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Abstract

An apparatus for magnetically detecting a positional relation between first and second members the positions of which change relative to each other comprises a magnetic recording medium carried on the first member and a magnetic sensor substrate supported by the second member. Two or more tracks each including a multiplicity of magnetic poles arranged at a predetermined pitch are provided on the magnetic recording medium, corresponding to the respective phases of two or more detection signals to be detected by the apparatus and in a direction in which the positional relation between the first and second members changes. The magnetic poles in any one of the tracks are shifted with respect to the magnetic poles in the other track by an amount corresponding to a phase difference between the detection signal for the phase which corresponds to the one track and the detection signal for the phase which corresponds to the other track. The magnetic sensor substrate includes a plurality of magnetoresistive elements which are respectively provided corresponding to the tracks and the electrical resistance value of each of which changes in response to a magnetic field originating from the corresponding track. The magnetoresistive elements are combined to generate electric signals as the detection signals. Each of the magnetoresistive elements corresponding to any one of the tracks and the corresponding one of the magnetoresistive elements corresponding to the other track are placed at the same position when viewed in the direction in which the positional relation between the first and second members changes.

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