Patents Assigned to Akebono
  • Publication number: 20210215212
    Abstract: A pad pin receiver includes a body plate is attached to an inner side of a pin insertion portion provided in a back plate of a disc brake pad. The pin insertion portion engages with a pin inserted into the pin insertion portion during braking. The body plate covers a portion of an inner peripheral surface of the pin insertion portion. A bent plate is bent at at least one end portion of the body plate in a length direction of the body plate. When the body plate is attached to the pin insertion portion, the body plate extends in a thickness direction of the back plate, and the bent plate overlaps with the back plate in the thickness direction of the back plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka NISHIKAWA, Isao ISHIGURO, Ryo OTAKE
  • Patent number: 11054350
    Abstract: A testing machine comprising: (a) a transmitter; (b) a receiver opposing the transmitter; and (c) a compressibility sensor in communication with the transmitter, the receiver, or both, wherein the testing machine transmits a signal between the transmitter and the receiver to perform ultrasonic testing and further performs compressibility testing of one or more objects positioned between the transmitter and the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Eric J. Roszman
  • Patent number: 11015668
    Abstract: A pad clip for a disc brake includes: a radial pressing portion which is disposed at inward than a clamping portion in a radial direction and presses outward in the radial direction an ear portion; a circumferential pressing portion which extends outward in the radial direction from a radially outer side portion of the clamping portion, an intermediate portion thereof being folded back inward in radial and circumferential directions of the rotor, and a tip end portion thereof pressing the pad inward in the circumferential direction; and a spring holding portion which protrudes outward in the circumferential direction from the radially outer side portion of the clamping portion than a base portion of the circumferential pressing portion, and holds a return spring which is made of wire material and presses the pad away from the rotor in an axial direction of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiko Sekiguchi, Yuta Minoshima, Daisuke Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20210148422
    Abstract: A wear debris collection device includes a rotation body that is connected to a rotation shaft and performs rotating movement in accordance with rotation of the rotation shaft, a braking member that brakes the rotating movement of the rotation body, a hood covering the rotation body and the braking member and to prevent dust from entering from outside, a blower that blows air into the hood, a collection apparatus that suctions air in the hood and collects wear debris of the braking member contained in the air, and an air pressure adjuster that measures air pressure in the hood and external air pressure and adjusts an air quantity of at least one of the blower and the collection apparatus so that the air pressure in the hood equals the external air pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Applicant: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigetomo SUZUKI, Taro MATSUDA, Hidehiko NAKAGAWA, Yasuko YAMAZAKI, Atsushi UENO, Ayumu OKUNARI
  • Patent number: 11002330
    Abstract: A thermosetting resin composition for a friction material includes a thermosetting resin and a lignocellulose nanofiber dispersed in the thermosetting resin. A method for producing a thermosetting resin composition for a friction material includes a first step and a second step. In the first step, a plant-based biomass containing a lignocellulose is mixed with a dispersion medium to obtain a mixture thereof, and the mixture is subjected to a defibration treatment to obtain a slurry of a lignocellulose nanofiber. In the second step, phenol is reacted with an aldehyde in the presence of an acid catalyst to obtain a thermosetting resin, and the slurry is added to the thermosetting resin. The lignocellulose nanofiber is dispersed in the thermosetting resin while removing the dispersion medium and unreacted phenol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Motoki Kuroe, Kanami Nakamura
  • Patent number: 10968967
    Abstract: A retraction spring assembly having: a) pad clip having a lock channel and one or more assembly locks; b) a retraction spring affixed to the pad clip with two or more lock arms residing within the lock channel and a plurality of energy storage portions; and first and second retraction arms; wherein the one or more assembly locks are configured to receive the two or more lock arms and bias the retraction spring into an assembly position; during the brake apply, movement of the first and second retraction arm is toward each other and results in energy being stored in the body portion; and during the brake release, the energy stored in the body portion is released and transferred to both the first and second retraction arm to result in movement of the first retraction arm and the second retraction arm away from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Brad Robert Lethorn
  • Publication number: 20210054891
