Patent ID: 8752442

Claim:
A multi-clutch transmission for a motor vehicle with at least one prime mover, the multi-clutch transmission comprising frictional clutches drivingly connected to the prime mover, an output shaft, a main transmission that comprises input shafts connected to the frictional clutches, a countershaft parallel to at least one of the input shafts, gearwheels and tooth clutches, where a first of the frictional clutches and a first subset of the tooth clutches are arranged to be selectively engaged in order to transfer power in a first set of gears between the prime mover and the output shaft, and where a second of the frictional clutches and a second subset of the tooth clutches are arranged to be selectively engaged in order to transfer power in a second set of gears between the prime mover and the output shaft, where the main transmission is arranged to, while transferring power in one of the second set of gears and having the first frictional clutch disengaged, being capable of having one of the first set of gears preselected, and of changing to have another of the first set of gears preselected, where the multi-clutch transmission is arranged to be capable of shifting from one of the second set of gears to one preselected of the first set of gears without interruption of the power transfer between the prime mover and the output shaft, and where a shaft brake unit is arranged to be selectively activated in order to exert torque that tends to reduce the rotational speed of one of the input shafts, and a central synchronizing unit is arranged to be selectively activated in order to make a first of the input shafts to rotate faster or slower than a second of the input shafts, wherein the shaft brake unit and the central synchronizing unit are further arranged to be simultaneously activated in order to reduce the speeds of rotating parts in the main transmission prior to the engagement of tooth clutches when the output shaft is not rotating.