Assembly comprising a fluid reservoir

Abstract

An assembly 10 comprises a housing (12, figure 2), a reservoir 16, and a pump 14. The reservoir has an internal volume 18 for receiving fluid (e.g. oil for cooling and / or lubrication), and the pump is fluidly coupled to the internal volume of the reservoir. The reservoir comprises a first side portion 20a defining a first side 22a of the reservoir, a second side portion 20b defining a second side 22b of fluid reservoir, and a third side portion 20c defining at least part of a third side 22c of the reservoir. The first and second side portions of the reservoir are connected to the housing, ideally by threaded fasteners 24 such as bolts. The pump is connected to both the housing and to the third side portion of the fluid reservoir, ideally by pump-reservoir fasteners 28 and by a pump-housing fastener (32, fig 2) provided in a triangulated arrangement, such that the third side portion of the fluid reservoir is connected to the housing via the fluid pump. The fluid pump thereby supports the fluid reservoir on the housing. A vehicle comprising the assembly is also claimed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to an assembly comprising a fluid reservoir. Aspects of the invention relate to an assembly comprising a housing, a fluid reservoir, and a fluid pump, and to a vehicle comprising the assembly. BACKGROUND Vehicle drive units, such as internal combustion engines, electric motors, ortransmission components, typically require lubrication and / or cooling. Lubrication and / or cooling may be provided by a fluid, such as oil, within a housing of the drive unit. It follows that vehicles typically include at least one fluid reservoir, such as a sump, for retaining such a fluid. In use, the fluid reservoir is typically at least partially filled with fluid, and such fluid may move and flow within the reservoir when the vehicle is in operation. It is therefore necessary to support the reservoir relative to the housing. However, access to suitable mounting locations may be limited, and fastening a fluid reservoir to the housing may therefore be time consuming. 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 an assembly and a vehicle comprising the assembly, as claimed in the appended claims. According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided an assembly comprising a housing, a fluid reservoir, and a fluid pump. The fluid reservoir defines an internal volume for receiving fluid. The fluid reservoir comprises a first side portion defining a first side of the fluid reservoir, a second side portion defining a second side of the fluid reservoir, and a third side portion defining at least part of a third side of the fluid reservoir. The first and second side portions of the fluid reservoir are connected to the housing. The fluid pump is connected to both the housing and to the third side portion of the fluid reservoir such that the third side portion of the fluid reservoir is connected to the housing via the fluid pump, the fluid pump thereby supporting the fluid reservoir on the housing. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an assembly comprising a housing, a fluid reservoir, and a fluid pump. The fluid reservoir defines an internal volume for receiving fluid, and the fluid pump is fluidly coupled to the internal volume of the fluid reservoir. The fluid reservoir comprises a first side portion defining a first side of the fluid reservoir, a second side portion defining a second side of the fluid reservoir, and a third side portion defining at least part of a third side of the fluid reservoir. The first and second side portions of the fluid reservoir are connected to the housing. The fluid pump is connected to both the housing and to the third side portion of the fluid reservoir such that the third side portion of the fluid reservoir is connected to the housing via the fluid pump. The fluid pump thereby supports the fluid reservoir on the housing. Accordingly, the fluid pump may be considered to provide a bracket, such as a support bracket, for connecting the fluid reservoir to the housing. Supporting the fluid reservoir on the housing via the fluid pump advantageously reduces the number of components required for securing the fluid reservoir relative to the housing. This simplifies installation of the fluid reservoir and thereby reduces assembly time and facilitates a more efficient assembly process. For example, the fluid pump may comprise a pump body, and the pump body may provide the support bracket for connecting the fluid reservoir to the housing. The pump body may comprise metal, for example the pump body may be a cast metal component such as an aluminium casting, and may therefore provide a substantially rigid, structural support for connecting the fluid reservoir to the housing. In some examples, the fluid pump may be connected directly to the housing. In some other examples, the fluid pump may be indirectly connected to the housing, for example via a support bracket, a spacer, or other suitable component. In some examples, the fluid pump may be connected directly to the third side portion of the fluid reservoir. In some other examples, the fluid pump may be indirectly