BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a Hartford loop manifold assembly of the present invention as used with a conventional air control assembly.
FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the Hartford loop manifold and air control assemblies of FIG. 2.
FIG. 3 shows a Hartford loop manifold assembly of the present invention installed as part of a whirlpool bathing system.
FIG. 4 shows stages of operation of the present invention Hartford loop manifold assembly during use in a whirlpool bathing system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Now referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, wherein like numbers identify like elements, a Hartford loop manifold assembly 10 of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. Manifold assembly 10 is installed in operable communication with an air control assembly 12 along an outer surface of a whirlpool bathing vessel 14 (as shown in FIG. 3). Whirlpool 14 also has an inner surface along which at least one whirlpool jet 16 is disposed for the injection of water and/or air into a full whirlpool tub. The construction and function of at least one whirlpool jet 16 may be selected from a plurality of well known and commercially available whirlpool jets and comprise no part of the present invention.
Manifold assembly 10 and air control assembly 12 are placed at a minimum distance D adjacent a whirlpool rim 18 so as to ensure optimal function thereof. Operation of whirlpool 14 is effected by a conventional whirlpool motor (not shown) as is well known in the art. Other well-known implements such as an ozonator, pump, blower and complementary devices are also well-known in the art for use with whirlpool bathing systems and are thereby omitted from this disclosure.
As particularly seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, manifold assembly 10 includes a tubular manifold housing 20 having an elongate body 20a. Body 20a includes an upper body portion 20b having a proximate extent 20b′ and a distal extent 20b″, and a lower body portion 20c having a distal extent 20c′ (wherein a proximate extent of lower body portion 20c is delineated by upper body distal extent 20b″). An elongate wall 20d that is coextensive with upper body proximate extent 20b′ and lower body distal extent 20c′ includes an internal manifold wall 20f having a proximate extent 20f′ from which a reception lumen 21 extends to lower body distal extent 20c′. Internal manifold wall 20f is disposed by a predetermined distance d from an external manifold wall 20g in parallel therewith. External manifold wall 20g is coextensive with upper body proximate extent 20b′ and upper body distal extent 20b″ so as to define a flow area between manifold walls 20f and 20g.
External manifold wall 20g has at least one outlet 22 depending generally normally therefrom to a distalmost outlet extent 22a. Each outlet 22 has a lumen 23 defined therethrough for unoccluded fluid communication between each flow area and at least one conduit 70 detachably coupled to each outlet extent 22a (see in FIG. 3). Each conduit 70 delivers air from air control assembly 12 to a jet 16 as is known in the art. Fastening of a conduit 70 to an outlet extent 22a may be effected by at least one of a plurality of known fastening means that is conducive to practice of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of threads 22b is defined at each outlet extent 22a to accommodate frictional fit or a corresponding threaded fit of a conduit 70 thereto. In the alternative, fastening may be effected by clamping, snap-tight or epoxy engagement and any combination and equivalent thereof.
Manifold assembly 10 further includes an intussusceptible coupling member 30 comprising a coupling member body 32 (shown herein to assume a generally annular configuration, although any geometry may be employed that is conducive to practice of the present invention) having an elongate lumen 32a defined therethrough. Coupling body 32 assumes a predetermined outside periphery for releasable engagement by internal manifold wall 20f when coupling body 32 is inserted in reception lumen 21 thereof. Coupling body 32 has a proximate extent 32′, a distal extent 32″ and an elongate wall 32b coextensive therewith. Upon insertion of coupling body 32 in reception lumen 21, a portion of wall 32b is disposed therein such that a predetermined extent measured from proximate extent 20f′ of internal manifold wall 20f to coupling body distal extent 32″ defines a Hartford loop height H (also called the “head”). Manifold assembly housing 20 and coupling member 32 are desirably injection molded from plastic and assembled using a seal welded joint, although other materials and manufacturing methods may be employed that are amenable to practice of the present invention.
Coupling member 32 further includes a coupling extension 34 provided at coupling body proximate extent 32′ and selectively integral therewith. Coupling extension 34 includes a shoulder portion 36 that engages upper body proximate extent 20b′ when coupling body 32 is inserted in reception lumen 21. Shoulder portion 36 selectively includes at least one detachable fastening means such as one or more detents 37 shown in FIG. 2, although it is understood that any equivalent fastening means may be substituted therefor (including, but not limited to, complementary notches and grooves, complementary recesses, epoxies and any combinations and equivalents thereof). Shoulder portion 36 supports a hub portion 40 thereon from which a connecting member 42 generally depends. Although connecting member 42 is shown as depending generally normally relative to hub portion 40, it is understood that connecting member 42 may depend upward or angularly therefrom depending upon disposition of air control assembly 12 within a whirlpool tub wall. An extension lumen 43 is defined through connecting member 42 to establish fluid communication with each of a linking lumen 45 (defined in hub portion 40) and lumen 32a of coupling body 32. Coupling extension 34 is disposed proximate whirlpool rim 18 when manifold assembly 10 is installed within a whirlpool bathing system (see FIG. 3).
Connecting member 42 of coupling member 32 detachably engages air control assembly 12 along an air connector member 50 thereof. Air control assembly 12 includes an air control inlet 52 from which air connector member 50 depends to a distalmost extent 50′. Connector extent 50′ engages a generally annular stop 54 in connecting member 42 so as to house an umbrella valve 56 of air control assembly 12 in operable communication therebetween. Air control assembly 12 may assume equivalent configurations which are well known in the art for use in whirlpool bathing systems and therefore forms no part of the present invention.
Now referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, manifold assembly 10 (including manifold housing 20 and coupling member 30 thereof) and air control assembly 12 are assembled in operable communication on whirlpool tub 14. Each outlet lumen 23 communicates with an adjacent manifold flow area defined by manifold walls 20f and 20g so as to direct air from manifold assembly 10 to at least one corresponding jet 16 via at least one conduit 70 coupled therebetween. Upon activation of the whirlpool motor (not shown), air enters air control inlet 52 of air control assembly 12 and passes through open umbrella valve 56 (see arrow A of FIG. 2). This air, after passing through the manifold flow areas and further traversing lumen 32a of coupling body 32 (the airflow path shown by arrows B in FIG. 2), exits manifold assembly 10 through outlets 22 for delivery to jets 16 via conduits 70. When operation of the whirlpool motor ceases, residual water reverses flow through conduits 70 and enters manifold assembly 10 as water fills tub 14 (see FIG. 4, stage (1)). Manifold assembly 10 creates an air pocket that prevents water from reaching air control inlet 52, even after the tub is filled to rim 18 and air control assembly 12 is submerged in water (see FIG. 4, stage (2)). Upon draining whirlpool 14, water is correspondingly drawn from manifold assembly 10 and exits therefrom, leaving less than 5 ml of residual water (see FIG. 4, stages (3) and (4)).
The manifold assembly of the present invention employs a conventional Hartford loop application in an unconventional manner to provide a multiple inlet manifold that is both functional and compact. The manifold assembly of the present invention enables the consumer to fill a whirlpool tub above the air control level without incurring a tub leak. The manifold is easy to install and is an extremely cost-effective alternative to using inline check valves. Also, because of its compact size, the manifold is less prone to damage than using a conventional Hartford loop that is made from piping, eliminating a bulky configuration that is difficult to conceal around the perimeter of the bathtub.
Various changes to the foregoing described and shown structures are now evident to those skilled in the art. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is therefore offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation. Accordingly, the particularly disclosed scope of the invention is set forth in the following claims.
Patent Application
20080010738
