Patent ID: 7395729

Claim:
A device for determining a position of a gear shift element ( 1 ) of a claw clutch controlled automated gear box of a vehicle, the device having: at least two gear wheels ( 5 , 8 ), a shlft fork ( 10 ), a mechanical shifting device ( 11 ), at least one sensor ( 14 ), a drive ( 12 ), and a control device ( 16 ) which is connected to the at least to one sensor ( 14 ) via a signal line ( 15 ), the gear shift element ( 1 ) having at least one radial groove ( 9 ) in which the shift fork ( 10 ) engages, the gear shift element ( 1 ) being axially displaced by the mechanical shifting device ( 11 ), the gear shift element ( 1 ) and the at least two gear wheels ( 5 , 8 ) each have corresponding gear teeth, wherein the gear teeth of the gear shift element ( 1 ) have different axial widths from one another and the corresponding gear teeth of the at least two gear wheels ( 5 , 8 ) have different axial widths from one another such that the gear shift element ( 1 ) must travel a greater distance to completely engage one of the two gear wheels ( 5 , 8 ) then the gear shift element ( 1 ) travels to completely engage the other of the two gear wheels ( 5 , 8 ), and the position of the gear shift element is determined by determining, independently of a reference point and by operation of a distance sensor ( 14 ) connected to the control device ( 16 ), a distance traveled by the gear shift element ( 1 ) to engage one of the two gear wheels ( 5 , 8 ) and the distance traveled indicates the position of the gear shift element ( 1 ).