Patent ID: 6193039
Filing Date: 2001-02-27
Classification: F16D

Abstract:
Friction clutch for motor vehicles, including a reaction plate (202) adapted to be constrained to rotate with a driving shaft, a friction disk (200) carrying at its outside periphery friction linings (201) and adapted to be constrained to rotate with a driven shaft, a pressure plate (1, 51, 101), a cover (2, 52, 108) fixed to the reaction plate (202), axially acting clutch engaging means (3, 53, 150-151) which are operated by clutch release means and which are operative between the cover (2, 52, 108) and the pressure plate (1, 51, 101) through the intermediary of bearing means (14), the pressure plate (1, 51, 101) being constrained to rotate with the cover (2, 52, 108), able to move axially relative to the cover and operated on by return spring means (9) urging the pressure plate (1, 51, 101) axially towards the cover (2, 52, 108), said clutch further including a wear take-up device, one of a number of supports of the clutch engaging means being adapted to be offset axially and the wear take-up device including compensator means actuated by actuator means to cause said one support to be offset axially, said actuator means being operated by trigger means in association with detector means responsive to the wear of the linings and operating on at least one of the actuator means, compensator means and trigger means, characterized in that the wear take-up device further including disabling means for disabling said wear take-up device after a given amount of lining wear of at least 80% regardless of rotational speed, adapted to operate on one of the components of the group comprising the compensator means, the actuator means, the trigger means and the detector means.