GB2640451A

GB2640451A - Housing assembly for oil sump

Info

Publication number: GB2640451A
Application number: GB2405527.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gosling Jack
Original assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Current assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Priority date: 2024-04-19
Filing date: 2024-04-19
Publication date: 2025-10-22
Also published as: GB202405527D0

Abstract

A housing assembly for a vehicle fluid reservoir has first and second housing parts 12, 14 welded together. The first housing part 12 has a flange 34, and the second housing part 14 has a lip 46: one of the flange 34 and lip 46 is a laser transparent material; and the other is a laser opaque material. In laser welding housing parts 12, 14 together, a clamping force 61 is applied while laser beam 62 welds the flange 34 and lip 46 together. Adjacent the weld seam 40, one or more flash channels 52, 54, defined by the flange 34 and lip 46, can collect excess weld seam material 64 (flash). The flash channels 52, 54 can thus stop flash from contaminating reservoir oil or forming on the exterior of the reservoir. Casing parts 12, 14 may be metals or thermoplastic materials, including nylon plastics.

Description

HOUSING ASSEMBLY FOR OIL SUMP

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a housing assembly for a fluid reservoir of a vehicle. Aspects of the invention relate to a housing assembly, a kit of parts for the housing assembly, and a vehicle comprising the housing assembly.

BACKGROUND

Laser welding is a welding technique used to join parts together through the use of a laser beam. The beam provides a concentrated heat source which can be applied along a join region to melt the material of the parts together, thereby joining them along a weld seam. Typically, parts to be joined by laser welding are provided with corresponding flat surfaces which are held together and a weld seam formed therebetween. One problem with this approach is that, during welding, excess weld material (or weld flash) is squeezed out from between the surfaces before it solidifies and hardens. The presence of flash can be problematic in the context of housing assemblies for fluid reservoirs for various reasons. For example, flash formed on the inside of a fluid reservoir is liable to break off and contaminate the fluid therein. Meanwhile, flash formed on a part exterior can make the part difficult to handle.

It is an aim of the present invention to address one or more of the disadvantages associated with the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a housing assembly, a kit of parts, and a vehicle as claimed in the appended claims.

According to an aspect of the invention, a housing assembly for a fluid reservoir, of a vehicle such as an oil sump, is provided. The housing assembly comprises first and second housing parts (or first and second housing halves) joined together to define an internal volume for holding fluid. The first housing part comprises a first housing body and a flange extending from the first housing body. The flange extends outwardly from the first housing body away from the internal volume. The second housing part comprises a second housing body and a lip extending from the second housing body. The lip extends outwardly from the second housing body away from the internal volume.

One of the flange and the lip is made or formed from a laser transparent material and the other of the flange and the lip is made or formed from a laser opaque material. This is such that the flange and lip are suitable for laser welding together. Suitable materials include metals and thermoplastic materials, including nylon plastics such as PA6 and PA66. In some embodiments, the flange and lip may be integrally formed with the first and second housing parts respectively so that one of the first and second housing parts is made or formed from a laser transparent material while the other of the first and second housing parts is made or formed from a laser opaque material.

The housing assembly further comprises a weld seam adjoining the flange of the first housing part and the lip of the second housing part. In other words, the weld seam is formed between the flange and the lip, thereby joining the two together. A weld seam is a line of material between two parts which has melted or plasticised during welding and then subsequently hardened or solidified to adhere the two parts together.

The housing assembly further comprises one or more channels, or flash channels, adjacent to the weld seam and between the first and second housing parts. Accordingly, the one or more flash channels is suitable for collecting excess material (or flash) generated around the weld seam during the process of laser welding the first and second housing parts together. Provision of one or more flash channels advantageously prevents flash from forming in an undesirable manner.

The first housing part may further comprise one or more rim portions extending from a weld surface of the flange towards the second housing part. The weld surface is defined as a surface of the flange which the weld seam adjoins to the lip of the second housing part. In embodiments, the weld seam may adjoin the weld surface of the flange to a distal portion of the lip of the second housing part.

The one or more rim portions may include an inner rim portion arranged between the weld seam and the internal volume to define an inner flash channel between the weld seam and the inner rim portion. The inner flash channel advantageously captures and contains flash that would otherwise be at risk of breaking off and enter the internal volume. In this way, the inner flash channel prevents flash from contaminating the fluid held and circulated through the fluid reservoir.

