Pressure biased lubricant valve

1. A center housing for a turbocharger, the center housing comprising:

a bore for supporting a turbocharger shaft;

a lubricant feed port;

a first lubricant outlet port;

a second lubricant outlet port;

a valve operably disposed to provide a first path from the lubricant feed port to the first lubricant outlet port and a second path from the lubricant feed port to the second lubricant outlet port wherein the valve responds to pressure generated by axial movement of the turbocharger shaft to increase resistance of the first path or the second path; and

a thrust plate that includes a first port to receive lubricant from the first lubricant outlet port of the housing and a second port to receive lubricant from the second lubricant outlet port of the housing.

2. The center housing of claim 1 wherein the valve comprises a spool.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the first port of the thrust plate provides lubricant to a compressor side of the thrust plate and wherein the second port of the thrust plate provides lubricant to a housing side of the plate.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the first port and the second port communicate pressure generated by axial movement of the turbocharger shaft to the first outlet port of the housing and the second outlet port of the housing, respectively.

5. A substantially disc-shaped thrust plate for a turbocharger, the plate comprising:

a centrally located axial bore;

a center housing side that comprises a plurality of center housing side orifices positioned adjacent the center side opening of the axial bore;

a compressor side that comprises a plurality of compressor side orifices positioned adjacent a compressor side opening of the axial bore;

a first port located on the center housing side of the plate;

a second port located on the center housing side of the plate;

a plurality of passages that link individually the first port to individual orifices of the plurality of center housing side orifices; and

a plurality of passages that link individually the second port to individual orifices of the plurality of compressor side orifices.

6. An assembly comprising a center housing for a turbocharger and the thrust plate of claim 5 .

7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein the center housing comprises a lubricant inlet and a valve to control the resistance of a path from the lubricant inlet to the center housing side orifices and the resistance of a path from the lubricant inlet to the compressor side orifices.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the valve comprises a spool.

9. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the valve controls the resistances via pressure generated by axial movement of a turbocharger shaft positioned in a center bore of the center housing.

10. The assembly of claim 6 further comprising a thrust collar arranged coaxially with the centrally located axial bore of the thrust plate.

11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the thrust collar and the thrust plate form a compressor side lubricant gap and a housing side lubricant gap.

12. The assembly of claim 11 further comprising a turbocharger shaft, the thrust collar fitted to the turbocharger shaft and responsive to axial movement of the shaft.

13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein axial movement of the turbocharger shaft changes an axial dimension of the compressor side lubricant gap and changes an axial dimension of the housing side lubricant gap.

14. A turbocharger comprising:

a center housing that comprises a compressor side, a turbine side, a bore for supporting a turbocharger shaft, a valve and a lubricant feed port;

a turbocharger shaft positioned in the bore of the center housing wherein a portion of the shaft extends outward from the compressor side of the center housing;

a thrust collar fitted to the portion of the turbocharger shaft extending outward from the compressor side of the center housing;

a thrust plate positioned on the compressor side of the center housing that comprises compressor side lubricant orifices for compressor side pads and housing side lubricant orifices for housing side pads wherein the pads can receive axial thrust forces from the thrust collar due to axial movement of the turbocharger shaft and wherein the valve controls resistance of lubricant flow from the lubricant feed port to the compressor side lubricant orifices and resistance of lubricant flow from the lubricant feed port to the housing side lubricant orifices based at least in part on lubricant pressure generated by the axial movement of the turbocharger shaft.