EP2585689A1

EP2585689A1 - Oil sump intended to be fixed to an engine block

Info

Publication number: EP2585689A1
Application number: EP11717306.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Benoît Peron
Original assignee: Mecaplast SAM
Current assignee: Novares France SAS
Priority date: 2010-06-24
Filing date: 2011-03-31
Publication date: 2013-05-01
Anticipated expiration: 2031-03-31
Also published as: ES2564990T3; CN102947557A; WO2011161339A1; FR2961859A1; FR2961859B1; BR112012031428A2; EP2585689B1; CN102947557B; EP2585689B8

Abstract

The sump comprises: a lower shell (2) comprising an element that forms a lower portion (20) of a suction strainer, the lower shell and the said element being produced as a single piece by moulding or by casting; an upper shell (1) comprising an element forming an upper portion (21) of the suction strainer, and a wall forming an anti-emulsion plate (15), the upper shell, the said element and the anti-emulsion plate being produced as a single piece by moulding or by casting. The shells are assembled with one another in a fluid tight fashion to form a rigid casing, the lower portion and the upper portion of the suction strainer being, when the shells are assembled, assembled with one another with a grating (3) interposed between them so as to form a suction strainer that allows oil to be drawn up towards the engine.

Description

OIL PAN TO BE FIXED TO A MOTOR BLOCK

The present invention relates to an oil pan intended to be fixed under the engine block of an internal combustion engine.

The main purpose of an oil sump is to collect the oils used to lubricate all mechanical parts in rotational or translational motion (eg camshafts, valve stems, crankshaft bearings, piston / cylinder interfaces, piston / connecting rods, crankshaft / connecting rods, etc.). The oil pump propels the oil towards these different parts to be lubricated, and the oil then drops back to the crankcase by at least one circuit (by natural trickle or ducted return depending on the case).

Conventionally, an oil pan has a lower shell which is fixed under the engine block. This type of casing receives in its internal volume a strainer, to stop the solids contained in the oil so that they reach the suction port of the pump, and an anti-emulsion plate, whose role is to prevent or limit the movements of the oil in the crankcase, in particular to the free surface of the oil.

An oil sump type device incorporating various components of the oil circulation system described in EP1276974 B1 is already known. According to this document, the oil sump is constituted by a lower shell molded in a reinforced thermoplastic material and having internal and external reinforcement ribs, as well as at least one longitudinal separator and a transverse separator making it possible to stiffen the casing. An insert serving as an anti-emulsion plate is attached and bears, in assembled position, on the separators. In addition, the housing contains an oil pump arranged parallel to an oil lifting line. A disadvantage of this housing is its high production cost, particularly due to the addition of longitudinal and transverse separators. Furthermore, the integration of an oil pump on the bottom of the housing causes additional space in the housing. This last disadvantage greatly limits the increase of the ground clearance and / or limits the increase of the hood guard if the motor is translated downwards.

Also known is EP0358895 A2 which, like many other documents, describes an oil sump incorporating an oil strainer freely disposed at a predetermined distance from the bottom of the housing and allowing the suction of the oil. The major disadvantage of this type of casing is in the event of a significant impact on the crankcase at the strainer, the crankcase may become clogged and cause the oil circulation to stop, thus causing the engine to fail.

The present invention aims to overcome the disadvantages mentioned above.

To this end, the invention relates to an oil pan intended to be fixed to an engine block, comprising a lower shell, a strainer and an anti-emulsion plate, wherein the lower shell comprises an element forming a lower portion of the strainer. , the lower shell and said element being made in one piece by molding, the housing further comprising an upper shell comprising an element forming an upper portion of the strainer, and a wall forming the anti-emulsion plate, the upper shell, said element and the anti-emulsion plate being made in one piece by molding. The lower and upper shells are tightly assembled to one another to form a rigid casing, the lower portion and the upper portion of the strainer being, in the assembled state of the shells, assembled one to the other. other sealingly, with interposition of a grid, so as to form a strainer allowing the aspiration of oil to the engine.

Thus, the invention provides an oil sump consisting essentially of two separate parts assembled to one another and comprising, in an integrated manner and not reported, the strainer and the anti-emulsion plate. The production in one piece of the lower shell and the lower portion of the strainer, and on the other hand the upper shell, the upper portion of the strainer and the anti-emulsion plate, ensures stiffening of the casing of oil and allows the formation of a solid structure of the low engine module.

To obtain a crankcase of the required rigidity, it is therefore not necessary to provide internal reinforcing elements. The invention therefore makes it possible to reduce the cost of manufacturing such casings, as compared with the prior art.

