Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01J—MANUFACTURE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS
  • A01J5/00—Milking machines or devices
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01J—MANUFACTURE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS
  • A01J5/00—Milking machines or devices
  • A01J5/04—Milking machines or devices with pneumatic manipulation of teats
  • A01J5/044—Milk lines or coupling devices for milk conduits
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01J—MANUFACTURE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS
  • A01J5/00—Milking machines or devices
  • A01J5/04—Milking machines or devices with pneumatic manipulation of teats
  • A01J5/08—Teat-cups with two chambers

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 1 for adjusting a bending angle of a milk tube part, an apparatus according to the preamble of claim 6 for a milking machine, and an apparatus according to the preamble of claim 16 for a milking machine.
• Apparatus for milking machines having a liner part and a short milk tube part integrated with each other as one piece, are commonly known as monobloc liners.
• a common type of monobloc liners is straight and often used for cows, but there are also bent monobloc liners, which often are used for milking of sheep. It is very difficult and impractical for many reasons, to use ordinary straight monobloc liners for milking standing smaller four-legged mammals, e.g. goats and sheep, compared to larger animals, such as cows.
• One reason is that there is less clearance between the udder and the floor of a parlour, which makes it difficult to avoid the teat cup from getting dirty and unhygienic when the milking vacuum has ceased and the cluster falls away from the udder.
• EP-908091-A1 discloses a teat cup with a teat cup liner having a bent milk discharge line.
• the bent discharge line makes it possible to shorten the teat cup.
• the bending angle can be chosen as an angle from 55 degrees to 125 degrees.
• this teat cup arrangement has several drawbacks.
• the bending angle is permanently settled during the assembly of the teat cup and can not be changed without a time consuming dismantling, change of parts that fit another bending angle, and reassembling.
• the permanently bent teat cup liner is also not adapted to the variety of forms of the udders and the positions of the teats on different individuals.
• the milk discharge velocity in the liner must not be too slow in order to avoid disturbance of the pulsing movement of the liner.
• SE-433695-B discloses a teat cup with a liner that has prefabricated holes for admission of air into the liner.
• the air gives an increased milk discharge velocity from the liner.
• the holes in the liner are positioned inside the teat cup and the liner therefore has an air-tightening flange adjacent the holes in order to provide a pulsation chamber together with the teat cup housing.
• the liner is straight and no means for bending a short milk tube part is suggested. Also, the holes are perpendicular to the main direction of the milk discharge velocity.
• the arrangement does not ef- fectively use the air coming into the liner to increase the velocity, and there is a risk that the holes become choked by milk particles that are discharged at an angle to the main discharge direction, towards the holes. If the holes require a cleaning, a dismantling of the teat cup housing is needed in order to get access to the holes.
• the main object of the present invention is to provide a simple method and apparatus for creating and adjusting a bending angle of a milk tube so as to adapt a milking machine to different mammals, as well as the variety of forms of the udders and positions of the teats on different individuals.
• At least a first holding element is mounted to the milk tube part.
• the milk tube part has an outer and an inner wall surface and the milk tube part is either an integral part of a monobloc liner or a separate part.
• a second holding element is mounted to a pulse tube belonging to the same teat cup as the milk tube part.
• the first holding ele- ment has at least a first coupling part and the second holding element has at least a second coupling part.
• the first and the second coupling parts are detachably connect- able to each other at different positions corresponding to different bending angles of the milk tube part.
• At least one air inlet element which is connected to the first holding element as an integral part or as a separate attachable part, is inserted into the milk tube part. Milk is discharged in a milk discharge direction in the milk tube part during milking, and the air inlet element is inserted in a direction obliquely with, or in the same direction as the milk discharge direction.
• the air inlet element has an outlet and protrudes from the inner wall surface of the milk tube part. The outlet is substantially obliquely directed with, or in the same direction as, the milk discharge direction.
• the air inlet element could be formed as a hollow needle, which is pierced through the outer wall of the milk tube part and thus creates an aperture.
• the aperture is prefabricated for receiving the air inlet element. The prefabricated aperture is then preferably inclined to the longitudinal axis of the milk tube part.
