Rolling bearing with rolling bodies disposed in a plurality of cage segments

A rolling-element bearing comprising:

• at least one inner ring;
• at least one outer ring, and
• a cage disposed between the at least one inner ring and the at least one outer ring, the cage comprising a plurality of cage segments, each cage segment having a plurality of lateral boundary walls defining a receiving pocket for a rolling element, the rolling element having a diameter (Dw),
• each of the receiving pockets being dimensioned relative to the rolling element in the receiving pocket such that in a load-free state of the rolling-element bearing one of the plurality of rolling elements is positionable in the receiving pocket between the at least one inner ring and the at least one outer ring with a circumferential clearance (c) on the pitch circle of the rolling-element bearing between circumferentially adjacent, mutually facing, boundary walls of the receiving pocket and the rolling element in the receiving pocket, wherein
• the clearance (c) satisfies the relationship:
• cmax≧c≧cmin
• where:
• cmin=0.01*Dw−0.5 mm and
• cmax=0.02*Dw−0.4 mm, and
• wherein the diameter (Dw) of the rolling-element bearing is at least 50 mm, and wherein, with uniform distribution of the clearance (c) in the rolling-element bearing on the pitch circle of the rolling-element bearing, there is a total clearance (x) in the circumferential direction of the rolling-element bearing between the running surfaces of the cage segments and the rolling elements in the circumferential direction, and wherein a relationship between the clearance (c) and the total clearance (x) is:
• c<0.2x, wherein the cage is configured such that when a load on the cage provided by an adjacent roller element located outside of the cage exceeds a predetermined amount, the cage deforms so that the rolling element inside of the pocket is clamped by the cage.