connected to the third side portion of the fluid reservoir, for example via a support bracket, a spacer, or other suitable component. It will be appreciated that, as used herein, “fluidly coupled” refers to the provision of fluid communication between two or more components. In some examples the fluid pump may be fluidly coupled directly to the internal volume of the fluid reservoir. In some other examples, the fluid pump may be indirectly fluidly coupled to the internal volume of the fluid reservoir, for example via another component or conduit. The assembly may be a drive unit assembly in some examples. Accordingly, the housing may be a drive unit housing. For example, the drive unit may be an electric drive unit, an internal combustion drive unit (such as an internal combustion engine), or a transmission drive unit such as a gearbox or a differential drive unit. The fluid may be a cooling fluid and the fluid reservoir and fluid pump may therefore be configured for respectively receiving and pumping a cooling fluid. Additionally or alternatively, the fluid may be a lubricating fluid and the fluid reservoir and fluid pump may therefore be configured for respectively receiving and pumping a lubricating fluid. In some example the fluid may be oil, or an oil-based fluid. The first and second sides of the reservoir may extend transverse to one another. For example, the second side of the fluid reservoir may optionally extend substantially orthogonal to the first side of the fluid reservoir, in some examples. It follows that the second side portion of the fluid reservoir may also extend substantially orthogonal to the first side portion of the fluid reservoir. Optionally, the third side portion of the fluid reservoir may define at least part of a third side of the fluid reservoir which is substantially opposite to at least one of the first and / or second sides of the fluid reservoir. Accordingly, connecting the third side portion of the fluid reservoirto the housing via the fluid pump triangulates the locations at which the fluid reservoir is supported, thereby increasing stability of the fluid reservoir by increasing the number of degrees of freedom in which the reservoir is fixed relative to the housing. Optionally, the fluid pump may be connected to the third side portion of the fluid reservoir by a plurality of pump-reservoir fasteners. The pump-reservoir fasteners may optionally comprise clips in some examples. The pump-reservoir fasteners may comprise threaded fasteners, such as bolts. Connecting the pump to the third side portion of the fluid reservoir with pump-reservoir fasteners provides, a secure, rigid connection, and providing a plurality of fasteners also introduces redundancy to ensure the pump remains fastened to the reservoir in use. Optionally, the third side portion of the fluid reservoir may comprise a plurality of threaded inserts in some examples. It follows that each pump-reservoir fastener may optionally engage a respective threaded insert, in use, to thereby connect the fluid pump to the fluid reservoir. The threaded inserts facilitate a secure connection between the pump-reservoir fasteners and the reservoir irrespective of the material of the reservoir. For example, the fluid reservoir may be formed of a polymer or a composite material, and the threaded inserts may enable threaded pump-reservoir fasteners to be torqued into the inserts to a greater torque than would be possible if simply tightening the fasteners into the bulk material of the reservoir, thereby providing a more secure connection. Optionally, the fluid pump may be connected to the housing by one or more pump-housing fasteners. In such examples, at least one pump-housing fastener may optionally be offset from at least one pump-reservoir fastener. Such a configuration may advantageously triangulate the arrangement of fasteners connecting the fluid pump to the housing and fluid reservoir. This provides additional rigidity and increases the number of degrees of freedom in which the reservoir is fixed relative to the housing. The at least one pump-housing fastener may be offset from at least one pump-reservoir fastener when the reservoir is viewed in side elevation. In some examples, each pump-housing fastener and pump-reservoir fastener may extend longitudinally in substantially the same direction, i.e. the fasteners may each extend substantially parallel to one another. Such a configuration may be advantageous for ease of assembly, with access to each pump-housing fastener and each pump-reservoir fastener being facilitated from the same side of the assembly. In some examples, the at least one pump-housing fastener may optionally be offset from at least one pump-reservoir fastener when the assembly is viewed in side elevation, i.e. parallel with the longitudinal axes of the pump-housing and pumpreservoir fasteners. In some examples, the first, second, and third sides of the fluid reservoir may define at least part of a boundary of the fluid reservoir. Optionally, the boundary of the fluid reservoir may comprise a pump bay shaped to accommodate the fluid pump. In other words, the fluid reservoir may be shaped to accommodate the fluid pump within a footprint of the fluid