Patent ID: 7461507

Claim:
A compressor for a turbocharger comprising: a compressor wheel that comprises first and second compressor faces oriented back-to-back and a bore for mounting the compressor wheel to a shaft along a rotational axis of the compressor wheel; and a compressor housing that comprises a first passage to the first compressor face wherein a wall portion of the first passage comprises an annular, contoured surface to direct inlet air in a more axial direction toward an inducer portion of the first compressor face, a second passage to an inducer portion of the second compressor face, a bifurcated air inlet oriented to receive inlet air radially relative to the rotational axis of the compressor wheel and to supply inlet air!in substantially the same condition, to the first passage and to the second passage, and a volute to receive pressurized air that is directed radially from an exducer portion of the first compressor face and an exducer portion of the second compressor face to the volute via a common passage disposed intermediate the exdueer portions and the volute wherein an outside surface of the volute and the wall portion of the first passage form, in part, a first section that projects radially inward and extends circularly within the compressor housing and wherein another outside surface of the volute and a wall portion of the second passage form, in part, a second section that projects radially inward and extends circularly within the compressor housing.