Patent ID: 8534150

Claim:
A transmission comprising: a transmission housing; a dual clutch assembly having a clutch housing connectable to a flywheel of an engine, wherein the clutch housing is rotationally supported within the transmission housing; a first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh gear sets, wherein each of the gear sets include a first gear in mesh with a second gear and wherein the first gear set includes a third gear in mesh with the second gear and the sixth gear set includes a third gear in mesh with the first gear; a first transmission input shaft member rotatably supported in the transmission housing and wherein the first gears of the fifth, sixth and seventh gear sets are rotatably fixed for common rotation with the first transmission input shaft member; a second transmission input shaft member rotatably supported in the transmission housing, wherein the first gears of the first, second, third, and fourth gear sets are rotatably fixed for common rotation with the second transmission input shaft member and wherein the second transmission input shaft member is concentric with the first transmission input shaft member and at least partially surrounds the first transmission input shaft member; a first countershaft rotatably supported within the transmission housing and spaced apart from and parallel with the first and second transmission input shaft members, wherein each of the second gears of the first, second, third, sixth and seventh gear sets are selectively connectable for common rotation with the first countershaft; a second countershaft rotatably supported within the transmission housing and spaced apart from and parallel with the first and second transmission input shaft members, wherein each of the second gears of the fourth and fifth gear sets and the third gears of the first and sixth gear sets are selectively connectable for common rotation with the second countershaft; and five synchronizer assemblies each for selectively coupling at least one of the gears of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh gear sets with at least one of the first countershaft and the second countershaft, and wherein the selective engagement of the dual clutch assembly interconnects the dual clutch housing with at least one of the first and the second transmission input shaft members and the selective engagement of at least one of the five synchronizer assemblies establishes at least one of eight forward speed ratios and at least one reverse speed ratio.