Patent ID: 7156767

Claim:
A multiple stage transmission in planetary design, for an automatic transmission for a motor vehicle, the multiple stage transmission comprising a drive shaft ( 1 ) and a driven shaft ( 2 ) accommodated within a housing (g), first, second and third planetary gear sets (P 1 , P 2 , P 3 ), at least four rotatable shafts ( 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ), at least six shifting elements ( 03 , 04 , 13 , 16 , 45 , 56 ) including first and second brakes ( 03 , 04 ) and first, second, third and fourth clutches ( 13 , 16 , 45 , 56 ) which are selectively engageable for producing different reduction ratios between the driven shaft ( 1 ) and the driven shaft ( 2 ) so that the multiple stage transmission is able to implement seven or eight forward gears and at least one reverse gear; the drive shaft ( 1 ) being permanently connected with a spider of a first planetary gear set (P 1 ), and connectable with a fourth shaft ( 6 ) via the second clutch ( 16 ), which is connected with a sun gear of the second planetary gear set (P 2 ) and with a sun gear of the third planetary gear set (P 3 ) and connectable with a third shaft ( 5 ), via a fourth clutch ( 56 ), the third shaft ( 5 ) being connected, on one side, with a ring gear of the first planetary gear set (P 1 ) and, on another side, loosely connectable with a second shaft ( 4 ), via a third clutch ( 45 ), which is permanently connected with a spider of the second planetary gear set (P 2 ) and attachable to the housing (G), via a second brake ( 04 ), the driven shaft ( 2 ) being connected with a spider of the third planetary gear set (P 3 ) and with a ring gear of the second planetary gear set (P 2 ), a first shaft ( 3 ) being permanently connected with a ring gear of the third planetary gear set (P 3 ), via first clutch ( 13 ), and loosely connectable with the drive shaft ( 1 ) and attachable to the housing (G), via the first brake ( 03 ), and a sun gear of the first planetary gear set (P 1 ) being non-rotatably connected with the housing (G).