Patent ID: 6955077

Claim:
An ergonomic pipette assembly comprising: a pipette shaft having a generally uninterrupted outer mounting surface; a pipette tip comprising an elongated receptacle having an upper sidewall portion extending substantially parallel to the uninterrupted outer mounting surface of the pipette shaft and adapted to receive a distal end of the pipette shaft; the upper sidewall portion of the pipette tip having a bifurcated section for engaging the uninterrupted outer mounting surface of the pipette shaft, the bifurcated section comprising a substantially axially extending base wall and inside and outside branch walls that extend directly and substantially axially from the base wall in a proximal direction to form a forked shape, the inside branch wall having a free end spaced radially inward from the outside branch wall; wherein when the distal end of the pipette shaft is inserted into the pipette tip, the uninterrupted outer mounting surface of the pipette shaft slides into lateral engagement with the inside branch wall when the distal end of the pipette shaft moves past the inside branch wall, causing the inside branch wall to flex radially outward towards the outside branch wall such that the inner surface of the inside branch wall biases against the uninterrupted outer mounting surface of the pipette shaft without substantial pressure in the axial direction in order to form both a fluid tight seal and a secure mount.