Bearing spacer and housing

1. A center housing rotating assembly comprising:

a turbine wheel ( 260 );

a compressor wheel ( 240 );

a center housing ( 380 , 480 , 580 , 780 ) that comprises a through bore extending from a compressor end to a turbine end, a lubricant inlet and a lubricant outlet;

a pair of bearings ( 232 , 232 ′) disposed at least partially in the through bore of the center housing;

a rotatable bearing spacer ( 790 , 1190 ) disposed in the through bore between the pair of bearings wherein the bearing spacer comprises a cylindrical wall having an axial length defined by a turbine side end and a compressor side end and slots at at least one end wherein a slot extends axially inward an axial slot depth from the turbine side end or the compressor side end; and

a shaft ( 220 ) rotatably supported by the pair of bearings and having a rotational axis coincident with a rotational axis of the turbine wheel and a rotational axis of the compressor wheel;

wherein the center housing comprises bearing lubricant paths to direct lubricant from the lubricant inlet to the pair of bearings ( 271 , 272 ) and a shaft lubricant path ( 373 , 473 , 573 , 573 ′, 773 ) to direct lubricant from the lubricant inlet to the shaft; and

wherein the center housing comprises a shaft lubricant bore ( 383 , 483 , 583 , 583 ′, 783 ) that defines part of the shaft lubricant path wherein the shaft lubricant bore comprises an opening at the through bore of the center housing, the opening positioned axially within a span defined by the axial slot depth of the rotatable bearing spacer ( 790 , 1190 ).

2. The center housing rotating assembly of claim 1 wherein the bearing spacer comprises slots at the turbine side end.

3. The center housing rotating assembly of claim 1 wherein the bearing spacer comprises slots at the compressor side end.

4. The center housing rotating assembly of claim 1 wherein the bearing spacer comprises slots at the compressor side end and slots at the turbine side end.

5. The center housing rotating assembly of claim 1 wherein the shaft lubricant path directs lubricant from the lubricant inlet to the shaft in a manner dependent on rotational position of the bearing spacer in the through bore of the center housing.

6. The center housing rotating assembly of claim 1 wherein the shaft lubricant bore comprises a substantially cylindrical shape having a shaft lubricant bore length along an axis passing centrally through the shaft lubricant bore.

7. The center housing rotating assembly of claim 6 wherein the axis passing through the shaft lubricant bore extends through the lubricant outlet of the center housing.

8. The center housing rotating assembly of claim 1 wherein the slots comprise slots that extend axially inward from the turbine side end of the bearing spacer allow the shaft lubricant path to direct lubricant from the lubricant inlet to the shaft.

9. The center housing rotating assembly of claim 8 wherein the slots that extend axially inward from the turbine side end of the bearing spacer allow the shaft lubricant path to direct lubricant from the opening to the shaft.

10. The center housing rotating assembly of claim 1 wherein the compressor wheel comprises a titanium compressor wheel.

11. A center housing rotating assembly comprising:

a turbine wheel ( 260 );

a compressor wheel ( 240 );

a center housing ( 380 , 480 , 580 , 780 ) that comprises a through bore extending from a compressor end to a turbine end, a lubricant inlet and a lubricant outlet;

a pair of bearings ( 232 , 232 ′) disposed at least partially in the through bore of the center housing;

a rotatable bearing spacer ( 390 , 490 , 590 , 890 , 990 , 1090 ) disposed in the through bore between the pair of bearings wherein the bearing spacer comprises a cylindrical wall having an axial length defined by a turbine side end and a compressor side end and at least one wall opening; and

a shaft ( 220 ) rotatably supported by the pair of bearings and having a rotational axis coincident with a rotational axis of the turbine wheel and a rotational axis of the compressor wheel;

wherein the center housing comprises bearing lubricant paths ( 271 , 272 ) to direct lubricant from the lubricant inlet to the pair of bearings and a shaft lubricant path ( 373 , 473 , 573 , 573 ′, 773 ) to direct lubricant from the lubricant inlet to the shaft through at least one of the at least one wall opening;