reservoir when viewed in plan, i.e. from above or below, where the footprint of the fluid reservoir is defined by the maximum dimensions of the first and second sides of the fluid reservoir. A “pump bay” as referred to herein is a portion of the fluid reservoir that is shaped to receive the fluid pump, whereby the profile of the fluid reservoir is adapted to accommodate the fluid pump. Providing a pump bay formed in the fluid reservoir to accommodate the fluid pump may be advantageous for packaging the fluid reservoir and fluid pump in the vehicle, and relative to the housing. In some examples, the fluid pump may be located in the pump bay. Optionally, the fluid pump may be connected to the fluid reservoir such that an underside of the fluid pump is aligned with, or located above, an underside of the fluid reservoir. Accordingly in some examples the fluid pump may not protrude below the fluid reservoir. Such a configuration may be advantageous for packing the respective components in the vehicle and may provide space for packaging other vehicle components around the assembly. The fluid pump may comprise an inlet and an outlet. The fluid reservoir may optionally comprise an outlet spigot connected to the fluid pump inlet and an inlet spigot connected to the fluid pump outlet. In some examples, the outlet spigot may optionally provide fluid communication between the internal volume of the fluid reservoir and the fluid pump. Accordingly, in use, the fluid pump inlet may receive fluid from the internal volume of the fluid reservoir via the outlet spigot, in some examples. In some examples the outlet spigot may be integrally formed with the fluid reservoir. Similarly, in some examples the inlet spigot may be integrally formed with the fluid reservoir. For example, the fluid reservoir may comprise one or more injection moulded, or blow moulded components that define at least part of the internal volume of the fluid reservoir. The outlet spigot and / or the inlet spigot may therefore be formed with the fluid reservoir in such a moulding process. In some examples, the outlet spigot and / or the inlet spigot of the fluid reservoir may be located in the third side portion of the fluid reservoir. Such a configuration may be advantageous for facilitating a fast and simple fluid coupling between the pump and fluid reservoir at the same time when connecting these together for structurally supporting the fluid reservoir. Optionally, the outlet spigot and fluid pump inlet may be connected together with a sleeve fit connection. A sleeve fit connection may also be referred to as a sleeve coupling. A sleeve fit connection comprises fitting one of the outlet spigot and the fluid pump inlet over the other of the outlet spigot and fluid pump inlet, i.e. sleeving or sheathing one of the connecting components over the other connecting component. Optionally, the inlet spigot and fluid pump outlet may be connected together with a sleeve fit connection. A sleeve fit connection, or sleeve coupling, facilitates a simple fluid coupling between the pump and the fluid reservoir. Further, a sleeve fit connection may be formed prior to securing the or each pump-reservoir fastener by inserting one of the connecting components into the other of the connecting components. A sleeve fit connection between the fluid pump and reservoir may therefore aid alignment of the components relative to one another, and may aid assembly of the pump with the reservoir by locating the pump relative to the reservoir before any fasteners are installed to connect the pump and reservoir. It follows that in some examples, one of the outlet spigot and fluid pump inlet may optionally be configured to fit at least partially inside the other of the outlet spigot and fluid pump inlet. Similarly, in some examples one of the inlet spigot and fluid pump outlet may optionally be configured to fit at least partially inside the other of the inlet spigot and fluid pump outlet. In some examples, the fluid reservoir may optionally comprise a feed conduit which fluidly couples the inlet spigot to a feed pipe for supplying fluid from the fluid pump to the housing. Accordingly, the feed conduit may provide fluid communication between the inlet spigot and the feed pipe such that, in use, the fluid pump may provide pressurized fluid to the feed pipe, via the feed conduit and inlet spigot to which it is connected, in use. Such a configuration may facilitate a simple installation and connection process whereby the pump is fluidly coupled to the housing when the pump is connected to the reservoir, without requiring additional plumbing and assembly to provide fluid communication between the pump and the housing. Optionally, the feed conduit may be formed integrally with the fluid reservoir. This may improve ease of assembly and robustness of the fluid reservoir and feed conduit. In some examples, both the first side portion of the fluid reservoir and the second side portion of the fluid reservoir may optionally be connected to the housing by a plurality of reservoir-housing fasteners. Accordingly, in some examples the first and second side portions of the fluid reservoir may be fastened to the housing. The fasteners may provide a simple