Patent ID: 6923304

Claim:
A pressure plate assembly for use with a friction clutch, said pressure plate assembly comprising: a housing having an axis of rotation; a stop fixed to said housing; a pressure plate mounted in the housing arrangement with freedom to move in a direction parallel to an axis of rotation; a force-exerting arrangement which urges the pressure plate axially away from the housing arrangement along a path of force transmission; a wear take-up device in the path of force transmission between the pressure plate and the force-exerting arrangement, comprising a take-up element which can shift to compensate for wear of said friction clutch; a blocking element attached to the pressure plate and having a detection section which, upon the occurrence of wear of said friction clutch, comes to rest against said stop and can deflect axially with respect to the pressure plate; an arresting element, which is movable in a direction to arrest the detection section in an arrested position after it has deflected with respect to the pressure plate, said arresting element having a blocking section against which said take-up element can come to rest after shifting; a pretensioning arrangement which urges said arresting element in said direction so that said blocking element remains in said arrested position; and a retaining arrangement which opposes further movement of said arresting element in said direction by positively engaging said detection section while said detection section is in said arrested position.