wherein the center housing comprises a shaft lubricant bore ( 383 , 483 , 583 , 583 ′, 783 ) that defines part of the shaft lubricant path wherein the shaft lubricant bore comprises an opening at the through bore of the center housing the opening aligned axially with at least one of the at least one wall opening of the rotatable bearing spacer ( 390 , 490 , 590 , 890 , 990 , 1090 ); and

wherein the shaft lubricant path directs lubricant from the lubricant inlet to the shaft through at least one of the at least one wall opening in a manner dependent on rotational position of the bearing spacer in the through bore of the center housing.

12. The center housing rotating assembly of claim 11 wherein the shaft lubricant bore comprises a substantially cylindrical shape having a shaft lubricant bore length along an axis passing centrally through the shaft lubricant bore.

13. The center housing rotating assembly of claim 12 wherein the axis passing through the shaft lubricant bore extends through an end of the through bore of the center housing.

14. The center housing rotating assembly of claim 13 wherein the axis passing through the shaft lubricant bore extends through the lubricant outlet of the center housing.

15. The center housing rotating assembly of claim 11 wherein at least one of the at least one wall opening of the bearing spacer allows the shaft lubricant path to direct lubricant from the lubricant inlet to the shaft.

16. The center housing rotating assembly of claim 11 wherein the compressor wheel comprises a titanium compressor wheel.

17. A center housing assembly for a turbocharger comprising:

a center housing ( 380 , 480 , 580 , 780 ) that comprises a through bore extending from a compressor end to a turbine end to receive a rotatable shaft, a lubricant inlet and a lubricant outlet; and

a rotatable bearing spacer ( 390 , 490 , 590 , 890 , 990 , 1090 ) disposed in the through bore to space a pair of bearings wherein the bearing spacer comprises a cylindrical wall having an axial length defined by a turbine side end and a compressor side end and at least two wall openings;

wherein the center housing comprises a shaft lubricant path ( 373 , 473 , 573 , 573 ′, 773 ) that comprises an opening along the through bore, axially aligned with at least one of the at least two wall openings to direct lubricant from the lubricant inlet to a shaft, received by the through bore, through the at least one of the at least two wall openings; and

wherein the bearing spacer comprises at least one wall opening positioned along the axial length of the bearing spacer toward the compressor end and at least one wall opening positioned along the axial length of the bearing spacer toward the turbine end.

18. The center housing assembly of claim 17 wherein the shaft lubricant path directs lubricant from the lubricant inlet to a shaft in a manner dependent on rotational position of the bearing spacer in the through bore of the center housing.

19. A center housing assembly for a turbocharger comprising:

a center housing ( 380 , 480 , 580 , 780 ) that comprises a through bore extending from a compressor end to a turbine end to receive a rotatable shaft, a lubricant inlet and a lubricant outlet;

a rotatable bearing spacer ( 790 , 1190 ) disposed in the through bore to space a pair of bearings wherein the bearing spacer comprises a cylindrical wall having an axial length defined by a turbine side end and a compressor side end and slots at at least one end wherein a slot extends axially inward an axial slot depth from the turbine side end or the compressor side end;

wherein the center housing comprises a shaft lubricant path ( 373 , 473 , 573 , 573 ′, 773 ) that comprises an opening along the through bore positioned axially within a span defined by the axial slot depth of the rotatable bearing spacer ( 790 , 1090 ) to direct lubricant from the lubricant inlet to a shaft received by the through bore of the center housing; and

wherein the shaft lubricant path directs lubricant from the lubricant inlet to a shaft received by the through bore in a manner dependent on rotational position of the bearing spacer in the through bore of the center housing.

20. The center housing assembly of claim 19 wherein the bearing spacer comprises four slots that extend axially inward from the turbine end and four slots that extend axially inward from the compressor end.