An element for a transmission belt that is wound around a primary pulley and a secondary pulley of a continuously variable transmission includes: a trunk portion having a saddle surface that is in contact with a ring of the transmission belt; and a pair of pillar portions extending from the trunk portion so as to be positioned on both sides of the saddle surface in a width direction. The saddle surface is a convex surface that is formed by an elliptic arc and satisfies b/a0.015 when a long diameter of the elliptic arc is regarded as a and a short diameter of the elliptic arc is regarded as b. In this way, it is possible to optimize the stress distribution of the ring that is in contact with the saddle surface and improve the durability of the ring and the transmission belt.

A rear surface of a metal element (23) includes first contact portions (C1) formed on both right and left end sides of an ear portion (26), a second contact portion (C2) formed in a neck portion (25), and a third contact portion (C3) formed in a central portion in a transverse direction in the vicinity of a locking edge (29) of a body portion (24). The first contact portions (C1), the second contact portion (C2), and the third contact portion (C3) can come into contact with a front surface of another adjacent metal element (23) on a rear side. A plate thickness of the metal element (23) in the second contact portion (C2) is smaller than the plate thickness of the metal element (23) in the first contact portions (C1) and is greater than the plate thickness of the metal element (23) in the third contact portion (C3).

A rear surface of a metal element (23) includes first contact portions (C1) formed on both right and left end sides of an ear portion (26), a second contact portion (C2) formed in a neck portion (25), and a third contact portion (C3) formed in a central portion in a transverse direction in the vicinity of a locking edge (29) of a body portion (24). The first contact portions (C1), the second contact portion (C2), and the third contact portion (C3) can come into contact with a front surface of another adjacent metal element (23) on a rear side. A plate thickness of the metal element (23) in the second contact portion (C2) is smaller than the plate thickness of the metal element (23) in the first contact portions (C1) and is greater than the plate thickness of the metal element (23) in the third contact portion (C3).

Disclosed is a transverse segment for a drive belt with a stack of rings and with a number of the transverse segments, which transverse segment includes a base part and two pillar parts that respectively extend from a respective axial side of the base part in radial outward direction, defining a central opening of the transverse segment between them, and that are each provided with a hook portion extending over a part of the central opening in the general direction of the respectively opposite pillar part. A width dimension of one of the pillar parts of the transverse segment is less than a width dimension of the respective other pillar part.

Disclosed is a transverse segment for a drive belt with a stack of rings and with a number of the transverse segments, which transverse segment includes a base part and two pillar parts that respectively extend from a respective axial side of the base part in radial outward direction, defining a central opening of the transverse segment between them, and that are each provided with a hook portion extending over a part of the central opening in the general direction of the respectively opposite pillar part. A width dimension of one of the pillar parts of the transverse segment is less than a width dimension of the respective other pillar part.

An element of a transmission belt includes a pair of rocking edge portions with a convex surface, these are formed on one of a front face and a rear face to extend a part of the rocking edge portion over a pillar portion, and the rocking edge portions are spaced away from each other in a width direction; and a non-contact portion extended along a saddle surface in the width direction between the rocking edge portions, in non-contact with an adjacent element. S/A3.5 is satisfied, when a sum of widths of end portions of the rocking edge portions on an outer peripheral side of the transmission belt is set as A. A sum of surface areas of parts of the pillar portions on the outer peripheral side of the transmission belt is set as S.

An element of a transmission belt includes a pair of rocking edge portions with a convex surface, these are formed on one of a front face and a rear face to extend a part of the rocking edge portion over a pillar portion, and the rocking edge portions are spaced away from each other in a width direction; and a non-contact portion extended along a saddle surface in the width direction between the rocking edge portions, in non-contact with an adjacent element. S/A3.5 is satisfied, when a sum of widths of end portions of the rocking edge portions on an outer peripheral side of the transmission belt is set as A. A sum of surface areas of parts of the pillar portions on the outer peripheral side of the transmission belt is set as S.

First and second inclined faces of an inclined face extending radially inward and rearward from a rocking edge formed so as to coincide with a front edge of a saddle face of a body part of a metal element are molded by press forming a metal element material using a mold. An inclined face-corresponding part of the metal element material, which corresponds to the inclined face of the metal element, includes a first inclined face-corresponding portion inclined rearward at a first inclination angle from a rocking edge-corresponding part, and a second inclined face-corresponding portion inclined rearward at a second inclination angle, which is larger than the first inclination angle, from a radially inner end of the first inclined face-corresponding portion. The mold includes a first inclined face-molding portion inclined rearward at the first inclination angle from a rocking edge-molding portion abutting against the rocking edge-corresponding part.

First and second inclined faces of an inclined face extending radially inward and rearward from a rocking edge formed so as to coincide with a front edge of a saddle face of a body part of a metal element are molded by press forming a metal element material using a mold. An inclined face-corresponding part of the metal element material, which corresponds to the inclined face of the metal element, includes a first inclined face-corresponding portion inclined rearward at a first inclination angle from a rocking edge-corresponding part, and a second inclined face-corresponding portion inclined rearward at a second inclination angle, which is larger than the first inclination angle, from a radially inner end of the first inclined face-corresponding portion. The mold includes a first inclined face-molding portion inclined rearward at the first inclination angle from a rocking edge-molding portion abutting against the rocking edge-corresponding part.

Provided is a metal belt for a belt-driven continuously variable transmission in which metal elements are capable of keeping the compliance value small even when defamed. Each metal element of the metal belt includes a body portion located radially inward of metal rings, an ear portion located radially outward of the metal rings, and a neck portion sandwiched by the pair of metal rings and connecting the body portion and the ear portion. At least one of a front surface and a rear surface of the metal element has a recess at a center region in a right-left direction of the ear portion, and the depth of the recess is larger than the amount of curving in a front-rear direction of the ear portion.