Abstract:
A unitary hose connector made of plastic material and having multiple locking means mounted through the back panel of an automatic washing machine without the use of tools or additional fastening means in either of two locked positions. In the first or &#34;shipping&#34; position the connector is positively locked to the back panel of the machine almost entirely within the machine cabinet. In the second or &#34;installed&#34; position the connector is positively locked to the back panel with an end portion of the connector projecting out of the cabinet to be accessible for coupling with a water inlet hose from an external water source.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to hose connection means for connecting the internal plumbing of a machine to an external source. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     In many domestic appliances fluids must be supplied to and delivered from the interior of the machine cabinet. In the washing machine art, for example, hoses which extend through apertures formed in the wall panels of the machines are employed to supply water into the machine and to circulate and drain the laundry liquid. Often in the prior art, the hoses themselves have been extended through the wall panel, exposing them to rubbing and wear on the edges of the panel aperture. Hose connectors have been employed, whereby an interior hose is attached to a connector at the factory and an exterior hose can be attached to the connector entirely from outside the cabinet for installation of the appliance in the field. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,328,054, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, shows both straight and angled hose connectors for mounting through the back panel of an automatic washer, wherein the body of each connector includes a rim and shoulder arrangement and a resilient locking arm which cooperate to lock the connector in its installed position on the back panel of the machine. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A one-piece integral hose connector for an automatic washing machine has a pair of integral resilient locking arms notched at their free ends to engage a portion of the wall of the machine which defines an aperture through which the connector is mounted. One arm locks the connector in a first or retracted position for packaging and shipment of the machine. The other arm locks the connector in a second or extended position wherein it is accessible for connection of a supply hose thereto during installation of the machine. The connector is slidable from the first to the second position easily and without tools when a tab on the first arm is depressed to disengage its notch from the panel, and the connector is pulled outwardly from the cabinet by its exposed end. The hose connector of the present invention, while retractable into the machine cabinet to facilitate packaging of the machine for shipment, eliminates any need for the customer or installer to open the top or back of the machine to make a hose connection during installation and prevents wear and abrasion to hoses and hose connectors from panel edges around the aperture in the panel during shipment and operation of the machine. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a general elevational view of the rear panel of a washing machine employing the present invention, showing the location of hoses and connectors. 
     FIG. 2 is a section view taken along line II--II in FIG. 4 with the hose connector of the present invention shown in its extended or installed position. 
     FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line III--III in FIG. 1 with the hose connector of the present invention shown disposed in its retracted or shipping position. 
     FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the hose connector in its installed or operating position. 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of the hose connector in its installed position taken on line V--V of FIG. 4. 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of the central portion of the hose connector taken on line VI--VI of FIG. 4. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     On the drawings, a washing machine is shown generally at 10, having a rear panel 11. The panel 11 near the lower right-hand corner has a recessed hose connection panel 13 through which one or more hoses such as hot and cold water hoses 14,14 are connected to the interior of the automatic washer 10 through hose connectors 15,15 which are mounted within apertures 16,16 formed in the recessed panel 13. The hose connectors 15 communicate behind or inwardly of the panel 11 with washing machine interior conduits or hoses 17,17. 
     Each connector 15 comprises (see FIG. 2) a hollow and generally cylindrical body or tube portion 18 having a central axis 18a. The connector 15 is provided with first and second arms or locking bars 19 and 20 each extending outwardly from the main body of the tube 18 of the hose connector 15, and the tube 18 is also provided on its external surface with two diametrically opposed outwardly projecting shoulders 21, 21 and a pair of abutments 22, 22 projecting outwardly side-by-side from one half of its periphery. Each end of the tube or body portion 18 is formed as a conventional hose connector means 23, having one or more circumferential ribs for accepting a flexible hose 14 or 17 in fluid-tight engagement therewith. At the factory, an interior hose 17 is connected to the connection means 23 on an inward end 31 of the tube or body portion 18 of the connector 15. 
     FIG. 3 shows the hose connector 15 locked by first locking means in a first position (which is also referred to herein as the storage position, the retracted position, or the factory position) with respect to the recessed panel 13, in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
     The first locking means comprises an arm or locking bar 19 having an inwardly deflectable resilient shaft-like portion 24 which is flexible in a radial direction with respect to the tube axis 18a. In a preferred form of the hose connector the first locking means is integral with the tube 18 and one end 25 of the resilient shaft 24 is fixed to the tube 18. In its free state the shaft 24 is arranged to extend in an inclined position with respect to the tube body 18 as best shown in FIG. 4. The distal or free end 26 of the shaft 24 terminates in a finger or latch portion which includes a notch 27 having bottom, inner, and outer walls 27a,  27b, and 27c, respectively (FIG. 3). Outwardly of the notch 27 is a release tab surface 28 which can be gripped manually. 
