WO2001033947A1

WO2001033947A1 - Apparatus and method for milking machines

Info

Publication number: WO2001033947A1
Application number: PCT/SE2000/002186
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jerker ÅBERG; Torbjörn Petterson
Original assignee: Delaval Holding Ab
Priority date: 1999-11-09
Filing date: 2000-11-08
Publication date: 2001-05-17
Also published as: SE9904050L; SE9904050D0; SE515400C2; AU1746301A; EP1227716A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for a milking machine, comprising a teat cup, a first holding element (16) and a second holding element (17); an apparatus for a milking machine, comprising a liner part (5) and a milk tube part (6) integrated to each other; and a method for adjusting a bending angle of the milk tube part (6) relatively to the teat cup or the liner part (5). The first holding element (16) is mounted to the milk tube part (6) and the second holding element (17) is mounted to a pulse tube (9). The holding elements (16, 17) are detachably connected to each other for adjusting the bending angle. At least one stop element, for example a flange (13), is attached to the milk tube part (6) so as to limit the axial movement of the first holding element (16) on the milk tube part (6).

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MILKING MACHINES

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

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.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

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. Another reason is that the milking stations within the parlour will be closer together, giving a greater risk of entanglement of suspension means belonging to the milking machine, short and long pulse tubes and short and long milk tubes. The risk of entanglement is also greater for said smaller animals since there are only two teat cups in a cluster for these smaller animals, compared to four teat cups in a cluster used for cows. A hanging cluster during milking of a smaller animal is thus less stable and there is a greater risk of twisting of the tubes. Also, it is very important that the cluster does not touch the floor since it will interfere with the milking.

It is a problem to change the bending angle of a monobloc liner without interfering with the milking procedure. 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. However, 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. By the positions of the holes, 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.

Furthermore, it is a problem to provide an apparatus with a teat cup liner that admits inlet of air when a bending of a milk tube is necessary to avoid the problems discussed above. None of the arrangements in the documents cited above provides such an apparatus.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 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.

It is also an object of the present invention to combine an apparatus for adjusting the bending angle with an air inlet element in order to increase a milk discharge velocity in a milk tube part.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to effectively use the air stream coming into a milk tube to enhance the milking velocity, and reduce the risk of choking of an air inlet in a milk tube part.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to adjust a bending angel of a milk tube part relatively to a teat cup or a liner part, 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. Alternatively, 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, such as a flange, 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. Preferably 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. Alternatively 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. Preferably, the locking elements are assymmetrical wedge-shaped teeth corresponding to several indentations to provide a detachable snap locking connection.

DRAWING SUMMARY

The objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment, as well as other embodiments, when read together with the accompanying drawings in which:

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.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

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. Parts associated with 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.

As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, 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. As seen in figure 2, 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.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, 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. In order to prevent the first and second holding elements 16 and 17 from undesired sliding on the short milk tube part 6 and the pulse tube 9 respectively, 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.

As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, 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.

Now the mounting and adjustment of the bending angle of the preferred embodiment will be described. 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. Therefore, 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.

To completely disconnect the coupling parts 15 and 19 from each other when they are in a locked position, 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.

Now having described the preferred embodiment and a method of adjusting the bending angle of a short milk tube part within the preferred embodiment, it should be noted that the invention must not be considered restricted to the preferred embodiment described above but may be modified in various ways within the scope of the appended claims. Alternative embodiments within the scope of the present invention will now be described as examples only.

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.

It is also obvious that 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. Although 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. However, as previously described, 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. In case the air inlet element is not inserted, 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.

Instead of the ridges 20, 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.

Instead of the tubular holding parts 14 and 18, the holding parts may have another cross section, such as a hollow-rectangular cross section if a tube for some reason has rectangular outer surfaces. 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. This embodiment of the holding parts provides an alternative method of mounting the holding elements 16 and 17 and may provide a better alternative than the preferred embodiment on already installed short milk- and pulse tubes in a milking machine. To mount a holding element on a tube, the rims 27 are pushed together and fastened to each other by at least one fastener. 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. Here, 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, the ridges 20 and the air inlet element together with the aperture 12, pre- vent the holding part from undesired movement. As seen in FIG. 7, there is a distance between the flanges and the radially extending walls of the recess 28. 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.

Moreover, it is obvious that 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. For example, 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. Instead of the latter example, only one coupling part, with locking teeth 22 or indentations 21 on its surfaces facing the inner surfaces of the second coupling parts 19, could be provided instead of the two first coupling parts 15. FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment of a coupling part. Here is 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. It shall also be noted that other projecting locking elements of various shapes are within the scope of the invention. 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.

