Patent ID: 8021131

Claim:
A vacuum pump comprising: a pumping arrangement in a pump housing; a shaft for driving the pumping arrangement; a motor for rotating the shaft; a bearing arrangement for supporting the shaft for rotation and having a rolling bearing comprising an outer race formed by a single piece of structure for supporting a first portion of the shaft; and a thrust bearing having a race and a rolling element in contact with the outer race of the rolling bearing and with the race of the thrust bearing for resisting axial movement of the rolling bearing and allowing radial movement of the rolling bearing; and a cage for positioning the rolling element of the thrust bearing therein, wherein the cage is affixed to the pump housing, such that the cage is kept at a lower temperature than that of the rolling bearing when the vacuum pump is in operation, wherein the pumping arrangement includes a turbomolecular pumping mechanism having a rotor attached to the shaft supported by the bearing arrangement, which resists axial movement of the shaft, thereby maintaining a spatial relationship between the rotor and the pump housing in an axial direction.