WO2014200426A1

WO2014200426A1 - A connection assembly for a teatcup

Info

Publication number: WO2014200426A1
Application number: PCT/SE2014/050712
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carlos LA TORRE
Original assignee: Delaval Holding Ab
Priority date: 2013-06-13
Filing date: 2014-06-12
Publication date: 2014-12-18

Abstract

The invention relates to a connection assembly for interconnecting a teatcup casing (3) and a pulse tube (5) to be connected to a pulsating chamber (10) between a shell (8) and a liner (9) received by said shell of a teatcup. First connecting means comprises an end portion (16) of the pulse tube having an opening (17) to a channel (15) of the pulse tube, which opening is directed transversely to a longitudinal extension of the tube. A member (18) is configured to hold this end portion so as to form an air-tight connection between said pulse tube channel and the pulsating chamber (10).

Description

A connection assembly for a teatciw TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers generally to teatcups to be attached to the teats of animals to be milked. More precisely, the present invention relates to a connection assembly for intercon- necting a teatcup casing and a pulse tube according to the preamble of claim 1 . The present invention also relates to a teatcup casing, a pulse tube and a teatcup according to the preambles of claims 16, 20 and 24, respectively. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART

Teatcups used today typically consists of two separate main parts, a shell and a teatcup liner mounted in the shell. A pulsating chamber is provided between the shell and the teatcup liner. The teatcup liner is an article of consumption that is subjected to wear, and thus has to be replaced on regular basis. This does also apply to the pulse tube used for providing a pulsating vacuum in said pulsating chamber for the milking. The pulse tube is made of an elastic material, such as any type of rubber or the like and is usually connected to the teatcup by having one end thereof urged over a nipple having an outer diameter being larger than the inner diameter of the pulse tube channel for making the pulse tube to bear air-tightly under pre- tension on the nipple once connected thereto. This way of connecting the pulse tube to a teatcup is disclosed in for example US-7,921 ,806. When replacing such a pulse tube especially the mounting of a new pulse tube to the teatcup is rather time consuming considering the large number of such pulse tubes to be replaced at the same time in a large milking plant. Such mounting has also to be carried out very carefully for ensuring that the connection will work properly during the normal handling of the milking equipment for in the order of 5 000 milking occasions. This puts strain on the personal carrying out such replacement. Furthermore, this way of connecting the pulse tube to the teat- cup, i.e. by urging an end thereof over a nipple, put high demands on the material of the pulse tube at least at the end thereof to be connected to the teatcup and may cause a need to replace such a pulse tube more frequently than would these de- mands be lower. It may also be required to make a special material choice for the pulse tube or design of the end thereof for ensuring proper function thereof as long as desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a connection assembly addressing the above problems arising when connecting a pulse tube to a teatcup casing. This object is according to the invention obtained by providing a connection assembly defined above with the features listed in the characterizing part of claim 1 .

By the new approach to provide a pulse tube with a connecting means in the form of an end portion having an opening to a channel of the pulse tube, which opening is directed transversely to a longitudinal extension of the tube, and combine this connecting means with connecting means of the teatcup casing having a member holding this end portion of the pulse tube with the surfaces thereof surrounding said opening to bear air-tightly under pretension against surfaces of a circumferential wall of the teatcup casing surrounding an aperture therein, an air-tight connection may reliably be established between the pulse tube channel and the interior of the teatcup casing. This may be done easily by purely connecting said end portion of the pulse tube to said member, so that mounting of the pulse tube to the teatcup casing may be carried out easily and efficiently.

Furthermore, the end of the pulse tube has not to be urged over any nipple or the like, which put less strain on the end portion of the pulse tube. This may result in a possibility to prolong the life time of the pulse tube and the intervals of replacement of such a pulse tube and also in lower demands on the material and construction of the end of the pulse tube.

