Patent ID: 7695390

Claim:
A transmission comprising: an input member; an output member; a planetary gear set having first, second and third members; a first, a second and a third torque-transmitting mechanism each selectively engageable to connect the input member with a respective different one of the members of the planetary gear set; a countershaft gearing arrangement operatively connected with the planetary gear set and including: a first intermediate shaft connected for common rotation with the first member of said planetary gear set; a second intermediate shaft connected for common rotation with the second member of said planetary gear set, wherein the second intermediate shaft is concentric with the first intermediate shaft; a third intermediate shaft connected for common rotation with the third member of said planetary gear set, wherein the third intermediate shaft is concentric with the second intermediate shaft; a countershaft radially offset from the intermediate shafts; a plurality of sets of co-planar intermeshing gears, wherein at least one of the plurality of sets of co-planar intermeshing gears are fixed for common rotation with at least one of the intermediate shafts; and a plurality of synchronizers, wherein at least one of the plurality of synchronizers is selectively engagable to connect at least one of the gears of the plurality of sets of co-planar intermeshing gears with at least one of the first, second and third intermediate shafts for common rotation therewith, thereby transferring torque from the planetary gear set to the output member through at least one of the intermediate shafts and at least one of the sets of co-planar intermeshing gears, and wherein at least one other of the plurality of synchronizers is selectively engagable to connect at least one other of the gears of the plurality of sets of co-planar intermeshing gears with the countershaft for common rotation therewith.