Device for securing an outlet hose and an inlet hose or inlet valve in a domestic appliance such as a washing machine, dishwasher and the like

• US 5,582,199 A
• Filed: 10/25/1995
• Issued: 12/10/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Europe BV (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Europe BV (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Friedrich H., Schmidt, Helga E.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAMBERS, A MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US08/548,123
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 68/207, 312/229, 137/360, 137/343, 137/355.17, 248/68.1, 248/74.2
• US Class Current: 137/360
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/42 Details
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/08 Liquid supply or discharge arrangements supply of soap or other washing agents D06F39/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6851 With casing, support, protector or static constructional installations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6921 With means for plural hoses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/698 Wall

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for securing an outlet hose and an inlet hose or an inlet valve to a rear wall baffle of a domestic appliance such as a washing machine, dishwasher and the like. The outlay on parts and assembly is considerably reduced in that there is provided in the rear wall baffle an opening into which a retaining portion may be resiliently engaged, and in that the retaining portion has two outwardly open resilient engagement openings, into which the outlet hose and the inlet hose or the inlet valve may be resiliently engaged and axially immovably secured before resilient engagement of the retaining portion in the opening in the rear wall baffle.

Claims

1. A device for securing an outlet hose and an inlet hose or inlet valve to a rear wall baffle of a domestic appliance such as a washing machine, dishwasher and the like, comprising:

a retaining portion adapted to be resiliently engaged into an opening in the rear wall baffle, and

the retaining portion has two outwardly open resilient engagement openings in which one of the outlet hose, the inlet hose and the inlet valve may be resiliently engaged and axially immovably secured before resilient engagement of the retaining portion in the opening in the rear wall baffle.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the retaining portion is plate-shaped and is square or rectangular in shape, and further comprising stop means and resilient engagement springs integrally formed on the retaining portion, the stop means define the resilient engagement movement by stopping on one side of the rear wall baffle, and the engagement springs resiliently engage behind the other side of the rear wall baffle.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the resilient engagement openings are located on two mutually opposite sides of the retaining portion and are round in shape, extending over slightly more than 180°

.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the resilient engagement openings are provided with expanded inlet openings.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the resilient engagement openings extend with a retaining groove or with a retaining web over slightly more than 180°

, and a crest of a corrugated outlet hose or inlet hose is resiliently engaged and axially secured in this retaining groove, and, when there is a retaining web in the retaining aperture, said web may be resiliently engaged and axially secured in a trough of a corrugated outlet hose or inlet hose.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the resilient engagement aperture with the retaining groove or the retaining web likewise extends over slightly more than 180°

and is provided with an inlet opening.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein an inlet valve is provided with two discs forming a receiving means for the retaining web of the resilient engagement aperture, and the discs are non-rotarily held in the expanded resilient engagement aperture.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein the inlet valve has between the discs a cross-section which is adapted to the receiving cross-section formed by the retaining web.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the retaining web has an opening into which a projection of the inlet valve may be introduced.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein the stop means and the resilient engagement springs are integrally formed on the retaining portion, the resilient engagement springs being located on the sides of the retaining portion without resilient engagement apertures, and the stop means being distributed on all sides.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein the retaining portion may be secured in the rear wall baffle covering the base of the domestic appliance.

12. A device according to claim 10, wherein there are integrally formed on the retaining portion counter-stops which form with stop means a plug-in receiving means on the retaining portion for the rear wall baffle.