Patent ID: 7891468

Claim:
A motor-driven parking brake apparatus comprising: an electric motor; a shaft member which rotates about its axis upon receipt of rotational drive torque of the motor through one end of the shaft member; a conversion mechanism which converts rotational motion of the shaft member to translational motion of a translational movement portion; a cable having a first end connected to the translational movement portion; a parking brake connected to a second end of the cable; a load sensor configured to detect a portion of axial load received from the other end of the shaft member, the load being generated due to tension of the cable; the load sensor including: an elastic member which receives, via a predetermined surface of the elastic member, an axial load of the shaft member, the predetermined surface possessing an area; the elastic member being made of an elastomer material; an accommodation member which accommodates the elastic member and receives the axial load of the shaft member via the elastic member; the accommodation member having an opening of an area smaller than the area of the predetermined surface, and the load sensor being configured to detect the load received from an exposed portion of the elastic member exposed from the opening; and a controller for controlling the electric motor on the basis of output of the load sensor.