Magnetic rotational position sensor

1. A magnetic rotational position sensor, comprising:

a magnetic circuit, including:

a loop pole piece having a peripheral outer wall defining an inner air gap, said outer wall including an inwardly projecting portion extending into said air gap and defining a convex inner surface facing said air gap; and

a magnet positioned within said air gap and disposed generally opposite said inwardly projecting portion of said loop pole piece;

wherein said magnet and said loop pole piece cooperate to generate a magnetic field within said air gap extending between said magnet and said convex inner surface of said inwardly projecting portion, said magnetic circuit being rotatable about a rotational axis to correspondingly rotate said magnetic field about said rotational axis; and

a magnetic flux sensor disposed within said magnetic field generally between said magnet and said inwardly projecting portion of said loop pole piece to sense a different magnitude of magnetic flux density passing therethrough in response to rotation of said magnetic field about said rotational axis.

2. The magnetic rotational position sensor of claim 1 , wherein said magnet has a pole surface facing said inwardly projecting portion of said outer wall.

3. The magnetic rotational position sensor of claim 1 , wherein said outer wall of said loop pole piece includes a pair of outwardly extending portions arranged on opposite sides of said inwardly projecting portion.

4. The magnetic rotational position sensor of claim 3 , wherein said outwardly projecting portions of said outer wall define concave inner surfaces facing said air gap.

5. The magnetic rotational position sensor of claim 1 , wherein said outer wall of said loop pole piece extends continuously about said air gap to define a closed loop configuration.

6. The magnetic rotational position sensor of claim 1 , wherein said outer wall of said loop pole piece has a varying thickness.

7. The magnetic rotational position sensor of claim 6 , wherein said outer wall of said loop pole piece adjacent said inwardly projecting portion has a first thickness, said outer wall of said loop pole piece adjacent said magnet having a second thickness greater than said first thickness.

8. The magnetic rotational position sensor claim 1 , wherein said magnetic flux sensor extends along a central axis that is offset from and arranged substantially parallel to said rotational axis.

9. A magnetic rotational position sensor, comprising:

a magnetic circuit, including:

a loop role piece having a peripheral outer wall defining an inner air gap, said outer wall including an inwardly projecting portion extending into said air gap; and

a magnet positioned within said air gap and disposed generally opposite said inwardly projection portion of said loop pole piece;

wherein said magnet and said loop pole piece cooperate to generate a magnetic field within said air gap, said magnetic circuit being rotatable about a rotational axis to correspondingly rotate said magnetic field about said rotational axis; and

a magnetic flux sensor disposed within said magnetic field to sense a different magnitude of magnetic flux density passing therethrough in response to rotation of said magnetic field about said rotational axis, said magnetic flux sensor extending along a central axis that is offset from and arranged substantially parallel to said rotational axis.

10. A magnetic rotational position sensor, comprising:

a magnetic circuit, including:

a loop pole piece having a peripheral outer wall defining an inner air gap, said outer wall including a pair of outwardly projecting arcuate portions arranged on opposite sides of a central axis and defining concave inner surfaces, said outer wall including an inwardly projecting arcuate portion arranged generally along said central axis and defining a convex inner surface; and

a magnet positioned within said air gap and disposed generally opposite said inwardly projecting portion of said loop pole piece;

wherein said loop pole piece and said magnet cooperate to generate a magnetic field within said air gap extending between said magnet and said convex inner surface of said inwardly projecting arcuate portion, said magnetic circuit being rotatable about a rotational axis to correspondingly rotate said magnetic field about said rotational axis; and

a magnetic flux sensor disposed within said magnetic field to sense a different magnitude of magnetic flux density passing theretbrough in response to rotation of said magnetic field about said rotational axis.

11. The magnetic rotational position sensor of claim 10 , wherein said outer wall of said loop pole piece has a varying thickness along said outwardly extending portions.

12. The magnetic rotational position sensor of claim 10 , wherein said outer wall of said loop pole piece adjacent said inwardly projecting portion has a first thickness, said outer wall of said loop pole piece adjacent said magnet having a second thickness greater than said first thickness.

13. The magnetic rotational position sensor of claim 10 , wherein said magnet is polarized in a direction extending generally along said central axis.

14. The magnetic rational position sensor of claim 10 , wherein said magnetic flux sensor extends along a central axis that is offset from and arranged substantially parallel to said rotational axis.

