Friction clutch, for motor vehicle, equipped with a monitored play compensation device

Friction clutch for a motor vehicle with a heat engine, comprising a reaction plate (13) intended to be clamped rotation-wise on a drive shaft, a friction disc (14), carrying friction linings (15) at its external periphery, intended to be clamped rotation-wise on a driven shaft, a pressure plate (12), a cover (11) fixed on the reaction plate (13), axially-acting elastic means (16) acting between the cover (11) and the pressure plate (12), the pressure plate (12) being fixed rotation-wise to the cover (11) while being able to move axially with respect thereto, one of the reaction plate (13) and pressure plate (12) and cover (11), including two half-pieces, movable axially, with respect to one another, under the action of a play compensation device for compensating for the play due to wear, said play compensation device comprising at least one pair of circumferentially disposed complementary ramps (17, 18) associated axially respectively with each of the two half-pieces (12A, 12B), one of the ramps (17) being adapted to move circumferentially with respect to the other ramp (18) in a compensation direction of increasing the total thickness of said piece, and prevented from moving in the other direction by a unidirectional means (24, 124, 224), said circumferential movement being controlled by a trigger device (22) sensitive to the wear state, one of the ramps (18) being formed at the periphery of an inertia piece (12A), so that the irregular rotation speed of the motor vehicle heat engine is utilized in order to make the complementary ramps perform their relative circumferential movement in the play compensation direction, said clutch comprising control means adapted to control the play compensation device by selectively enabling its operation, said unidirectional means (24, 124, 224) being a split segment (24, 124, 224) fixed rotation-wise to said piece (12) and the control means, sensitive to acceleration, comprising a lever (30, 230) disposed radially overall, the end of which is between the ends of the split ring (24, 124, 224) and which is adapted to expand the split segment (24, 124, 224) wherein the lever (30, 230) is mounted able to rotate on said piece (12) so that it is held radially with regard to the centrifugal force.