• At least one stop element is provided on the milk tube part in order to prevent the first holding part from undesired movement along the milk tube part and to limit crack growth initiated in the aperture created by the insertion of the air inlet element into the milk tube part.
• a stop element is provided on the milk tube part in order to prevent the first holding part from undesired movement along the milk tube part and to limit crack growth initiated in the aperture created by the insertion of the air inlet element into the milk tube part.
• two stop elements are integrated with the milk tube part and these two stop elements have a distance between them that is substantially equal or larger than the length of the first tubular holding part.
• the two stop elements are received in a recess in an inside wall of the first holding element.
• the milk tube part has a cross section with an outer contour and the first holding element preferably has a first tubular holding part, which has a cross section with a first inside contour adapted to the outer contour of the milk tube part.
• the pulse tube has an outer cross sectional contour and the second holding element preferably has a second tubular holding part, which has a cross section with a second inside contour adapted to said outer cross sectional contour of said pulse tube.
• the first holding element preferably in the first tubular holding part, has at least one friction increasins element that engages the milk tube part.
• At least one friction increasing element that engages the pulse tube is similarly comprised in the second holding element, preferably in the sec- ond tubular holding part.
• An example friction increasing elements are ridges prefabricated in the same piece as the first and second tubular holding parts respectively.
• the first and second coupling parts comprises locking elements at different positions so as to provide alternative bending angles of the milk tube part.
• the locking elements are assymmetrical wedge-shaped teeth corresponding to several indentations to provide a detachable snap locking connection.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a part of a milking machine connected to a mammal
• FIG. 2 is a side view of a preferred embodiment according to the invention, showing only the parts of a whole milking apparatus that are necessary to better understand the special technical features of the invention;
• FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of a straight monobloc liner according to the preferred embodiment with an aperture;
• FIG. 4 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a first holding element
• FIG. 5 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a second holding element
• FIG. 6 is side view similar to FIG 4. showing a second embodiment of the first holding element
• FIG. 7 is a cross sectional side view showing a part of a third embodiment of the first holding element connected to a short milk tube part
• FIG. 8 is a partial view of a coupling part according to a second embodiment of the coupling parts
• FIG. 9 is a partial side view of two first coupling parts and one second coupling part connected to each other according to an alternative embodiment of the coupling parts;
• FIG. 10 is a partial side view of a coupling part comprising an inner coupling part and an upper coupling part pivotally connected to the inner coupling part;
• FIG. 11 is a partial cross sectional side view as seen in the direction indicated by line A-A in FIG. 10.
• FIG.1 A part of a milking machine is schematically shown in FIG.1, where a teat cup arrangement, designated generally by the reference sign 1, is attached to the udder of a sheep.
• a teat cup arrangement designated generally by the reference sign 1
• a milking apparatus such as a claw 2
• a long milk tube 3 and other parts further away from the teat cup arrangement 1 do not belong to the present invention and are therefore not shown in FIGS 2-1 1.
• a monobloc liner 4 comprises a liner part 5 and a short milk tube part 6 integrated with each other.
• the material of the monoblock liner 4 is preferably silicone rubber, synthetic rubber or a mixture of synthetic and natural rubber. These materials provide the elasticity required of modern monobloc liners.
• the short milk tube part 6 is bent 90 degrees in relation to the liner part 5, but the preferred embodiment naturally allows other bending angles. It should be noted that the monobloc liner 4 according to the preferred embodiment is allowed to be manufactured with any bending angle between the liner part 5 and the short milk tube part 6 so as to suit different milking apparatus for different animals.
• the liner part 5 is partly covered by a shell 7 having a protruding nipple 8 for connec- tion with a pulse tube 9. As seen in FIG 2, the nipple 8 protrudes substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shell. As is known to a person skilled in the art, the shell 7 and the liner part 5 form a pulsation chamber 10, whose function during milking requires no explanation as it known to a person ordinary skilled in the art.
• An air inlet element in the form of a hollow air inlet needle 11 is pierced through the outer wall surface of the short milk tube part 6 and protrudes from the inner wall surface at a position further down in the milk discharge direction D at an angle towards the longitudinal axis of the short milk tube part 6.
