Patent ID: 7066858

Claim:
Belt ( 3 ) for use in a continuous variable transmission, comprising: an endless carrier ( 4 ) for taking up tensile forces within said belt ( 3 ), and a plurality of transverse elements ( 5 ) provided moveable in the longitudinal direction along said carrier ( 4 ), which elements ( 5 ) are provided with at least one saddle surface ( 8 ) for contacting the carrier ( 4 ), which saddle surface ( 8 ) defines an ultimate mutual position of said carrier ( 4 ) and said elements ( 5 ) relative to each other within the belt ( 3 ) in radial direction, each element comprising a tapered lower element part including a rocking edge ( 9 ) and with an upper element part ( 10 , 11 ; 14 ) extending radially beyond the carrier ( 4 ), at least when the carrier ( 4 ) and the saddle surface ( 8 ) are in mutual contact, characterized in that, a thickness of the upper element part ( 10 , 11 ; 14 ) of a majority of the transverse elements ( 5 ) is notionally larger than a largest thickness of the tapered lower element part, and in that the upper element part in the majority of the transverse elements ( 5 ), above the rocking edge ( 9 ), has a thickest part near a radial outer end relative to a thickness of the upper element at or near the rocking edge ( 9 ), such that an array of the majority of the transverse elements ( 5 ) being pushed against one another within said belt ( 3 ), when mutually contacting through their upper element parts ( 10 , 11 ; 14 ), assumes an arc shape as seen in an axial side elevation.