According to an embodiment of the invention the end portion of the pulse tube has a surface surrounding said opening with an extension coinciding in a rest state with a surface of the internal wall of the teatcup casing surrounding said aperture. Such an adaption of the extension of the surfaces on the end portion in the rest state, i.e. when the pulse tube is still not mounted to the teatcup casing, and of the teatcup casing facilitates to obtain an air-tight connection of the pulse tube to the teatcup casing. According to a further embodiment of the invention said end portion has a bead-like rim of an elastic material delimiting said surface surrounding said opening and configured to bear under pretension against said surfaces of the internal wall of the teatcup casing in said interconnecting state. The presence of such a rim protruding from the end portion and compressed while bearing on the teatcup casing is favourable for obtaining an air-tight connection of the pulse tube to the interior of the teatcup casing. According to a further embodiment of the invention said member of said second connecting means comprises a sleeve-like holder with said surfaces of the circumferential wall of the teatcup casing surrounding said aperture forming a part of an internal wall of said sleeve-like holder configured to receive said end portion of a said pulse tube, and said end portion of the pulse tube is of an elastic material and has in a rest state transversal di- mensions being larger than transversal dimensions of an inner space of said sleeve-like holder formed by internal walls thereof so as to be compressed and by that held under said pretension by these walls when received therein in said interconnecting state. Such a sleeve-like holder of said member constitutes an efficient means to obtain a reliable air-tight connection aimed at by compressing the pulse tube end portion received in said sleeve-like holder. Accordingly, proper connection may be achieved by simply introducing said end portion in said sleeve- like holder.

According to a further embodiment of the invention said end portion of said first connecting means has a circumferential surface surrounding said portion closer to an end portion of this portion than the location of said opening, this circumferential surface of said end portion defines in a rest state of the end portion a cross-section thereof with larger dimensions than inner dimensions of said sleeve-like holder and the end portion is configured to be compressed and make this circumferential surface thereof to bear surroundingly air-tightly against said internal walls of the sleeve-like holder in the interconnecting state. This circumferential surface of the end portion constitutes a further safety measure for preventing any type of communication between the pulsating chamber and the exterior.

According to another embodiment of the invention said end portion has a surface opposite to said opening further away from the end of said end portion than said surrounding circumferential surface being recessed with respect to the latter surface. The presence of this recessed surface facilitates especially mounting of said end portion in said sleeve-like holder.

According to another embodiment of the invention the inner space of said sleeve-like holder has a cross-section with a first extension in one direction and said end portion has a cross- section with a second extension in one direction, and said sleeve-like holder is configured to receive said end portion with said first extension coinciding with said second extension configured to counteract turning of the end portion in said sleevelike holder in said interconnecting state. By extending the cross- section of the sleeve-like holder and that of the end portion in this way, i.e. making the cross-sections elongated, the end portion of the pulse tube will safely be held correctly inside the sleeve-like holder also when the pulse tube is exerted to tough handling.

According to a further embodiment of the invention said sleevelike holder of said second connecting means has said first extension in the direction in which said aperture is facing and said end portion has said second extension in the direction in which said opening is directed, which is favourable for obtaining said bearing under pretension for the air-tight connection.

According to another embodiment of the invention said sleevelike holder has a bottom at an end thereof most remote to said teatcup entrance, a hole extends through said bottom and is configured to receive said pulse tube to be introduced into said sleeve-like holder from an end thereof opposite to said bottom, and the inner diameter of said hole is smaller than the outer diameter of pulse tube portions connecting to said end portion for air-tightly sealing said bottom hole by compressing said pulse tube portions in said interconnecting state.

According to a further embodiment of the invention said sleevelike holder has a bottom at an end thereof most remote to a said teatcup entrance, a hole extends through said bottom and is configured to receive said pulse tube to be introduced into said sleeve-like holder from an end thereof opposite to said bottom, said sleeve-like holder has bottom surfaces at least closest to said circumferential wall of the teatcup casing and said end por- tion of said first connecting means has end surfaces directed in the direction of the longitudinal extension of a said pulse tube and configured to bear air-tightly against said bottom surfaces of the sleeve-like holder in said interconnecting state. The two embodiments last mentioned increase the reliability of the air-tight connection further.

According to another embodiment of the invention said pulse tube end portion has surfaces extending on both sides of said opening along to the longitudinal extension of a said pulse tube and configured to bear air-tightly on internal walls of said sleeve-like holder laterally of said opening. These surfaces do then preferably extend to said end surfaces of the end portion.

