Patent ID: 7420304

Claim:
A bearing unit for an electric motor, the bearing unit comprising: a cylindrical sleeve; a shaft received in the sleeve, such that one of the shaft and the sleeve is rotatable relative to the other about a central axis; a lubricating fluid confined between opposing surfaces of the shaft and the sleeve, the lubricating fluid and the opposing surfaces constituting a radial bearing in which the lubricating fluid supports the shaft and the sleeve during rotation of said one of the shaft and the sleeve relative to the other; a bearing retainer including a cylindrical section extending around the sleeve, and a bottom section covering and thereby closing off a bottom end of the cylindrical section, the bearing retainer being in the form of a single, seamless member whereby the cylindrical and bottom sections of the bearing retainer are unitary; an attracting magnet disposed in the bearing retainer at the bottom section thereof, and positioned relative to the shaft so as to magnetically attract a lower end of the shaft in a direction coinciding with said central axis; and a magnet holder, made of a magnetic material, disposed beneath the attracting magnet and attached to said the bearing retainer.