Patent ID: 8578881

Claim:
An arrangement for gripping a teat cup ( 1 ), comprising: a storing device ( 10 ) comprising a wall element ( 11 ) connected to a positioning element ( 15 ), the positioning element ( 15 ) adapted to hold a teat cup ( 1 ) in a parked position; a gripping device ( 2 ) comprising a grip portion ( 4 ) connected to a base portion ( 7 ), the grip portion ( 4 ) having a teat cup contact surface ( 6 a ) adapted to grip the parked teat cup ( 1 ) parked in the positioning element ( 15 ), the gripping device ( 2 ) adapted to be moved, during a gripping operation of the teat cup ( 1 ), to an initial position in which the contact surface ( 6 a ) of the grip portion ( 4 ) is in contact with a contact surface ( 1 d ) of the teat cup ( 1 ) and then to a grip position in which the grip portion ( 4 ) is able to grip the teat cup ( 1 ) parked in the positioning element ( 15 ); and a resilient suspension device ( 9 ) operatively connected between one of i) the wall element ( 11 ) and the positioning element ( 15 ) of the storing device ( 10 ), and ii) the base portion ( 7 ) and the grip portion ( 4 ) of the gripping device ( 2 ), the resilient suspension device ( 9 ) comprising elements, through a pressing force from the gripping device, for displacing in a first axis direction (y) and inclining in an arbitrary direction in each of a second axis direction (x) and a third axis direction (z), one of i) the positioning element ( 15 ) and ii) the grip portion ( 4 ), when the contact surface ( 6 a ) of the grip portion ( 4 ) comes into contact with the contact surface ( 1 d ) of the teat cup ( 1 ) during the gripping operation, wherein a hole ( 17 ) is defined through one of (i) the wall element ( 11 ) and (ii) the base portion ( 7 ), the hole ( 17 ) having an end portion ( 17 a ) tapered from a rear side of one of (i) the wall element ( 11 ) and (ii) the base portion ( 7 ) opposite a connection side of one of (i) the wall element ( 11 ) and (ii) the base portion ( 7 ) at which one of (i) the wall element ( 11 ) is connected to the positioning element ( 15 ) and (ii) the base portion ( 7 ) is connected to the grip portion ( 4 ), a portion of the resilient suspension device ( 9 ) being movable within the tapered end portion ( 17 a ) of the hole ( 17 ), and as the gripping device ( 2 ) is moved from the initial contact position to the grip position during the gripping operation, the displacing and the inclining adjusts the contact surface ( 6 d ) of the grip portion ( 4 ) in relation to the contact surface ( 1 d ) of the teat cup ( 1 ) for the grip portion ( 4 ) to grip the teat cup ( 1 ) parked in the positioning element ( 15 ).