means for connecting the reservoir to the housing and may advantageously provide support to the reservoir at multiple locations. Such a configuration may therefore improve the rigidity of the assembly and increase the number of degrees of freedom in which the fluid reservoir is constrained relative to the housing. In some examples, the fluid reservoir may comprise an upper surface spaced apart from an underside of the fluid reservoir by the first second and third sides of the fluid reservoir. The reservoir-housing fasteners may optionally extend through the upper surface of the fluid reservoir. Additionally the fluid pump may optionally be connected to the third side portion of the fluid reservoir by a plurality of pump-reservoir fasteners extending through at least part of the third side of the fluid reservoir. Such a configuration advantageously constrains the fluid reservoir relative to the housing in multiple degrees of freedom, thereby increasing stability of the reservoir. In some examples, the pump-reservoir fasteners may extend in a first direction, and the reservoir-housing fasteners may optionally extend in a second direction that is different to the first direction. In some optional examples, the first and second directions may be substantially orthogonal to one another. Such a configuration and orientation of fasteners may provide increased rigidity and support in multiple degrees of freedom to effectively constrain the fluid reservoir relative to the housing. As previously described, in some examples, the pump-reservoir fasteners and the pump-housing fasteners may optionally extend substantially parallel to one another. As such, the pump-housing fasteners may also extend in the first direction, in some optional examples. In some examples, the fluid reservoir may optionally be configured to receive fluid into the internal volume from the housing. For example the fluid reservoir may comprise an upper surface spaced apart from an underside of the fluid reservoir by the first second and third sides of the fluid reservoir. Optionally, the upper surface of the fluid reservoir may interface with the housing. Optionally, the upper surface of the fluid reservoir may comprise one or more apertures for receiving fluid from the housing. Configuring the upper surface of the fluid reservoir to interface with the housing, for example via the one or more apertures, may allow the fluid reservoir to receive fluid from the housing under the effect of gravity alone. Such a configuration may therefore reduce the complexity of the assembly and the number of components required, because no additional pump or plumbing is required for providing fluid to the reservoir from the housing. In some examples, the upper surface of the fluid reservoir may interface with the housing directly, i.e. the upper surface may be in direct contact with the housing. In some other examples, the upper surface of the fluid reservoir may interface with the housing indirectly, for example via a gasket or seal arranged between the fluid reservoir and the housing. In some examples, the upper surface of the fluid reservoir may optionally comprise a plurality of apertures for receiving fluid from the housing. Such a configuration may facilitate the provision of fluid from a number of different locations in the housing to the internal volume of the fluid reservoir. Such a configuration also provides a failsafe in the event that one of the apertures is blocked or restricted, in that the reservoir can still receive fluid from the housing via at least one other aperture. In some examples, the housing may comprise one or more apertures configured to facilitate fluid communication between the housing and the aperture(s) in the fluid reservoir. For example, an underside, i.e. an underside, of the housing may optionally comprise one or more apertures for providing fluid from the housing to the internal volume of the fluid reservoir. In some examples, the location and profile of the one or more aperture(s) in the housing may each correspond to a respective aperture of the fluid reservoir. In some examples, the reservoir-housing fasteners connecting the first and second side portions of the fluid reservoir to the housing may be configured to clamp the reservoir to the housing, for example to the underside of the housing. Clamping the reservoir to the housing may advantageously seal the aperture(s) of the fluid reservoir to the underside of the housing and to the aperture(s) of the housing. In some examples, the assembly may comprise one or more gaskets arranged between the upper surface of the fluid reservoir and the underside of the housing to improve sealing of the fluid reservoir apertures to the housing. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a fluid reservoir configured for connection to the fluid pump and the housing in an assembly in accordance with any of the examples described herein. It follows that according to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a fluid pump configured for connection to the fluid reservoir and the housing in an assembly in accordance with any of the examples described herein. