Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US20040035367?ie=ISO-8859-1
Timestamp: 2015-07-31 03:53:45
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Matched Legal Cases: ['art 8', 'art 8', 'art 9', 'art 9', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 9', 'art 8']

Patent US20040035367 - Milking cup for milking machines - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsThe present invention relates to a milking cup comprising a cup sleeve, a teat rubber inserted in the cup sleeve with a head piece and an intake socket connectable with a milk discharge conduit, and comprising an air inlet valve provided on the milking cup and connected with the interior space of the...http://www.google.com/patents/US20040035367?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US20040035367 - Milking cup for milking machinesAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS20040035367 A1Publication typeApplicationApplication numberUS 10/258,705PCT numberPCT/EP2001/004475Publication dateFeb 26, 2004Filing dateApr 19, 2001Priority dateApr 28, 2000Also published asCA2408371A1, CA2408371C, DE10021080A1, DE50109159D1, EP1276368A1, EP1276368B1, EP1276368B2, US6860228, WO2001084914A1Publication number10258705, 258705, PCT/2001/4475, PCT/EP/1/004475, PCT/EP/1/04475, PCT/EP/2001/004475, PCT/EP/2001/04475, PCT/EP1/004475, PCT/EP1/04475, PCT/EP1004475, PCT/EP104475, PCT/EP2001/004475, PCT/EP2001/04475, PCT/EP2001004475, PCT/EP200104475, US 2004/0035367 A1, US 2004/035367 A1, US 20040035367 A1, US 20040035367A1, US 2004035367 A1, US 2004035367A1, US-A1-20040035367, US-A1-2004035367, US2004/0035367A1, US2004/035367A1, US20040035367 A1, US20040035367A1, US2004035367 A1, US2004035367A1InventorsJakob Maier, Wilfried HatzackOriginal AssigneeJakob Maier, Wilfried HatzackExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (5), Referenced by (1), Classifications (4), Legal Events (2) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetMilking cup for milking machines
[0021] According to the figure, a milking cup 1 comprises a cup sleeve 2 with a teat rubber 3 inserted therein. The teat rubber 3 comprises a head piece 4 by means of which it is retained on the cup sleeve 2, as well as an intake socket 5 preferably made integrally with the head piece 4, projecting into the cup sleeve 2 and protruding out of an opening 6 of the cup sleeve 2. The intake socket 5 is sealed against the inner wall of the cup sleeve 2 by means of an inspection glass 7. The inspection glass 7 is made of first pipe part 8 having a relatively large internal cross-section, whereby said widened pipe part 8 verges into a second pipe part 9 having a reduced cross-section. Said second pipe part 9 of the inspection glass 7 communicates with the milk discharge conduit, which is subject to a continuous vacuum. The milk discharge conduit is not shown in the figure. [0022] A pipe socket 11 is formed on the cup sleeve 2, which connects the annular space 12 positioned between the inner wall of the cup sleeve 2 and the outside of the intake socket 5 with a pulsator not shown in the figure, by means of which the annular space 12 is periodically subjected to a low pressure and, thereafter, again to atmospheric pressure. Likewise connected with the annular space 12 is an air inlet valve 13 affixed to the cup sleeve 2. The air inlet valve 13 is in flow connection with the widened pipe part 8 of the inspection glass 7 via a first conduit 14. Moreover, a second conduit 24 is passed from the air inlet valve 13 to the head piece 4 of the teat rubber 3. The air inlet valve is in flow connection with the interior space of the teat rubber via an opening 25 in the head piece 4 of the teat rubber. The air inlet valve 13 is illustrated only schematically and is configured such that it produces a connection between conduit 14 and the atmosphere in response to the pulsator pressure respectively prevailing in the annular space 12, whereby, in said embodiment, the air inlet valve 14 is so adjusted that it opens during the relief phase when the increase of the pulsator pressure is relatively low, and closes again at the beginning of the suction phase when the pulsator pressure is reduced from the atmospheric pressure to a predetermined low pressure. As the intake socket 5 and the pipe part 8 are permanently subjected to a low pressure via the milk discharge pipe, air under atmospheric pressure can at one opening of the air inlet valve 13, via conduit 14, flow into the pipe part 8 and, thus, into the intake socket 5 and the milk discharge conduit. Conduit 14 is preferably detachably connected with the widened pipe part 8 of the inspection glass. For this purpose an opening 15 going through the lateral wall is provided in the pipe part 8. For retaining conduit 14 in said opening 15 pipe lamella 16 are formed at the end of conduit 14, which, in the inserted state of the conduit 14, come to rest on opposite sides of the wall of pipe part 8 and firmly retain the conduit 14 in pipe part 8 and also seal it against said pipe part. The conduit 14 itself is preferably formed of a flexible and transparent material, so that it can exactly be observed whether any residues are present in conduit 14. Conduit 14 preferably also protrudes by a certain length over the inner wall of pipe part 8 and into the latter. A drip nose 17 may thereby be formed on the end protruding into the pipe part 8. Said end protruding into the pipe part 8 and especially the provision of a drip nose at this end prevent milk from flowing back into conduit 14 from pipe part 9 and the milk discharge conduit associated therewith when the milking cup is turned around. [0023] The operating mode of the milking cup 1 is approximately as follows: [0024] At the beginning, a teat to be milked is introduced into the intake socket 5 via the head piece 4 of the teat rubber 3. A low pressure is then produced in the intake socket 5, namely via the milk discharge conduit and the inspection glass 7. At the same time, the pulsator is started to operate. If a low pressure is produced in the annular space 12 by the pulsator, the milking cup is in the suction phase, whereby the conduits 14 and 24 are sealed against the atmosphere by the air inlet valve 13. Due to the identical low pressure on the inside and the outside the intake socket 5 thereby has its natural form