Additionally or alternatively, the one or more rim portions may include an outer rim portion arranged distal from the weld seam so that the weld seam is between the outer rim portion and the internal volume to define an outer flash channel between the weld seam and the outer rim portion. The outer flash channel advantageously captures and contains flash that would otherwise be exposed on the exterior of the housing assembly. In this way, the outer flash channel provides a cleaner join region and mitigates against handling risks that may be posed by regions of sharp flash material.

The second housing part may comprise a clamping flange which extends outwardly from the lip of the second housing part. Such a clamping flange is configured for clamping together with the flange of the first housing part during assembly of the first and second housing parts. Providing the clamping flange on the lip of the second housing part advantageously allows for clamps to be applied close to the join region where the weld seam is to be formed. As such, the clamping flange and the flange of the first housing part together provide means for clamping (or pre-loading) the housing parts firmly together in the join region close to where the weld seam is formed, thereby allowing for improved weld seam quality.

In embodiments, the clamping flange may be arranged to cover the outer flash channel. Such an arrangement advantageously ensures any flash that breaks away from the outer flash channel remains contained and captured within the outer flash channels. In this way, debris produced during assembly and / or use of the housing assembly is reduced.

In embodiments, the inner rim portion may comprise a region defining an angled rim surface which is complimentary to an angled lip surface defined by a region of the lip. For example, the angled rim surface may take the form of a chamfered outside edge of the inner rim portion. The complimentary angled surfaces advantageously provide means for correctly aligning the first and second housing parts together. The angled lip surface may be larger than the angled rim surface so that any misalignment can be rectified by sliding the angled rim surface along the larger angled lip surface.

The flange of the first housing part and the lip of the second housing part may extend continuously around the first and second housing bodies respectively. Further, the weld seam may be provide continuously between the flange and the lip so that the first and second housing parts are hermetically sealed together, meaning that the join between the first and second housing parts is airtight and watertight.

According to another aspect of the invention, a kit of parts for the housing assembly is provided. The kit of parts comprises the first and second housing parts, wherein the flange of the first housing part and the lip of the second housing part comprise complimentary features which cooperate to define one or more flash channels for capturing flash when the first and second housing parts are welded together.

According to another aspect of the invention, a vehicle comprising the housing assembly is provided.

It will be appreciated that preferred and/or optional features of one aspect of the invention may be incorporated alone or in appropriate combination in other aspects of the invention also.

Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and/or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and/or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and/or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a housing assembly according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a join region of the housing assembly shown in Figure 1; Figures 3a to 3c show cross-sectional views of first and second housing parts of the housing assembly shown in Figure 1 before, during and after they are welded together to form the join region shown in Figure 2; and Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of another join region of the housing assembly shown in Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of the following description, references to inner, outer, upwardly and downwardly etc. are used by way of reference to the orientation in the accompanying figures and are not intended to be limiting.

In general terms, embodiments of the invention provide a housing assembly 10 for a fluid reservoir of a vehicle, such as an oil sump. The housing assembly 10 is formed from two open housing halves which are joined together to define an internal volume for holding fluid, such as oil. The two housing halves are configured for joining together by laser plastic welding, a process in which a laser is used to weld one component to another 3 along a weld seam. Accordingly, the two housing halves comprise corresponding weld flanges which align when the halves are arranged together for welding. The laser is applied to form a weld seam between the weld flanges to join the two halves together and thereby form the complete housing assembly.

As will be described in more detail below, the weld flanges comprise complimentary features which, when arranged together, define one or more channels and / or cavities between the weld flanges. Such channels and/or cavities advantageously capture excess molten material, or flash, generated during welding and so may be referred to as 'flash channels' or 'flash traps'. In this way, flash from the weld seam is contained between the weld flanges where it is unable to break away from the housing assembly. Flash channels arranged inside of the weld seam (i.e. between the weld seam and the internal volume) advantageously prevent flash material from breaking off and contaminating the oil held within the internal volume. Flash channels arranged outside of the weld seam (i.e. between the weld seam and the exterior of the housing assembly) advantageously prevent flash from forming on the exterior of the assembly where it can form sharp edges and thereby present challenges in manual handling.

