Steering angle sensor for automobile

A steering angle sensor for an automobile, comprising:

• a stator supported on a steering column of an automobile, and a rotor mounted to a steering shaft rotatably carried in said steering column,
• said stator having a pickup means provided thereon for detecting the rotational angle of said rotor from a predetermined rotational neutral position thereof, wherein
• said sensor further includes a locking member which is mounted between said stator and said rotor for movement between a locking position in which said rotor is locked to said stator in the predetermined rotational neutral position and a lock-releasing position in which the rotation of said rotor is permitted, said locking member being biased toward said locking position by a spring and arranged to move to said lock-releasing position and to connect said rotor to said steering shaft by mounting the steering wheel to the steering shaft.

A steering angle sensor which eliminates alignment errors of the neutral rotor position and the neutral steering wheel position during assembly of a vehicle, said sensor comprising:

• a stator supported on a steering column having at least one pickup means for detecting rotational movement of said rotor;
• a rotor mounted to a rotatable steering shaft which is carried by said steering column, said rotor having a locking means non-rotatably, slidably connected thereto, said locking means engaging said rotor in a predetermined rotational alignment;
• a steering wheel slidably received upon said steering shaft in a predetermined neutral position and exerting a force upon said locking means, said locking means disengaging and causing said rotor to be connected to said steering shaft in alignment with said steering wheel neutral position.