Patent ID: 8069933

Claim:
A bearing assembly for use in a subterranean drilling system, the bearing assembly comprising: a support ring; a retention ring attached to the support ring, the retention ring including a plurality of through holes; and a plurality of bearing elements each of which includes a superhard bearing surface and a generally opposing base surface, each of the bearing elements positioned in and extending from a corresponding through hole of the plurality of through holes, at least a number of the bearing elements each including a shoulder, the shoulder of each of the at least a number of the bearing elements disposed between the support ring and the retention ring and residing in the corresponding through hole, the shoulder of each of the at least a number of the bearing elements configured to restrict displacement of a corresponding one of the at least a number of the bearing elements through the corresponding through hole away from the support ring in a first direction, and the base surface of each of the at least a number of the bearing elements positioned and configured to restrict displacement of the corresponding one of the at least a number of the bearing elements through the corresponding through hole and toward the support ring in a second direction that is generally opposite the first direction.