Patent ID: 6860524

Claim:
A thermoplastic connector having a density range between approximately 0.90 and 0.96 g/cc which comprises: (a) a tubular segment, said tubular segment comprising: (i) a first inner diameter, (ii) a first outer diameter, (iii) a tubular segment thickness, said thickness being a difference between the first outer diameter and first inner diameter; (b) at least one formed end cap on at least one end of the tubular segment, said end cap having a centrally disposed bore therethrough and comprising (i) a sealing surface on the end cap, and (ii) a shoulder which terminates the sealing surface, and wherein the bore inner diameter is the same as the first inner diameter; (c) a ratio of a length of the sealing surface (L) to the diameter (D) is greater than 1; and (d) an angle α formed by an intersection of (i) a longitudinal axis of said connector and (ii) a line formed along said sealing surface coplanar with said longitudinal axis ranges from about approximately 5° to less than 45°.