One of the advantages of the present invention is to use the oil strainer as stiffening element along the three axes X, Y and Z (the Z axis being the vertical axis, and the X, Y axes defining a horizontal plane). This rigidifying element, integrated and not reported, makes it possible to compensate for the creep of the material - especially when it is a thermoplastic - (Z axis) in direct and permanent contact with a certain mass of oil subjected to high temperatures (about 1 10 ° C continuously, up to 160 ° C maximum), vibrations and accelerations. This rigification occurs both in a generally horizontal plane (X, Y) close to the fastening flange to the engine block and in a generally vertical plane solidarisant said plane with the bottom of the housing. It allows, in the case of the use of plastic material, to overcome the use of long glass fibers in the matrix of thermoplastic, generally polyamide 6 or polyamide 6-6 or stiffening elements reported type screwed bridges for example or as described in EP1 276974 B1, the addition of longitudinal separators and / or transverse.

Advantageously, the lower shell comprises a bottom wall and a peripheral wall, the lower portion of the strainer protruding from said bottom wall upwards, and the upper shell comprises an upper wall and a peripheral wall, the upper portion of the strainer protruding from the top wall downwards. The lower and upper shells are assembled at their periphery and the lower and upper portions of the strainer are also assembled at their periphery.

It is therefore understood that the lower and upper shells have peripheral edges of complementary shapes and that, moreover, the lower and upper portions of the strainer also have peripheral edges of complementary shapes. Thanks to the invention, the lower and upper portions of the strainer participate in optimal centering between the two shells.

According to a possible embodiment, the lower portion of the strainer comprises a hollow foot projecting from a bottom wall of the lower shell, said foot having at least one notch formed near said bottom wall, so as to allow suction of the oil from the interior volume of the lower shell in said foot.

This makes it possible to calibrate the suction of the oil in the strainer and to guarantee a constant oil suction space without risk of clogging. Indeed, since the lower portion of the strainer has come from molding with the lower shell, the height of the notch remains constant even in case of shock under the lower shell, as this would have the effect of moving upwards at once. the bottom wall of the lower shell and the foot of the lower portion of the strainer. The oil sump module or low engine, as described, provides an undeniable advantage and never reached, that of simplifying the range of ribs and control tolerance ranges between the inner face of the housing or the bottom of the housing and the inlet plane of the strainer. Furthermore, the present invention can significantly reduce the risk of air intake between the oil pump and the strainer.

The lower portion of the strainer comprises for example an open channel at its upper part, supported by two feet projecting from a bottom wall of the lower shell, at least one foot being hollow and arranged to allow the suction of the oil from the interior volume of the lower shell to said channel.

Furthermore, the upper portion of the strainer may comprise a channel formed in an upper wall of the upper shell, said channel being open downwards and opening out of the housing by an orifice formed in said upper wall and surrounded by a substantially cylindrical portion forming the strainer outlet. The integrated strainer outlet to the upper shell ensures the centering of said housing relative to the engine block.

Advantageously, the upper shell comprises an upper wall and a peripheral wall, the upper wall constituting the anti-emulsion plate. The latter is therefore integrated into the upper shell.

It can be provided that the lower shell is provided on its outer surface with ribs - for example oriented ribs - intended to stiffen the housing and to absorb energy by breaking said ribs during impacts.

Typically, the upper shell has an upper wall having, at its periphery, a plurality of perforations for fixing said housing to the engine block with the interposition of a seal. For example, the upper wall may have, at its periphery, a groove receiving a seal capable of sealing between said housing and the engine block.

The casing may further comprise a soundproofing and / or shock absorbing part assembled under said casing, for example by fixing means cooperating with at least one of the outer faces of the lower shell of said casing.

In addition, it can be provided:

- a housing for receiving an oil dipstick and / or an oil level electrical probe, arranged on the upper or lower shell;

a housing for an oil filter, arranged on the upper or lower shell, for receiving an oil filter; and / or fastening means, provided on the upper or lower shell, for receiving an oil cooler.

The oil sump module or low engine according to the invention has the advantage of allowing the realization of forms in strong undercut in the lower part of the housing, and thus to gain a certain volume laterally but also to reduce the vertical footprint. The direct consequence of this advantage is an increase in the ground clearance and / or an increase in the guard on the bonnet if the motor is moved downwards (to reduce the pedestrian impact problem).

