Patent ID: 7325391

Claim:
A bicycle chain comprising: a first outer link plate including a first end portion with a first pin coupling opening, a second end portion with a second pin coupling opening, and a first connecting portion interconnecting the first and second end portions of the first outer link plate, the first and second end portions and the first connecting portion of the first outer link plate defining a first outer link peripheral edge, and the first outer link plate including an exteriorly facing surface with a first chamfered outer edge portion extending along a section of the first outer link peripheral edge of the first end portion and a first reduced area part having a reduced radial dimension with respect to a radial dimension of a portion lying along a longitudinal axis of the first outer link plate, with the radial dimensions being measured radially from an edge of the first pin coupling opening in the first outer link plate to the first outer link peripheral edge along a line that extends from a first pivot axis of the first pin coupling opening in the first outer link plate; a second outer link plate including a first end portion with a first pin coupling opening, a second end portion with a second pin coupling opening, and a second connecting portion interconnecting the first and second end portions of the second outer link plate, the first and second end portions and the second connecting portion of the second outer link plate defining a second outer link peripheral edge with the first and second outer link peripheral edges of the first and second outer link plates being shaped differently; a first inner link plate including a first end portion with a first pin coupling opening, a second end portion with a second pin coupling opening, and a first connecting portion interconnecting the first and second end portions of the first inner link plate; a second inner link plate including a first end portion with a first pin coupling opening, a second end portion with a second pin coupling opening, and a second connecting portion interconnecting the first and second end portions of the second inner link plate, the first connecting portion of the first inner link plate having a minimum width that is wider than a minimum width of the second connecting portion of the second inner link plate; and a first link pin connecting the first end portions of the first and second outer link plates to the second end portions of the first and second inner link plates.