Patent ID: 7607524

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 elastic member being supported by said clutch cover to generate a load counteracting an urging force of said diaphragm spring such that change in the pressing load to said pressure plate in response to displacement magnitude of said diaphragm spring is decreased; a second elastic member being 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 effect of the friction member; and a wear compensation mechanism maintaining a posture of said second elastic member in response to wear of the friction member, said 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 from said second elastic member in an axial direction away from the friction member, and a third elastic member constantly applying torque to said support and engagement member so that said support and engagement member rotates to move in an axial direction away from the friction member, said third elastic member being located on a side of said support and engagement member near the friction member in the axial direction.