    Abstract: A friction pad assembly for a disc brake is provided. A lining assembly includes a friction material which is pressed against a disc rotor during braking and a back plate which is fixed to a back surface of the friction material, and the back plate includes a plate fitting part swingably fitted to a guide hole provided in a guide plate. The plate fitting part is fitted into the guide hole such that a braking torque acting when the friction material is pressed against the disc rotor is transmitted from the plate fitting part to the guide plate. A rotation regulator regulating a rotation of the lining assembly is integrally formed on a torque receiving plate fixed to the guide plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Applicant: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiko YAMAZAKI, Yoshikazu HARIGAI, Yuichi OKADA, Takayuki SHINDO
  • Patent number: 10927910
    Abstract: A method that includes monitoring a motor characteristic; and determining an actuator of a brake system has reached a retracted position after the motor characteristic has reached or exceeded a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD
    Inventor: George Ritter
  • Patent number: 10914350
    Abstract: An opposed-piston type disc brake includes a guide cylinder extending axially inward from an opening edge portion of a cylinder in which an outer displacement member of a thrust generating mechanism is disposed is provided in an inner body of a caliper at an axial inner side portion of the inner body. A clamp base portion of a clamp member of a parking mechanism portion includes a housing hole opened to an axial outer side of the clamp base portion in which an inner side displacement member of the thrust generating member is disposed. A guide cylinder extending axially inward from an opening edge portion of the cylinder is fitted into the housing hole so as to relatively move in the axial direction, to form a first guide portion which supports the clamp member so that the clamp member is displaced relative to the cylinder in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Noguchi, Hiroyuki Kato, Takayuki Ichige, Yoshio Totsuka
  • Patent number: 10903715
    Abstract: An assembly that includes a main housing. A motor is supported in a motor housing that is supported in the main housing. The motor has an output shaft and a locking mechanism. The motor is adapted to generate a first rotational direction torque and a second rotational direction torque. The motor is adapted to transfer the first rotational direction torque and the second rotational direction torque to a destination via the output shaft. The locking mechanism is adapted to prevent the output shaft from back driving in the second rotational direction after the first rotational direction torque has been transferred to the destination. The motor housing is adapted to rotate in the main housing to unlock the locking mechanism so that the second rotational direction torque can be transferred to the destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Galus Chelaidite, Brian Lewis Boyle, Carla Thomas
  • Publication number: 20210010548
    Abstract: A floating disc brake includes an outer pad disposed on an axially outer side relative to a rotor, an inner pad disposed on an axially inner side relative to the rotor, a fixing member disposed on the axially inner side relative to the rotor, the fixing member being configured to support the inner pad to be movable in an axial direction and being fixed to a vehicle body, and a yoke supported to the fixing member by a slide pin to be movable in the axial direction, the yoke supporting the outer pad. The fixing member is provided with an anchor disposed on a radially outer side relative to the rotor, the anchor being configured to bear a brake tangential force that acts on the outer pad at the time of braking within a circumferential range of a lining constituting the outer pad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Applicant: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshifumi MAEHARA, Tadasuke FUJIWARA, Kohei NOMA, Shogo MASHIMO
  • Patent number: 10890221
    Abstract: A disc brake (11) includes: a floating caliper (13) including a base portion (25) slidably supported by an upper guide pin (31) supported by a support (23), a piston side pressing arm (39) and an opposite piston side pressing arm (41); a pair of brake pads (17); a drive piston (15) provided on the piston side pressing arm (39); a caliper return mechanism (22) for elastically biasing the base portion disposed on an end portion of the guide pin (31) to the side opposite to the drive piston side; and an inner circumferential side washer (44) disposed on both sides in an axial direction of the rubber ring (21) elastically supporting the upper guide pin (31) in a radial direction to restrict an inner circumferential portion of the rubber ring (21) from bending deformation along an axial direction of the upper guide pin (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuta Minoshima, Toshifumi Maehara, Akihiko Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20200408266
    Abstract: A caliper for an opposed-piston disc brake, includes a pair of bodies provided at two sides of a rotor that rotates with a wheel, each of the bodies including five cylinders. A central cylinder among the five cylinders provided on each of the bodies, which is surrounded by four of the cylinders, has a center which is located in a region on a radially inner side relative to an outer reference circle and on a radially outer side relative to an inner reference line. The outer reference circle passes through a center of a cylinder provided on a radially outermost side among the four of the cylinders and has a center thereof on a center of the rotor. The inner reference line passes through centers of two of the cylinders provided on a radially inner side among the four of the cylinders.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Applicant: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takefumi MORIO, Ryo OTAKE, Razif Muhammad ZAINUDIN
