Patents by Inventor Toru Iwai
Toru Iwai has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Publication number: 20110240420Abstract: A disk brake rotor includes a first rotor portion, a second rotor portion and a third rotor portion. The second rotor portion has an annular portion and at least one ventilation hole. The third rotor portion also has an annular portion. The first portion is attached to and disposed between the second rotor portion and the third rotor portions, such that a surface of the first rotor potion is an exposed area exposed by the at least one ventilation hole.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2010Publication date: October 6, 2011Applicant: SHIMANO INC.Inventors: Makoto SOUWA, Toru IWAI
-
Patent number: 7784594Abstract: Disclosed herein is a brake pad assembly for a disc brake on a bicycle, the brake pad assembly comprising a brake friction pad and a back plate. The back plate includes a first layer deposited onto the brake friction pad and a second layer deposited onto the first layer. The first layer is made of an aluminum alloy and the second layer is made of a stainless steel.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2007Date of Patent: August 31, 2010Assignee: Shimano Inc.Inventors: Toru Iwai, Yoshikazu Kashimoto
-
Patent number: 7784593Abstract: A brake pad for a bicycle comprises a backing plate formed from titanium, and a friction member bonded to the backing plate through a diffusion layer. The diffusion layer is formed at least in part by thermal spraying copper onto the backing plate. A method of constructing the brake pad comprises the steps of thermal spraying copper on a backing plate formed from titanium to form a copper layer on the backing plate, and bonding a friction member to the copper layer by forming a diffusion layer with the copper layer.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2006Date of Patent: August 31, 2010Assignee: Shimano, Inc.Inventors: Masaaki Hara, Toru Iwai, Takashi Fujitani, Tsukasa Fukuta
-
Patent number: 7516824Abstract: A bicycle disk brake pad basically comprises a backplate part and a friction part. The backplate part is made of a copper-based sintering alloy. The friction part is made of a copper-based sintering alloy that is integrally sintered with the backplate part.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2008Date of Patent: April 14, 2009Assignee: Shimano Inc.Inventors: Toru Iwai, Takashi Fujitani
-
Publication number: 20090084642Abstract: Disclosed herein is a brake pad assembly for a disc brake on a bicycle, the brake pad assembly comprising a brake friction pad and a back plate. The back plate includes a first layer deposited onto the brake friction pad and a second layer deposited onto the first layer. The first layer is made of an aluminum alloy and the second layer is made of a stainless steel.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 2, 2007Publication date: April 2, 2009Applicant: SHIMANO INC.Inventors: Toru IWAI, Yoshikazu KASHIMOTO
-
Patent number: 7490704Abstract: A bicycle disc brake pad is used in a disc brake device and is configured to reduce restrictions on backplate material in a disc brake pad for a bicycle in which a friction member is bonded to a backplate by a diffusion bonding method. The bicycle disc brake pad has a backplate, a spray coating layer and a friction member. The surface of the backplate has a spray coat surface. The spray coating layer is a copper or copper alloy layer formed on the spray coat surface. The friction member is bonded to the spray coating layer by a diffusion bonding method. Preferably, the spray coat surface of the backplate is formed with a rough surface on at least part of the spray coat surface.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2006Date of Patent: February 17, 2009Assignee: Shimano Inc.Inventors: Masaaki Hara, Toru Iwai, Takashi Fujitani, Tsukasa Fukuta
-
Patent number: 7441636Abstract: A bicycle brake friction member comprises titanium fibers and a resin.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2006Date of Patent: October 28, 2008Assignee: Shimano, Inc.Inventors: Yoshikazu Kashimoto, Toru Iwai, Masaaki Hara
-
Publication number: 20080230332Abstract: A bicycle disk brake pad basically comprises a backplate part and a friction part. The backplate part is made of a copper-based sintering alloy. The friction part is made of a copper-based sintering alloy that is integrally sintered with the backplate part.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 14, 2008Publication date: September 25, 2008Applicant: SHIMANO INC.Inventors: Toru IWAI, Takashi FUJITANI
-
Publication number: 20070240948Abstract: A bicycle brake friction member comprises titanium fibers and a resin.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 12, 2006Publication date: October 18, 2007Applicant: Shimano, Inc.Inventors: YOSHIKAZU KASHIMOTO, TORU IWAI, MASAAKI HARA
-
Patent number: 7278519Abstract: A bicycle disk brake pad comprises a backing plate and a friction member. The friction member comprises a friction brake part and a wear indicating part, wherein the friction part is adapted to contact a rotating brake member, and the wear indicating part is mounted to the backing plate. The friction brake part and the wear indicating part each comprise a common material and a harder material that is harder than the common material. A proportion of the harder material in the wear indicating part is greater than a proportion of the harder material in the friction brake part.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2005Date of Patent: October 9, 2007Assignee: Shimano, Inc.Inventors: Toru Iwai, Yoshikazu Kashimoto, Takashi Fujitani
-
Publication number: 20070227841Abstract: A brake pad for a bicycle comprises a backing plate formed from titanium, and a friction member bonded to the backing plate through a diffusion layer. The diffusion layer is formed at least in part by thermal spraying copper onto the backing plate. A method of constructing the brake pad comprises the steps of thermal spraying copper on a backing plate formed from titanium to form a copper layer on the backing plate, and bonding a friction member to the copper layer by forming a diffusion layer with the copper layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 4, 2006Publication date: October 4, 2007Applicant: Shimano, Inc.Inventors: Masaaki Hara, Toru Iwai, Takashi Fujitani, Tsukasa Fukuta
