Patent ID: 8092162

Claim:
An assembly for a turbocharger, comprising: a turbine comprising a turbine housing and a turbine wheel mounted in the turbine housing and connected to a rotatable shaft for rotation therewith; a center housing for containing a bearing for the shaft, the center housing having a nose portion adjacent the turbine wheel; and a heat shield disposed between the center housing and the turbine housing; the nose portion defining a generally planar first surface facing generally axially toward and axially spaced from a generally planar opposing surface of the turbine housing, the first surface being spaced axially from the turbine wheel by a first axial distance, the nose portion further comprising a generally conical centering surface extending from the first surface and decreasing in diameter in an axial direction toward the turbine wheel, the centering surface being substantially coaxial with a central longitudinal axis of the center housing; the heat shield having an outer portion captured between the first surface of the center housing and the opposing surface of the turbine housing, and a centering portion extending from the outer portion generally axially toward the turbine wheel, the centering surface of the center housing being positioned to engage the centering portion of the heat shield so as to locate the heat shield substantially coaxially with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the center housing; wherein the center housing includes a generally cylindrical surface facing radially outwardly and located radially outwardly relative to the first surface and spaced axially from the turbine wheel by a distance greater than the first axial distance, the generally cylindrical surface of the center housing being substantially coaxial with the central longitudinal axis, and the turbine housing includes a generally cylindrical surface facing radially inwardly and engaged with the generally cylindrical surface of the center housing for coaxially locating the turbine housing relative to the center housing, and wherein a juncture extends between the generally cylindrical surface of the turbine housing and said opposing surface of the turbine housing, the juncture comprising a smoothly curved radius.