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle. The vehicle comprises an assembly in accordance with any of the examples described herein. By way of non-limiting examples, the vehicle may optionally be an electric vehicle, an internal combustion vehicle, or a hybrid vehicle. As previously described, the assembly may be a drive unit assembly of the vehicle, such as an electric drive unit, an internal combustion drive unit, or a transmission drive unit such as a gearbox or a differential drive unit. 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 anyway 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 vehicle comprising an assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a side elevation view of an example of the assembly comprising a housing, a fluid reservoir, and a fluid pump; Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of an example of the assembly; and Figure 4 shows an underside view of an example of the assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Figure 1 illustrates a vehicle 100 according to an example of the present invention. The vehicle 100 comprises an assembly 10 which is illustrated more clearly in the examples of Figures 2 to 4. The vehicle 100 may be an electric vehicle, and the assembly 10 may be an electric drive unit. In some other examples the vehicle 100 may be powered, at least in part, by an internal combustion engine. Accordingly, the assembly 10 may be an internal combustion drive unit. Additionally or alternatively, the assembly 10 may be another type of drive unit, such as a gearbox or a differential unit. It will be appreciated that Figure 1 shows an example of the assembly 10 illustrated in a front portion of the vehicle 100 (with reference to drive direction), for example fordriving a front axle of the vehicle 100. As indicated in Figure 1, in some examples the vehicle 100 may additionally or alternatively include an assembly 10 situated in a rear portion of the vehicle 100, for example fordriving a rear axle of the vehicle 100. These examples are provided by way of non-limiting example only, and in other examples the assembly 10 may be situated at any suitable location within the vehicle 100. An assembly 10 in accordance with examples of the present invention will now be described with reference to the remaining figures. With reference initially to Figure 2 which shows the assembly 10 in side elevation, the assembly 10 comprises a housing 12. The assembly 10 may be a drive unit assembly and the housing 12 may therefore be a drive unit housing. As described by way of background, it may be advantageous to provide cooling and / or lubrication to components inside the housing 12 by way of a fluid. Accordingly, the assembly 10 further includes a fluid pump 14 and a fluid reservoir 16 which defines an internal volume 18 for receiving fluid (shown in Figure 3). Referring additionally to Figure 3 which shows a cross-sectional plan view of the assembly 10 taken through a plane A-A of the fluid reservoir 16 (indicated in Figure 2), the fluid reservoir 16 has a first side portion 20a which defines a first side 22a of the fluid reservoir 16, and a second side 22b of the fluid reservoir 16 is defined by a second side portion 20b. A third side portion 20c defines at least part of a third side 22c of the fluid reservoir 16. In some examples the third side 22c of the fluid reservoir 16 may be substantially opposite to at least one of the first and / or second sides 22a, 22b of the fluid reservoir 16. As shown in Figure 3 for example, the third side 22c may be substantially opposite to the first side 22a of the fluid reservoir 16. With additional reference to Figure 4 which illustrates an underside view of the assembly 10, the first and second side portions 20a, 20b of the fluid reservoir 16 are connected to the housing 12. For example, the first side portion 20a of the fluid reservoir 16 and the second side portion 20b of the fluid reservoir 16 may each be connected to the housing 12 by a plurality of respective reservoir-housing fasteners 24. As shown most clearly in Figure 2, the fluid reservoir 16 may include an upper surface 26a which is spaced apart from an underside surface 26b of the fluid reservoir by the first, second and third sides 22a, 22b, and 22c. The reservoir-housing fasteners 24 may extend through the upper surface 26a of the fluid reservoir 16 to connect the reservoir 16 to the housing 12. Referring now to each of Figures 2 to 4, in accordance with examples of the present invention, the third side portion 20c of the fluid reservoir 16 is connected to the housing 12 via the fluid pump 14. Accordingly, the fluid pump 14 is connected to both the housing 12 and to the third side portion 20c of the fluid reservoir 16. The fluid reservoir 16 is therefore supported on the housing 12 by the fluid pump 14. As such, the fluid pump 14 acts as a bracket for connecting the third side portion 20c of the reservoir 16 to the housing 12. This configuration simplifies assembly of the reservoir 16 with the pump 14 and housing 12 by reducing the number of steps involved in connecting the components together to form the assembly 10. It follows that the fluid pump 14 is configured for connection to the fluid reservoir 16 and to the housing 12, and that the fluid reservoir 16 