     With the locking bar 19 in its free position the bottom wall 27a of notch 27 is spaced from a cooperating opposing groove portion 29 defined by a circumferential rib of the connector means 23 by a distance which is greater than the corresponding dimension of the aperture 16 in the panel 13. 
     Thus, when the hose connector 15 is in its first or factory position (FIG. 3), the shaft 24 will be flexed inwardly and the connector 15 will be firmly held by perimeter portions 12 of the aperture 16 between the notch 27 and the diametrically opposite surface of groove portion 29, with a pre-load force on the resilient shaft 24 to secure the connector 15 against displacement from its first position. An outer end portion 30 of the connector and the release tab 28 of the first locking bar 19, will protrude only slightly outside the hose connection panel 13, and will not extend beyond the rear panel 11 of the washing machine 10. Connector 15 and aperture 16 are sized such that in the factory position of the connector sufficient space is provided between the inner surface 26a of the free end 26 of the first locking bar 19 and the tube 18 to allow disengagement of the inner shoulder 27b of the notch 27 from the perimeter portion 12 of the panel 13. Thus the shaft 24  may be flexed radially inwardly to release the first locking means by applying a manual gripping force between the tab 28 and the body of the connector to squeeze them together, thereby permitting movement of the connector 15 outwardly from the machine 10. 
     FIG. 4 shows the hose connector 15 locked by second locking means in its second position (also referred to herein as the extended position, the operating position, the utilitarian or the installed position) with the body 18 protruding a substantial distance outwardly from the recessed panel 13 into an accessible position, and an exterior hose 14 connected to the connection means 23 at the outer end 30 of the tube 18. As shown in FIG. 4, the connector 15 has been moved from its first locked position engaged between the notch 27 and the cooperating opposing groove portion 29 of the connector means 23 to the second locked position. 
     The second locking means includes a bar 20 having a inwardly deflectable resilient shaft 37 which is considerably shorter than the arm 24, and the locking bar 20 also includes a free end or finger 36 providing a latch formed by a notch 35 which has bottom, inner, and outer wall portions 35a, 35b, and 35c, respectively, to engage one side of the perimeter portion 12 of the aperture 16. The shaft or arm 37 is attached at its opposite end 38 to the tube 18. It will be noted that the locking bars 19 and 20 are on opposite sides of tube 18 and extend in opposite directions, i.e., the shaft 24 extends generally in one direction and the shaft 37 extends in the opposite direction, with the two shafts and the axis of the tube 18 lying generally in the same plane; and the finger portions of the shafts 24 and 37, i.e., those portions that function as latches, are aligned in a prescribed oppositely-facing relationship. Diametrically opposite the notch 35 in the second locking bar 20 is a raised portion 50 having a shoulder 39 formed adjacent the attachment area 25 of the first locking bar 19. This shoulder 39 includes an outwardly projecting ledge 39a (see FIG. 4) so that with the connector locked in the second position a part of the perimeter portion 12 of the aperture 16 will be trapped in the space formed between the ledge 39a and a generally inwardly-facing surface 39b of the arm 19 adjacent the attachment area 25. 
     Each of the shoulders 21, 21 is formed and supported axially by a web 40 attached to the wall of the tube 18. These shoulders 21, 21 are positioned on opposite side portions of the body 18 and are outwardly facing in the axial direction and proportioned so as to prevent the connector 15 from being completely withdrawn through the aperture 16 in the panel 13. The abutments 22, 22 are spaced from the tube axis 18a to contact the perimeter portion 12 of aperture 16 adjacent the notch 35 on either side thereof when the connector 15 is in the second position. Each of the abutments 22, 22 is supported by a web 41 attached to the tube 18, and each of the webs forms a ramp portion leading from the tube 18 outwardly along the connector 15 to the surface 22. The purpose of these radial abutment surfaces is to prevent a camming or cocking of the connector 15 while in its second position and prevent a tipping of the connector which might allow perimeter portion 12d  of the aperture 16 to slip over the wall portion 35b of notch 35. 
     Because the second bar 20 has a relatively short resilient shaft portion 37, the bar 20 is relatively stiffer than is the first locking bar 19. Thus, the bar 20 will have a relatively higher preloading force when it is deflected a given distance as compared to the preloading of the first locking bar 19. The end 36 of the locking bar 20 is spaced a distance from the body portion 18 in its engaged position as shown in FIG. 4 sufficient to allow the panel 13 to clear the outer shoulder 35c when the connector 15 is moved axially into or out of the installed position. 
