Cartridge, and a teat cup

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10130068-B2
Application number	US-201414785358-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2014
Priority date	May 2, 2013
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A teatcup to be attached to a teat of an animal to be milked includes a connector and a cartridge received in the connector. The cartridge includes a sleeve having an upper end and a lower end, a teatcup liner mounted in the sleeve and having an inner space for receiving the teat, and a pulsation chamber provided between the sleeve and the teatcup liner. The teatcup liner includes an upper end portion located at the upper end of the sleeve, a barrel portion and a lower end portion extending beyond the lower end of the sleeve. The lower end portion forms an end nozzle extending beyond the lower end of the sleeve and having a circumferential external surface. An annular seal element is provided at the circumferential external surface to seal between the lower end nozzle and the connector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A combination of a cartridge and a connector of a teatcup to be attached to a teat of an animal to be milked, wherein the cartridge is configured to be received in the connector ( 2 ), the cartridge ( 1 ) comprising
a sleeve ( 6 ) having an upper end ( 6 a ) and a lower end ( 6 b );
a teatcup liner ( 7 ) mounted in the sleeve ( 6 ) and having an inner space ( 8 ) for receiving said teat;
a pulsation chamber ( 9 ) provided between an inner side of the sleeve ( 6 ) and an outer side of the teatcup liner ( 7 ),
wherein the teatcup liner ( 7 ) comprises
an upper end portion ( 7 a ) located at the upper end ( 6 a ) of the sleeve ( 6 ),
a barrel portion ( 7 c ), and
a lower end portion ( 7 b ) extending beyond the lower end ( 6 b ) of the sleeve ( 6 ), wherein that the lower end portion ( 7 b ) is comprised of an end nozzle ( 10 ) extending beyond the lower end ( 6 b ) of the sleeve ( 6 ), the end nozzle ( 10 ) having a circumferential external surface ( 10 a ) extending to a lowermost end of the end nozzle ( 10 ); and
an annular seal element ( 11 ) having
i) an circumferential internal surface attached to at least a portion of the circumferential external surface ( 10 a ) of the end nozzle ( 10 ) including at the lowermost end surface of the end nozzle ( 10 ), and
ii) a circumferential external surface that includes a lowermost inner zone ( 11 b ) that covers the lowermost end surface of the end nozzle ( 10 ), wherein when the sleeve and liner are installed in the connector with the lowermost inner zone ( 11 b ) of the circumferential external surface of the annular seal element ( 11 ) pressing in abutment against the connector, the annular seal element ( 11 ) provides a seal between the end nozzle ( 10 ) and the connector ( 2 ), wherein,
with the cartridge ( 1 ) received in the connector ( 2 ), a longitudinal center axis (x) extends through and along the cartridge ( 1 ) and the connector ( 2 ), the connector ( 2 ) comprises
i) a casing wall ( 24 ) extending along the longitudinal center axis (x),
ii) a bottom wall ( 25 ) connecting to the casing wall ( 24 ) and also extending along the longitudinal center axis (x) , wherein, with the cartridge ( 1 ) received in the connector ( 2 ), the bottom wall ( 25 ) is sealed against the circumferential external surface of the annular seal element ( 11 ), and
iii) a wall portion ( 25 a ) joining the bottom wall ( 25 ) and extending radially outwardly with respect to the longitudinal center axis (x), and that, with the cartridge ( 1 ) received in the connector ( 2 ), is sealed against the lowermost inner zone ( 11 b ) of the circumferential external surface of the seal pressing in abutment against the wall portion ( 25 a ) of the connector ( 2 ),

the connector ( 2 ) comprises an outlet nipple ( 29 ) extending below the bottom wall ( 25 ) and the wall portion ( 25 a ) along the longitudinal center axis (x), and defining an outlet channel ( 30 ), and
with the cartridge ( 1 ) received in the connector ( 2 ), the annular seal element ( 11 ) provides a tight transition for a milk channel for transport of milk from the inner space ( 8 ) to the outlet channel ( 30 ).

2. The combination according to claim 1 , wherein, with the cartridge ( 1 ) received in the connector ( 2 ), the connector ( 2 ) comprises a connection space ( 27 ) between i) an outside surface of the lower end ( 6 b ) of the sleeve, the circumferential external surface ( 10 a ) of the end nozzle ( 10 ), and the circumferential external surface of the annular seal element ( 11 ) and ii) casing wall ( 24 ) connected to the bottom wall ( 25 ) which delimits the connection space ( 27 ) and through which the outlet channel ( 30 ) extends.