Figure 1 shows a housing assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. The housing assembly 10 shown is that of an oil sump for a vehicle. The housing assembly 10 comprises first and second housing parts 12,14, or casings, which are welded together along a plurality of join regions 16, 16' to define an internal volume for containing oil. A first join region 16 extends continuously around the external geometry of the housing assembly 10 and is described in more detail below with reference to Figure 2. A second join region 16' extends around an aperture 18 formed through the housing assembly 10 and is described in more detail below with reference to Figure 4.

Although the depicted embodiment comprises both first and second join regions 16, 16', it should be understood that other embodiments of the invention may comprise only one or the other of the two join regions.

For example, a housing assembly 10 would only comprise the first join region if there are no apertures. Similarly, a housing assembly 10 may comprise a conventional join in place of the described first join region 16, but may nonetheless comprise the described second join region 16' around an aperture.

In the example shown, the first housing part 12 forms the bottom part of the assembly 10 and the second housing part 14 forms the top part of the assembly 10 such that oil collects in the first housing part 12 when the housing assembly 10 is arranged for use.

With reference to Figure 2, the first housing part 12 takes a tray-like form comprising a bottom wall 20 and a side wall 22 extending from the perimeter of the bottom wall 20. The side wall 22 extends upwardly around the perimeter of the bottom wall 20 when the housing assembly 10 is arranged for use. Together, the bottom wall 20 and the side wall 22 define a body of the first housing part 12, or a first housing body 24. The second housing part 14 takes a similar tray-like form, but inverted so that it comprises a top wall 26 and a side wall 28 extending downwardly from the perimeter of the top wall 26 when the housing assembly 10 is arranged for use. Together, the top wall 26 and the side wall 28 define a body of the second housing part, or a second housing body 30.

Referring back to Figure 1, the housing assembly 10 comprises an inlet through which oil can be delivered to the internal volume and an outlet through which oil can be removed from the internal volume for recirculation to other components of the vehicle. In the example shown, a plurality of inlets and outlets 32, 32' are formed in the second, or top, housing part 14.

As shown in Figure 2, the first housing part 12 comprises a flange 34 which extends outwardly from the top edge of the side wall 22 of the first housing body 24 away from the internal volume. Accordingly, the flange 34 comprises a proximal, or inner, perimeter which adjoins the side wall and a distal, or outer perimeter, which is free. The flange 34 runs continuously around the body 24 of the first housing part on a plane which is substantially horizontal when the housing assembly 10 is arranged for use. In this example, the flange 34 is substantially parallel to the bottom wall 20 of the first housing body 24. The flange 34 comprises a weld surface 36 which faces upwards towards the second housing part 14 and a clamping surface 38 which faces downwards away from the second housing part 14. As described in more detail below, the first housing part 12 is joined to the second housing part 14 by a weld seam 40 which defines a line of weld between the two housing parts 12, 14 when they are welded together.

The first housing part 12 further comprises two rim portions which extend upwardly from the weld surface 36 of the flange 34 towards the second housing part 14. An inner rim portion 42 is arranged between the weld seam 40 and the internal volume of the housing assembly 10. More specifically, the inner rim portion 42 extends upwardly from the internal perimeter of the flange 34 so that it forms an extension of the side wall 22 of the first housing body 24.

An outer rim 44 portion is arranged between the free end of flange 34 and the weld seam 40. In other words, the outer rim portion 44 is arranged distal from the weld seam 40 so that the weld seam 40 is between the outer rim portion 44 and the internal volume of the housing assembly 10. In this example. the outer rim portion 44 extends upwardly from the outer perimeter of the flange 34. The outer rim portion 44 runs continuously along the flange 34 and has a substantially rectangular cross section which is constant along its length.

