Patents Assigned to Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd.
  • High-low pad retraction spring
    Patent number: 9670977
    Abstract: A device comprising a connection plate having a first end and a second end and two or more spring arms connected to and extending from the second end of the connection plate at an angle and having a portion that extends back toward the connection plate, wherein the two or more spring arms, when moved during a brake apply, provide an axial force toward the connection plate. The device may be used within a brake assembly, which further includes a caliper; a support bracket having a leading end and a trailing end, wherein the leading end, the trailing end, or both, have one or more projections; a rotor extending through the support bracket; and two or more brake pads located within the support bracket on opposing sides of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Brian Lewis Boyle
  • Magnetic clutch for a DC motor
    Patent number: 9669817
    Abstract: A device for a brake system comprises a rotating plate including magnets having a first polarity. The rotating plate engages an output shaft of a motor. The device includes a non-rotating plate including magnets, one or more of which have the first polarity and one or more of which have a second polarity. The non-rotating plate moves axially between an engaged position and a non-engaged position. In the engaged position, the magnets in the rotating plate magnetically attract the one or more magnets in the non-rotating plate with the second polarity so that non-rotating plate moves into contact with the rotating plate. In the non-engaged position, the magnets in the rotating plate magnetically repel the one or more magnets in the non-rotating plate with the first polarity so that the non-rotating plate moves out of contact with the rotating plate and thus rotation of the rotating plate is allowed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Galus Chelaidite, Aurelian Bahmata
  • Composite disc rotor
    Patent number: 9657794
    Abstract: A composite disc rotor includes a disc main body, a coupling bracket and coupling units. Each of the coupling units includes a bobbin, a clip and a coupling bolt. A head part of the bobbin includes a torque receiving portion inserted in the notch and a projection projected in a circumferential direction from an end of the torque receiving portion. A pipe part of the bobbin is extended from the head part and is fitted in a coupling through hole of the disc main body. The clip includes a connecting portion between the torque receiving portion and the notch and a pressing portion extended from the connecting portion between the head part and the coupling bracket. The coupling bolt is inserted into each of through hole of the bobbin to fix the coupling bracket to the coupling unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takefumi Morio, Shinjiro Masuko, Takaaki Sasaki, Tomoki Yachi
  • Friction material composition and friction material
    Patent number: 9656921
    Abstract: A friction material composition including a fiber base material, a friction modifier and a binder. A content of copper in the friction material composition is 0.5% by mass or less. The friction material composition includes a partially graphitized coke and muscovite. A friction material is formed by molding the friction material composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya Kitami, Katsuji Seki, Yoshiyuki Sugai
  • Sequential parking brake assembly
    Patent number: 9644693
    Abstract: An assembly includes a brake system comprising a parking brake assembly including a first drive shaft and a second drive shaft. The assembly also includes two or more opposing brake pads, and a rotor extending between the two or more opposing brake pads. During use, the first drive shaft is moved so that a first portion of the brake pad is moved relative to the rotor, The second this shaft is moved so that a second portion of the brake pad is moved relative to the rotor. One of the first portion of the brake pad or the second portion of the brake pad is moved relative to the rotor before the other of the first portion of the brake pad or the second portion of the brake pad is moved relative to the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD
    Inventors: Galus Chelaidite, Waleed Mahmoud Al-Mahshi, Carla Thomas
  • Actuator assembly for a parking brake system
    Patent number: 9592813
    Abstract: Disclosed is an assembly that includes a spindle; a brake cable in communication with the spindle; and a spring in communication with the spindle. Movement of the spindle in a first direction causes the brake cable to move so that a clamping force is created. Movement of the spindle in a second direction causes the brake cable to move in a second direction so that the clamping force is released. Movement of the spindle in both the first direction and the second direction causes the spring to compress so that a controller can determine when the clamping force is created and released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD
    Inventor: Galus Chelaidite
  • Differential for a parking brake assembly
    Patent number: 9587692
    Abstract: The present teachings relate to a brake assembly, and more particularly to a differential for a brake assembly that is unlocked or open in one configuration and locked or closed in another configuration. The brake assembly comprises a differential and one or more output shafts. During rotation of at least one of the one or more output shafts a brake apply is created or released. During creation of the brake apply, the differential distributes a rotational force to each of the one or more output shafts until at least one of the one or more output shafts experiences higher resistance and then the differential re-distributes the rotational force to at least one of the one or more output shafts with lower resistance. During release of the brake apply, the differential distributes an opposing rotational force equally to each of the one or more output shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD
    Inventor: Kenneth Eric Gutelius
  • Piston with out of phase mode
    Patent number: 9587741
    Abstract: A brake piston comprising: (a) a rear wall, (b) a cylindrical side wall connected to the rear wall, (c) a recess located within the brake piston, (d) an insert located within the recess of the brake piston; and (e) an adhesive connecting the insert to the recess of the brake piston; wherein the insert is made of metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuichi Koshikawa, Moira Ann Gaskell, Jeffrey David Pontius, Christian Andrew Ball
  • Method for producing spheroidal graphite cast iron and vehicle component using said spheroidal graphite cast iron
    Patent number: 9556498
    Abstract: A method for producing spheroidal graphite cast iron having a specific final composition includes: subjecting a molten iron to a spheroidization treatment using a spheroidizing agent of an Fe—Si—Mg—Ca-based alloy containing no rare earth element; conducting an inoculation treatment using a first Fe—Si-based inoculant; and conducting a pouring inoculation treatment with a given amount of a second Fe—Si-based inoculant containing 45-75% of Si, 1-3% of Ca, and 15 ppm or less of Ba.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takao Horiya, Tsukasa Baba, Takuya Tokiyama, Takashi Sato, Hiroshi Idei
  • Vehicular disc brake rotor and manufacturing method of vehicular disc brake rotor
    Patent number: 9541144
    Abstract: A vehicular disc brake rotor is provided with a cast-iron base, a nitrogen diffusion layer formed on the cast-iron base, a nitrogen compound layer formed on the nitrogen diffusion layer, and an iron oxide layer including Fe3O4 and formed on the nitrogen compound layer. In a burnish and a first re-burnish of a “Passenger car-Braking device-Dynamometer test procedures” (which is based on JASO C 406:2000), a change ratio of a frictional coefficient between the burnish and the first re-burnish is 10% or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Sugai, Katsuji Seki, Takuya Takada
  • Friction material
    Patent number: 9534650
    Abstract: A friction material containing, as a binder, a lignin-phenol resin having a weight average molecular weight of 5,000 or less or a cardanol-modified lignin-phenol resin having a weight average molecular weight of 5,000 or less. The friction material is produced by a method including: reacting a lignin having a weight average molecular weight of 5,000 or less, a phenol, an aldehyde, and optionally a cardanol, in the presence of an acid catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Motoki Kuroe
  • Process for producing spheroidal-graphite cast iron, and spheroidal-graphite cast iron member obtained from said spheroidal-graphite cast iron
    Patent number: 9512498
    Abstract: A process for producing spheroidal graphite cast iron includes a spheroidization treatment, an inoculant treatment and a pouring inoculation treatment. A molten iron is subjected to the spheroidization treatment using a spheroidizing agent of an Fe—Si—Mg—Ca-based alloy which contains a given amount of Ba and contains substantially no rare-earth element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tsukasa Baba, Takao Horiya, Takuya Tokiyama, Takashi Sato, Hiroshi Idei, Yutaka Nishikawa, Masakazu Kitahara, Hidekazu Narita
  • Disk brake pad and disk brake apparatus
    Patent number: 9500241
    Abstract: A disk brake pad includes a lining and a back plate supporting the lining. A first side part of the back plate in the circumferential direction includes a guided portion configured to engage movably in the axial direction with a guiding portion of a pad support member. The guided portion is disposed at a position more inward in the radial direction than a line of action of a brake tangential force applied in braking, so as to support a brake tangential force applied toward a second side part of the back plate in the circumferential direction in braking. The back plate is configured to support a brake tangential force applied toward the first side part in braking at a portion thereof that exists more outward in the radial direction than the line of action of the brake tangential force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichi Shimamura, Shotaro Note, Yoshio Totsuka