On the other hand, when the oil sump according to the invention is made of plastic, this allows a high level of integration of functions and therefore generates both an economic interest compared to an aluminum casing and a improvement of technical services:

- economic gain to iso-function;

- weight gain ;

- gain in ground clearance and / or cover guard;

- gain in volume of oil to increase the periodicity of maintenance;

- gain in oil surface in contact with the air allowing faster degassing;

- acoustic gain;

- reduction of engine wear due to cold starts. Indeed, the plastic case is more thermally insulating and allows faster oil temperature rise;

- gain in assembly time and logistics in the motor plant;

- new possibilities for integrating functions (oil filtration, oil cooler, ... and any neighboring plastic parts).

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows for the understanding of which reference will be made to the appended drawings, among which:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an oil sump according to a first embodiment of the invention, the upper and lower shells of said housing being assembled together, and the housing further having a soundproofing part; and / or shock absorption, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the casing of FIG. 1, the upper and lower shells of said casing being disengaged, Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the housing of Figure 1, the two shells being assembled, showing the inner portion of the oil sump and the strainer,

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the oil sump of FIG. 1, along the plane A of FIG. 3, showing a first oil passage pointing towards the bottom of the casing through the orifices of the anti-lock plate; emulsion,

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the oil sump of FIG. 1, along the plane B of FIG. 3, showing a second oil passage going towards the bottom of the casing through the orifices of the anti-lock plate; emulsion, FIG. 6 is an exploded schematic view in longitudinal section of the oil sump of FIG. 1 and of an engine block under which it is intended to be fixed,

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an oil sump according to a second embodiment of the invention, the upper and lower shells of said casing being assembled, the casing having in addition a reinforcement allowing the attachment, in part, a gearbox, this figure showing the location of an oil filter and an oil cooler,

FIG. 8 is a plan view from above of the upper shell of the casing of FIG. 7, schematically showing the ducts for driving the oil from the oil pump to the engine through the oil filter and the oil cooler,

Figure 9 is a perspective view of an oil sump according to a third embodiment of the invention showing the location of an oil filter and a reinforcement allowing the attachment, in part, of a FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an oil sump according to a fourth embodiment of the invention, the upper and lower shells of said casing being not assembled, the casing defining a lateral volume. additional.

In a nonlimiting manner, Figure 1 illustrates a low engine module or oil sump module 100 composed of an upper shell 1 and a lower shell 2 assembled to one another. The oil sump 100 is intended to be fixed under the engine block 24 of an internal combustion engine, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

As shown in FIG. 2, the Z axis is defined as being the vertical axis, and the X, Y axes are defined as defining a horizontal plane. The terms "superior", "lower", "high" and "low" are used in reference to the Z axis. The term "longitudinal" is used with reference to the Y axis, while the term "transverse" is used with reference to the X axis. The housing 100 is described in the position it occupies in the figures.

The upper shell 1 incorporates various components necessary for the proper functioning of the device.

The upper shell 1 is made in one piece by molding. It may for example be obtained by injection of a plastic material, by molding a thermosetting, or by molding aluminum. It comprises an upper wall 15 which forms an anti-emulsion plate 15 provided with orifices 27 permitting the first passage of the oil from the engine block 24 towards the inner volume of the casing 1 00. The upper shell 1 also comprises a peripheral wall 50 projecting from the periphery of the upper wall 15 and formed, in the embodiment shown, four side walls. A second passage 23 of oil formed in the anti-emulsion plate 15, and which can follow one of said side walls, is directly connected with the bottom of the housing 100.

The upper shell 1 further comprises an electric probe 6 and its fastening clip 7 for the purpose of informing the dashboard of a vehicle concerning the level, the temperature or the quality of the oil, an oil gauge. 8 and its housing 28 (illustrated in FIG. 2) for manual oil level control, a plurality of perforations 26 on the upper edge of said upper shell 1 for fixing the oil sump 100 to the engine block 24, by example by spacers with screws 12 (illustrated in Figure 2). A seal 4 located on the upper edge of the upper shell 1 is intended to ensure a seal between the oil sump 100 and the engine block 24.

On the peripheral wall 50 of the upper shell 1 are provided fastening systems 1 7 d isposés on both sides of said ite 1 upper shell to allow the attachment of a piece 13 soundproofing and / or protection.

