Patent ID: 7611005

Claim:
A clutch cover assembly for pressing a friction member of a clutch disc assembly with a cushioning function against a flywheel of an engine and for releasing the pressing, comprising: a clutch cover being configured to be fixed to the flywheel; a pressure plate being non-rotatably fixed to said clutch cover to sandwich the friction member between the flywheel and itself; a diaphragm spring being supported by said clutch cover to urge said pressure plate toward the flywheel; a first wear compensation mechanism being configured to maintain a posture of said diaphragm spring in response to wear of the friction member; and a low release load mechanism having a first elastic member supported by said clutch cover to generate a load counteracting an urging force of said diaphragm spring during a release operation such that pressing load to said pressure plate is progressively decreased as displacement magnitude of said diaphragm spring is increased by the cushioning function of the friction member, and a second wear compensation mechanism being configured to maintain a posture of said first elastic member by returning said first elastic member to a posture before the wear in response to the wear of the friction member, said second wear compensation mechanism including a support member extending from said pressure plate toward said clutch cover, a support and engagement member being threadedly engaged with the outer circumference of said support member and being given a load in an axial direction away from the friction member from said first elastic member, and a second elastic member being configured to constantly apply torque to said support and engagement member so that said support and engagement member will rotate to move in an axial direction away from the friction member, said second elastic member being located on a side of said support and engagement member near the friction member in the axial direction.