Patent ID: 7533529

Claim:
A turbocharger ( 1 ) comprising: a turbine housing part ( 2 ), vane support ring ( 6 ) carrying a guiding grid of guide vanes ( 7 ) distributed about the ring ( 6 ), the vanes being pivoted by pivoting shafts ( 8 ) inserted into bores of the vane support ring ( 6 ) such that each pair of vanes forms a nozzle between them whose cross-section is variable according to the pivoting position of the vanes ( 7 ), said turbine housing part ( 2 ) including a ring-shaped portion ( 15 ) parallel to the vane support ring ( 6 ) and defining a vane space ( 13 ) between said vane support ring ( 6 ) and said turbine housing ring-shaped portion( 15 ), a supply channel ( 9 ) for introducing exhaust gas into said vane space ( 13 ), one or more spacers for abutting against and separating the vane support ring ( 6 ) and said turbine housing ring-shaped portion ( 15 ), wherein at least one of said vane support ring ( 6 ) and said turbine housing ring-shaped portion ( 15 ) includes a radial outer circumferential border area and a radial inner circumferential area, the radial inner circumferential area defining a first radial plane, said radial outer circumferential border area defining a second radial plane separated from the first radial plane along an axial direction and widening said vane space, wherein the one or more spacers have an aerodynamic elongated shape substantially in a tangential direction with respect to the ring member, and wherein the one or more spacers are positioned along the radial outer circumferential border area.