The upper shell 1 comprises an element projecting from the upper wall 1 5 downwards (that is to say towards the inside of the housing 1 00 in the assembled position) and which forms an upper portion 21 of a strainer . The upper portion 21 of the strainer comprises a channel formed in the upper wall 15 of the upper shell 1, said channel being open downwards and opening outwardly of the housing 100 through an orifice formed in said upper wall 1 and surrounded by a substantially cylindrical portion forming the outlet The strainer outlet 19 with its seal 5 makes it possible to raise the oil from the bottom of the casing 100 to the different parts of the engine requiring lubrication, and also allows the casing 100 to be centered with respect to the casing. motor unit 24 when mounting said housing 100.

The integration of the upper portion of the strainer 21 to the upper shell 1 of the oil sump 100 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 in particular. According to an essential characteristic of the invention, the anti-emulsion plate 15, the upper portion strainer 21 and the upper shell 1 form a single piece.

The lower shell 2, as shown in Figure 1, is made of one piece by molding. It may for example be obtained by injection of a plastic material, by molding a thermosetting, or by molding aluminum. It comprises a bottom wall 51 and a peripheral wall 52 projecting from the periphery of the bottom wall 51 and formed, in the embodiment shown, of four side walls.

The lower shell 2 has a member projecting from the bottom wall 51 upwardly (i.e. towards the inside of the housing 1 00 in the assembled position) and which forms a lower portion 20 of a strainer. The lower portion 20 of the strainer comprises a substantially horizontal channel 55 and open at its upper part, supported by two feet 53, 54 protruding from the bottom wall 51. The foot 54 is hollow and has a notch 18 formed near the bottom wall 51, so as to allow the suction of the oil from the interior of the lower shell 2 in said foot 54 to the channel 55. L notch 18 makes it possible to calibrate and thus to control the oil suction flow rate in the strainer formed by the assembly of the lower portion 20 and the upper portion 21 of strainer. Furthermore, the notch 18 prevents any plugging of the strainer and thus to ensure a constant oil suction space.

According to an essential characteristic of the invention, the lower portion of the strainer 20 and the lower shell 2 form a single piece.

In addition, the lower shell 2 has on the outer face of its bottom wall 51 a series of ribs 16 oriented transversely and / or longitudinally, providing resistance to grit and impact.

The bottom wall 54 further includes an orifice 29 for the evacuation of used oils. A plug closing orifice 29 is assembled on the lower shell 2, either directly or via a metal insert. Fixing the cap to the lower shell or the insert can be done either via a thread or via another solution for example a quarter-turn helical ramp. The seal is provided by a flat seal (axial seal) or preferably an O-ring (radial seal). This plug comprises a drain plug 9 and a seal 1 1. It may for example be composed of three parts, namely a drain plug 9, optionally an insert 10 - that i can be threaded or not, that i can be secured to the lower shell or a separate part - for fixing plug and a seal 1 1 of drain plug.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the lower shell 2 also has a wall 60 projecting from the bottom wall 54 inwards, and the function of which is to ensure an always sufficient oil level at the notch 18 for avoid drawing air into the strainer. This wall 60 - said anti-lift wall - is particularly useful during strong accelerations longitudinal (acceleration or braking) or transverse (right or left turns) during which the oil undergoes significant displacement.

The lower and upper shells 1 and 2 are joined to each other along the free edge of their peripheral walls 52, 50, sealingly, thereby forming a housing. Simultaneously, the lower and upper portions 21 of strainer are assembled at their periphery, a screen 3 of mesh being trapped between said lower and upper portions 21. The assembly of the shells 1, 2, on the one hand, and the portions 20, 21 of strainer, on the other hand, can be obtained by welding.

The required rigidity of the oil sump 100 is obtained on the one hand by the fact that the strainer and the anti-emulsion plate are not inserts but integrated into the hulls 1, 2. On the other hand, By producing the strainer by assembling a lower portion 20 of strainer integral with the lower shell 2 and a larger upper portion 21 of strainer integrated with the upper shell 1, the rigidity is further improved.

Then, a piece 1 3 soundproofing and / or protection is fixed under the lower shell 2 by fastening lugs 14 coming to mate with the attachment systems 1 7 formed on the upper shell 1. This piece 13, which can be multilayered - for example a rubbery layer and an absorba nte layer (foam and / or fibrous) - produces a soundproofing effect and protection of the lower shell 2. In addition, for a practical reason, said part 13 comprises an orifice 30 for the evacuation of used oils, for example during a drain, and arranged opposite the orifice 29of the lower shell 2.

