Magnet-holding structure for magnetic position detector and steering lock apparatus

A steering lock apparatus comprising:

• a locked member;
• a lock member that is engaged with and disengaged from the locked member;
• a support member for supporting the lock member;
• a magnet attached to one of the lock member and the support member;
• a magnetic field detection element, arranged on the other one of the lock member and the support member, for detecting a magnetic field of the magnet, wherein a position of the lock member with respect to the support member is magnetically detected based on an intensity or a direction of the magnetic field detected by the magnetic field detection element;
• and
• a magnet receptacle portion, arranged on the one of the lock member and the support member, for accommodating the magnet;
• wherein the magnet receptacle portion is defined by a magnetically non-attractive, non-adhesive material and the one of the lock member and the support member includes a metal component or metal portion formed from a metal material near the magnet receptacle portion;
• and
• the magnet is magnetically held and positioned in the magnet receptacle portion, which is arranged between the magnet and the metal component or metal portion, solely by a magnetic attraction force produced between the magnet and the metal component or metal portion formed from the metal material.

A steering lock apparatus for locking a steering shaft, the steering lock apparatus comprising:

• a motor;
• a lock assembly that is moved by the motor, wherein the lock assembly includes a lock bar that moves between a lock position at which the lock bar is engaged with the steering shaft and an unlock position at which the lock bar is disengaged from the steering shaft;
• a magnet receptacle portion arranged on the lock assembly and defined by a magnetically non-attractive, non-adhesive material;
• a magnet accommodated in the magnet receptacle portion and moved integrally with the lock assembly;
• and
• a magnetic field detection element for detecting a present position of the lock assembly based on a magnetic field of the magnet;
• wherein the magnet is magnetically held and positioned in the magnet receptacle portion, which is arranged between the magnet and a magnetically attractive part of the lock assembly, solely by a magnetic attraction force produced between the magnet and the magnetically attractive part of the lock assembly.