A laundry appliance including an appliance housing, a wash unit tub disposed inside the appliance housing, a drum rotatably supported within the wash unit tub, and a wash water dispenser assembly. A laundry compartment is provided inside the drum and the drum is rotatable about a drum axis. The wash water dispenser assembly includes a dispenser hose and a mating interface assembly. The dispenser hose includes a dispenser hose inlet and a dispenser hose outlet. The mating interface assembly connects the dispenser hose outlet to the wash unit tub. The mating interface assembly includes a tub port adapter on the tub sidewall that extends outwardly away from the drum axis to provide a mechanical connection with the dispenser hose outlet.

A tube fitting including a sleeve member having a circumferential collar portion, the circumferential collar portion including a first tapered surface, a first coupling member having a circumferential engagement flange portion configured to couple with the circumferential collar portion of the sleeve member, and a second coupling member that includes a longitudinally extended sealing portion. The longitudinally extended sealing portion includes a second tapered surface that couples with the first tapered surface so as to circumferentially expand the longitudinally extended sealing portion, when the first tapered surface and the second tapered surface are coupled to each other, and form a fluid seal between the second coupling member and the sleeve member.

A tube fitting including a sleeve member having a circumferential collar portion, the circumferential collar portion including a first tapered surface, a first coupling member having a circumferential engagement flange portion configured to couple with the circumferential collar portion of the sleeve member, and a second coupling member that includes a longitudinally extended sealing portion. The longitudinally extended sealing portion includes a second tapered surface that couples with the first tapered surface so as to circumferentially expand the longitudinally extended sealing portion, when the first tapered surface and the second tapered surface are coupled to each other, and form a fluid seal between the second coupling member and the sleeve member.

A female pipe coupling member includes a coupling body and a sleeve 138 disposed around a cylindrical peripheral wall portion of the coupling body. The sleeve has a locking element receiving hole extending therethrough from an inner peripheral surface to an outer peripheral surface. When the sleeve is in a locking element releasing position where the locking element receiving hole radially aligns with a locking element, the locking element is received in the locking element receiving hole to assume an unlocking position. The locking element receiving hole is configured to block the locking element from passing therethrough radially outward and thus holds the locking element in the unlocking position from outside.

A microfluidic interconnect system and method for assembly thereof is described. The microfluidic interconnect has a port and a seal, with the port having a reverse taper. The port has a first port end, a second port end, and an inner port surface with a tapered portion. Each port end has an opening with a diameter, and in certain embodiments, the diameter of the first port end is smaller than the diameter of the second port end. The seal has a first end and a second end, and each seal end has a rim and an opening with an inner diameter and an outer diameter. The seal also has an inner surface and an outer surface, where in certain embodiments, each surface has a tapered portion. In certain embodiments, the inner diameter of the first seal end is equal to or larger than the inner diameter of the second seal end, the outer diameter of the first seal end is equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the second seal end, and the outer diameter of the second seal end is larger than the outer diameter of each port end. In certain embodiments, a tube is slidably coupled to the inner surface of the seal, and the tube has an outer diameter that is equal to or larger than the inner diameter of the second seal end.

A microfluidic interconnect system and method for assembly thereof is described. The microfluidic interconnect has a port and a seal, with the port having a reverse taper. The port has a first port end, a second port end, and an inner port surface with a tapered portion. Each port end has an opening with a diameter, and in certain embodiments, the diameter of the first port end is smaller than the diameter of the second port end. The seal has a first end and a second end, and each seal end has a rim and an opening with an inner diameter and an outer diameter. The seal also has an inner surface and an outer surface, where in certain embodiments, each surface has a tapered portion. In certain embodiments, the inner diameter of the first seal end is equal to or larger than the inner diameter of the second seal end, the outer diameter of the first seal end is equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the second seal end, and the outer diameter of the second seal end is larger than the outer diameter of each port end. In certain embodiments, a tube is slidably coupled to the inner surface of the seal, and the tube has an outer diameter that is equal to or larger than the inner diameter of the second seal end.

A connector connection indicator is mounted in a Luer male connector, or in a Luer female connector, to indicate proper mating of the two Luer connectors. The connection indicator may be or include a light source, a sound producing device (e.g., buzzer), a switch, a tactile connection indicator or an electronic chip. The electronic chip may be interposed between two conductive elements that are mounted in the Luer female connector. When the two Luer connectors are properly engaged, the electronic chip is powered via two electrical terminals. While the electronic chip is powered up it communicates with an external system via two electrical terminals. The external system interprets the communication with the electronic chip as an indication to proper engagement of the two Luer connectors. Some of the connection indicators may be mounted on a circuit board that is embedded in a void in the Luer male connector.

A pipe fitting system, including a first pipe section with at least one male end, a second pipe section with at least one female end, and a connecting means for releasably connecting the pipe sections together such that the male end is at least partially received within the female end. The connecting means comprising releasably engageable first and second connectors associated with the first and second pipe sections respectively, wherein the first connector comprises at least one outwardly extending protrusion and wherein the second connector comprises corresponding recesses adapted to releasably receive the or each protrusion of the first connector. The pipe fitting system is suitable for applications such as end of line connections, repair/replacement of fixed existing pipes, and in enabling temporary removal of pipes for maintenance or access purposes.

A pipe fitting system, including a first pipe section with at least one male end, a second pipe section with at least one female end, and a connecting means for releasably connecting the pipe sections together such that the male end is at least partially received within the female end. The connecting means comprising releasably engageable first and second connectors associated with the first and second pipe sections respectively, wherein the first connector comprises at least one outwardly extending protrusion and wherein the second connector comprises corresponding recesses adapted to releasably receive the or each protrusion of the first connector. The pipe fitting system is suitable for applications such as end of line connections, repair/replacement of fixed existing pipes, and in enabling temporary removal of pipes for maintenance or access purposes.

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a fill gun apparatus for interconnection of a pump truck and a pressurized liquid delivery system. The fill gun apparatus can be easily attached and detached from an inlet port to deliver a pressurized fluid, for improved delivery, increased efficiency, increased safety, and decreased waste.