Patent ID: 8118545

Claim:
A variable geometry turbocharger configured to provide compressed air flow, said variable geometry turbocharger comprising: a turbocharger housing presenting a compressor chamber with an inlet and a diffuser, a rotatable impeller positioned in the compressor chamber; and an adjustable diffuser vane assembly including a plurality of diffuser vanes positioned in the diffuser and circumferentially spaced about the impeller, said diffuser vanes being pivotal relative to the impeller to define an adjustable vane angle relative to the impeller, said adjustable diffuser vane assembly including a vane-locking drive operably coupled to the diffuser vanes, said vane-locking drive being shiftable into and out of a locked configuration in which the vane-locking drive holds the diffuser vanes to restrict vane angle adjustment, said turbocharger housing presenting a turbine chamber, said turbocharger housing including first and second housing sections, with the first housing section being positioned between the turbine chamber and the compressor chamber, said second housing section being spaced from the first housing section, with the housing sections cooperatively defining at least part of the diffuser, said second housing section being shiftably mounted relative to the first housing section and attached to the vane-locking drive to shift into and out of the locked condition along an axial direction, said second housing section engaging the diffuser vanes in the locked condition to restrict vane angle adjustment, said turbocharger housing including a compressor scroll section, said second housing section being shiftably mounted between the scroll section and the first housing section, and operable to slide toward the first housing section into a vane holding position that corresponds to the locked condition, said first and second housing sections engaging the diffuser vanes in the vane holding position.