Rotational position sensor with mechanical adjustment of offset and gain signals

An angular position sensor, comprising:

• a primary magnet having first and second magnetic poles aligned along a first magnetic axis, said first magnetic axis being rotatable within a first plane;
• a secondary magnet being rigidly attached in a permanent position relative to said primary magnet to form a magnetic structure having a generally constant effective combined magnetic field emanating therefrom, said secondary magnet having first and second magnetic poles aligned along a second magnetic axis, said second magnetic axis being rotatable within a second plane, said first and second planes being generally parallel to each other, said magnetic structure being rotatable about a rotational axis;
• and
• a first magnetically sensitive component having a first output signal, said first magnetically sensitive component being responsive to the combined magnetic field of said primary and secondary magnets, said first output signal being representative of the angular position of said magnetic structure relative to said first magnetically sensitive component, said first and second planes being displaced from each other by a preselected distance to affect rate of change of said first output signal as a function of said angular position of said magnetic structure, said first and second magnetic axes being angularly offset from each other to affect the offset magnitude of said first output signal for each angular position of said magnetic structure, said primary and secondary magnets being arranged in parallel magnetic association with each other to provide said combined magnetic field, said combined magnetic field passing from a first polar end of the parallel magnetic association through the first magnetically sensitive component and returning to a second polar end of the parallel magnetic association, said magnetically sensitive component comprising a Hall effect element.

An angular position sensor, comprising:

• a primary magnet having first and second magnetic poles aligned along a first magnetic axis, said first magnetic axis being rotatable within a first plane;
• a secondary magnet being rigidly attached in a permanent position relative to said primary magnet to form a magnetic structure having a generally constant effective combined magnetic field emanating therefrom, said secondary magnet having first and second magnetic poles aligned along a second magnetic axis, said second magnetic axis being rotatable within a second plane, said first and second planes being generally parallel to each other, said magnetic structure being rotatable about a rotational axis;
• a first magnetically sensitive component having a first output signal, said first magnetically sensitive component being responsive to the combined magnetic field of said primary and secondary magnets, said first output signal being representative of the angular position of said magnetic structure relative to said first magnetically sensitive component, said first and second planes being displaced from each other by a preselected distance to affect rate of change of said first output signal as a function of said angular position of said magnetic structure, said first and second magnetic axes being angularly offset from each other to affect the offset magnitude of said first output signal for each angular position of said magnetic structure, said primary and secondary magnets being arranged in parallel magnetic association with each other to provide said combined magnetic field, said combined magnetic field passing from a first polar end of the parallel magnetic association through the first magnetically sensitive component and returning to a second polar end of the parallel magnetic association, said magnetically sensitive component comprising a Hall effect element;
• and
• a first pole piece and a second pole piece disposed to direct the magnetic field of said magnetic structure through said first magnetically sensitive component.