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: 20110240420
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: SHIMANO INC.
    Inventors: Makoto SOUWA, Toru IWAI
  • Patent number: 7784594
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Toru Iwai, Yoshikazu Kashimoto
  • Patent number: 7784593
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Shimano, Inc.
    Inventors: Masaaki Hara, Toru Iwai, Takashi Fujitani, Tsukasa Fukuta
  • Patent number: 7516824
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Toru Iwai, Takashi Fujitani
  • Publication number: 20090084642
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: SHIMANO INC.
    Inventors: Toru IWAI, Yoshikazu KASHIMOTO
  • Patent number: 7490704
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Masaaki Hara, Toru Iwai, Takashi Fujitani, Tsukasa Fukuta
  • Patent number: 7441636
    Abstract: A bicycle brake friction member comprises titanium fibers and a resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Shimano, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Kashimoto, Toru Iwai, Masaaki Hara
  • Publication number: 20080230332
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Applicant: SHIMANO INC.
    Inventors: Toru IWAI, Takashi FUJITANI
  • Publication number: 20070240948
    Abstract: A bicycle brake friction member comprises titanium fibers and a resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Applicant: Shimano, Inc.
    Inventors: YOSHIKAZU KASHIMOTO, TORU IWAI, MASAAKI HARA
  • Patent number: 7278519
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Shimano, Inc.
    Inventors: Toru Iwai, Yoshikazu Kashimoto, Takashi Fujitani
  • Publication number: 20070227841
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2006
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Applicant: Shimano, Inc.
    Inventors: Masaaki Hara, Toru Iwai, Takashi Fujitani, Tsukasa Fukuta
  • Publication number: 20070068750
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2006
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Applicant: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Masaaki Hara, Toru Iwai, Takashi Fujitani, Tsukasa Fukuta
  • Publication number: 20050269167
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2005
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Applicant: SHIMANO, INC.
    Inventors: Toru Iwai, Takashi Fujitani
  • Publication number: 20050269175
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Applicant: SHIMANO, INC.
    Inventors: Toru Iwai, Yoshikazu Kashimoto, Takashi Fujitani
  • Publication number: 20050217417
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Publication date: October 6, 2005
    Applicant: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Mitsutoshi Uchida, Masaaki Hara, Toru Iwai
  • Publication number: 20050194075
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2005
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Applicant: SHIMANO, INC.
    Inventors: Toru Iwai, Kenji Tsubouchi, Yoshikazu Kashimoto, Kentaro Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20050006186
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2004
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Applicant: Shimano, Inc.
    Inventors: Toru Iwai, Takashi Fujitani, Kenji Tsubouchi
  • Patent number: 6059171
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Shimano, Inc.
    Inventors: Masahiro Yamanaka, Toru Iwai
  • Patent number: 4616258
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1986
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimizo Ono, Yoshikazu Nishiwaki, Koichi Tsuno, Toru Iwai, Mitsuru Nishikawa