WO2002091946A2

WO2002091946A2 - Teat sanitising device

Info

Publication number: WO2002091946A2
Application number: PCT/GB2002/002192
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Harvey
Original assignee: Vordin Limited
Priority date: 2001-05-15
Filing date: 2002-05-13
Publication date: 2002-11-21
Also published as: WO2002091946A3

Abstract

A dual-mode teat sanitising device comprising a resiliently compressible, hollow body part (2) and a cup (4) into which the teat of an animal may be dipped. The cup (4) has a first aperture (12) at or adjacent the mouth of the cup which communicates with the interior of the body part (2), a second aperture (10) at or adjacent the base of the cup which communicates with the interior of the body part and closure means (16) for selectively closing one or other of the two apertures (10, 12). Thus the device is re-configurable to provide two different modes of operation according to the user's requirements, by closing one or other of the two apertures (10,12), whilst leaving the other aperture open.

Description

TEAT SANITISING DEVICE

The present invention relates to a teat sanitising device and, more particularly, to a bovine-teat sanitising device .

It is common practice to sanitise the teats of an animal, such as a cow, immediately prior to and/or after milking, by dipping each teat in turn into a sanitising fluid.

Various devices are known for use in the sanitisation of animal teats, but these devices tend take one of only two standard forms: either the device is configured for a small volume of sanitising fluid to be discharged into a cup from the body of the device and dispensed with immediately after use, or the sanitising fluid discharged into the cup is drawn back into the body of the device after use.

It will be appreciated that the former arrangement, whilst providing the advantage of reducing the risk of cross- contamination that might occur between animals, is very wasteful of sanitising fluid and may therefore be unsuitable for use where the cost of the sanitising fluid is high and/or the risk of cross-contamination is low. Conversely, the second arrangement, whilst being relatively economical in its use of sanitising fluid, is more likely to result in cross-contamination between animals.

We have now devised an arrangement which overcomes the limitations of existing teat sanitising devices. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a dual-mode teat sanitising device comprising a resiliently compressible, hollow body part and a cup into which the teat of an animal may be dipped, the cup having a first aperture at or adjacent the mouth of the cup and communicating with the interior of the body part, a^second aperture at or adjacent the base of the cup and communicating with the interior of the body part and closure means for selectively closing one or other of the two apertures.

Thus the device is re-configurable to provide two different modes of operation according to the user's requirements, by closing one or other of the two apertures, whilst leaving the other aperture open.

It will be appreciated that in either mode of operation, the cup may be flooded with sanitising fluid by compressing the body part to discharge a small quantity of sanitising fluid therefrom and into the cup, via whichever of the two apertures is open. In a first mode of operation, wherein the aperture at or adjacent the base of the cup closed, the cup will remain filled when the compressive force is removed from the body part of the device, whereas, in the second mode of operation, wherein the aperture at or adjacent the mouth of the cup closed, the cup will drain via the aperture at or adjacent the base of the cup when the compressive force upon the body part of the device is released.

In practice, the choice of mode in which the device is to be operated will determined by a number of factors, but principally by the cost of the sanitising fluid to be used and the requirement to prevent cross-contamination between the teats of different animals.

For example, the first mode of operation might be chosen where the cost of the sanitising fluid to be used is relative low, allowing the residual contents of the cup to be tipped away between the sanitising of successive animals, thus preventing any cross-contamination between animals. Where cross-contamination is less of a concern and/or the cost of the sanitising fluid to be used is relatively high, the second mode of operation of the device might instead be preferred.

The closure means may be provided by a single plug or cap, transferrable between the two apertures in the cup, or respective plugs or caps connected to, or separable from, the two apertures. In the latter case, it will be appreciated that the two plugs or caps may be used to close both apertures in the cup when the device is not in use. Where the closure means are provided by a cap or pair of caps, the or each cap is preferably arranged to fit over a one of a pair of tubular portions of the cup which extend into the interior of the body part from each of the two apertures in the cup. Preferably the device comprises a tube for selectively connecting to one or other of the apertures to extend into the interior of the body part, preferably to a base region of the body part.

Preferably, the cup is releasably secured to a neck of the body part by an annular collar which is detachable from and extends around the mouth of the cup.

Thus, both the cup and the collar may be detached from the body part of the device as a single connected part, for refilling the device or for transferring the tube between the two apertures in the cup, and the collar removed from the cup for cleaning the device or for opening or closing the aperture at or adjacent the mouth of the cup.

