Coupler for filter elements

Claim 1

A COUPLED FLUID FLOW ASSEMBLY HAVING A FLUID INLET AND A FLUID OUTLET AND COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AT LEAST TWO HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL ELEMENTS EACH HAVING AT LEAST ONE OPEN END, AN END CAP ON EACH OPEN END, THE END CAPS HAVING A FLUID OPENING THERETHROUGH, AND A UNITARY COUPLER DETACHABLY CONNECTING THE CYLINDRICAL ELEMENTS ENDTO-END TO FORM THE ASSEMBLY; AND HAVING AN ANNULAR BODY MEMBER, SEALING SURFACES ON UPPER AND LOWER FACES THEREOF AND A PASSAGE THERETHROUGH, A PLURALITY OF GRIPPING MEMBERS IN THE FORM OF RESILIENT LEGS PROJECTING AXIALLY OUTWARD AT SPACED INTERVALS AROUND THE INNER PERIPHERY OF EACH FACE OF THE BODY MEMBER AND EXTENDING AXIALLY INTO THE FLUID OPENING OF EACH END CAP, SAID RESILIENT LEGS BEING DISPLACEABLE RADIALLY INWARDLY AND HAVING AT THEIR OUTER EDGES GRIPPING MEANS ENGAGING THE INNER END OF THE PERIPHERY OF THE SAID FLUID OPENING FOR ALIGNING THE PASSAGE WITH THE FLUID OPENING, THE GRIPPING MEANS COMPRISING A LIP PROJECTING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE END OF THE LEGS, THE EXTERNAL EDGE THEREOF BEING INCLINED AT AN ANGLE OF AT MOST 45* TO THE AXIS OF THE COUPLER AND THE INNER EDGE THEREOF BEING INCLINED AT AN ANGLE OF FROM 60 TO 90* TO THE AXIS OF THE COUPLER, THE LEGS BEING DIMENSIONED TO HOLD EACH OF THE END CAPS AGAINST THE SEALING SURFACE OF THE BODY MEMBER IN A FLUID-TIGHT SEAL.