• An aperture 12 in the short milk tube part 6 is provided by the piercing action of the hollow air inlet needle 11.
• the short milk tube part 6 has one integrated stop element on each side of the aperture 12 in order to prevent a first holding part, which is mounted on the short milk tube part 6 between the two stop elements, from an unde- sired level of axial movement along the short milk tube part 6 and to strengthen the monobloc liner 4 against crack growth initiated by the aperture 12 and the hollow air inlet needle 11.
• the two stop elements are flanges 13 and the distance between them is substantially equal to or larger than the length of the first holding part, which is tubular and in the description of the preferred embodiment from now on is referred to as a first tubular holding part 14.
• the hollow air inlet needle 11 is an integrated part of the first tubular holding part 14, which in its turn, together with two first coupling parts 15, is an integrated part of a first holding element 16.
• the first tubular holding part 14 has an inside diameter substantially corresponding to the outside diameter of the short milk tube part 6.
• a second holding element 17 has a second holding part in the form of a second tubular holding part 18, which has an inside diameter substantiallv corresponding to the outside diameter of the pulse tube 9. and two second coupling parts 19.
• the first and the second tubular holding parts 14 and 18 are provided with friction increasing elements in the form of ridges 20 on their inside surface respectively, which are in contact with the short milk tube part 14 and the pulse tube 9 respectively. Movement of the first tu- bular holding part 14 is prevented also by the needle 11 in the aperture 12 and the flanges 13.
• the two first and the two second coupling parts 15 and 19 are formed as legs protruding from the first and the second holding elements 16 and 17 respectively.
• the first coupling parts 15 are substantially parallel to each other and the second coupling parts 19 are also substantially parallel to each other. Consequently, each pair of the coupling parts 15 and 19 have two parallel inner surfaces facing each other as well as two parallel outer surfaces with a normal pointing in opposite directions relatively to each other.
• the distance between the inner surfaces of the first coupling parts 15 is substantially equal to the distance between the outer surfaces of the second coupling parts 19.
• the inner surfaces of the first coupling parts 15 are provided with several indentations 21 corresponding to at least one pair of locking teeth 22 provided on the outer surfaces of the second coupling parts 19.
• the locking teeth 22 protrude substantially perpendicular to the main protruding direction of the second coupling parts 19, and each of the locking teeth 22 have one tooth surface 23 that is substantially perpendicular to the main protruding direction of the second coupling parts 19, and a tooth surface 24 that is inclined to the same direction of the second coupling parts 19.
• the substantially perpendicular tooth surface 23 has a normal that points in the direction towards the second tubular holding part 18 for reasons that will be explained later in the description.
• the inclined surface 24 and the substantially perpendicular surface 23 of a locking tooth form an asymmetrical wedge.
• the first holding element 16 is mounted by threading it on the end of the short milk tube part 6 and pushing the first tubular holding part 14 towards a position where the hollow air inlet needle 11 is positioned between the flanges 13.
• the hollow air inlet needle 11 is then pierced through the surface of the short milk tube part 6 towards the fully inserted position, where the first holding element 16 is positioned between the flanges 13.
• the resiliency of the material of the short milk tube part 6 allows the first holding element 16 to be pushed to the desired position where the hollow air inlet needle 11 is positioned between the flanges 13, although the first holding element 16 must be pushed over at least one of the flanges 13 and then further moved so that the hollow air inlet needle 11 is fully inserted in the short milk tube part 6.
• the second holding element 17 is mounted by threading it on the pulse tube 9.
• the ridges on the second tubular holding part 18 keeps the second holding element 17 in the mounted position, and the ridges, the flanges 13 and the hollow air inlet needle 11 in the aperture 12 keeps the first holding element 16 in the desired, mounted position.
• the adjustment of the bending angle is achieved by detachably connect the first and the second coupling parts 15 and 19 to each other.
• the connection is provided by inserting the second coupling parts 19 substantially straight from above between the first coupling parts 15 so that the outer surfaces of the second coupling parts 19 are in con- tact with the inner surfaces of the first coupling parts 15.