illustrated in the figure. Due to the vacuum during the suction phase the milk is sucked through the inspection glass 7 into the milk discharge conduit and is discharged through the same. [0025] In the relief phase the annular space 12 is subjected to an atmospheric pressure, whereby the air inlet valve 13 is opened, so that, via conduit 14, atmospheric air can flow into the widened pipe part 8 of inspection glass 7, and, via conduit 24 and the opening 25, atmospheric air can flow into the interior of the teat rubber in the area of the teat base. As seen in the drawing, the opening 25 runs into the interior of the teat rubber, namely in an area above the sealing portion with the teat. During the relief phase the low pressure is, thus reduced over the sealing portion with the teat in response to the amount of admitted atmospheric air. This likewise entails a slightly reduced vacuum underneath the sealing portion, as the sealing between the teat rubber and the teat is not complete. Moreover, during the relief phase and due to atmospheric pressure prevailing in the annular space 12, the intake socket 5 of the teat rubber is folded in against its own elasticity, whereby the upper portion of the intake socket adapts to the teat and a constricted portion is formed underneath the teat, which separates the teat from the portion above the inspection glass 7. Thus, due to the constriction of the teat rubber, the flow of milk from the teat is intermitted and a massage effect occurs as result of the adherence of the teat rubber due to the atmospheric pressure. The milk plug flowing off underneath the constricted portion would, because of its flow-off, produce an even larger vacuum in the portion of the inspection glass 7 and, thus, would be reversely accelerated toward the teat during the subsequent suction phase. This is prevented by the introduction of a certain amount of atmospheric air via the air inlet valve 13 and conduit 14, so that the milk plug can flow off without interruption. [0026] Due to the interaction of the atmospheric air fed in the head piece of the teat rubber and the atmospheric air fed in the inspection glass 7 via conduit 14, a reliable discharge of the milked milk as well as an efficient massage effect for passing back the congested blood in the teat are achieved. [0027] Although, according to the above-described embodiment, the supply with atmospheric air in the upper and lower portion of the intake socket was described on the basis of a single valve, whereby the permanent cleaning of the milking cup is not rendered more difficult in contrast to a conventional milking cup, it is still feasible to control both portions with separate valves. By means of the second conduit 24 and a dosing element provided thereon, which may have the form of a clamp, it is moreover conceivable to constantly supply a certain amount of atmospheric air in the area of the teat base so as to avoid too strong a contraction of the teat in the upper portion. Furthermore, it is advantageous to provide both conduits 14, 24 with separately adjustable dosing elements such as clamps, so as to purposively control the amount of incoming atmospheric air. [0028] According to another embodiment, moreover, a time-lag device is provided in the air inlet valve, which supplies the second conduit 24 with atmospheric air, so as to obtain a certain time delay between the beginning of the relief phase, i.e. the presence of atmospheric pressure in the annular space 12, and the supplying of the upper teat portion with atmospheric air. The time delay can, for instance, be obtained in that the air inlet valve supplying the conduit 24 produces the connection between the atmosphere and conduit 24 only when a relatively high pressure is reached in the annular space 12. Thus, it can be achieved that, by the folding-in of the intake socket, the teat is at first “pressed out” from above and that the blood circulation is stimulated due to the subsequent massage pressure of the intake socket and the reduced adherence of the intake socket by the reduced vacuum in the upper portion of the teat. [0029] An essential advantage of the milking cup according to the invention also resides in that the total weight of the milking cup can be reduced as a result of the improved massage effect. The high weight of a conventional milking cup was particularly required for obtaining a certain stimulation of the udder, namely due to the dynamics during the milking process by the high weight of the swinging milking cup. As the combined supply of atmospheric air causes a corresponding upward and downward movement of the milking cup, the high dead weight of the milking cup can be waived. Therefore, the milking cup can partially or entirely be made of a light material, e.g. a plastic material, for example by means of injection molding. [0030] According to another embodiment the second conduit 24 is formed as an integral component of the teat rubber 3 or, respectively, of the intake socket 5, so that an easy and inexpensive manufacture of the milking cup according to the invention can be achieved. [0031] The air inlet valve is advantageously designed in the manner described in patent document DD 2 33 063, whereby the wetting with milk during the operation is avoided and the cleaning and the maintenance of this cleaned state are improved. Moreover, such an air inlet valve can advantageously be combined with another air inlet valve for supplying the upper teat portion with atmospheric air, as is described in DE 16 32 935. Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS2151733May 4, 1936Mar 28, 1939American Box Board CoContainerCH283612A * Title not availableFR1392029A * Title not availableFR2166276A1 * Title not availableGB533718A Title not available* Cited by examinerReferenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS7861669 *Apr 15, 2005Jan 4, 2011Delaval Holding AbControlled collar vacuum* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification119/14.07International ClassificationA01J5/08Cooperative ClassificationA01J5/08European ClassificationA01J5/08Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionAug 28, 2008FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Sep 3, 2012FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 8RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services