FIG. 3, which is a longitudinal sectional view of the casing 100 showing the inside of the casing and the strainer, makes it possible to identify the points of contact between the lower casing 2 and upper casing 1 as well as those of the lower portions 20 and upper 21 of the strainer. These contact points are the assembly areas of the housing 1 00. Said assembly areas are located along the periphery of the lower shell 2 and upper shell 1 as well as the periphery of the lower portion 20 and upper portion 21 of the the strainer. Ideally, and as an example, the assembly is done by welding, the most suitable welding being the contactless infrared welding. This type of weld allows in particular to achieve a high level of cleanliness, this being a requirement for an oil circuit of an internal combustion engine. The infrared welder also makes it possible to effectively weld the internal profile at the level of the stiffeners (the edges of the periphery), which the vibration welding does not allow, for example, because of the almost total inaccessibility of this profile when welding.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the different paths in which oil from the engine block 24 can be borrowed and then gravity or conveyed to the bottom of the lower shell 2 of the casing 100.

FIG. 4 shows the passage or path S1 of the oil through the orifices 27 of the anti-emulsion plate 15 allowing a tasting flow to taste oil towards the bottom of the lower shell 2 of the casing 100.

Similarly, FIG. 5 illustrates a second path S2, or rather a channel 23, for conveying the oil from the engine block 24 to the bottom of the lower shell 2 of the casing 100. In a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the pipe 23 runs along the wall of the upper shell 1 to the bottom of the lower shell 2 of the casing 100.

Depending on the architecture of the engine, the oil can borrow one and / or the other of the two paths S1, S2 according to predefined needs for evacuation of the oil to the lower shell 2 of the housing. Path S1 is usually referred to as a main oil return circuit characterized by the natural runoff of the oil projected by the nozzles under the pistons. Path S2 is considered as a secondary circuit characterized by a channelized return of the oil from the cylinder head. According to a preferred embodiment, the path S1 is taken by the hu iles coming from the low engine, for example the hu iles coming from the crankshaft interface in / biel the ins i of the crankshaft crank. For practical reasons, the path S2 serves as a return circuit of the oils coming from the high engine and from the engine center, in particular the oils that burn the camshaft, the stems of the sponges, and the oil from the oil. piston / cylinder and piston / rod interface.

FIG. 6 schematically shows the integration of the anti-emulsion plate 15 and the upper portion 21 of the strainer into the upper shell 1, thus forming a single piece, as well as the integration of the lower portion 20 of the strainer to the lower shell 2, also forming a single piece. One of the essential points of the present invention is that the aforementioned elements are not reported but integrated.

FIG. 6 also shows the order of assembly of the main parts constituting FIG. 1 00 according to the present invention. The lower cock 2 - integrating the lower portion 20 of the strainer - is assembled to the upper shell 1 - integrating the upper portion 21 of the strainer and the anti-emulsion plate 1 5 -, trapping the strainer grid 3. The case thus formed is then fixed to the engine block 24 by inserting an oil sump seal 4.

Referring now to Figures 7 and 8 which illustrate a housing 100 according to a second embodiment of the invention.

In this embodiment, the oil sump 100 includes a housing for an oil filter 31, an oil cooler 32, and the associated oil circulation circuit. The oil filter and its housing 31 and the oil radiator 32 may be arranged either on the lower shell 2 or on the upper shell 1 of the housing 100.

The oil collected in the casing 100, and more particularly in the lower shell 2, can then, before being conveyed to the engine, be treated, that is to say filtered and then cooled by following the following route: the oil is sucked through an oil pump (not shown) allowing it to escape from the oil sump through the strainer outlet 19 to be routed to an orifice 36 directly connected to the housing of the oil filter 31. Once filtered, the purified oil takes the line 41 leading to the oil radiator 32. The refined and hot oil then enters the radiator 32 through its inlet 40 to come out through the condu it 39 provided for this purpose. The filtered and cooled oil can finally be conveyed to the engine block 24 via the duct outlet 37.

The supply of the oil radiator 32 is provided by a water circuit comprising an inlet 34 and an outlet 33 for cooling the oil by heat exchange.

Furthermore, the casing 1 00 has a reinforcement 35 provided on at least one of the outer sides of the casing 100, which ensures, in part, the attachment of the gearbox and a part of the effort recovery on the motor unit 24. This reinforcement 35 may be attached, in the case of a metal reinforcement, or integrated to the upper shell 1 in the case of a reinforcement obtained by plastic injection.

According to a third embodiment, illustrated in Figure 9, the casing 100 comprises a housing for oil filter 31 but no oil cooler. In this case, the oil is sucked via an oil pump allowing it to escape from the oil sump through the strainer outlet 1 9 to be routed to an orifice 36 directly connected to the housing of the oil filter 31. Once filtered, the purified hose emulates channel 37 to be routed directly to the moving parts of the engine to be lubricated.

