Patent ID: 7395912

Claim:
A clutch mechanism for a vehicle comprising a clutch assist device operating between a clutch and a clutch operator, the clutch operator being connected to the clutch by a transmitting component, the clutch including a clutch element being biased by a clutch spring toward an engaged position and being movable by the clutch operator and the transmitting component from the engaged position to a disengaged position, the clutch assist device comprising an auxiliary force member which is disposed relative to the transmitting component, at least when the clutch operator is moved to disengage the clutch element, to apply an assist force to the transmitting component in such a direction as to assist disengaging the clutch element while the clutch operator is moved from a disengage start position, at which point the clutch operator works against the bias of the clutch spring, to a disengaged position where the clutch element is in the disengaged position, wherein the assist force of the auxiliary force member applied to the transmitting component is maintained within a fixed range while the clutch operator is moved from an intermediate position, lying between the disengage start position and the disengaged position, to the disengage position, wherein the clutch has a clutch release mechanism, and the transmitting component has a first clutch wire connected to the clutch operator and a second clutch wire connected to the clutch release mechanism, and wherein the clutch assist device is disposed between the first clutch wire and the second clutch wire.