Patent ID: 8266977

Claim:
A transmission comprising: a transmission housing; an input member rotatably supported within the transmission housing; an output member rotatably supported within the transmission housing; a first, second, third, fourth, and fifth gear set, wherein the first gear set includes a first gear in mesh with a second gear and a third gear in mesh with the second gear, the second gear set includes a first gear in mesh with a second gear and a third gear, the third gear set includes a first gear in mesh with a second gear and a third gear, the fourth gear set includes a first gear in mesh with a second gear, the fifth gear set includes a first gear in mesh with a second gear; a first interconnecting member rotatably supported within the transmission housing, wherein each of the first gear of the third, fourth and fifth gear set are rotatably fixed for common rotation with the first interconnecting member; a second interconnecting member rotatably supported within the transmission housing wherein each of the first gear of the first and second gear sets are rotatably fixed for common rotation with the second interconnecting member and wherein the second interconnecting member is concentric with the first interconnecting member and at least partially surrounds the first interconnecting member; a first countershaft rotatably supported within the transmission housing and spaced apart from and parallel with the first and second interconnecting members, wherein the third gear of the first gear set, the third gear of the second gear set, the third gear of the third gear set and the second gear of the fourth gear set are each 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 interconnecting members, wherein the second gear of the first gear set and the second gear of the second gear set are each selectively connectable for common rotation with the second countershaft; a dual clutch assembly selectively engageable to interconnect the input member with at least one of the first interconnecting member and the second interconnecting member; and four synchronizer assemblies for selectively coupling at least one of the gears of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth gear sets with at least one of the first interconnecting member, the second interconnecting member, the first countershaft and the second countershaft, and wherein the selective engagement of the dual clutch assembly and at least one of the four synchronizer assemblies establishes at least one of seven forward speed ratios between the input member and the output member.