Patent ID: 8414193

Claim:
A roller bearing, comprising: an inner ring having an inner ring track with an inner radius (R I ), an outer ring having an outer ring track with an outer radius (R A ), a plurality of cylindrical roller bodies disposed between the inner ring and the outer ring, wherein center points of the respective roller bodies are disposed along a pitch circle having a pitch circle radius (R T ), and a plurality of discrete retaining elements, wherein one retaining element is disposed between two adjacent roller bodies, each retaining element satisfying the following conditions: each retaining element extends radially inward from the pitch circle over at least 90% of the difference (R T −R I ) between the pitch circle radius (R T ) and the inner radius (R I ) and extends radially outward from the pitch circle over less than or equal to 50% of the difference (R A −R T ) between the outer radius (R A ) and the pitch circle radius (R T ), wherein each retaining element is configured such that it extends radially inward from the pitch circle a distance that is approximately 100% of the difference (R T −R I ) between the pitch circle radius (R T ) and the inner radius (R I ).