According to another embodiment of the invention said sleevelike holder has a longitudinal extension making an angle of at least 10°, 10°-25°, 16°-22° or 19° with a longitudinal axis of said teatcup casing while converging with respect thereto in the direction away from said teatcup entrance. The presence of such an angle made by the sleeve-like holder with respect to the teatcup casing the sleeve-like holder and the teatcup casing may be moulded as one single piece in a moulding tool while obtaining said aperture in the circumferential wall of the teatcup casing inside said sleeve-like holder, since the moulding tool pin defining the inner space of the sleeve-like holder will obliquely cut a said aperture in the teatcup casing circumferential wall when approaching this. This means that delicate drilling is not needed for obtaining an aperture on that location, but this may be achieved by a cheaper manufacturing process.

According to another embodiment of the invention the pulse tube end portion is configured to make an angle with a longitudinal extension of a said pulse tube being substantially the same or the same as the angle made by the sleeve-like holder with respect to the teatcup casing in a rest state. This means that the pulse tube end portion has not to be bent with respect to the rest of the pulse tube and by that risk to narrow the channel in- side thereof when the pulse tube is connected to the teatcup casing.

According to another embodiment of the invention said sleeve- like holder has a recess directed away from the teatcup casing and said pulse tube end portion has an enlarged bumper portion configured to extend in said recess transversely beyond the sleeve-like holder so as to in said interconnecting state form a bumper transversely protecting said sleeve-like holder. This bumper portion of elastic material may firstly hit the ground would the teatcup fall to the ground with the teatcup casing sleeve-like holder first for protecting the sleeve-like holder, which may be of a material being more sensitive to such impacts.

The object is also obtained by the teatcup casing initially defined, which is characterized in that said holding device comprises an aperture in a circumferential wall of the teatcup casing and a member fixed with respect to said circumferential wall and configured to hold an end portion of a pulse tube having an opening to a channel of said pulse tube, which opening is directed transversely to a longitudinal extension of said tube, with surfaces of this end portion surrounding said opening to bear air-tightly under pretension against surfaces of said circumferen- tial wall surrounding said aperture for forming an air-tight connection between said pulse tube channel and the interior of said teatcup casing.

Such a teatcup casing enables a smooth mounting of a pulse tube end portion connected air-tightly to the interior of the teatcup casing.

A teatcup casing having said holding device designed as said second connecting means of a connection assembly according to any of the above embodiments according to the invention will result in preferred properties appearing from the above discussion of said connection assembly.

According to a further embodiment of the invention the teatcup casing is an integral part of said shell of a teatcup, which may be suitable when applying the invention to teatcups having said shell forming the outer wall of the housing of the teatcup.

According to a further embodiment of the invention the teatcup casing is a connector being configured to connect a milk conduit to a cartridge forming a said shell, the connector comprises a housing enclosing a connection space, the connector being designed for a teatcup with a said cartridge having an opening connecting said pulsating chamber with said connection space, and said aperture in the circumferential wall of the teatcup casing opens into said connection space. It is preferred to have such a teatcup casing forming said connector in this type of teatcup having a cartridge forming said shell. The object is also achieved by the pulse tube initially defined, which is characterized in that it comprises and end portion having an opening to a channel of said pulse tube and this opening is directed transversely to a longitudinal extension of the pulse tube. Such a new design of an end portion of a pulse tube ena- bles an advantageous connection of the pulse tube to a teatcup casing, and according to an embodiment of the invention said end portion of the pulse tube is designed as the end portion of said first connection means of a connection assembly according to the invention.

The object is also achieved by the teatcup initially defined, which is characterized in that it comprises a teatcup casing according to the present invention. Further advantages and advantageous features of the invention will appear from the description following below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be explained more closely by means of a description of various embodiments and with reference to the drawings attached hereto.

Fig 1 shows a longitudinal section of a teatcup with milk conduit and pulse tube connected thereto,

Fig 2 is a perspective view of a pulse tube with an end portion according to the present invention,

Fig 3 is a longitudinal section of the pulse tube shown in

Fig 2 with an enlarged section illustrating a rim portion thereof,

Fig 4 and 5 are perspective views from different direction of the end portion of the pulse tube shown in Fig 2,

Fig 6 is a side elevation view of the teatcup casing of the teatcup shown in Fig 1 ,

Fig 7 shows a longitudinal section of the teatcup casing shown in Fig 6,

Fig 8 is a side elevation view of the teatcup casing shown in Fig 6 in direction of the arrow A, Fig 9 shows a transversal section of the teatcup casing shown in Fig 6, and

Fig 10 shows a longitudinal section of a teatcup of another type than that shown in Fig 1 with milk conduit and pulse tube connected thereto. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Fig 1 discloses a teatcup 1 to be attached to a teat of an animal to be milked. The teatcup comprises a cartridge 2 and a teatcup casing 3 forming a connector for connecting a milk conduit 4, such as a short milk conduit, and a pulse tube 5 to the teatcup. The teatcup may also comprise a lip member 6 having an entrance 7 for a teat of an animal to be milked.

