Axial bearing and retainer

A thrust bearing configured to support axial loads that act on a rotating body, includes a thrust shaft rotatably supported in a bearing housing, the thrust shaft being couplable with the rotating body and having at least one thrust collar including a plurality of thrust pieces that each have a front sliding surface for sliding contact with the at least one thrust collar the plurality of thrust pieces forming two thrust-piece ring assemblies disposed on both sides of the thrust collar the thrust bearing including two retainers for retaining the respective thrust-piece ring assemblies wherein the two retainers each have a positioning section for stationary positioning and a spring-ring section configured to axially elastically deform in the event of exceeding a load limit acting on at least one of the thrust pieces, wherein a spring gap is formed between the spring-ring sections and respectively a rear-side housing section and

• wherein with respect to a longitudinal axis of the thrust shaft the spring-ring sections are radially outwardly disposed and the positioning sections are radially inwardly disposed and/or the spring-ring sections include a plurality of spring-ring segments lying adjacent to one another in the circumferential direction, wherein radial incisions in the spring ring sections form the spring-ring segments.