The second housing part 14 comprises a flange or lip 46 which extends downwardly and outwardly from the side wall 28 of the second housing body 30 away from the internal volume. The lip 46 runs continuously around the body 30 of the second housing part 14 so that it corresponds and aligns with the flange 34 of the first housing part 12. In the example shown, the lip 46 comprises a flare portion 48 and a distal portion 50 which extends from the flare portion 48. The flare portion 48 extends outwardly from the edge of the side wall 28 of the first housing body 14 at an obtuse angle in order to overlap the inner rim portion 42 of the first housing part 12. The distal portion 50 extends downwardly from the flare portion 48 in a substantially vertical manner when the housing assembly 10 is arranged for use. As such, the distal portion 50 of the lip 46 is substantially perpendicular to the weld surface 36 of the flange 34. A distal end of the distal portion 50 is joined to the weld surface 36 of the flange 34 by the weld seam 40. How the weld seam is formed is described in more detail below with reference to Figures 3a to 3c.

In the example shown, the housing assembly 10 comprises an outer flash channel 52 and an inner flash channel 54. The channels 52, 54 are defined in spaces which exist on either side of the weld seam 40 between the flange 34 and the lip 46 due to their complimentary geometries. For the purpose of the following description, the inner side of the weld seam 40 will be taken to mean the side of the weld seam 40 radially between the weld seam 40 and the internal volume, while the outer side of the weld seam 40 will be taken to mean the side of weld seam 40 radially between the weld seam 40 and the exterior of the housing assembly 10.

The outer flash channel 52 is defined between the outer rim portion 44 of the flange 34 of the first housing part 12 and the distal portion 50 of the lip 46 of the second housing part 14. In other words, the outer flash channel 52 is outside of (relative to the internal volume) and adjacent to the weld seam 36. The inner flash channel 54 is defined between the inner rim portion 42 of the flange 34 of the first housing part 12 and the lip 46 of the second housing part 14. In other words, the inner flash channel 54 is inside of (relative to the internal volume) and adjacent to the weld seam 40. That is to say, the inner and outer flash channels 52, 54 are on opposite sides of the weld seam 40.

The second housing part 14 further comprises a brim or a clamping flange 56 having a clamping surface 58 which faces upwards away from the first housing part 12 when the housing assembly 10 is assembled. In the example shown, the clamping flange 56 extends outwardly from the lip 46 itself, but it is contemplated that it could alternatively extend outwardly from the second housing body 30. The clamping flange 56 is of substantially constant thickness and extends outwardly on a plane which is horizontal when the housing assembly 10 is in use, i.e. the clamping flange 56 and the flange 36 of the first housing part 12 extend from their respective housing parts 12, 14 so they are substantially parallel to each other. More specifically, the clamping surface 58 of the clamping flange 56 of the second housing part 14 is parallel to the clamping surface 38 of the flange 36 of the first housing part 12. The clamping surfaces 38, 58 are aligned so that a clamping force can be applied to both surfaces when assembling the first housing part 12 together with the second housing part 14.

Turning to Figures 3a to 3c, a method of assembling the first and second housing parts 12, 14 and welding them together is described.

As shown in Figure 3a, the first and second housing parts 12, 14 are provided separately and are brought together for welding. In the example shown, the first housing part 12 is formed from a laser transparent or transmissive material and the second housing part 14 is formed from a laser opaque or absorbent material. In this example, both the first and second housing parts are made from thermoplastic materials such as PA6 or PA66. Thermoplastic materials naturally transmit infrared laser radiation so absorptive properties are added to the material of the second housing part 14 by adding soot or pigmentation, for example, to make it laser opaque.

The distal portion 50 of the lip 46 comprises a weld region 60 at its distal end which abuts the weld surface 36 of the first housing part flange 34 when the first and second housing parts 12, 14 are arranged together for welding. As shown in Figure 3b, a clamping force 61 is applied to the clamping surfaces 38, 58 of the first housing part flange and the second housing part 14 clamping flange to hold the parts together in the correct position for welding.

A laser beam 62 (such as an infrared beam) is directed towards the weld region 60 through the laser transparent material of the first housing part 12. As the weld region 60 (being part of the second housing part) is formed from laser absorbative material, energy from the laser beam 62 is absorbed by the weld region 60 thereby causing it to melt or plasticise. As the weld region 60 plasticises, the clamping force 61 presses the housing parts 12, 14 closer together as shown in Figure 3c, and the weld region 60 is compressed between the distal end of the lip 46 and the weld surface 36 of the flange 34. Once the laser beam 62 is removed, the compressed weld region 60 cools and hardens to adhere the lip 46 to the flange 34, thereby forming the weld seam 40. The laser 62 is applied continuously along the length of the join region 16 to provide a continuous weld seam 40 which hermetically joins and seals the first and second parts 12, 14 together.