• the first and second holding elements 16 and 17 consist of plastics, spring steel or other suitable elastic material so as to provide an automatic snap locking when two or more of the locking teeth 22 are in position for insertion into some of the indentations 21.
• the locking teeth 22 are automatically pushed into the first indentation 21 that comes in their way, but the asymmetrical shape of the locking teeth 22 allows further pushing of the second coupling parts 19 into the first coupling parts 15, i.e. the snap locking in a certain position is easily disconnected when pushing the second coupling parts 19 further into the first coupling parts 15 to provide a snap locking at another position, providing a larger bending angle of the short milk tube part 6.
• the asymmetrical shape of the locking teeth 22 also provides the locking that prevents the coupling parts 15 and 19. once locked, from undesired disconnection by forces acting on the locking teeth 22 substantially in the insertion direction of the second holding parts 19.
• the second coupling parts 19 have to be pushed towards each other or the first coupling parts 15 have to be pulled apart a little bit from each other.
• This pushing or pulling is done by the hand force of a person or by using a pushing or pulling tool, such as a clamp or a pair of pliers.
• a more brute way of disconnecting the coupling parts 15 and 19 from each other is by pushing the second holding element 17 along the pulse tube 9, against the frictional force given by the ridges 20 on the inside of the second tubular holding part 18, so that the locking teeth 22 are pulled out from the indentation 21 perpendicular to the protruding direction of the second coupling parts 19.
• the present invention also applies to a short milk tube not being an integrated part of a monobloc liner. It is obvious the present invention is applicable to any ordinary short milk tube that is connected to a teat cup.
• the invention is applicable to a milking machine with a shell having a nipple protruding at a different angle than 90 degrees in relation to the longitudinal axis of the shell.
• the preferred inclination of the hollow air inlet needle 11 and the created aperture 12 are less than 90 degrees, as stated above, it is obvious that an angle of 90 degrees or more is provided instead of said angle if it is preferred, e.g. for manufacturing reasons.
• a hollow air inlet needle 11 that is inserted 90 degrees does not provide an effective use of the air stream that comes into the milk tube and the risk for the hollow air inlet needle 11 to be choked by milk particles is increased, thus effecting the milk discharge velocity.
• the needle 11 does not necessarily need to be an integrated part of the first holding element 16.
• the needle can as well be a part that is inserted in a through-hole in the first tubular holding part 14 after the mounting of the first holding element 16 on the short milk tube 6.
• the present invention is not limited only to the hollow air inlet needle 11, but also other equivalent air inlet elements are included within the scope of the present invention, for example an air inlet pipe, which also could be a loose part or an integrated part of the first holding element 16.
• the shape of the air inlet element is of course not restricted to a hollow-circular straight shape, but could for example be hollow-rectangular and bent as long as it has an outlet. In order to avoid clogging of the air inlet element from outside, it may be provided with an exchangeable filter element.
• a normal, pointing out from the air input element, to the plane of the outlet is obliquely or straight directed with the milk discharge direction D so as to reduce the choking from milk particles in the air inlet element.
• the aperture 12, which in the preferred embodiment is made by the hollow air inlet needle 11, could of course be prefabricated when the short milk tube part is moulded, or made before the mounting of the first holding element 16 on the short milk tube part 6 by a tool.
• An example of pro- viding an aperture 12 is to cut through-incisions in the short milk tube part 6. The incisions create flaps, which are bent inwards when the air inlet element is inserted into the short milk tube part 6 by pushing the flaps inwards and away from each other.
• the flaps are substantially aligned with the adjacent wall material of the short milk tube part 6 so as to avoid milk leakage at the aperture 12 and substantially prevent air from passing through the incisions.
• the aperture 12 may naturally also be prefabricated by boring an inclined or straight hole and the first holding element could of course include several integrated or detachable air inlet elements corresponding to the same numbers of apertures in the short milk tube part 6.
• the stop elements are not restricted to the integrated flanges 13 and may for example also be loose flanges mounted after the prefabrication of the holes or after the mounting of the first holding element 16.
• Examples of other embodiments of the stop elements are hose clamps and loose rubber rings.
