Patent ID: 7946768

Claim:
A bearing apparatus comprising: a first structure having a plurality of bearing elements defining a first bearing surface, at least one bearing element of the plurality of bearing elements of the first structure comprising a polycrystalline diamond table formed on a substrate; a second structure having a plurality of bearing elements defining a second bearing surface, the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface configured to engage one another during relative displacement of the first structure and the second structure; a first compliant member positioned between the first structure and the at least one bearing element of the first structure, the first compliant member configured to enable a selected magnitude of displacement of the at least one bearing element of the first structure in a first direction relative to the first structure; and a second compliant member positioned between the first structure and the at least one bearing element of the first structure, the second compliant member configured to enable a selected magnitude of displacement of the at least one bearing element of the first structure in a second direction relative to the first structure, the second direction being different from the first direction.