When a chain is wound around a pulley, a pin-pulley contact point as a contact point of a pin of the chain with the pulley slides and moves on a conical surface of the pulley. A contact point slip distance, namely the distance by which the pin-pulley contact point moves on the conical surface at this time, is associated with an offset. The offset is the distance between a pin-pin contact point, which is a contact point between the pins at the time the chain is in a linear state, and the pin-pulley contact point in a y-axis direction. Offsets that minimize the contact point slip distance at the maximum running radius and the minimum running radius of the chain are obtained, and the offset is set between these values. The pin-pulley contact point is set close to the pin-pin contact point of the chain in the linear state.

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.

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 pressure piece for articulated connection of links of a CVT plate-link chain for a drive train of a motor vehicle includes a center, a pressure piece lower portion with a lower thickness, a pressure piece upper portion with an upper thickness, and a thickness ratio between the lower thickness and the upper thickness. The lower thickness is measured at a predefined distance below the center when viewed in a vertical direction, and is measured perpendicular to the vertical direction. The upper thickness is measured at the predefined distance above the center when viewed in the vertical direction, and is measured perpendicular to the vertical direction. The thickness ratio is greater than 1/1.09.

A pressure piece for articulated connection of links of a CVT plate-link chain for a drive train of a motor vehicle includes a center, a pressure piece lower portion with a lower thickness, a pressure piece upper portion with an upper thickness, and a thickness ratio between the lower thickness and the upper thickness. The lower thickness is measured at a predefined distance below the center when viewed in a vertical direction, and is measured perpendicular to the vertical direction. The upper thickness is measured at the predefined distance above the center when viewed in the vertical direction, and is measured perpendicular to the vertical direction. The thickness ratio is greater than 1/1.09.

A plate link chain for a continuously variable transmission of a motor vehicle includes a plurality of plates with respective openings, and a pressure piece inserted into the respective openings to hingedly connect the plurality of plates to each other. The pressure piece includes an end portion protruding from a one of the plates on one side of the plate link chain and a securing element integrally bonded on the end portion for securing a position of the pressure piece relative to the one of the plates. The end portion has a first fastening surface and the securing element has a second fastening surface for fastening to the first fastening surface. The first fastening surface or the second fastening surface has a purposefully introduced surface structure. The purposefully introduced surface structure may be introduced by means of material removal, material application or material deformation, for example.

A plate link chain for a continuously variable transmission of a motor vehicle includes a plurality of plates with respective openings, and a pressure piece inserted into the respective openings to hingedly connect the plurality of plates to each other. The pressure piece includes an end portion protruding from a one of the plates on one side of the plate link chain and a securing element integrally bonded on the end portion for securing a position of the pressure piece relative to the one of the plates. The end portion has a first fastening surface and the securing element has a second fastening surface for fastening to the first fastening surface. The first fastening surface or the second fastening surface has a purposefully introduced surface structure. The purposefully introduced surface structure may be introduced by means of material removal, material application or material deformation, for example.

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.

A plate link chain for a motor vehicle drive having a continuously variable transmission includes a pressure piece with a first bearing face and a second bearing face, and a plate with a third bearing face and a fourth bearing face. The first bearing face and the third bearing face bear against one another to form a force transmitting outer contact region relative to a rotation direction of the plate link chain, and the outer contact region forms an outer contact face that is linear or flat and encloses an angle α that is ≥160° and ≤180°. The second bearing face and the fourth bearing face bear against one another to form a force transmitting inner contact region relative to the rotation direction, and the inner contact region forms an inner contact face enclosing an angle that is ≥90° and ≤135°.