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/a≤0.015 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 continuously variable transmission metal element includes a first ring slot, a second ring slot, a neck portion, an ear portion, and a body portion. The body portion includes an inclined surface. A plate thickness of the continuously variable transmission metal element in a longitudinal direction at an inner end of the inclined surface in a radial direction is larger than a distance between a first metal mold molding surface of a first metal mold and a second metal mold molding surface of a second metal mold in the longitudinal direction at a position corresponding to the inner end of the inclined surface. The first metal mold and the second metal mold constitute a metal mold to press a roughly formed metal element material between the first metal mold molding surface and the second metal mold molding surface so as to provide the continuously variable transmission metal element.

A continuously variable transmission metal element includes a first ring slot, a second ring slot, a neck portion, an ear portion, and a body portion. The body portion includes an inclined surface. A plate thickness of the continuously variable transmission metal element in a longitudinal direction at an inner end of the inclined surface in a radial direction is larger than a distance between a first metal mold molding surface of a first metal mold and a second metal mold molding surface of a second metal mold in the longitudinal direction at a position corresponding to the inner end of the inclined surface. The first metal mold and the second metal mold constitute a metal mold to press a roughly formed metal element material between the first metal mold molding surface and the second metal mold molding surface so as to provide the continuously variable transmission metal element.

A belt element for a vehicular transmission belt is designed to be supported by the bands such that the head portion is located on an outer side of the bands. The base, head and connecting portions define two slots for engagement with the respective annular bands, and the base portion has an edge extending in its width direction. The edge includes a first edge located inwardly of widthwise ends of the head portion and functioning as a fulcrum of the belt element upon rocking of the belt element, and second edges located outwardly of the widthwise ends. The base portion has a smaller thickness on an inner side of the edge than on an outer side of the edge, and the second edges are located nearer to the head portion than the first edge.

A belt element for a vehicular transmission belt is designed to be supported by the bands such that the head portion is located on an outer side of the bands. The base, head and connecting portions define two slots for engagement with the respective annular bands, and the base portion has an edge extending in its width direction. The edge includes a first edge located inwardly of widthwise ends of the head portion and functioning as a fulcrum of the belt element upon rocking of the belt element, and second edges located outwardly of the widthwise ends. The base portion has a smaller thickness on an inner side of the edge than on an outer side of the edge, and the second edges are located nearer to the head portion than the first edge.

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.

A continuously variable transmission includes a primary pulley, a secondary pulley, a metal belt and a controller. The metal ring includes a ring and a plurality of elements bundled by the ring. The elements have respective receiving portions opening in a radial direction of the metal belt and receive the ring in the receiving portions. Assuming a direction perpendicular to a circumferential direction and a radial direction of the metal belt as a lateral direction L, the controller executes a falling-off countermeasure control of the element when a relative movement of the element in the lateral direction L with respect to the ring is detected or a presence of an action of a force on the element which causes such relative movement is detected.

A power transmitting chain that operates between continuously variable pulley sheaves, but which is retained by radial locking forces rather than by teeth, sprockets, strain forces, or tangential friction. The chain is comprised of three basic elements: 1) An inner drive-chain of conventional chain links, which transmits power, but which is free-floating with no contact with the sheaves; 2) an outer series of chocks which immovably wedge into place between the sheave faces; and 3) radial links that are arranged to form the connections between the drive-chain and each of the chocks. The connecting links pivot or swing longitudinally, in both directions at both ends, and are arranged radially, so only radial forces are transmitted between the drive-chain and the chocks. With the primary vectors nearly perpendicular and restricted to angles well below tangency, the chocks are immovably seated and will not slip. However, as the radial links are slightly angled, they also duplicate the necessary horizontal vector components to rotate the sheaves.

A power transmitting chain that operates between continuously variable pulley sheaves, but which is retained by radial locking forces rather than by teeth, sprockets, strain forces, or tangential friction. The chain is comprised of three basic elements: 1) An inner drive-chain of conventional chain links, which transmits power, but which is free-floating with no contact with the sheaves; 2) an outer series of chocks which immovably wedge into place between the sheave faces; and 3) radial links that are arranged to form the connections between the drive-chain and each of the chocks. The connecting links pivot or swing longitudinally, in both directions at both ends, and are arranged radially, so only radial forces are transmitted between the drive-chain and the chocks. With the primary vectors nearly perpendicular and restricted to angles well below tangency, the chocks are immovably seated and will not slip. However, as the radial links are slightly angled, they also duplicate the necessary horizontal vector components to rotate the sheaves.