Patent ID: 8402921
Filing Date: 2013-03-26
Classification: A01J

Abstract:
1. A dairy inflation comprising: a mouth portion having an opening to receive the teat of an animal; a barrel portion having an axial passage defined by a wall and fluidly connected to the opening of the mouth portion, the wall having at least one reduced thickness region at a cross-section of the wall perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the axial passage, the reduced thickness region being a portion of the wall at the cross-section that is of lesser thickness than another portion of the wall at the cross-section, controlled collapse of the barrel portion during milking operations being provided by the reduced thickness region; a milk tube portion connected to the barrel portion, the milk tube portion having an axial passage fluidly connected to the axial passage of the barrel portion; and a shell member having an axial passage that receives the barrel portion, a proximal end of the shell member engaging the mouth portion; wherein the barrel portion is not constrained by the shell member to prevent collapse of the barrel portion within the axial passage of the shell member; wherein the wall of the barrel portion includes an exterior surface at the cross-section defining an outer periphery having one of a substantially circular shape and a substantially elliptical shape; wherein the wall of the barrel portion includes an interior surface at the cross-section defining an inner periphery having the other of the substantially circular shape and the substantially elliptical shape.