Laboratory glassware equipment

A laboratory glassware system comprised of:

• first and second functional members, said first and second members each having conduit portions defining an axis and including male joint means, said male joint means including an annular flange with a rearwardly facing shoulder that defines a surface symmetrical about said axis and with a cone angle plus or minus 10.degree. relative to a plane perpendicular to said axis, the radially outward portion of said shoulder terminating in a sharp circumferential edge defined by said symmetrical surface and a cylindrical surface of said male joint means;
• and
• an elastomeric coupling member having means defining a central opening about a longitudinal central axis, said opening defining first and second bores having longitudinally aligned first and second female joint means, the central opening being radially symmetrical and bilaterally symmetric perpendicular to the longitudinal axis to define an identity of the first and second female joint means, and said female joint means including a lip engaging said shoulder on said male joint means;
• the first functional member being operatively connected to the second functional member by the coupling member such that the first and second functional members can be supported in axial alignment by the coupling member and the coupling member resists axial force tending to separate the functional members, the male joint means of the first and second functional members cooperating with the first and second female joint means to form a gas and liquid-tight seal whereby the seal is formed by inserting a conduit portion in an axial direction into the first bore until the first male joint means snaps into cooperation with the first female joint means and inserting a second conduit portion into the second bore until the second male joint means snaps into cooperation with the second female joint means.

A laboratory glassware system comprising:

• two functional members each having an identical tubular conduit portion:
• the tubular conduit portion having a central axis and a smooth uninterrupted interior surface defined by a substantially constant inner diameter so as to form a nonrestricted internal passageway about the central axis, the tubular conduit portion further having an end terminating to form a planar opening with male sealing means adjacent the planar opening, said male sealing means comprising an annular flange having a forward conical surface increasing in diameter from the planar opening and the flange forming a rearward shoulder that defines a surface symmetrical about said axis and with a cone angle plus or minus 10.degree. relative to a plane perpendicular to said central axis, the radially outward portion of said shoulder terminating in a sharp circumferential edge defined by said symmetrical surface and a cylindrical surface of said male joint means;
• and
• a coupling member having bore means comprising means defining a first and a second bore each having a first and a second end, the first and second bores being aligned about a central axis, the second end of the first bore opposing the second end of the second bore, the first and second bores each terminating in a coupling member opening at the first end and in stop means at the second end, the stop means adjoining female sealing means, each female sealing member comprising an annular groove having a forward conical surface increasing in diameter toward the opening and a rearward shoulder engaging said rearward shoulder on said male sealing means so that the female sealing means substantially corresponds to the male sealing means and cooperates with the male sealing means to support the functional members in axial alignment and to form a seal and the rearward shoulders of the male and female sealing means cooperating to resist an axial force tending to urge the tubular conduit portion out of the coupling member.