from the housing,
• a lower end of the ground electrode, a lower end of the first input electrode, and a lower end of the second input electrode are exposed to an outside of the housing, and
• a height of the lower end of the first input electrode and a height of the lower end of the second input electrode, both measured from a bottom inner surface of a moisture storage tank of the rack housing, are different from each other.

A moisture detecting method performed by a sensor assembly comprising a housing, an angle sensor provided in the housing, and a moisture sensor provided in the housing, wherein the moisture sensor comprises a ground electrode, a first input electrode, a second input electrode, and a control unit, wherein the control unit is connected to the ground electrode, the first input electrode, and the second input electrode to detect the moisture, wherein the ground electrode, the first input electrode, and the second input electrode extend downward from the housing, wherein a lower end of the ground electrode, a lower end of the first input electrode, and a lower end of the second input electrode are exposed to an outside of the housing, and wherein the first input electrode extends downward to a different level compared to the second inpot electrode, the moisture detecting method comprising:

• detecting a first input-electrode voltage between the ground electrode and the first input electrode;
• detecting a second input-electrode voltage between the ground electrode and the second input electrode;
• and
• outputting a water level detection signal based on the first input-electrode voltage and the second input-electrode voltage.