Washing machine hose guide

Abstract

A hose guide member constructed as a unitary wireform is specifically adapted to connect an anti-kink corrugated plastic hose of an appliance such as an automatic washer to a vertical support in either a stand pipe installation or a laundry tub installation. The guide includes a single length of wire formed with a pair of open-ended hose attachment clamps at either end of a reversely bent section which is formed in the radius of the drain hose. Each attachment clamp is formed with a double turn of substantially parallel reversely bent loops with spacing matched to the pitch of the hose corrugations. The corrugations of the drain hose when placed into the clamps matingly engage the double turn loops, thereby fastening the hose to the guide in a shape conforming to the reversely bent section. Support engagement fingers extend from both attachment clamps and extend inwardly of the formed radius to cross each other. In the case of a large-sized opening such as a laundry tub installation the retaining fingers secure the guide member and hose to the support by flexing away from each other thereby frictionally engaging opposite sides of the receptacle wall. In the case of a smaller-sized opening such as a stand pipe, the retaining finger associated with the attachment clamp holding the hose end in the stand pipe is deflected against the interior wall of the stand pipe forcing the hose into engagement with the opposed interior wall thereby frictionally securing the guide and attached drain hose to the stand pipe.