Patent ID: 7272986

Claim:
A multiple speed transaxle for a motor vehicle comprising: a first input shaft having a first speed drive gear, a third speed drive gear, and a reverse drive gear; a second input shaft, rotatable independently of the first input shaft, and having a second speed drive gear; an output shaft having a first speed driven gear engaged with the first speed drive gear, a second speed driven gear engaged with the second speed drive gear, a third speed driven gear engaged with the third speed drive gear, a reverse driven gear, and a pinion adapted to engage with a differential; a reverse idler shaft having an idler input gear engaged with the reverse drive gear and an idler output gear, axially spaced from and rotationally fixed to the idler input gear and engaged with the reverse driven gear; and a plurality of couplers for selectively driveably connecting die first input shaft to the output shaft and the second input shaft to the output shaft.