  • Patent number: 10871197
    Abstract: A brake assembly comprising: (a) a caliper; (b) two or more brake pads; (c) one or more pins connecting each the two or more brake pads to the caliper; (d) a retraction device connected to one or more of the one or more pins, the retraction devices including: (i) a lock that connects to an end of the pin opposite a caliper; and (ii) a bias device located between the lock and one of the two or more brake pads; wherein during a brake apply each of the two or more brake pads are moved towards the respective retraction device compressing the bias device between the lock and one of the two or more brake pad so that upon release of the brake apply the retraction device applies a retraction force to the one of the two or more brake pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD
    Inventors: Kirby Wilson, Varun Nathani
  • Patent number: 10865840
    Abstract: A floating caliper brake assembly comprising: a caliper housing that is movable between a brake on position and a brake off position; a support bracket at least partially enclosed by the caliper housing and configured to extend around a rotor of a vehicle, the caliper housing being in communication with and movable relative to the support bracket, wherein the caliper housing has one or more fingers that extend radially downward and cover the support bracket so that when the brake assembly is viewed from an outboard side along an axis coaxial with, or substantially parallel to, an axis of rotation of the rotor the support bracket is obscured from view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Philip Nathanael Jedele, Gang Lou
  • Publication number: 20200347901
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a friction material containing a friction modifier, a fibrous material and a binder as raw materials is provided. The method includes a step of mixing and agitating the raw materials by low frequency acoustic agitation. A content of the fibrous material in the friction material may be 1 mass % or more and 50 mass % or less. The content of the fibrous material in the friction material may be 3 mass % or more and 40 mass % or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Applicant: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toru KAWATA, Shuichi OSHIDEN, Atsushi UENO
  • Patent number: 10808778
    Abstract: A brake system that includes a brake piston and a spindle. The brake piston includes a piston pocket defined in the brake piston. The piston pocket includes a threaded portion. The spindle includes a threaded portion. The threaded portion of the spindle is adapted to threadably engage the threaded portion of the piston pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD
    Inventor: Waleed Mahmoud Al-Mahshi
  • Patent number: 10807619
    Abstract: In a disc brake apparatus, a parallelism maintaining control mechanism for pressing lining surfaces of pads against a disc rotor in parallel includes a pressure plate which is brought into abutment with a pad holding member, a link arm having a fixing shaft projecting from a caliper body in parallel to a side surface of a disc rotor, a moving shaft disposed in parallel to the fixing shaft and pivotally supporting the pressure plate, joint members which connect the fixing shaft and the moving shaft in parallel to each other and a connecting shaft for pivotally connecting the joint members to each other, and a spring member for pressing the pressure plate against the pad holding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiko Yamazaki, Yoshikazu Harigai
  • Patent number: 10794437
    Abstract: A wedge cam brake executes a braking operation by causing proximal end portions of brake arms to press a pair of pad assemblies against both sides of a brake rotor so as to hold it therebetween by means of a cam action of a wedge cam which is caused to move to a braking position along the direction of a rotational axis of a ball screw which is screwed into a ball nut which is provided integrally with the wedge cam as a result of the ball screw being driven to rotate. The wedge cam includes a compression coil spring for pushing to bias the ball nut towards the braking position where the proximal end portions of the brake arms are expanded and a spring holding mechanism for holding the compression coil spring in a biasing force accumulating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshifumi Maehara, Shogo Mashimo, Kazuhiro Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20200309209
    Abstract: A floating disc brake includes a yoke supported to the support in an axially movable manner, the yoke including a pad support portion that supports an outer pad on an axially outer side of the outer pad. The outer pad includes, on its axially outer surface, a pair of pad-side engagement portions formed of an elastic material. The pad support portion has a support hole that is open on at least an axially inner surface of the pad support portion, and the support hole is provided with a pair of yoke-side engagement portions on inner side surfaces of the support hole that face each other in a circumferential direction. The pair of pad-side engagement portions and the pair of yoke-side engagement portions are concavo-convex engaged with each other in the circumferential direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shogo MASHIMO, Kohei NOMA