Patent ID: 7445247

Claim:
A coupling for conveying fluid between a conduit and a component of a fluid system, the coupling comprising: a body comprising a bore into which a tube end of the conduit is insertable, wherein the tube end has a smooth outer surface without annular grooves, annular flanges, or annular beads; a gripping mechanism that grips the smooth outer surface of the tube end of the conduit, to fix a position of the tube end of the conduit within the bore; and a release mechanism slidably attached to the body to induce the gripping mechanism to release the tube end of the conduit, the release mechanism comprising a continuous, undivided unitary release ring with an axial through bore and at least one radially-through retention slot, said release ring encircling the body, said release ring to facilitate gripping and manual actuation of the release mechanism; and the body further comprising a retention feature protruding radially outward to establish a limited range of motion for the release mechanism.