  • Drum brake apparatus
    Patent number: 9488234
    Abstract: A drum brake apparatus includes first and second brake shoes, a wheel cylinder, an anchor portion, an adjuster, an expansion mechanism for expanding the first and second brake shoes, a switch lever mechanism rotatable by an action force of a given or higher value from the expansion mechanism, and a switch strut, following the rotation of the switch lever mechanism, for expanding the anchor-portion side adjoining ends of the first and second brake shoes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshifumi Maehara, Hiroaki Nakamura
  • Electric drum or drum-in-hat park brake
    Patent number: 9476469
    Abstract: A linear actuation assembly comprising: (a) a differential assembly and (b) a pair of linear actuators in communication with the differential assembly; wherein the pair of linear actuators are movable along an axis so that during movement of each of the pair of linear actuators a pair of brake shoes are moved to create a brake force or moved to release a brake force, and wherein the differential assembly distributes power equally to each of the pair of linear actuators until resistance of one of the brake shoes increases then the differential assembly ceases to provide power to the brake shoe with increased resistance and distributes the power from the brake shoe with increased resistance to a brake shoe of lower resistance until a brake force is created.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD
    Inventor: Kenneth Eric Gutelius
  • FRICTION MATERIAL COMPOSITION AND FRICTION MATERIAL
    Publication number: 20160289126
    Abstract: A friction material composition including a fiber base material, a friction modifier and a binder. A content of copper in the friction material composition is 0.5% by mass or less. The friction material composition includes a partially graphitized coke and muscovite. A friction material is formed by molding the friction material composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2014
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Applicant: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya KITAMI, Katsuji SEKI, Yoshiyuki SUGAI
  • Bracketless caliper
    Patent number: 9458901
    Abstract: A device comprising: a caliper comprising: one or more piston bores housing a piston; an outboard pad retainer; a bridge; and a shoulder; wherein the caliper is attached directly to a knuckle of an automobile via the shoulder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD
    Inventor: Kenneth Eric Gutelius
  • Drum brake type electric parking brake apparatus
    Patent number: 9440626
    Abstract: There is provided a drum brake type electric parking brake apparatus includes an electric actuator unit, a backing plate and a knuckle. The electric actuator unit includes an electric motor and a decelerator, and expands a gap between one end portions of the brake shoes based on activation of the electric motor. The electric actuator unit is separately provided from the backing plate. The electric actuator unit is arranged at an inner-side surface of the knuckle, and the backing plate is arranged at an outer-side surface of the knuckle. The backing plate and the electric actuator unit are supported and fixed to the knuckle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori Akada, Hiroyasu Ishikawa, Michio Suzuki
  • Friction pad assembly for disk brake
    Patent number: 9441694
    Abstract: A unit friction pad assembly constituting a disk brake friction pad assembly includes a lining assembly which is oscillatably inserted into the guide hole portion of a guide plate to transmit a braking torque from a plate engagement portion to the guide plate and is urged toward the guide plate by a spring member, and a clearance hold mechanism for holding a clearance between the guide plate and torque receiving plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Toshifumi Maehara
  • Manufacturing method of cast-iron friction member
    Patent number: 9422994
    Abstract: A cast-iron friction member is manufactured by: performing a nitrocarburizing treatment on a cast workpiece at a treatment temperature of 500° C. to 600° C. to thus form a nitrogen compound layer on a surface of the workpiece; and exposing the workpiece to an atmosphere when a temperature becomes 400° C. to 480° C. after the nitrocarburizing treatment so as to cool the workpiece to a room temperature while keeping a contact state with oxygen to thus form an iron oxide layer including Fe3O4 on a surface of the nitrogen compound layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Sugai, Katsuji Seki, Takuya Takada