Excess plasticised material from the weld region is squeezed out from between the distal end and the weld surface 36 so that it does not contribute to the weld seam 40. This excess material is flash 64, as mentioned above. As shown in Figure 3c, the flash is contained by the inner and outer flash channels 52, 54. The inner rim portion 42 acts as a barrier which prevents flash from breaking away from the inside of the weld seam 40 and entering the internal volume. Similarly, the outer rim portion 44 acts as a barrier which prevents flash on the outside of the weld seam 40 from forming sharp edges which could be hazardous when handling the housing assembly 10. Typically, any external flash would need to be removed by a further machining step, but such steps can be avoided by providing the outer flash channel 44 as in the described embodiment to contain any such flash 64.

Provision of the opposing clamping surfaces 38, 58 in the join region 16 allows for the clamping force 61 to be applied as close to the weld seam 40 as possible. This advantageously improves the quality of the weld between the first and second parts 12, 14, thereby ensuring that the weld seam 40 is strong and provides a proper seal.

It is expected that the housing assembly 10 will be held stationary while the weld seam 40 is formed.

Accordingly, it is further expected that flash 64 which flows into the outer flash channel 52 will level before cooling and hardening so that the upper surface of the flash 61 is relatively smooth and free from protrusions which are otherwise liable to break away. Nonetheless, it is additionally advantageous that the clamping flange 56 is arranged to cover the outer flash channel 52 when the parts are welded together because, in this way, the clamping flange 56 can prevent flash from splashing or spilling out of the outer flash channel 52 before it hardens. Furthermore, any sharp flash protrusions that do form on the surface of the flash in the outer flash channel 52 will be covered by the clamping flange 56 and therefore inaccessible to handlers. Further still, any flash breakage, or separation from the weld surface 36, will be contained within the outer flash channel 52.

Although the weld region 60 is provided on the distal portion 50 of the lip 46 in the example shown, it is contemplated that it may alternatively be provided on the weld surface 36 of the flange 34 of the first housing part 12. In such an embodiment, the laser beam 62 would heat the laser absorbative lip 46 which would, in turn, heat the weld region 60 on the flange 34, thereby causing it to plasticise and form the weld seam 40. In other embodiments, the first and second housing parts 12, 14 may be formed from laser absorbent and laser transparent materials respectively. In such a case, the laser beam 62 would be directed through the second housing part 14 (i.e. from above in the orientation of the figures) towards the weld region 60 (whether that be provided on the distal portion of the lip or the weld surface).

Turning back to Figure 3a, the inner rim portion 42 and the lip 46 are shown to comprise respective complimentary angled surfaces 66, 68 which act to guide the first and second parts 12, 14 into proper alignment as they are brought together. More specifically, an outer edge of the inner rim portion 42 is chamfered to define a first angled surface 66 which faces away from the internal volume as the parts are brought together. Meanwhile, the flare portion 48 of the lip 46 defines a second angled surface 68 which faces towards the internal volume as the parts are brought together. The first and second angled surfaces 66, 68 are parallel to each other when the first and second housing 12, 14 parts are assembled. The second angled surface 68 is larger (i.e. of greater surface area) than the first angled surface 66. As such, should the first housing part 12 be slightly misaligned with the second housing part 14 as the two are brought together, the angled surfaces 66, 68 will engage and slide over each other until the distal portion 50 of the lip 46 abuts against the weld surface 36 of the flange 34. The second angled surface 68 being larger than the first angled surface 66 ensures that a gap (i.e. the inner flash channel 54) remains between the distal portion 50 and the inner rim portion 42 when the parts are aligned.

Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the second join region 16' of the housing assembly 10. As mentioned, the housing assembly 10 comprises various through-holes or apertures 18 which extend through the first and second housing parts 12, 14. Such apertures 18 may be required for fixing the housing assembly 10 in position within the vehicle, for example. The second or aperture join region 16' provides a hermetic seal between the first and second parts 12, 14 around an aperture 18. In general terms, the aperture join region 16' is substantially the same as the join region 16 described above, except that it comprises an inner flash channel 54 only; i.e. it does not comprise an outer flash channel 52. The aperture 18 is substantially circular in cross section and so the aperture join region 16' is correspondingly annular.

