Patents Assigned to Akebono
  • Patent number: 5556775
    Abstract: The present invention; is a method of producing .beta.-cyclodextrin at a higher efficiency from a raw material other than starch, comprising making a malto-oligosaccharide with 2 to 10 glucoses co-exist with cyclodextrin glucanotransferase in a solution containing an organic solvent which can precipitate 50% or more of .beta.-cyclodextrin when an excessive amount of the solvent is added to the solution of the .beta.-cyclodextrin and effecting the reaction at a lower temperature than 40.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Assignees: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd., Akebono Research and Development Center, Ltd.
    Inventors: Isao Karube, Nobuyuki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 5529389
    Abstract: A brake control unit to be used in an anti-lock control or the like which can be mounted in a small space. The brake control unit comprising a pump housing block having an accumulator and a pump installed therein, a first and a second solenoid valves of which one ends are connected to one surface of the pump housing block and vertically installed, and a motor M vertically connected to one surface of the pump housing block in parallel with the first and second solenoid valves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1996
    Assignee: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akihiko Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 5520448
    Abstract: When, after a yawing moment control starts in an anti-lock braking system the rear wheel on the low-.mu. road surface is locked and the speed of that wheel decreases below the threshold value VT1, the brake hydraulic pressure to the wheel on the low-.mu. road surface is decreased. At the same time, the brake hydraulic pressure to the rear wheel on the high-.mu. road surface is also decreased at reduced rate relative to the decrease on the low-.mu. wheel. As a result, a higher braking force acts on the wheel on the high-.mu. road surface than on the wheel on the low-.mu. road surface. When the speed of the wheel on the low-.mu. road surface decreases below the threshold value VT1 and when the speed of the wheel on the high-.mu. road surface decreases below the pressure-decrease restriction removal threshold value VT, the brake hydraulic pressure to the wheel on the high-.mu. road surface is decreased to be nearly equal to that to the wheel on the low-.mu. road surface to prevent the wheels on the high and .mu.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Satomi Okubo
  • Patent number: 5482742
    Abstract: A method for reducing green roughness of a braking system and a method of manufacturing a brake system includes coating at least one of the components of the brake system with a boundary layer material. The method is applicable to either the pad of a disc brake system or the brake drum lining and/or the brake shoe of a brake drum system. The coating is either a binder, a filler, a boundary layer lubricant or a mixture thereof. The coating hereof is either graphite, molybdenum disulfide and/or a divalent fluoride, either organic or inorganic. Likewise, a thermoset paint such as an alkyd resin, phenolic resin, epoxy resin or the like can be used for the coating material. The coating eliminates uneven transfer of friction material during the brake wear-in period which creates brake torque vibration which, in turn, increases vehicle sensitivity and brake roughness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1996
    Assignee: Akebono Brake Systems Engineering Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Minoru Takamiya, Toshiro Miyazaki, Yosuke Sasaki
  • Patent number: 5456526
    Abstract: A wheel lock prevention system prevents locking of wheels in a vehicle including a front axle having right and left front wheels, a first rear axle having right and left driving wheels, and a second rear axle having right and left follower wheels. A control part determines that locking or skidding of particular wheels may occur based on signals from sensors. In response, the control part transmits a signal to apply the appropriate brake force to the appropriate wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1995
    Assignee: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Iwasa, Shigeki Tsuchiya, Katsuya Miyake
  • Patent number: 5433907
    Abstract: A method of producing friction materials is capable of avoiding the problems in work environment due to the coarse particulates or organic solvents while producing the friction materials. The method includes processes of mixing under dry condition raw materials consisting primarily of thermosetting resin binders, fibrous reinforcing materials and friction modifiers, adding and mixing adhesives consisting of mixture of water and alcohol with the raw mixture so that the raw materials are wet and have viscosity. Afterwards, the wet raw mixture is granulated to form a granule material, dried, and heated-and-pressed to form a final product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1995
    Assignees: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd., Akebono Research And Development Centre Ltd.
