Position sensor for fuel injection apparatus

Abstract

A sensor assembly for detecting the position of a fuel injection element such as a needle injector, poppet valve or the like in fuel injection apparatus of an internal combustion engine includes a lead frame assembly having a plurality of leads of a predetermined length and a Hall-effect sensing device mechanically and electrically connected to contact surfaces associated with the leads. A first encapsulation layer is formed about the contact surfaces and Hall-effect device utilizing a mold process which results in the formation of projections above the surface of the Hall-effect device in the area adjacent the electrical contacts. The leads of the lead frame assembly are bent perpendicularly to the plane of the Hall-effect device and attached to a multi-lead wire. The assembly is encapsulated in a second mold using the projections as positive stops to position the assembly in the mold. An end of the multi-lead wire, the leads and the Hall-effect device are all thereby encapsulated and dimensioned for insertion into and out of a passageway and fuel injection apparatus.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.