-
Publication number: 20070068750Abstract: A bicycle disc brake pad is used in a disc brake device and is configured to reduce restrictions on backplate material in a disc brake pad for a bicycle in which a friction member is bonded to a backplate by a diffusion bonding method. The bicycle disc brake pad has a backplate, a spray coating layer and a friction member. The surface of the backplate has a spray coat surface. The spray coating layer is a copper or copper alloy layer formed on the spray coat surface. The friction member is bonded to the spray coating layer by a diffusion bonding method. Preferably, the spray coat surface of the backplate is formed with a rough surface on at least part of the spray coat surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2006Publication date: March 29, 2007Applicant: Shimano Inc.Inventors: Masaaki Hara, Toru Iwai, Takashi Fujitani, Tsukasa Fukuta
-
Publication number: 20050269167Abstract: A bicycle disk brake pad comprises a backing plate and a friction member. A first joined area of the friction member is welded to the backing plate, and a second joined area of the friction member is adhesively joined to the backing plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2005Publication date: December 8, 2005Applicant: SHIMANO, INC.Inventors: Toru Iwai, Takashi Fujitani
-
Publication number: 20050269175Abstract: A bicycle disk brake pad comprises a backing plate and a friction member. The friction member comprises a friction brake part and a wear indicating part, wherein the friction part is adapted to contact a rotating brake member, and the wear indicating part is mounted to the backing plate. The friction brake part and the wear indicating part each comprise a common material and a harder material that is harder than the common material. A proportion of the harder material in the wear indicating part is greater than a proportion of the harder material in the friction brake part.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 15, 2005Publication date: December 8, 2005Applicant: SHIMANO, INC.Inventors: Toru Iwai, Yoshikazu Kashimoto, Takashi Fujitani
-
Publication number: 20050217417Abstract: A bicycle crank arm is provided that is a light, highly strong, highly rigid and highly designed in a complex shape. The bicycle crank arm has a crank axle mounting end portion, a central crank body portion and a pedal mounting end portion. The hollow bicycle crank arm is preferably a one-piece, unitary member that is produced by a tube hydroforming method. The hollow bicycle crank arm has a crank axle attachment part located within the crank axle mounting end portion and a pedal spindle attachment part located within the pedal mounting end portion. The mounting end portions have a crank axle hole and a pedal spindle hole, respectively, with outside diameters that are smaller than the attachment parts, respectively.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2005Publication date: October 6, 2005Applicant: Shimano Inc.Inventors: Mitsutoshi Uchida, Masaaki Hara, Toru Iwai
-
Publication number: 20050194075Abstract: A method of hardening the surface of a beta titanium member comprises the step of heating the beta titanium member in a gas mixture consisting essentially of an inert gas and oxygen.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2005Publication date: September 8, 2005Applicant: SHIMANO, INC.Inventors: Toru Iwai, Kenji Tsubouchi, Yoshikazu Kashimoto, Kentaro Hayashi
-
Publication number: 20050006186Abstract: A bicycle disk brake rotor apparatus comprises a generally circular first rotor member and a generally circular first second rotor member. The first rotor member has a first fixing component structured to mount the first rotor member to a hub mounting member, and the first second rotor member has a first second fixing component structured to mount the first second rotor member to the hub mounting member. The first rotor member is attached to a side of the first second rotor member, and the first second rotor member is formed of a material having greater braking wear resistance than the first rotor member.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 2, 2004Publication date: January 13, 2005Applicant: Shimano, Inc.Inventors: Toru Iwai, Takashi Fujitani, Kenji Tsubouchi
-
Patent number: 6059171Abstract: A crank arm is formed with an enclosed hollow section, a first solid end fixed to one end of the hollow section and defining a first opening for fitting to a crank axle, and a second solid end fixed to a second end of the hollow section and defining a second opening for fitting to a pedal. The hollow section is constructed from a middle section having a longitudinal groove and a separate lid fixed to the middle section for enclosing the groove. The first solid end has a thicker cross section than the second solid end so that the stress applied to the crank is substantially constant. The hollow section may be keel-shaped to further enhance the strength of the crank arm without stress being concentrated in any particular location. To form the crank arm, a crank arm body is formed having a first opening on one end for fitting to a crank axle, a second opening on another end for fitting to a pedal, and a longitudinal groove.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 1996Date of Patent: May 9, 2000Assignee: Shimano, Inc.Inventors: Masahiro Yamanaka, Toru Iwai
-
Patent number: 4616258Abstract: A monitoring device for monitoring an interior conduit wall includes a plurality of sliding members each resiliently urged by equal amounts away from the device body toward the conduit wall, so that the device can be used in conduits of different diameters while always remaining substantially centered within the conduit.Type: GrantFiled: January 20, 1983Date of Patent: October 7, 1986Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Kimizo Ono, Yoshikazu Nishiwaki, Koichi Tsuno, Toru Iwai, Mitsuru Nishikawa