Modular guide rail or modular tensioning rail

A chain drive, in particular a timing chain drive of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a driving chain wheel,
• at least one driven chain wheel,
• a chain interconnecting said driving chain wheel and said at least one driven chain wheel,
• a guide rail fixed to a crank case of the internal combustion engine, whereby the guide rail contacts a tight span of the chain drive, and
• a chain tensioner and a tensioning rail pivotably arranged on the crank case of the internal combustion engine, whereby the tensioning rail is pressed against a slack span of the chain drive by means of the chain tensioner,
• wherein each of the tensioning rail and the guide rail comprises:
• two separate sliding elements associated with a same side of the tight span or slack span of the chain, respectively, and arranged on a common support, the sliding elements having a sliding surface that exhibits a convex curvature in the direction of movement of the chain, and
• the sliding elements have a predetermined position on the support such that the angle bisectors of the two opening angles of the two convex sliding surfaces extend relative to each other at an angle other than 0°, and that the sliding elements are attached to the support as separate modular components.

A chain drive, in particular a timing chain drive of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a driving chain wheel;
• at least one driven chain wheel;
• a chain interconnecting said driving chain wheel and said at least one driven chain wheel,
• a chain tensioner,
• a tensioning rail pivotably arranged on the crank case of the internal combustion engine, whereby the tensioning rail is pressed against a slack span of the chain drive by means of the chain tensioner, the tensioning rail comprising:
• two separate sliding elements associated with a same side of the slack span of the chain and arranged on a common support, the sliding elements having a sliding surface that exhibits a convex curvature in the direction of movement of the chain, and
• the sliding elements have a predetermined position on the support such that the angle bisectors of the two opening angles of the two convex sliding surfaces extend relative to each other at an angle other than 0°, and that the sliding elements are attached to the support as separate modular components.