In order for the first and second parts 12, 14 to be joined together at the aperture join region 16', the first and second housing bodies are recessed towards each other. These recesses define recess walls 22', 28' which are akin to the side walls 22, 28 described above. That is to say, the flange 34 of the first housing body 12 extends outwardly from the recess wall 22' of the first housing body 24 towards the aperture 18, and the lip 46 of the second housing body 30 extends outwardly from the recess wall 28' of the second housing body 30 towards the aperture 18.

As will be appreciated, the benefits of an outer flash channel 52 are less relevant in the aperture join region 16' because any flash formed on the outside of the weld seam 40 will remain within the recess of the first housing body 24 where it would be less likely to cause handling difficulties. Hence, in the example shown, the flange 34 of the first housing part 12 does not comprise an outer rim portion 44 in the aperture join region 16'.

Of course, other embodiments of the aperture join region 16' may comprise an outer rim portion 44 on the flange 34 so that an outer flash channel 52 is provided.

The lip portion 46 does comprise a clamping flange 56 as described above extending outwardly from the lip 46. In this way, a clamping force may be applied to the aperture join region 16' around the aperture and in the vicinity of the weld seam 40.

The second housing pad 14 further comprises an aperture support portion 70 which extends perpendicularly from the clamping flange 56. The aperture support portion 70 is configured to support an insert 72 (such as a compression limiter) which defines the aperture or bore 18 for receiving a fastener.

It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present application.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A housing assembly for a fluid reservoir of a vehicle, the housing assembly comprising: first and second housing parts joined together to define an internal volume for holding fluid, wherein the first housing part comprises a first housing body and a flange extending from the first housing body, the second housing part comprises a second housing body and a lip extending from the second housing body, wherein one of the flange and the lip is made from a laser transparent material and the other of the flange and the lip is made from a laser opaque material, and wherein the housing assembly further comprises: a weld seam adjoining the flange of the first housing part and the lip of the second housing part, and one or more flash channels adjacent to the weld seam and between the first and second housing parts.
2. The housing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the weld seam adjoins a weld surface of the flange of the first housing part and the lip of the second housing part, and the first housing part comprises one or more rim portions extending from the weld surface of the flange towards the second housing part.
3. The housing assembly according to claim 2, wherein the weld seam adjoins the weld surface of the flange of the first housing part and a distal portion of the lip of the second housing part.
4. The housing assembly according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the one or more dm portions include an inner rim portion arranged between the weld seam and the internal volume to define an inner flash channel between the weld seam and the inner rim portion.
5. The housing assembly according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the one or more rim portions include an outer rim portion arranged distal from the weld seam so that the weld seam is between the outer rim portion and the internal volume to define an outer flash channel between the weld seam and the outer rim portion.
6. The housing assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the second housing part comprises a clamping flange for clamping together with the flange of the first housing part during assembly of the first and second housing parts, wherein the clamping flange extends outwardly from the lip of the second housing part.
7. The housing assembly according to claim 6, when dependent on claim 5, wherein the clamping flange covers the outer flash channel.
8. The housing assembly according to any of claims 4 to 7, wherein the inner rim portion comprises a region defining an angled rim surface which is complimentary to an angled lip surface defined by a region of the lip.
9. The housing assembly according to claim 8, wherein the angled lip surface is larger than the angled rim surface.
10. The housing assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the flange extends continuously around the first housing body, the lip extends continuously around the second housing body, and the weld seam is provided continuously between the flange and the lip so that the first and second housing parts are hermetically sealed together.
11. The housing assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the housing assembly is for an oil sump of a vehicle.
12. A kit of parts for the housing assembly of any preceding claim, the kit of parts comprising the first and second housing parts, wherein the flange of the first housing part and the lip of the second housing part comprise complimentary features which cooperate to define one or more flash channels for capturing flash when the first and second housing parts are welded together.
13. The housing assembly or kit of parts according to any preceding claim, wherein the first housing part is made from laser transparent material and the second housing part is made from laser opaque material.
14. A vehicle comprising the housing assembly according to any of claims 1 to 11.