Abstract:
The lip of the upper mouthpiece of a teatcup liner is provided with controlled deflection for controlling slip along the teat of the mammal being milked. The deflection control is provided by various embossed patterns and/or inserts.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from Provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/355,103, filed Feb. 8, 2002. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
     The invention relates to teatcup liners for use in a teatcup assembly for milking a mammal, and more particularly to the mouthpiece liner lip, and further particularly to controlled deflection of such lip and reduction of slip thereof along the teat 
     As known in the prior art, a plurality of teatcups are connected to respective teats suspending from the udder of a mammal such as a cow. Each teatcup assembly has a teatcup liner or inflation around a respective teat and defining a milk flow passage within the liner below the teat, and a pulsation chamber outside the liner between the liner and the teatcup shell, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,269,143, 4,530,307, 5,178,095, 5,218,924, 6,055,931, all incorporated herein by reference. The system has a milking cycle with an on portion and an off portion. Milk flows from the teat towards a milking claw during the on portion, and then to a storage vessel. During the off portion, the liner is collapsed around the teat, to aid in the circulation of body fluids. Vacuum is continuously applied to the milk flow passage within the liner. Vacuum is alternately and cyclically applied to the pulsation chamber between the liner and the teatcup shell, to open and close the liner, all as is known. 
     The present invention arose during continuing development efforts relating to teatcup liners. The invention provides controlled deflection and reinforcement of the teatcup liner mouthpiece lip, and reduction of slip thereof along the teat. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is like FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,931 modified according to present invention, and is a side view partially in section of a teatcup assembly including a teatcup finer for milking a mammal. 
     FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a teatcup liner. 
     FIG. 3 is a view taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is like FIG.  3  and shows another embodiment. 
     FIG. 5 is like FIG.  3  and shows another embodiment. 
     FIG. 6 is like FIG.  3  and shows another embodiment. 
     FIG. 7 is like FIG.  3  and shows another embodiment. 
     FIG. 8 is like FIG.  3  and shows another embodiment. 
     FIG. 9 is like FIG.  3  and shows another embodiment. 
     FIG. 10 is a view of a portion of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 11 is like FIG.  10  and shows another embodiment. 
     FIG. 12 is like FIG.  3  and shows another embodiment. 
     FIG. 13 is like FIG.  3  and shows another embodiment. 
     FIG. 14 is like FIG.  10  and shows another embodiment. 
     FIG. 15 is like FIG.  10  and shows another embodiment. 
     FIG. 16 is like FIG.  3  and shows another embodiment. 
     FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the structure of FIG.  16 . 
     FIG. 18 is like FIG.  16  and shows another embodiment. 
     FIG. 19 is like FIG.  10  and shows another embodiment. 
     FIG. 20 is like FIG.  16  and shows another embodiment. 
     FIG. 21 is a side view of the structure of FIG.  20 . 
     FIG. 22 is like FIG.  16  and shows another embodiment. 
     FIG. 23 is like FIG.  10  and shows another embodiment. 
     FIG. 24 is like FIG.  23  and shows another embodiment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 shows a teatcup assembly  18  for milking a mammal  20  such as a cow. Teat  22  suspending from udder  24  of the mammal extends into the liner. Teatcup shell  26  is typically a metal, or plastic, member defining an annular pulsation chamber  28  around liner  16  between the liner and the teatcup shell and having a pulsation port  30  for connection to a pulsator valve, as is known. Liner  16  is typically rubber or other flexible material. The lower end of milk tube portion  14  of the liner is connection to a claw, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,537,152 and 5,291,853, incorporated herein by reference, which in turn supplies milk to a storage vessel. As noted above, vacuum is continuously applied to milk passage  32  within the liner through milk tube portion  14 , and vacuum is alternately and cyclically applied to pulsation chamber  28  through port  30 , to open and close liner  16  below teat  22 , all as is known and for which further reference may be had to the above noted incorporated patents. An air vent plug  10  may be inserted through the wall  12  of the milk tube portion  14  of the teat liner, as is known, for example above noted incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,931. For further background, a teatcup liner is illustrated in isometric view at  34  in FIG.  2 . 