• a vulcanizing agent may be applied to create fixed bulges. It shall also be noted that the use of only one stop element or more than two stop elements also lies within the scope of the invention.
• the first and second tubular holding parts 14 and 18 may be provided with other friction increasing element, such as a layer of a friction increasing material. It would of course be possible to prefabricate milk tubes or pulse tubes with friction increasing elements on their outside surfaces to enhance the friction.
• FIG 6 shows an embodiment of a holding part which has a semicircular upper holding part 25.
• the upper holding part is hinged to a lower holding part at one of its ends and hinged to another lower holding part at the other end.
• the lower holding parts have a quarter-circular holding part 26 and a rim 27 provided at the ends of the quarter-circular holding parts 26 opposite to their hinged end respectively.
• the rims 27 project substantially perpendicularly outwards in relation to the closest end of the quarter-circular holding part.
• FIG.7 shows a cross section view of yet another embodiment of the first holding element 16 mounted on the short milk tube part 6.
• the inside wall of the first holding part has a recess 28, which receives two flanges 13 that are positioned at a distance from each other.
• An air inlet element is inserted into the short milk tube part 6 between the flanges 13.
• the flanges 13 or the recess 28 could also be substantially formed so as to not provide this distance or to give the recess 28 a length that compress the part of the short milk tube part 6 between the flanges 13 in order to reduce the risk of crack growth from the aperture 12 when the short milk tube part 6 is pulled.
• the order of magnitude of the compression is suitably 0,5 mm.
• the present invention is not restricted to only one holding element on each of said tube. Two or more pairs of corresponding first and second holding elements 16 and 17 is possible if it is desired.
• the coupling parts 15 and 19 are allowed to have a large number of different embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention as long as the coupling parts are detachably connected.
• the features of the parts involved with the coupling parts 15 and 19 in the preferred invention allow several equivalent variations, e.g. providing the locking teeth 23 on the inside surfaces of the first coupling parts 15 instead of the outer surfaces of the second coupling parts 19, only one second coupling part instead of the two second coupling parts 19, or letting the distance between the outer surfaces of the first coupling parts 15 correspond to the distance between the inner surfaces of the second coupling parts 19.
• FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment of a coupling part.
• the coupling part provided with indentations 21, which elongates transversely to the main protruding direction of the coupling part. All the boarder lines of the indentations 21 are positioned inside the surface of the coupling part so as to provide two end walls 29 for each of the indentations 21. If these indentations 21 are provided on a first coupling part, the second holding element 17 is prevented from disconnection from the first holding element 16 by pushing the second holding element 17 along the pulse tube 9.
• FIG. 9 shows a coupling between two first coupling parts 15 and one second coupling part. These coupling parts have several holes 30 with substantially the same diameter and a locking pin 31 is inserted through three of the holes to provide the coupling and adjustment of the bending angle.
• FIGS.10 and 11 shows a part of a holding element where an outer coupling part 32 is freely pivotally connected to an inner coupling part 33 by a pivot axle 34.
• the outer and inner coupling parts 32 and 33 are provided with several through-holes 35, whose centre lines are positioned at the same distance from the centre line of the pivot axle 34.
• a pin (not shown) may be inserted into one of the through-holes in the inner coupling part 33 and then forward into one of the through-holes 35 in the outer coupling part 32. In this way, a fixing of the angle between the outer and inner coupling parts 32 and 33 is accomplished.
• this invention relates to milking machines for milking all kinds of terrestrial mammals; from relatively large mammals, such as buffaloes, horses, cows, goats, sheep and camels, to relatively small mammals, such as rats and mice.

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• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Husbandry (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Medicines Containing Material From Animals Or Micro-Organisms (AREA)
• External Artificial Organs (AREA)
• Endoscopes (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

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• 1999
  • 1999-11-09 SE SE9904050A patent/SE515400C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2000
  • 2000-11-08 WO PCT/SE2000/002186 patent/WO2001033947A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-11-08 EP EP00980167A patent/EP1227716A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-11-08 AU AU17463/01A patent/AU1746301A/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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