A method for manufacturing an endless metal belt used in a belt-type continuously variable transmission, wherein a stress-relief heat treatment is performed after the circumference of a ring body has been adjusted, and aging/nitridation is performed after the stress-relief heat treatment.

A method for manufacturing an endless metal belt used in a belt-type continuously variable transmission, wherein a stress-relief heat treatment is performed after the circumference of a ring body has been adjusted, and aging/nitridation is performed after the stress-relief heat treatment.

An inclined surface corresponding portion (30) of a metal element raw material (23) and inclined surface forming portions (47b, 47c) of dies (47, 49) are parallel to each other and are in contact with each other without gap. Therefore, a press load required while forming a metal element (23) is suppressed to a minimum and durability of the dies (47, 49) is enhanced. In addition, recess portions (24a, 26a) are formed on both rear surfaces of an ear portion (26) and a body portion (24) of the metal element (23) through pressing by using the dies (47, 49). Therefore, the sizes of both the recess portions (24a, 26a) are adjusted to change radially inward/outward distributions of the press loads on the dies (47, 49), so that it is possible to prevent the dies from tilting and to reduce a difference in radially inward/outward plate thickness of the metal element (23).

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).

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.

The invention relates to a method of producing an endless belt (1) from at least two plate-shaped metal plates (2, 3, 4), and the at least two metal plates (2, 3, 4) are introduced into one of two opposing fixtures of at least one removable connection element (5a, 5b), one edge (9, 10, 11, 12) of each leading, and form a composite board (6), whereupon free end edges (7, 8) of the composite board (6) which lie opposite the edges (9, 10, 11, 12) of the metal plates disposed in the at least one connection element (5) are bent towards one another and welded together, whereupon the at least one connection element (5a, 5b) is removed and the edges (9, 10, 11, 12) of the metal plates (2, 3, 4) connected to one another beforehand by the at least one connection element (5) are bent towards one another and welded together.