In a first preferred embodiment, the collar is arranged to form an interference fit around the mouth of the cup, the radially inner surface of the collar being either screw- threaded for attaching to a screw-threaded portion of the neck of the body part or arranged to form an interference fit around the neck of the body part. In either case, a circumferential flange around the mouth of the cup is preferably arranged to be compressed between the collar and body part.

In a second preferred embodiment, the radially inner surface of the collar is screw-threaded for attaching in turn to a screw-threaded portion of a rim at the mouth of the cup and a screw-threaded portion of the neck of the body part. Preferably the neck of the body part is inclined away from the axis of the body part, thereby providing a more ergonomic arrangement which allows the cup to be more conveniently manually positioned over the teat of an animal.

Preferably the body part of the device is formed with a recessed circumferential channel for locating a pair of opposed, resiliently-displaceable arms of circular clip.

Preferably the collar is arranged to deflect a flow of fluid through the first aperture, from the interior of the body part, away from the mouth of the cup. Preferably the second aperture is shaped to direct a flow of fluid therethrough, from the interior of the body part, away from the mouth of the cup.

Also in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a teat sanitising device comprising a body part and a clip for attaching to the body part to secure the body part to a support device, such as a post or wall.

Preferably the body part is formed with a recessed circumferential channel for locating a pair of opposed, resiliently-displaceable arms of the clip. Preferably the clip comprises a portion of a bracket, the bracket also having a saddle portion for securing against the surface of a cylindrical pole, for example by means one or more bands wrapped around the pole.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of examples only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of device in accordance with the present invention;

Figures 2 to 6 are, respectively, a side elevation, front elevation, rear elevation, top and bottom plan views of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the device;

Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the device secured to a support member; Figure 9 is a sectional side elevation of a second embodiment of device in accordance with the present invention, in a first configuration; and

Figure 10 is a sectional side elevation of the device of Figure 9, in a second configuration. Referring to Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings, a first embodiment of teat sanitising device is shown comprising a hollow, resiliently compressible body part 2 and a substantially frusto-conical cup 4 secured to the inclined neck 6 of the body part 2 by an annular collar 8. As can be seen in more detail in Figure 7, the frusto- conical cup 4 is formed with two apertures 10,12 communicating with the interior of the body part 2, the first aperture 10 being situated in the base of the cup 4 and the second aperture 12 being situated at the mouth of the cup 4. The second aperture 12 is arranged such that any fluid discharged therethrough will be deflected into the cup 4 by an annular lip 14 which extends radially inwards from the sides of the collar 8.

The device further comprises a plug 16 for selectively closing one or other of the apertures 10,12 and a flexible tube 18 for attaching to whichever of the two apertures 10,12 is unplugged, to channel fluid between a base region of the interior of the body part 2 and the unplugged aperture of the cup 4. To assemble the device for use, the cup 4 is first screwed into the collar 8, which is in turn screwed onto the neck 6 of the body part 2, the mode in which the device will operate being determined by the user's choice as to which of the two apertures 10,12 is closed by the plug 16. In either mode of operation, the device is used by first compressing the body part 2 to discharge a small volume of sanitising fluid therefrom and into the cup 4, via whichever of the two apertures 10,12 is unplugged. The device is then manipulated to dip the teat of an animal into the fluid held in the cup 4.

In the first mode of operation, wherein the aperture 10 in the base of the cup 4 is closed by the plug 16, the fluid held in the cup 4 will not drain when the compressive force upon the body part 2 is released, regardless of whether the force is released before, during or after a sanitising operation. The residual fluid held in the cup 4 must therefore be dispensed with after use, for example by emptying the fluid into a bucket or other receptacle, and replaced with a further volume of fluid from the interior of the body part 2 prior to any subsequent sanitising operation.

In the second mode of operation, wherein the aperture 12 at the mouth of the cup 4 is closed by the plug 16, the cup 4 will drain via the aperture 10 in the base of the cup 4 when the compressive force upon the body part 2 of the device is released. A compressive force must therefore be maintained on the body part 2 throughout a sanitising operation. However, in this mode, it will be appreciated that there will be no requirement for the user to dispense fluid from the cup 4

■ between subsequent sanitising operations. It will be appreciated that whilst the use of single plug has been described for selectively opening and closing the two apertures of the cup, an alternative closure means may be provided by respective plugs connected to, or separable from, the two apertures. Referring to Figure 8, a convenient arrangement for mounting the sanitising device of the present invention to a support pole 20 is shown in the form of a bracket 22 comprising a clip 24 having a pair of resilient arms 26,28 which embrace the body part 2 of the sanitising device on opposite sides and within a recessed channel 30 formed in the body part 2. The bracket 22 also comprises a saddle portion 32 which is profiled to be secured against the side of the pole 20 by a pair of flexible ties 34,36.

