Patent ID: 7244065

Claim:
A wheel support bearing assembly comprising: an outer member having an inner peripheral surface formed with axially spaced outer raceways defined therein; an inner member positioned inside the outer member with an annular bearing space defined between the inner member and the outer member, and having an outer peripheral surface formed with inner raceways defined therein in alignment with the outer raceways; inboard and outboard rows of balls accommodated operatively within the annular bearing space and received in part in the outer raceways and in part in the inner raceways; and ball retainers retaining the inboard and outboard rows of the balls, wherein the neighboring balls in one or both of the inboard and outboard rows are retained by the corresponding ball retainer while approaching directly in a non-contact fashion relative to each other on a pitch circle, wherein the ball retainer comprises first and second retainer segments positioned radially inwardly and outwardly relative to each other within the annular bearing space, respectively, each of the first and second retainer segments comprising a ring body and a plurality of comb-shaped pillars so formed integrally with the ring body as to extend from the ring body with a ball accommodating pocket defined between the neighboring pillars; wherein the first and second retainer segments retain the balls at respective locations radially inwardly and outwardly of the pitch circle; and wherein the pillars of those first and second retainer segments extend in the same axial direction.