is configured for connection to the fluid pump 14. As shown most clearly in Figure 2, the fluid pump 14 may be connected to the third side portion 20c of the fluid reservoir 16 by a plurality of pump-reservoir fasteners 28. For example, the pump-reservoir fasteners 28 may extend through at least part of the third side 22c of the fluid reservoir 16. The pump-reservoir fasteners 28 may be threaded fasteners, such as bolts. Accordingly, as shown most clearly in Figure 3, the reservoir 16 may comprise a plurality of threaded inserts 30 for engaging the pump-reservoir fasteners 28 to facilitate a more secure connection between the pump 14 and the reservoir 16. Utilising the pump 14 as a support bracket for connecting the reservoir 16 to the housing 12 may advantageously reduce the number of separate fasteners 24, 28, and therefore also the number of separate fastening operations, required when fitting the assembly 10 together. The fluid pump 14 may be connected to the housing by a pump-housing fastener 32, in some examples. Whilst a single pump-housing fastener 32 is shown in the example of Figure 2, it should be appreciated that in some other examples, the pump 14 may be connected to the housing 12 by a plurality of pump-housing fasteners 32. The pump-housing fastener 32, or at least one pump-housing fastener 32 in examples comprising a plurality of pump-housing fasteners 32, may optionally be offset from at least one pump-reservoir fastener 28 in some examples. As shown in Figure 2, such a configuration may advantageously triangulate, or at least distribute, the arrangement of fasteners 28, 32 connecting the fluid pump 14 to the housing 12 and to the fluid reservoir 16, thereby helping to fix the reservoir 16 in multiple degrees of freedom relative to the housing 12. With reference in particular to the cross-sectional and underside views of Figures 3 and 4 respectively, the first, second, and third sides 22a, 22b, 22c of the fluid reservoir 16 define at least part of a boundary of the fluid reservoir 16. The boundary may be considered to be the maximum external limit of the fluid reservoir 16 in each direction. In some examples, the boundary of the fluid reservoir 16 may comprise a pump bay 34 shaped to accommodate the fluid pump 14. As shown in particular in Figure 4, a pump bay 34 may advantageously provide space to fit the fluid pump 14 within a footprint of the reservoir 16, when the assembly 8 10 is viewed in plan. The pump bay 34 may therefore advantageously improve packaging options for locating the assembly 10 in the vehicle 100 and for locating other components of the vehicle 100 around the assembly 10. In particular, the fluid pump 14 may be connected to the fluid reservoir 16 such that an underside 36 of the pump 14 is substantially aligned with, or even located above, the underside 26b of the fluid reservoir 16. This provides a relatively compact assembly 10 around which other components of the vehicle 100 can be packaged. In some examples the fluid pump 14 may be fluidly coupled to the internal volume 18 of the fluid reservoir 16. For example, the fluid pump 14 may comprise an inlet 38a to which an outlet spigot 40a of the fluid reservoir 16 is connected. The outlet spigot 40a may be fluidly coupled to a fluid pick-up 41. The fluid pick-up 41 may be integrated in the fluid reservoir 16 for receiving fluid from the internal volume 18 of the fluid reservoir 16. Accordingly the fluid pump 14 and fluid reservoir 16 may be configured such that the fluid pump 14 receives fluid from the reservoir 16, in use. Optionally, the fluid pump inlet 38a and the outlet spigot 40a may be connected together with a sleeve fit connection. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the outlet spigot 40a of the reservoir 16 may be inserted into the fluid pump inlet 38a. The fluid pump 14 may also include an outlet 38b to which an inlet spigot 40b of the fluid reservoir 16 is connected. The fluid pump outlet 38b and the inlet spigot 40b may also be connected together with a sleeve fit connection, in some examples. The inlet spigot 40b of the fluid reservoir 16 may be fluidly coupled to a feed pipe 42 configured to supply fluid from the pump 14 to the housing 12. For example, the fluid reservoir 16 may include a feed conduit 44, which may be integrated in the fluid reservoir 16, which fluidly couples the inlet spigot 40b and the feed pipe 42. Accordingly, the assembly 10 may be configured such that pressurized fluid from the pump 14 can be supplied to components within the housing 12, via the inlet spigot 40b, feed conduit 44 and feed pipe 42, in use. The fluid reservoir 16 may also be configured to receive fluid from the housing 12. As shown most clearly in Figure 2, in some examples the upper surface 26a of the fluid reservoir 16 may interface with the housing 12. Accordingly, the upper surface 26a of the fluid reservoir 16 may optionally include one or more apertures (not shown) that are configured to receive fluid from the housing 12, in some examples. Such apertures may enable the return of fluid to the fluid reservoir 16 after providing cooling and / or lubrication to components within the housing 12. 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

