Patent ID: 6164243
Filing Date: 2000-12-26
Classification: A01J

Abstract:
A milking inflation for a teat cup assembly including a rigid shell, said inflation being made from an elastomeric material, having an elongated, generally tubular suction sleeve located inside the shell and defining an elongated interior chamber for receiving an animal's teat and cooperating with the shell to define a pressure chamber therebetween and an elongated milking tube extending from the shell for connection with an automatic milking machine claw under subatmospheric pressure and adapted to collapse inwardly along a longitudinal axis from an open position, when the pressure differential between the interior chamber and the pressure chamber is substantially equal, to a closed position, when the pressure in the pressure chamber is greater than the pressure in the interior chamber, said suction sleeve having, in the open condition, a generally triangular cross-sectional shape defined by triangular interior and exterior surfaces formed by three axially extending, interconnected side walls; andsaid side walls having a convex cross sectional configuration and bulging slightly outwardly;whereby, when said inflation is installed on a shell and said side walls are in the open position, each of said side walls is biased toward the open position and the bias must be overcome before said side walls can be moved inwardly toward the closed position in response to atmospheric pressure in the shell chamber and the bias assists in movement of said side walls toward the open position in response to a subatmospheric pressure in the shell chamber.