     In one embodiment, deflection controller  46  is integrally formed along lip  42 . Mouthpiece  36  has a cavity  48  between lip  42  and barrel  38 . Lip  42  has an inner surface  50  facing cavity  48 . Deflection controller  46  is preferably on inner surface  50  of lip  42  and faces cavity  48 . In one embodiment, the deflection controller is an embossed pattern on the lip. The pattern is along an annulus around lip aperture  44 , and is a raised pattern protruding downwardly axially into cavity  48 . In one embodiment, FIG. 3, the pattern is a plurality of dots  52 . FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG. 1 looking upwardly at and providing an elevation view from below of inner surface  50  of lip  42  including raised dots  52 ,  53 , etc. of the embossed pattern of deflection controller  46  protruding axially downwardly into cavity  48 . In another embodiment, the noted pattern is a plurality of arcuately elongated ribs  54 ,  56 , etc. The ribs are circumferentially distributed around aperture  44  in multiple layers such as  58  and  60 , each layer having a plurality of ribs. In FIG. 4, at least portions of the ribs in layer  58 , for example portion  62 , are non-radially-aligned with portions of the ribs in layer  60 , for example as shown at  64 , to provide offset ribs from layer  58  to layer  60 . In another embodiment, FIG. 5, ribs  66  in layer  70  are radially aligned with ribs  72  in layer  74 . These embossed patterns provide a first ring or band such as  58  or  70  of a plurality of circumferentially spaced arcuate ribs such as  54  or  66 , and a second ring or band such as  60  or  74  of a plurality of circumferentially spaced arcuate ribs such as  56  or  72 . FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment wherein the pattern is provided by a plurality of rings such as  76 ,  78  circumscribing aperture  44 . In a further embodiment, FIG. 7, the pattern is a continuous spiral rib  80  around aperture  44 . In another embodiment, FIG. 8, the pattern is an annular ring  82  around aperture  44 , with the ring having a plurality of radial protrusions  84  extending radially therefrom. In a further embodiment, FIG. 9, the pattern is a ring  86  around aperture  44  and having a circumferential wave shape with a set of valleys  88  radially spaced from aperture  44  by a first radial distance  90 , and a set of peaks  92  alternating with valleys  88  and radially spaced from aperture  44  by a second radial distance  94  greater than the noted first radial distance  90 . Multiple wave shaped rings may be provided if desired. 
     In the embodiments noted above, the patterns have a plurality of segments radially spaced from each other, FIG. 10, for example segments  52  and  53  of FIG. 3, segments  54  and  56  of FIG. 4, segments  66  and  72  of FIG. 5, segments  76  and  78  of FIG. 6, and so on. The segments have an axial thickness  80  measured parallel to axis  40 . In a further embodiment, such axial thickness varies segment to segment, for example, axial thickness  80  of segments  52 ,  54 ,  66 ,  76 , etc. is less than axial thickness  82  of segments  53 ,  56 ,  72 ,  78 . The noted axial thickness increases as the segments are spaced farther from aperture  44 , such that the smallest axial thickness segment is the segment closest to aperture  44 , and the greatest axial thickness segment is the segment farthest from aperture  44 , for example: in FIG. 3, the axial thickness or height of segment  53  is greater than that of segment  52 ; in FIG. 4, the axial thickness or height of segment  56  is greater than that of segment  54 ; in FIG. 5, the axial thickness or height of segment  72  is greater than that of segment  66 ; in FIG. 6, the axial thickness or height of segment  78  is greater than that of segment  76 . The shape of the segments may be rounded in lateral cross-section as shown in FIG. 10, or may have other cross-sectional shapes, such as rectangular, FIG. 11, or other shapes. 