Referring to Figures 9 and 10, a second embodiment of teat sanitising device is shown, which differs from that of Figures 1 to 8, firstly, in that a cap 38, rather than a plug, is used to selectively close one or other of the two apertures 10,12 in the cup 4 thereof, secondly, in that the aperture 10 formed adjacent the base of the cup 4 is shaped to direct a flow of fluid from the interior of the body part 2 away from the mouth of the cup and thirdly, in that a channel 40 formed on the inner surface of the collar 8 receives, as an interference fit, a flange 42 formed around the mouth of the cup 4 such that the flange 42 is compressed, in the assembled device, between the collar 8 and the body part 2 of the device. The devices thus described provide both versatile and cost effective means for sanitising the teats of animals.

Claims

1) A dual-mode teat sanitising device comprising a resiliently compressible, hollow body part and a cup into which the teat of an animal may be dipped, the cup having a first aperture at or adjacent the mouth of the cup and communicating with the interior of the body part, a second aperture at or adjacent the base of the cup and communicating with the interior of the body part and closure means for selectively closing one or other of the two apertures.

2) A dual-mode teat sanitising device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the closure means are provided by a single plug, transferrable between the two apertures in the cup,

3) A dual-mode teat sanitising device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the closure means are provided by a single cap, transferrable between the two apertures in the cup,

4) A dual-mode teat sanitising device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the closure means are provided respective plugs connected to, or separable from, the two apertures.

5) A dual-mode teat sanitising device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the closure means are provided respective caps connected to, or separable from, the two apertures.

6) A dual-mode teat sanitising device as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 5, wherein the or each cap is arranged to fit over a one of a pair of tubular portions of the cup which extend into the interior of the body part from each of the two apertures in the cup.

7) A dual-mode teat sanitising device as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a tube for selectively connecting to one or other of the apertures to extend into the interior of the body part.

8) A dual-mode teat sanitising device as claimed in Claim 7, wherein said tube extends to a base region of the body part.

9) A dual-mode teat sanitising device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cup is releasably secured to a neck of the body part by an annular collar which is detachable from and extends around the mouth of the cup.

10) A dual-mode teat sanitising device as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the collar is arranged to form an interference fit

• around the mouth of the cup, the radially inner surface of the collar being screw-threaded for attaching to a screw-threaded portion of the neck of the body part.

11) A dual-mode teat sanitising device as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the collar is arranged to form an interference fit around the mouth of the cup, the radially inner surface of the collar being arranged to form an interference fit around the neck of the body part.

12) A dual-mode teat sanitising device as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11, wherein a circumferential flange around the mouth of the cup is arranged to be compressed between the collar and body part.

13) A dual-mode teat sanitising device as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the radially inner surface of the collar is screw- threaded for attaching in turn to a screw-threaded portion of a rim at the mouth of the cup and a screw-threaded portion of the neck of the body part.

14) A dual-mode teat sanitising device as claimed in any of Claims 9 to 13, wherein the neck of the body part is inclined away from the axis of the body part.

15) A dual-mode teat sanitising device as claimed in any preceding claim, therein the body part is formed with a recessed circumferential channel for locating a pair of opposed, resiliently-displaceable arms of circular clip.

16) A dual-mode teat sanitising device as claimed in any of Claims 9 to 14, wherein the collar is arranged to deflect a flow of fluid through the first aperture, from the interior of the body part, away from the mouth of the cup.

17) A dual-mode teat sanitising device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the second aperture is shaped to direct a flow of fluid therethrough, from the interior of the body part, away from the mouth of the cup.

18) A teat sanitising device comprising a body part and a clip for attaching to the body part to secure the body part to a support device, such as a post or wall.

19) A teat sanitising device as claimed in Claim 18, wherein the body part is formed with a recessed circumferential channel for locating a pair of opposed, resiliently- displaceable arms of the clip.

20) A teat sanitising device as claimed in Claim 18 or Claim 19, wherein the clip comprises a portion of a bracket, the bracket also having a saddle portion for securing against the surface of a cylindrical pole.

21) A teat sanitising device as claimed in Claim 20, comprising one or more bands for wrapping around the pole to secure the saddle portion thereagainst .