    Inventors: Osao Ogiwara, Takanori Konno
  • Patent number: 5428540
    Abstract: In an anti-lock control arrangement for preventing locking of vehicle wheels, a prescribed speed difference of a threshold speed from an estimated vehicle speed is changed from an initial value of the difference to a larger value when a wheel speed has been lower for a prescribed time than the threshold speed which follows the estimated vehicle speed with the prescribed speed difference therefrom or when a prescribed statement with respect to the wheel speed is repeated at a predetermined number. Further, the speed difference of the threshold speed from the estimated vehicle speed is changed back to the initial value when the wheel speed has become lower than the threshold speed subjected to the former change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Assignees: Akebono Brake Industry, Akebono Research and Development Centre, Ltd.
    Inventor: Satomi Okubo
  • Patent number: 5417247
    Abstract: A bleed screw cap for hydraulic equipment including a holding ring made of an elastic material which has high axial compressibility, an elastic cap, a cylindrical shaped skirt portion attached to the elastic cap, and a seal member attached to the skirt portion so as to cover an upper surface of the holding ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Tarui, Shinji Aoyagi
  • Patent number: 5417313
    Abstract: A hollow hole is radially formed in a rotor in at least one position on its circumference so that the minimum thickness between an inner surface of the hollow hole and each of the front and rear braking surfaces is selected to be not larger than 3 mm. Alternatively, in a ventilated rotor, at least one of a plurality of holes formed radially in the rotor is shaped into an expanded hole so that the minimum thickness between an inner surface of the hole and each of the front and rear braking surfaces is selected to be not larger than 3 mm. Two rows of small circular holes may be formed in a specific arrangement so as to penetrate a disc rotor. If longitudinal wave vibration is transmitted to the disc rotor, squeals due to an even number order resonance mode, that is, a resonance mode of the second, fourth, sixth order or the like, can be effectively attenuated by specially shaped hollow holes, reduced holes, or two rows of small circular holes formed in a disc rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignees: Akebno Brake Industry Co., Ltd., Akebono Research And Development Centre Ltd.
    Inventors: Mikio Matsuzaki, Toshitaka Izumihara, Toru Yoshino
  • Patent number: 5410484
    Abstract: In a vehicular automatic brake system, a distance X between a vehicle to be controlled and an obstacle is determined using a distance sensor, a relative velocity Vs with respect to the obstacle is determined from changes of X with time, a judgment is made as to whether the vehicle to be controlled is approaching the obstacle, further, an estimated time Tx which will be taken until contact with the obstacle is determined from Vs and X, and braking is performed in accordance with the value of Tx.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Assignees: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd., Akebono Research and Development Centre, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Kunimi, Kimio Takahashi, Katsuya Miyake
  • Patent number: 5404971
    Abstract: An adjuster releasing apparatus for a drum brake in which an adjuster lever is pushed up by a pin-shaped member inserted from an opening of a backing plate, a stopper for limiting the movement amount of push-up of the adjuster lever in the state where the adjuster lever is pushed up to thereby release its engagement with an adjuster gear is provided on the backing plate side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1995
    Assignee: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiro Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 5395573
    Abstract: A method of carrying preforms of frictional material, in which a preform 2 of a frictional material is carried so as to be put into a heat middle mold 8b of a heat mold 8 after the frictional material is preformed with a preforming mold 1, the preforming upper mold 1a is moved down so that the preform 2 held in a preforming middle mold 1b is pushed from above into a through storage hole 4a of a carrier 4, and the heat upper mold 8a is moved down after this carrier 4 is carried to above the heat middle mold 8b so that the preform 2 is pushed into the heat middle mold 8b from the lower portion of the storage hole 4a of the carrier 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1995
    Assignee: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhide Taguchi
  • Patent number: 5384344
    Abstract: A friction material containing dust having bismaleimidetriazine as a major ingredient. The dust is effective when contained in amount of 1 to 20 wt. % in the friction material. Compared with conventional friction material containing cashew dust, the generation rate of noise is reduced drastically, while the frictional performance is equivalent or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1995
    Assignees: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd., Akebond Research and Development Centre Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Kamioka, Hiroshi Tokumura, Toru Yoshino
  • Patent number: 5382933