The housing 1 00 il ustré in FIG 9 also includes a reinforcement 35, similar to the housing illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. In this embodiment, the reinforcement 35 is obtained by plastic injection and integrated in the upper shell 1 of the housing 1 00. I l comprises several ribs 42 providing additional strength between the oil sump 100 and the gearbox.

Finally, reference is made to FIG. 10 which illustrates a fourth embodiment of the invention.

In this embodiment, the upper and lower shells 1

2 have side excrescences corresponding, which creates, in the assembled state, an additional lateral volume 22 in the housing 1 00. This additional lateral volume 22 can accommodate an oil filter and / or an oil cooler and / or other components necessary for the proper operation of the oil circuit in the housing 100.

When this additional lateral volume is provided, at least one chimney 25 is integrated therein, in order to allow access to the fasteners of the lateral volume 22 by screws, but also to provide an additional reinforcing and structuring element of the casing 100 as a whole. As is obvious, and as is apparent from the foregoing, the invention is not limited to the only embodiments described above; it includes, on the contrary, all variants of real isation, application respecting the same principle.

Claims

1. Housing housing for attachment to a motor unit (24), comprising a lower shell, a strainer and an anti-emulsion plate, characterized in that:

the lower shell (2) comprises an element forming a lower portion (20) of the strainer, the lower shell (2) and said element (20) being made in one piece by molding;

and in that the housing (100) further comprises an upper shell (1) having an element forming an upper portion of the strainer (21), and a wall forming the anti-emulsion plate (15), the upper shell (1) said element (21) and the anti-emulsion plate (15) being made in one piece by molding;

the lower and upper shells (2, 1) being tightly joined to each other to form a rigid housing, the lower portion and the upper portion (20, 21) of the strainer being, in the assembled state hulls, joined to each other in a sealed manner, with the interposition of a grid (3), so as to form a strainer for the aspiration of oil to the engine.

2. An oil pan according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower shell (2) comprises a bottom wall (51) and a peripheral wall (52), the lower portion (20) of the strainer protruding from said bottom wall (51) upwards, and in that the upper shell (1) comprises an upper wall (15) and a peripheral wall (50), the upper portion (21) of the projecting strainer from said upper wall (15) downwards, the lower and upper shells (2, 1) being joined at their periphery and the lower and upper portions (20, 21) of the strainer being also assembled at their periphery.

3. Oil pan according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lower portion (20) of the strainer comprises a hollow foot (54) projecting from a bottom wall (51) of the lower shell (2). ) led it foot (54) having at least one notch (18) provided near said bottom wall (51), so as to allow the suction of the oil from the interior volume of the lower shell (2) in said foot (54).

4. Oil pan according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lower portion (20) of the strainer comprises a channel (55) open at its upper part, supported by two feet (53, 54). protruding from a bottom wall (51) of the lower shell (2), at least one foot (54) being hollow and arranged to allow suction of the oil from the interior volume of the lower shell (2) to said channel (55).

5. Oil pan according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the upper portion (21) of the strainer comprises a channel formed in an upper wall (15) of the upper shell (1), said channel being open downwards and opening out of the casing (100) through an orifice formed in said upper wall and surrounded by a substantially cylindrical portion forming the strainer outlet (19).

6. Oil pan according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the upper shell (1) comprises an upper wall and a peripheral wall (50), the upper wall constituting the anti-emulsion plate (15).

Oil pan according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the lower shell (2) is provided on its outer surface with ribs (16) for stiffening the housing (100) and for absorbing the energy by breaking said ribs during impacts.

8. Oil pan according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the upper shell (1) has an upper wall (15) having, at its periphery, a plurality of perforations (26) for fixing said housing (1 00) to the engine block (24) with interposition of a seal.

9. Oil pan according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it further comprises u piece (13) soundproofing and / or shock absorption assembled under said housing (1 00), by example by fastening means (1 4, 1 7) co-operating with the e ns no u outer faces of the lower shell (2) of said housing (100).

10. Oil pan according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a housing (28) is arranged on the upper shell (1) or lower (2) to receive an oil dipstick (8) and or an electric oil level probe (6).

11. Oil pan according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that a housing for an oil filter is provided on the upper shell (1) or lower (2) to receive an oil filter.

12. Oil pan according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that fixing means are provided on the upper shell (1) or lower (2) for receiving an oil cooler.