     In a further embodiment, FIG. 12, the noted pattern is provided by a plurality of radially elongated ribs such as  90  and  92 . In one embodiment, such pattern includes a first ring or band  94  of a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial ribs  90 , and a second ring or band  96  of a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial ribs  92 . In another embodiment, FIG. 13, the pattern is provided by a plurality of ribs  98  extending radially outwardly from aperture  44  in a wave pattern. In a further embodiment, ribs  90  and/or  92  of FIG. 12, or ribs  98  of FIG. 13, have an axial thickness  100 , FIG. 14, measured parallel to axis  40 , which axial thickness varies as the ribs extend radially relative to axis  40 . In such embodiment, it is preferred that axial thickness  100  increases as the ribs extend radially outwardly from aperture  44 . For example the axial thickness increases as the ribs extend radially outwardly from portion  102  to portion  104 , i.e. the axial thickness at  104  is greater than the axial thickness at  102 . 
     Lip  42  has an axial thickness  110 , FIG. 15, measured parallel to axis  40 . In a further embodiment, the noted pattern is provided by a plurality of annular steps  112 ,  114 ,  116  varying the noted axial thickness of lip  42  as the lip extends radially outwardly (leftwardly in FIG. 15) from aperture  44 . Further in this embodiment in preferred form, the noted pattern includes first step  112  spaced radially outwardly of aperture  44  and changing the axial thickness of lip  42  from a first axial thickness  118  to a second axial thickness  120 , and a second step  114  spaced radially outwardly of first step  112  and changing the axial thickness of lip  42  from the noted second axial thickness  120  to a third axial thickness  122 , wherein the noted third axial thickness  122  is greater than the noted second axial thickness  120 , and the noted second axial thickness  120  is greater than the noted first axial thickness  118 , and so on. 
     In another embodiment, the noted deflection controller is an insert  130 , FIG. 16, extending along lip  42 , preferably around the annulus of such lip along inner surface  50  around aperture  44 . Insert  130  includes an outer ring  132  connected to an inner ring  134  by a plurality of radial spokes  136 . Outer ring  132  may include plurality of axially and/or radially extending legs  138 , FIG. 17, extending therefrom for anchoring insert  130  in cavity  48 . In a further embodiment, FIG. 18, inner ring  134  is eliminated, and the insert includes only an outer ring  140  and a plurality of radial spokes  142  extending radially inwardly therefrom. The spokes  142  or  136  of the insert have an axial thickness  144 , FIG. 19, measured parallel to axis  40 . In a further embodiment, the axial thickness of the spokes varies as the spokes extend radially. In the preferred form of such embodiment, the noted axial thickness decreases as the spokes extend radially inwardly (rightwardly in FIG. 19) from outer ring  132  or  140 , for example the axial thickness of the spokes at  146  is less than the axial thickness of the spokes at  148 . 
     In another embodiment, FIGS. 20,  21  and insert  150  has an outer ring  152  with radial spokes  154  hinged at  156  to outer ring  152  for axial deflection therefrom as shown at arrow  158 . Spokes  154  are resiliently hinged to outer ring  152  at a biased pivot  156 , preferably a spring hinge, to resiliently resist deflection of lip  42  at aperture  44 . 
     In another embodiment, FIG. 22, the noted insert is a spiral  160  around lip aperture  44 . The spiral may have a plurality of legs  162  extending axially and/or radially therefrom for anchoring the insert in cavity  48 . In preferred form, the spiral is a resilient spring. 
     In a further embodiment, one or more notches  170 , FIG. 23, are provided along the annulus along lip  42  around aperture  44  and provide an inflection point  172  for controlled axial deflection of lip  42  at aperture  44  as shown at arrow  174  to the dashed line deflected position  176  of lip  42 . Notch  170  preferably annularly circumscribes lip aperture  44  and is a continuous circle therearound. Notch  170  is in lip inner surface  50  and concavely faces cavity  48 . The notch is a V-shaped annulus with the apex  178  of the V facing upwardly away from cavity  48 , and the sides  180  of the V extending downwardly from apex  178  toward cavity  48 . In a further embodiment, two radially spaced circumferential notches  182 ,  184 , FIG. 24, extend along the annulus of lip  42  around aperture  44 . The notches have an axial height measured parallel to axis  40 , and the axial height  186  of notch  182  is less than the axial height  188  of notch  184 . This provides two inflection points for axial deflection of lip  42 , and compound deflection as shown in dashed line at  190  and  192  for compound deflection of lip  42 . 
     It is recognized that various equivalents, alternatives and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.