Multigroup transmission of a motor vehicle

A multi-group transmission of a motor vehicle comprising:

• an upstream splitter group (2);
• a transmission input shaft (7) being connectable, via a starting element (16), with a drive motor (5);
• a main transmission shaft (30) for providing an output from the transmission;
• and
• an integrated structural unit (17) supporting a first element of a powershifter (40) and a pair of first elements of a shifting device (39), and the first element of the powershifter (40) and the pair of first elements of the shifting device (39) being integral with one another and the transmission input shaft (7);
• a second element of the powershifter (40) being supported by the main transmission shaft (30);
• the powershifter (40), when engaged, directly engaging the transmission input shaft (7) with the main transmission shaft (30) to form an intermediate gear during a gearshift and the powershifter (40), when disengaged, permitting relative rotation between the transmission input shaft (7) and the main transmission shaft (30);
• a first mating element, for engaging with a first one of the pair of first elements of the shifting device (39), being supported by a first loose gear for achieving a first gear constant (ik1) of the splitter group (2);
• a second mating element, for engaging with a second one of the pair of first elements of the shifting device (39), being supported by a second loose gear for achieving a second gear constant (ik2) of the splitter group (2);
• and
• the shifting device (39) being selectively shiftable into first and second positions for shifting a desired one of the first and the second gear constants (ik1, ik2) of the splitter group (2), the powershifter being axially located between the first and the second gear constants.

A method of operating a multi-group transmission of a motor vehicle, comprising a drive motor (5) which is connectable, via a starting element (16), with an input side of a transmission input shaft (7), an upstream splitter group (2), a main transmission shaft (30) on an output side of the transmission, and a powershifter (40) for supporting a traction force during a gearshift, and an intermediate gear is engaged, with assistance of the powershifter (40), such that the transmission input shaft (7) is connected with the main transmission shaft (30), the method comprising the steps of:

• at least partly engaging the starting element (16),
• forming the powershifter (40) as a friction clutch which, together with a shifting device (39) for engaging first and second gear constants (ik1, ik2) in the splitter group (2), form an integrated structural unit (17), the powershifter and the shifting device being axially located between the first and the second gear constants and at least a portion of the powershifter (40) and the shifting device (39) being rotationally fixedly connected so as to rotate with one another and the transmission input shaft (7), and the powershifter (40) operating in a slipping mode to support a motor torque of the drive motor (5) at the main transmission shaft (30) during engagement of the intermediate gear while adapting a rotational speed of the drive motor (5) to a synchronous speed of a target gear;
• disengaging an original gear while free from load;
• engaging the target gear upon reaching the synchronous speed;
• and
• again disengaging the intermediate gear.