15. A magnetic rotational position sensor, comprising:

a magnetic circuit, including:

a loop pole piece defining an inner air gap; and

a magnet disposed within said air gap and having a first pole face positioned adjacent said loop pole piece and a second pole face facing said inner air gap;

wherein said loop pole piece and said magnet cooperate to generate a magnetic field within said air gap, said magnetic circuit being rotatable about a rotational axis to correspondingly rotate said magnetic field about said rotational axis; and

a magnetic flux sensor including a sensing plane extending along a sensor axis and operable to sense a magnitude of magnetic flux density passing therethrough, said magnetic flux sensor disposed within said magnetic field with said sensor axis offset from and arranged substantially parallel to said rotational axis, said magnetic flux sensor positioned such that an angular orientation of said sensing plane changes relative to said magnetic field in response to rotation of said magnetic field about said rotational axis to sense a different magnitude of magnetic flux density.

16. The magnetic rotational position sensor of claim 15 , wherein said sensor axis of said magnetic flux sensor is relatively displaced along a radial arc during said rotation of said magnetic field.

17. The magnetic rotational position sensor of claim 16 , wherein said radial arc extends about said rotational axis.

18. The magnetic rotational position sensor of claim 16 , wherein said radial arc extends approximately 180 degrees.

19. A magnetic rotational position sensor, comprising:

a magnetic circuit, including:

a loop pole piece defining an inner air gap; and

a magnet disposed within said air gap; and

wherein said loop pole piece and said magnet cooperating to generate a magnetic field within said air gap, said magnetic circuit being rotatable about a rotational axis to correspondingly rotate said magnetic field about said rotational axis; and

a first magnetic flux sensor extending along a sensor axis and operable to sense a magnitude of magnetic flux density passing therethrough, said magnetic flux sensor disposed within said magnetic field with said sensor axis offset from and arranged substantially parallel to said rotational axis to sense a different magnitude of magnetic flux density in response to rotation of said magnetic field about said rotational axis; and

a second magnetic flux sensor extending along said sensor axis and being operable to sense a different magnitude of magnetic flux density in response to said rotation of said magnetic field about said rotational axis.

20. A magnetic rotational position sensor, comprising:

a magnetic circuit, including:

a loop pole piece defining an inner air gap; and

a magnet disposed within said air gap; and

wherein said loop pole piece has a peripheral outer wall defining said air gap, said outer wall including a pair of outwardly projecting arcuate portions arranged on opposite sides of a central axis and defining concave inner surfaces, said outer wall including an inwardly projecting arcuate portion arranged generally along said central axis and defining a convex inner surface facing said air gap, said magnet disposed generally opposite said inwardly projecting portion of said loop pole piece, said loop pole piece and said magnet cooperating to generate a magnetic field within said air gap, said magnetic circuit being rotatable about a rotational axis to correspondingly rotate said magnetic field about said rotational axis; and

a magnetic flux sensor extending along a sensor axis and operable to sense a magnitude of magnetic flux density passing therethrough, said magnetic flux sensor disposed within said magnetic field with said central axis offset from and arranged substantially parallel to said rotational axis to sense a different magnitude of magnetic flux density in response to rotation of said magnetic field about said rotational axis.

21. A magnetic rotational position sensor, comprising:

a magnetic circuit, including:

a loop pole piece having an inner surface defining an air gap; and

a magnet; and

wherein said loop pole piece and said magnet cooperate to generate a magnetic field within said air gap extending between a pole face of said magnet and said inner surface of said loop pole piece, said magnetic circuit being rotatable about a rotational axis to correspondingly rotate said magnetic field about said rotational axis; and

a magnetic flux sensor extending along a sensor axis and operable to sense a magnitude of magnetic flux density passing therethrough, said magnetic flux sensor disposed within said air gap between said pole face of said magnet and said inner surface of said loop pole piece with said central axis offset from and arranged substantially parallel to said rotational axis to sense a different magnitude of magnetic flux density.

22. The magnetic rotational position sensor of claim 21 , wherein said magnetic flux sensor includes a sensing plane extending along said sensor axis, said magnetic flux sensor positioned such that an angular orientation of said sensing plane changes relative to said magnetic field in response to said rotation of said magnetic field about said rotational axis.

23. The magnetic rotational position sensor of claim 21 , further comprising a second magnetic flux sensor extending along said sensor axis and being operable to sense a different magnitude of magnetic flux density in response to said rotation of said magnetic field about said rotational axis.