The most common structural model used in modern automobiles, especially small passenger cars, is the diaphragm spring clutch. Its compression spring has the shape of a "bottomless plate", and there are 18 radial grooves in the central part of its conical surface. Forming the elastic lever of the clutch, the ungrooved part of the conical surface acts as a spring, which is called a diaphragm spring. There are support rings on both sides of the spring, and they are mounted on the clutch cover together with the spring by means of 9 fixing rivets. Foreign new cars also use semi-centrifugal clutches, automatic clutches, etc.

    The semi-centrifugal clutch is characterized in that the outer end of the release lever has a weight integrated with the release lever. With the increase of the engine speed, the centrifugal force of the heavy hammer increases, which increases the thrust of the separation lever acting on the pressure plate. This thrust is increased with the increase of the engine speed.

    The compression force of the pressure plate is the result of the combined action of the compression spring and the centrifugal force of the weight, so that the pressure of the compression spring can be selected to be smaller than that of the general clutch (about 30% smaller), thereby reducing the operating force. It starts smoothly and ensures reliable transmission of engine torque. This structure has the disadvantage of not being able to transmit the maximum torque of the engine when the engine speed is low, so it is not suitable for use in trucks with low average vehicle speeds, especially those that often travel on difficult roads. Another major disadvantage of semi-centrifugal clutches is that separation is laborious at high engine speeds, and parts of the drive train are susceptible to damage during hard braking at high speeds.