Variable nozzle unit and variable-geometry turbocharger

A variable nozzle unit disposed between a turbine scroll passage and a gas discharge port inside a turbine housing of a variable-geometry turbocharger in such a way as to surround a turbine impeller, and capable of changing a passage area for an exhaust gas to be supplied to the turbine impeller side, comprising:

• a nozzle ring disposed inside the turbine housing;
• a shroud ring provided integrally with the nozzle ring at a position away from and opposed to the nozzle ring and including a cylindrical shroud portion placed on an inner peripheral edge side, projecting to the gas discharge port side, and being configured to occlude outer edges of a plurality of turbine blades of the turbine impeller,
• the shroud portion being placed on an inside of an annular step portion formed on an inlet side of the gas discharge port inside the turbine housing, and
• the shroud ring including a ring groove formed in an outer peripheral surface of the shroud portion;
• a plurality of variable nozzles disposed in a circumferential direction between opposed surfaces of the nozzle ring and the shroud ring, each variable nozzle being turnable in forward and reverse directions about a shaft center in parallel with a shaft center of the turbine impeller;
• and
• a plurality of seal rings provided in pressure-contact by their own elastic forces with an inner peripheral surface of the step portion of the turbine housing, an inner peripheral edge portion of each seal ring being fitted into the ring groove of the shroud ring and being configured to suppress leakage of the exhaust gas from the turbine scroll passage side, wherein
• a seal flange projecting in a downstream direction is formed at an inner peripheral edge portion of at least one of the plurality of seal rings except the most downstream-side seal ring, and
• when the plurality of seal rings are viewed from radially inside, the seal flange of the one seal ring is designed to at least partially occlude an end gap of the most downstream-side seal ring.