It should be understood that 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.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting a bending angle of a milk tube part (6), relatively to a teat cup or a liner part (5), in a milking machine, characterised by mounting at least a first holding element (16), with at least a first coupling part (15), to said milk tube part (6); mounting at least a second holding element (17), with at least a second coupling part (19), to a pulse tube (9); and adjusting said bending angle by de- tachably connecting said first and second coupling parts (15, 19) to each other.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterised by inserting at least one air inlet element (11), which is connected to said first holding element (16), into said milk tube part (6).

3. A method according to claim 2, characterised in that milk is discharged during milking in a milk discharge direction (D) in said milk tube part (6), and said insertion of the air inlet element (11) is performed in a direction obliquely with, or in the same direction as, said milk discharge direction (D).

4. A method according to anyone of claims 1-3, characterised by providing at least one stop element, such as a flange ( 13), on said milk tube part (6) to prevent said first holding element (16) from undesired movement along said milk tube part (6).

5. A method according to anyone of claims 1-4, characterised by providing said first and second coupling parts (15, 19) with locking elements (21, 22) at different positions so as to provide alternative bending angles of said milk tube part (6).

6. An apparatus for a milking machine, comprising at least one teat cup, a first holding element (16) and a second holding element (17), characterised in that said first holding element (16) is mounted to a milk tube part (6) with an inner wall surface and an cuter wall surface, said second holding element (17) is mounted to a pulse tube (9), and that said first and second holding element (16, 17) are detachably connected to each other for adjusting a bending angle of said milk tube part (6) in relation to said teat cup.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, characterised in that at least one air inlet element (11) with an outlet, is inserted into said milk tube part (6).

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, characterised in that said air inlet element (11) is connected to said first holding element (16).

9. An apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that said air inlet element (11) protrudes from said inner wall surface and said outlet is sub- stantially obliquely directed with, or in the same direction as. a milk discharge direction (D) in said milk tube part (6).

10. An apparatus according to anyone of claims 6-9, characterised in that said milk tube part (6) has a cross section with an outer contour and said first holding element (16) has a first tubular holding part (14), which has a cross section with a first inside contour adapted to said outer contour.

11. An apparatus according to anyone of claims 6-10, characterised in that said pulse tube (9) has an outer cross sectional contour and said second holding element (17) has a second tubular holding part (18), which has a cross section with a second inside contour adapted to said outer cross sectional contour of said pulse tube (9).

12. An apparatus according to anyone of claims 6-11, characterised in that said first holding element (16) comprises at least one first friction increasing element, for example at least one ridge (20), which engages said milk tube part (6).

13. An apparatus according to anyone of claims 6-12, characterised in that said second holding element (17) comprises at least one second friction increasing element, for example at least one ridge (20), which engages said pulse tube (9).

14. An apparatus according to anyone of claims 6-13, characterised in that said first and second holding elements (16, 17) comprise coupling parts (15, 19) that are provided with locking elements (21, 22), such as locking teeth and corresponding indentations.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, characterised in that said locking elements (21, 22) provides a detachable snap locking connection.

16. An apparatus for a milking machine, comprising a liner part (5) and a milk tube part (6) integrated to each other, characterised in that at least one stop element, for example a flange (13), is attached to said milk tube part (6) so as to limit the axial movement along said milk tube part (6) of a first holding element (16), which is attached to said milk tube part (6) and detachably connected to a second holding element (17) mounted on a pulse tube (9) for adjusting a bending angle of said milk tube part.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, characterised in that it has at least one aperture (12) in which an air inlet element (11) is inserted.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, characterised in that said air inlet element (11) is connected to said first holding element (16).

19. An apparatus according to claim 17 or 18, characterised in that said aperture (12) is inclined to the longitudinal axis of the milk tube part (6).

20. An apparatus according to anyone of claims 16-19, characterised in that said stop element is an integrated part of said milk tube part (6).

21. An apparatus according to anyone of claims 16-20, characterised in that at least one of said first holding element (16) or said milk tube part (6) comprises at least one first friction increasing element, for example at least one ridge (20), that in- creases the friction between said first holding element ( 16) and said milk tube part (6).

22. An apparatus according to anyone of claims 16-21, characterised in that said milk tube part (6) has a cross section with an outer contour being adapted to an inside contour of a first tubular holding part (14), which is a part of said first holding element (16).

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, characterised in that it comprises two stop elements, for example flanges (13), having a distance between them that is substantially equal to or larger than the length of a first tubular holding part (14) of said first holding element.

24. An apparatus according to claim 22, characterised in that it comprises two stop elements, for example flanges (13), being received in a recess (25) in an inside wall of said first holding element (16).