3. The combination according to claim 2 , the end nozzle ( 10 ) has a tapering external shape.

4. The combination according to claim 1 , wherein the annular seal element ( 11 ) is attached to the end nozzle ( 10 ) by a permanent joint ( 12 ).

5. The combination according to claim 1 , wherein the circumferential external surface of the annular seal element ( 11 ) comprises a sloping zone ( 11 a ) sloping inwardly and downwardly with an inclination angle (α) with respect to a line drawn orthogonal to the longitudinal center axis (x).

6. The combination according to claim 1 , wherein the annular seal element ( 11 ) is made of a first material having a first elasticity, and the lower end portion ( 7 b ) is made of a second material having a second elasticity that is relatively low in comparison with the first elasticity of the first material.

7. The combination according to claim 6 , wherein the barrel portion ( 7 c ) is made of a third material having a third elasticity that is relatively high in comparison with the second elasticity of the second material.

8. The combination according to claim 1 , wherein the lower end portion ( 7 b ) comprises a lower engagement member ( 15 ) which engages the sleeve ( 6 ) in such a manner that the barrel portion ( 7 c ) of the teatcup liner ( 7 ) is maintained in a stretched state in the sleeve ( 6 ).

9. The combination according to claim 8 , wherein the lower engagement member ( 15 ) comprises an annular flange extending radially outwardly with respect to the longitudinal center axis (x) and abutting an end surface of the lower end ( 6 b ) of the sleeve ( 6 ).

10. The combination according to claim 1 , wherein the sleeve further comprises
a sealing ring ( 17 ) extending around an outer surface of the sleeve ( 6 ), and
a hole ( 18 ) through the sleeve ( 6 ), which hole ( 18 ) is configured to permit a pulsating vacuum to be applied in the pulsation chamber ( 9 ) and which is provided between the sealing ring ( 17 ) and the lower end ( 6 b ) of the sleeve ( 6 ).

11. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the circumferential external surface of the end nozzle ( 10 ) has a tapering external shape and the circumferential external surface of the seal element ( 11 ) has a tapering external shape.

12. The combination according to claim 1 , wherein the wall portion ( 25 a ) joining the bottom wall ( 25 ) and extending radially outwardly with respect to the longitudinal center axis (x) slopes upwardly towards the longitudinal center axis (x).

13. A combination of a cartridge, a teatcup to be attached to a teat of an animal to be milked, and a connector ( 2 ) of the teatcup,
wherein the cartridge is configured to be received in the connector ( 2 ), the cartridge ( 1 ) comprising
a sleeve ( 6 ) having an upper end ( 6 a ) and a lower end ( 6 b );
a teatcup liner ( 7 ) mounted in the sleeve ( 6 ) and having an inner space ( 8 ) for receiving said teat;
a pulsation chamber ( 9 ) provided between an inner side of the sleeve ( 6 ) and an outer side of the teatcup liner ( 7 ),
wherein the teatcup liner ( 7 ) comprises
an upper end portion ( 7 a ) located at the upper end ( 6 a ) of the sleeve ( 6 ),
a barrel portion ( 7 c ), and
a lower end portion ( 7 b ) extending beyond the lower end ( 6 b ) of the sleeve ( 6 ), wherein that the lower end portion ( 7 b ) is comprised of an end nozzle ( 10 ) extending beyond the lower end ( 6 b ) of the sleeve ( 6 ), the end nozzle ( 10 ) having a circumferential external surface ( 10 a ) extending to a lowermost end of the end nozzle ( 10 ); and
an annular seal element ( 11 ) having i) an circumferential internal surface attached to at least a portion of the circumferential external surface ( 10 a ) of the end nozzle ( 10 ) including at the lowermost end surface of the end nozzle ( 10 ), and ii) a circumferential external surface that includes a lowermost i

Assignees

• Delaval Holding Ab

Inventors

• La Torre Carlos
• Lidmar Anneli

Classifications

• A01J5/08 Primary

  Teat-cups with two chambers · CPC title

• A01J5/16 Primary

  Teat-cups with pulsating devices · CPC title