Patent ID: 8146724

Claim:
A vehicle clutch comprising: a clutch outer member engaged with an input member; a clutch inner member disposed inside of said clutch outer member and engaged with an output member; a clutch center member movable in an axial direction of said vehicle clutch between a first position and a second position; a cam mechanism provided between said clutch inner member and said clutch outer member; a first friction plate spline-engaged with said clutch outer member so as to be moveable in the axial direction; a second friction plate overlaid on said first friction plate and spline-engaged with said clutch center member so as to be moveable with said clutch center member; a pressed plate coupled to the clutch inner member so as to face one side surface of said first and second friction plates; a pressing plate movable in the axial direction, wherein said first and second friction plates are sandwiched between said pressing plate and said pressed plate; a plurality of clutch springs urging the pressing plate to a side of said pressed plate; a plurality of clutch actuating members resisting an urging force of said clutch springs and causing said pressing plate to move to an opposite side of said pressed plate, wherein the clutch center member is movable between said first position, where said clutch center member is spaced from the pressing plate and is in contact with said clutch inner member, and said second position, where said clutch center member pushes said pressing plate to move to a side opposing said pressed plate, the clutch center member is applied with spring loads of auxiliary springs toward the side of said second position, the spring loads being smaller than the spring loads of said clutch springs, and said cam mechanism generates an axial pulling force for moving said clutch center member to the first position when a positive torque acts on said clutch inner member from said clutch center member.