Position sensor for a movable part in a motor vehicle

A position detecting device for detecting the position of a movable part over a total range of movement, the device comprising:

• a plurality of position pick-ups for picking up a position signal;
• a plurality of paths corresponding to respective ones of said pick-ups and extending in a predetermined direction;
• a plurality of conductors adjacent respective ones of said paths, each two mutually adjacent ones of said paths and said conductors defining a circuit pair corresponding to one of said pick-ups;
• a single drive common to all of said pick-ups for simultaneously driving respective ones of said pick-ups over corresponding ones of said pairs;
• and,
• said plurality of paths being staggered in said direction one with respect to the other so as to be at least partially traversed sequentially over said total range.

A position detecting device for detecting the position of a movable part in a motor vehicle over a total range of movement, the device comprising:

• a plurality of position pick-ups for picking up a position signal;
• a plurality of paths corresponding to respective ones of said pick-ups and having respective predetermined resolutions;
• a plurality of conductors adjacent respective ones of said paths, each two mutually adjacent ones of said paths and said conductors defining a circuit pair corresponding to one of said pick-ups;
• a single drive common to all of said pick-ups for simultaneously driving respective ones of said pick-ups over corresponding ones of said pairs;
• and,
• said paths extending over respective distances in said range so as to cause respective ones of said pick-ups to have respectively different ranges of effectiveness.