Patent ID: 7066655

Claim:
A thrust bearing comprising: a retainer formed with pockets for radially housing a plurality of rollers, each of said pockets being defined between circumferentially spaced roller guide surfaces that are free of bulges projecting into said pockets and that are configured for guiding said rollers; a bearing ring having a flange on at least one of an inner-diameter side and an outer-diameter side, said flange restricting a radial gap in the thrust bearing, said bearing ring comprising at least one of an inner ring and an outer ring; wherein roller-stopping claws are formed at substantially radial centers of said roller guide surfaces on both sides of each of said pockets, said roller-stopping claws protruding inwardly into said pockets from the respective roller guide surfaces so as to project inwardly beyond the respective roller guide surfaces; and wherein, on both sides of each of said roller-stopping claws, recesses are formed in the respective roller guide surfaces of each of the respective pockets said recesses having received excess material due to plastic flow in forming of said roller-stopping claws.