Patent ID: 7836605

Claim:
An assembly for releasably coupling a first element to a second element, comprising: A. a first element surface disposed on the first element, and B. a second element surface disposed on the second element, and C. a port, wherein the first element defines a cylindrical region disposed about a cylinder axis orthogonal to the first element surface and extending to a cylinder end surface transverse to the cylinder axis, and having a cylinder side surface disposed about the cylinder axis and extending from the cylinder end surface, wherein the second element includes a piston disposed about a piston axis orthogonal to the second element surface and extending to a piston end surface transverse to the piston axis, and having a piston side surface disposed about the piston axis and extending from the piston end surface, wherein at least one of (i) the first element surface is complementary to the second element surface, and (ii) the cylinder end surface is complementary to the piston end surface, and including a fluidic path extending from the port through one of the (a) piston to the piston end surface and (b) the cylindrical region to the cylinder end surface, and including a resilient seal extending from one of the piston side wall and the cylinder side wall, and wherein: i. the piston is sized to be positionable within the cylindrical region with the piston axis being coaxial with, or offset with respect to, the cylinder axis and with the piston end surface being opposite the cylinder end surface, and with the seal extending between the piston side surface and the cylinder side surface, thereby forming a pneumatic seal between a region between the piston end the surface and the cylinder end surface, whereby the region is pneumatically isolated from points exterior thereto, and ii. the first element surface and the second element surface are sized and disposed on the respective first element and second element, a whereby when the piston is at least partially disposed in the cylindrical region, at least a portion of the first element surface is opposite at least a portion of the second element surface.