    Abstract: Disclosed is a solenoid valve device having a bobbin assembly 3 including an outer yoke 105 as a magnetic circuit, a solenoid coil 20 positioned within the outer yoke 105, and a connector pin 107 for supplying the electric current to the solenoid coil 20. The bobbin assembly 3, which is molded of at least two layers of resins, has an inner resin section 120 for integrally setting at least the outer yoke 105 and the solenoid coil 20 together, and an outer resin section 125 to enclose the inner resin section 120, forming the outer surface of the bobbin assembly 3. This inner resin section 120 is formed of a resin having a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the outer resin section 125, while the outer resin section 125 is formed of a resin having a higher dimensional stability than the inner resin section 120.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1995
    Assignee: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakamura, Astushi Nishijoh, Shigeki Tsuchiya, Yoshiaki Hirobe
  • Patent number: 5369585
    Abstract: An anti-lock control system in which a pressure increasing cycle changes according to the behavior of a wheel during a pressure increasing mode of anti-lock control. The anti-lock control system determines a coefficient of friction of a road surface, sets a maximum vehicle body deceleration according to the coefficient of friction, calculates the deceleration of the wheel speed to be controlled, compares the deceleration of the wheel speed to be controlled with the maximum vehicle body deceleration Gmax to determine whether or not to increase or maintain constant the brake fluid pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1994
    Assignee: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Satomi Okubo
  • Patent number: 5360842
    Abstract: A non-asbestos friction material containing friction dust comprising a composite of inorganic compound with polymerization product of cashew nut shell oil is disclosed. The material is used for the brake lining, disc pad and clutch facing for cars and industrial machinery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Assignees: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd., Akebono Research and Development Centre Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuji Seki, Truong V. Hung
  • Patent number: 5358081
    Abstract: The hydraulic retarder control system comprises pressure reducing valves which can switch the pressure of the air to be supplied from a pressure air source 4 to an air/liquid conversion device 25 at least to a low pressure, an intermediate pressure and a high pressure, or a proportional electromagnetic valve 110 which can reduce and adjust the pressure of the air in a stageless manner, and running speed detect devices 100, 111 which detect the fact that the running speed of a vehicle is equal to or slower than a given running speed. When there is given a detect signal by the running speed detect devices 100, 111, then the pressure reducing valves 32, 95 or the proportional electromagnetic valve 110 are or is switched over to a pressure higher than a set pressure for running speeds exceeding the given running speed, so that the high pressure air from the pressure air source 4 can be supplied to the air/liquid conversion device 25.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Kaneda, Hideyuki Fujinami
  • Patent number: 5348123
    Abstract: A brake actuating apparatus which includes a motor disposed at a brake caliper, a driving piston connecting through a converting member which converts a rotary motion of the motor into a linear motion, and a fluid chamber disposed between the driving piston and a pad urging piston for urging the brake pad in the brake caliper, and a diameter of the driving piston is arranged smaller than that of the pad urging piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1994
    Assignees: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd., Akebono Research and Development Centre Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimio Takahashi, Katsuya Miyake, Takashi Kunimi, Tatsuo Ogawahara, Tadashi Kobayashi, Kunio Fukaya
  • Patent number: 5333707
    Abstract: A controller for a retarder includes: a fluid-storage-type retarder provided to a rotary shaft which is rotated together with the rear wheels of a vehicle, the retarder always storing a fluid; a reservoir tank adapted to be in fluid communication with, the retarder; and pressure regulation member adapted to be in atmospheric communication with the reservoir tank for imparting a predetermined restriction to pressurized air which flows into the reservoir tank in accordance with each stationary level of pressure which is produced in the retarder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1994
    Assignee: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Kaneda
  • Patent number: 5333706
    Abstract: A vehicle brake system includes a wheel shaft to which a rotor is fixedly mounted for rotation relative to a stator. Rotor coils are mounted to the rotor in close running relation with stator coils mounted by the stator. The stator also mounts a disc brake caliper and an electric actuator for pressing brake pads against surfaces of the rotor. A control circuit selectively, electrically energizes the rotor coils to produce electromagnetic braking and/or the electric actuator to produce frictional braking by the disc brake in accordance with input signals indicating the magnitude of the depression force exerted on a brake pedal, vehicle speed, and braking torque in a manner to harmonize braking action with the braking demands of the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1994
    Assignees: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd., Akebono Research and Development Centre Ltd.
    Inventor: Masatomo Mori