Electric parking brake apparatus

An electric parking brake apparatus operable independently of fluid pressure, comprising:

• a parking brake of a type which does not utilize fluid pressure for generating parking brake force, including a rotation member rotating together with a wheel of a vehicle, and a friction member generating a braking force corresponding to a pressure contact force with which the friction member is pressed against the rotation member;
• electric drive means for driving the friction member;
• control means for performing parking brake activation control in order to operate the electric drive means until a pressure-contact-force-related quantity, which changes in accordance with the pressure contact force of the friction member, reaches a predetermined target pressure-contact-force-related quantity, to thereby bring the parking brake into an activated state so as to stop the vehicle and maintain the vehicle in a stopped state, and subsequently stop the operation of the electric drive means;
• a force transmission blocking mechanism interposed between the electric drive means and the parking brake, the force transmission blocking mechanism permitting transmission of drive torque of the electric drive means to the friction member, but blocking transmission, to the electric drive means, of a force generated stemming from the pressure contact force of the friction member;
• and
• shift position detection means for detecting a position of a shift lever of the vehicle;
• wherein when the position of the shift lever is changed in a state in which the parking brake is in the activated state upon completion of the parking brake activation control, the control means again performs the parking brake activation control.