Patent ID: 6869377

Claim:
A multi-stage gearbox for motor vehicles, comprising an input shaft ( 7 ) mounted rotatably in a casing ( 8 ), at least one intermediate shaft ( 11 ) which is mounted in the casing and has at least one gear wheel ( 16 , 18 ) in engagement with a gear wheel ( 12 , 15 ) on the input shaft, a main shaft ( 10 ), mounted in the casing, with gear wheels ( 15 , 21 , 22 , 23 ) which engage with gear wheels ( 18 , 19 , 20 ) on the intermediate shaft, at least one gear wheel in each pair of mutually engaging gear wheels on the intermediate shaft and the main shaft being mounted rotatably on its shaft and being lockable on its shaft by engaging means ( 13 , 24 , 25 ), and also operating means ( 40 , 41 , 42 ) which interact with the engaging means and are controlled by a control unit ( 45 ) depending on signals fed into the control unit representing various engine and vehicle data which comprise at least engine speed, vehicle speed and throttle pedal position providing a throttle value, characterized in that the control unit ( 45 ) is arranged so as, in the event of input signals representing a zero throttle value, to give an output signal to the operating means ( 40 , 41 , 42 ) to put a currently engaged synchronized gear in a neutral position, and so as, when a positive throttle value is subsequently received, to give the operating means a signal to engage the synchronized gear when the engine has reached a speed suitable for a synchronizing procedure.