     It should be noted that the perimeter portion 12 of the aperture 16 in the panel includes a portion which substantially defines 3 sides of a rectangle to provide a side edge surface 12a of aperture 16 and adjacent edge surfaces 12b and 12c. The resilient shaft portion 24 of locking arm 19 has a substantially rectangular cross section including a generally flat ramp surface 24a (FIG. 5) which is designed to slide against the edge 12a of the aperture 16. Contact between surface 24a and edge 12a is substantially maintained, as the connector 15 is moved between first and second positions, by the natural bias of the resilient arm 19, and edge surfaces 12b and 12c act as stops to limit lateral movement of the arm with respect to the edge surface 12a. Roll and yaw of the connector 15 with respect to the axis 18a are thus substantially limited while the connector moves between its first and second positions. 
     It should also be noted that roll and yaw movement of the connector 15 with respect to its axis 18a when in the second position is substantially prevented by the interaction of raised portion 50 on body 18 with the rectangular portion of the aperture 16. The raised portion 50 is generally rectangular in cross section and includes an upwardly facing surface 50a and a pair of side surfaces 50b and 50c. As best seen in FIG. 2, surfaces 50a, 50b,  and 50c of portion 50 cooperate with the generally corresponding surfaces 12a, 12b, and 12c of aperture 16 to substantially prevent roll and yaw movement of the connector 15 and, in combination with the cooperating surfaces 39a and 39b, the latch formed by notch 35, and the radially outward biasing force applied by the locking bar 20, hold the connector firmly in place on the panel 13. 
     In operation, workers on the assembly line at the factory attach the interior hose 17 to the connector means 23 on the inner end 31 of the tube 18 of the hose connector 15. Then the connector 15 is positioned inwardly of the aperture 16 in the hose connection recess panel 13, the first locking bar 19 compressed radially inwardly at its free end 26, and the connector 15 inserted into the aperture 16 in the panel 13 until the outer wall 27c of notch 27 is outward of the panel 13 so that the notch 27 engages the panel 13 along surface 12a to press the tube 18 against the opposite edge of the aperture 16 at the cooperating opposing groove portion 29 of the connector means 23. Since the hose connector 15 is almost entirely within the machine cabinet it will not be exposed to the danger of external impact or other undesirable contact and therefore is not susceptible to damage during shipping or handling of the washing machine. Since the locking bar 19 holds the connector 15 firmly positioned within the aperture 16, there is little or no opportunity for abrading the connector 15 or the internal hoses 17. 
     When the machine 10 is uncrated and installation is desired the installer will first (before attaching the hoses 14 from the water supply) depress the release tab 28 toward the tube 18, as by squeezing together the release tab 28 and the end 30 of the tube or connector body 18. Once the inner wall 27b of the notch 27 clears the surface 12a  of perimeter portion of the panel 13, the connector 15 is pulled outwardly from the machine with surface 12a of panel 13 sliding along the ramp formed by surface 24a of the resilient shaft 24 and an opposite portion 12d of perimeter portion 12 of panel 13 sliding along a wall portion of the tube 18 until it reaches the attached end 38 of the resilient shaft 37. Further withdrawal of the connector 15 from the panel 13 will shift the connector 15 transversely within the aperture 16, as the surface 12d slides along an outwardly-sloping ramp formed by the shaft 37 of arm 20 until the panel 13 is captured by the recess or notch 35. At the same time portion 12a of perimeter portion 12 continues to slide along the ramp surface 24a of arm 19 until stopped by the shoulder 39. In this position the shoulder 21 will contact the interior side of the panel 13 and the abutments 22 will each engage a part of perimeter portion 12 of panel 13. Since in this position the resilient shaft 37 will not return fully to its free position when the edge of aperture 16 is engaged in the notch 35, a preloading force will remain against the bottom surface 35a of the notch 35. The installer may then install the supply hose 14 over the connector means 23 on the outer end 30 of the tube 18. 
     Should the washing machine 10 thereafter need to be moved, as to a new residence, the second locking bar 20 may be compressed radially inwardly to disengage the notch 35 from the panel 13, and the connector 15 slid inwardly through aperture 16 of the panel 13 until the notch 27 on the first locking bar 19 again engages the panel 13 in a retracted position. 
     The invention thus provides a relatively low cost, unitary hose connector for an appliance which can selectively be locked in either of two positions without the use of tools or additional fastening means. 
     Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of our contribution to the art. 
     The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: