Cage for a spherical roller bearing having retention feature

A cage for a spherical roller bearing including a plurality of barrel-shaped rolling elements, each barrel-shaped rolling element having two opposing axial ends and a curved outer circumferential surface with a minimum diameter at each axial end and a maximum diameter at a center of the rolling element, the cage comprising:

• an annular spine having a centerline, two opposing axial ends, an inner radial end and an outer radial end;
• and
• a plurality of cage bars extending axially from at least one axial end of the spine and spaced circumferentially apart about the centerline such that a plurality of pockets are defined between each pair of adjacent bars, each cage bar having an inner axial end connected with the spine and a free, outer axial end, an axial opening of each pocket for receiving one of the rolling elements being defined between the outer axial ends of the pair of adjacent bars defining the pocket, each cage bar further having opposing first and second concave guide surfaces each extending axially between the inner and outer axial ends of the cage bar;
• wherein each one of the plurality of pockets is partially defined between a pair of facing guide surfaces including the first guide surface of one of plurality of cage bars and the second guide surface of an adjacent one of the plurality of cage bars;
• and
• wherein each one of the first and second guide surfaces of each pair of facing guide surfaces has a central surface section, the two central surface sections being spaced apart by a first distance greater than the maximum diameter of the rolling elements, and a retention surface section located axially between the central surface section and the outer axial end of the cage bar, the two retention surface sections being spaced apart by a second distance less than the rolling element maximum diameter such that the two retention surface sections are engageable with one of the plurality of rolling elements disposed between the pair of facing guide surfaces to prevent axial displacement of the one rolling element outwardly from the pocket defined between the pair of facing guide surfaces.