Displacement sensor containing magnetic field sensing element between a pair of biased magnets movable as a unit

A displacement sensor for providing an indication of the position of a body relative to a fixed location, the body being displaceable relative to the fixed location in a displacement direction, the displacement sensor comprising:

• first and second magnets arranged along a longitudinal axis parallel to the displacement direction and spaced from one another by a fixed distance along the longitudinal axis to define therebetween a region containing a magnetic field, the first and second magnets each having respective polarities arranged on the longitudinal axis, the polarities of the first magnet arranged opposite to the polarities of the second magnet;
• a magnetic field sensing element mounted in the region between the first and second magnets;
• and
• a biasing member positioned and oriented to provide a bias against at least one of the first and second magnets toward the body in a direction parallel to the displacement direction,
• wherein the first and second magnets are mutually positioned with an element extending therebetween so as to be displaceable as a unit in response to displacement of the body in the displacement direction relative to the fixed location against the bias provided by the biasing member.