Patent ID: 6024199
Filing Date: 2000-02-15
Classification: F16D

Abstract:
A clutch cover assembly adapted to engage a clutch by biasing friction facings of a clutch disk assembly toward a flywheel, comprising:a clutch cover adapted to be fixedly coupled to the flywheel and having an opposing portion facing towards the friction facings;an annular pressure plate movably coupled to said clutch cover and adapted to be disposed adjacent to the friction facings between the friction facings and said opposed portion of said clutch cover, said annular pressure plate having a first side and a second side, with said first side of said pressure plate facing the friction facings and said second side of said pressure plate facing said opposing portion;a fulcrum ring movably coupled between said clutch cover and said pressure plate and being disposed on said second side of said pressure plate;a pressure member movably supported between said clutch cover and said fulcrum ring for pressing said fulcrum ring toward said pressure plate;a biasing mechanism coupled to said fulcrum ring to axially bias said fulcrum ring away from said pressure plate, said biasing mechanism being disposed between said pressure plate and said fulcrum ring and having a first wedge member, a second wedge member and a tension spring, said first and second wedge members having first and second body portions which are rotatable relative to each other in a circumferential direction, said first and second body portions forming first and second tilted surfaces which are adjacent to each other respectively, and said tension spring being disposed radially inward of an inner circumference of said first and second wedge members to bias said first and second wedge members relative to each other in the circumferential direction, at least one of said first and second wedge members having a preventing portion extending radially inwardly therefrom to a free end that is located adjacent a portion of said tension spring to limit outward deflection of said tension spring in a radial direction; anda regulating mechanism engaging said fulcrum ring to prevent axial movement while there is no wear in the friction facings, to detect the amount of wear and to allow said fulcrum ring to move axially by a distance corresponding to the amount of wear when the friction facings begin to wear.