Patent ID: 7390031

Claim:
A coupling device for releasably interconnecting conduit elements, said coupling device comprising: a first coupling member having a first central opening therethrough; a second coupling member having a second central opening therethrough, said second coupling member being sized and shaped to slidingly engage said first coupling member, a first collar element coaxial with said first central opening and extending outwardly from said first coupling member; a second collar element coaxial with said second central opening and extending outwardly from said second coupling member in a direction opposite that of said first collar element when said coupling members are interengaged; a tapered pocket defined in said first coupling member to act as a seat for slidingly receiving said second coupling member, said second coupling member being substantially in the form of a wedge; an alignment mechanism disposed in upper portions of, respectively, said first and second coupling members, said alignment mechanism adapted to ensure complete engagement between said first and second coupling members; first and second annular grooves disposed opposite each other about the central openings in said first and second coupling members; and only one single-piece gasket element disposed in one said annular groove and adapted to directly engage the opposite annular groove when said first and second coupling members are fully interengaged with each other, said gasket element having a first and second annular portions, said first annular portion being of a first compressible resilient material and sized and shaped for positioning in one said annular groove, and said second annular portion extending outwardly from said first annular portion and being of a second less compressible material than said first annular portion adapted for compression into said first annular gasket portion as said first and second coupling members are being interengaged.