1. An assembly comprising a housing, a fluid reservoir, and a fluid pump;wherein the fluid reservoir defines an internal volume for receiving fluid, and wherein the fluid pump is fluidly coupled to the internal volume of the fluid reservoir;wherein the fluid reservoir comprises a first side portion defining a first side of the fluid reservoir, a second side portion defining a second side of the fluid reservoir, and a third side portion defining at least part of a third side of the fluid reservoir,wherein the first and second side portions of the fluid reservoir are connected to the housing; andwherein the fluid pump is connected to both the housing and to the third side portion of the fluid reservoir such that the third side portion of the fluid reservoir is connected to the housing via the fluid pump, the fluid pump thereby supporting the fluid reservoir on the housing.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the third side portion of the fluid reservoir defines at least part of a third side of the fluid reservoir which is substantially opposite to at least one of the first and / or second sides of the fluid reservoir.

3. The assembly of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the fluid pump is connected to the third side portion of the fluid reservoir by a plurality of pump-reservoir fasteners.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the fluid pump is connected to the housing by one or more pumphousing fasteners, and wherein at least one pump-housing fastener is offset from at least one pump-reservoir fastener to triangulate the arrangement of fasteners connecting the fluid pump to the housing and to the fluid reservoir.

5. The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the first, second, and third sides of the fluid reservoir define at least part of a boundary of the fluid reservoir, and wherein the boundary of the fluid reservoir comprises a pump bay shaped to accommodate the fluid pump.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the fluid pump is located in the pump bay and connected to the fluid reservoir such that an underside of the fluid pump is aligned with, or located above, an underside of the fluid reservoir.

7. The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the fluid pump comprises an inlet and an outlet, and wherein the fluid reservoir comprises an outlet spigot connected to the fluid pump inlet and an inlet spigot connected to the fluid pump outlet.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the outlet spigot and fluid pump inlet are connected together with a sleeve fit connection, and wherein the inlet spigot and fluid pump outlet are connected together with a sleeve fit connection.

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the fluid reservoir comprises a feed conduit which fluidly couples the inlet spigot to a feed pipe for supplying fluid from the fluid pump to the housing.

10. The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein both the first side portion of the fluid reservoir and the second side portion of the fluid reservoir are connected to the housing by a plurality of reservoir-housing fasteners.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the fluid reservoir comprises an upper surface spaced apart from an underside of the fluid reservoir by the first second and third sides of the fluid reservoir, wherein the reservoirhousing fasteners extend through the upper surface of the fluid reservoir, and wherein the fluid pump is connected to the third side portion of the fluid reservoir by a plurality of pump-reservoir fasteners extending through at least part of the third side of the fluid reservoir.

12. The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the fluid reservoir comprises an upper surface spaced apart from an underside of the fluid reservoir by the first second and third sides of the fluid reservoir, wherein the upper surface of the fluid reservoir interfaces with the housing, and wherein the upper surface of the fluid reservoir comprises one or more apertures for receiving fluid from the housing.

13. A fluid reservoir configured for connection to the fluid pump and the housing in the assembly of any of preceding claim.

14. A fluid pump configured for connection to the fluid reservoir and the housing in the assembly of any of claims 1 to 12.

15. A vehicle comprising the assembly of any of claims 1 to 12.12

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