Patent ID: 7802325

Claim:
A Hartford loop manifold assembly for use with an air control assembly in a whirlpool bathing system, comprising: a manifold housing, comprising an elongate body with an upper body portion having a proximate extent and a distal extent, a lower body portion having a proximate extent and a distal extent, and an elongate wall coextensive with said upper body proximate extent and said lower body distal extent, said elongate wall including an internal manifold wall having a proximate extent from which a reception lumen extends to said lower body distal extent, said internal manifold wall being disposed by a predetermined distance from an external manifold wall in parallel therewith, said external manifold wall being coextensive with said upper body proximate extent and said upper body distal extent so as to define a flow area between said internal manifold wall and said external manifold wall; wherein said external manifold wall has a plurality of outlets depending generally normally therefrom to a distalmost outlet extent, each of said plurality of outlets having a lumen defined therethrough for unoccluded fluid communication between each said manifold flow area and at least one conduit detachably coupled to each of said plurality of outlet extents; and a coupling member in intussusceptible relation with said manifold housing, said coupling member comprising an elongate body having a proximate extent, a distal extent and an elongate wall coextensive therebetween, said elongate wall delineating a lumen defined through said coupling member body, said coupling member body having a predetermined periphery for releasable engagement by said internal manifold wall when said reception lumen accepts insertion of said coupling member body thereby, such that, upon insertion of said coupling member body in said reception lumen, a predetermined extent measured from said proximate extent of said internal manifold wall to said coupling member body distal extent defines a Hartford loop height, wherein when in operation the manifold assembly creates an air pocket that prevents water from reaching the air control assembly, even after the air control assembly is submerged in water and upon draining of the whirlpool assembly, water is drawn from the manifold assembly and exits therefrom, leaving less than a predetermined amount of residual water dependent from the Hartford loop height.