Kelsey-hayes Company

George W Morris, Iii

Leonard T Tribe

John S Frait

Clark E Lowman

The present invention relates to a position sensor which can be utilized as a height sensor in an automatic vehicle suspension system. The sensor comprises a telescoping assembly including an elongate shaft having one end which is axially slidable within an outer housing. The telescoping assembly is connected between sprung and unsprung vehicle frame members. The outer ends of the shaft and the housing are each provided with a unique bifurcated socket unit and an associated retaining clip for attachment to a ball element connection point on the associated vehicle frame member. A pair of magnets are carried by the shaft and are adapted to generate a first magnetic field having one polarity and extending axially along a first portion of the shaft and a second magnetic field having an opposite polarity and extending axially along a second portion of the shaft. A pair of axially spaced apart Hall effect switches are carried by the housing and are responsive to the first and second magnetic fields along the shaft for generating logic signals representing the relative position between the movable vehicle frame members. A separate concentrator element is positioned adjacent each of the Hall effect switches for increasing the intensity of the magnetic field in the region of respective switch. Also disclosed is a simplified method for installing the position sensor on the vehicle.

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Greenville, SC, United States of America

George W Morris, Iii