Patent ID: 8919518

Claim:
A friction clutch assembly having reduced spin loss comprising, in combination, a first member defining a plurality of axially oriented male splines, a second member disposed coaxially with said first member and defining a plurality of axially oriented female splines, a first plurality of clutch plates having female splines complementary to and engaging said male splines in said first member and a circular outer edge, a second plurality of clutch plates interleaved with said first plurality of clutch plates and having male splines complementary to and engaging said female splines on said second member, and said first plurality of clutch plates having an even numbered plurality of circumferentially extending leaf springs, one half of said plurality of leaf springs extending in one axial direction from said first plurality of clutch plates and another one half of said plurality of leaf springs extending in an opposite axial direction from said first plurality of clutch plates, each of said leaf springs having an outer edge coinciding with said circular outer edge and a plurality of discontinuous regions of friction material on faces of said first plurality of clutch plates.