Patent ID: 7451864

Claim:
A clutch actuator mechanism for operating a vehicle clutch between at least an engaged state and a disengaged state, the clutch actuator mechanism comprising: an actuator; a rotating member rotationally driven by the actuator about an axis; a clutch operating member having at least first and second end sections, the first end section arranged to work against a clutch biasing member, which biases the clutch toward the engaged state, at least during the disengaged state, and the second end section engaging with the rotating member at a location offset from the axis; and an auxiliary biasing member having first and second end sections, the first end section being coupled to the rotating member at a location also offset from the axis and spaced apart from the first end section of the clutch operating member, and the second end section of the auxiliary biasing member being generally fixed; whereby rotation of the rotating member in a first direction causes the clutch operating member to move through a range of motion from a first position to a second position, the first position corresponding to the disengaged state of the clutch and the second position corresponding to the engaged state of the clutch, and the auxiliary biasing member and the clutch operating member are arranged so as to work together against the clutch biasing member through at least a portion of the range of movement as the rotating member rotates in the first direction; the clutch actuator mechanism additionally comprising a manually operated lever coupled to at least the first end section of the clutch operating member, the manually operated lever being arranged to move the first end section of the clutch operating member in a direction towards a position corresponding to the disengaged state.