The cartridge 2 has a stiff shell 8 receiving a teatcup liner 9 of a material having a relatively high elasticity configured to receive a said teat. A pulsating chamber 10 separates the shell 8 and the teatcup liner 9.

The teatcup casing 3 has a housing 50 enclosing a connection space 1 1. An opening 12 in said shell 8 connects the pulsating chamber 10 with said connection space 1 1. The teatcup casing further comprises an aperture 13 in a circumferential wall 14 for connecting a channel 15 in the pulse tube 5 to the connection space and by that to the pulsating chamber for communicating a pulsating vacuum thereto for influencing the teatcup liner 9 for the milking operation. A connection assembly is provided for interconnecting the teatcup casing 3 and the pulse tube 5 and by that connecting the pulsating chamber 10 to the channel 15 of the pulse tube. This connection assembly has first connection means comprising an end portion 16 of the pulse tube having an opening 17 to the channel 15 directed transversely to a longitudinal extension of the tube. Reference is also made to Fig 2-5 when disclosing the features of this end portion 16.

The connection assembly further comprises second connecting means in the form of said aperture 13 and a member 18 fixed with respect to said circumferential wall 14 of the teatcup casing by being an integral part of the teatcup casing and configured, in an interconnecting state of the assembly shown in Fig 1 , to hold the end portion 16 with surfaces of the end portion surrounding the opening 17 to bear air-tightly under pretension against surfaces of the circumferential wall surrounding the aperture 13 for forming an air-tight connection between said pulse tube channel 15 and the interior of the teatcup casing, i.e. the connection space 1 1 . The member 18 has a sleeve-like holder with a surface 19 of the circumferential wall of the teatcup casing surrounding the aperture 13 forming a part of an internal wall of this sleeve-like holder 20 configured to receive the end portion 16 of the pulse tube. Furthermore, said end portion 16 is of an elastic material, such as nitrile rubber, and has in a rest state as shown in Fig 2-5 transversal dimensions being larger than transversal dimensions of an inner space 21 of the sleeve-like holder 20 formed by internal walls 22 of the sleeve-like holder so as to be compressed and by that held under said pretension by these walls when received therein in the interconnecting state shown in Fig 1.

It appears from Fig 7 and 9 that the inner space 21 of the sleeve-like holder 20 has a cross-section with a first extension in one direction according to the arrow Ei and the end portion 16 has a cross-section with a second extension in one direction according to the arrow E2, and the sleeve-like holder is configured to receive the end portion 16 with the first extension coinciding with the second extension so as to counteract turning of the end portion in the sleeve-like holder and ensuring that the opening 17 of the end portion is aligned with the aperture 13 in this state.

The end portion 16 of the pulse tube has surfaces 23 surround- ing said opening 17 with an extension coinciding in a rest state with said surfaces 19 of the circumferential wall of the teatcup casing surrounding the aperture 13. A bead-like rim 24 delimits the surfaces 23 and is configured to bear under pretension against the surfaces 19 of the internal wall of the sleeve-like holder in said interconnecting state so as to air-tightly sealing the end portion 16 with respect to the teatcup casing around the aperture 13 therein. The bead-like rim 24 protrudes typically by 0.2-1.0 mm, especially 0.3-0.5 mm, from the adjacent surface 25 (see enlarged portion in Fig 3). Efficient sealing is obtained by compressing this rim while applying pretension thereto.

The end portion 16 of the pulse tube has a number of further features improving the reliability and robustness of the said airtight connection. One of these is formed by the fact that the end portion has a circumferential surface 25 surrounding this portion closer to an end 26 of this portion than the location of the opening 17, which surface in a rest state of the end portion 16 defines a cross-section thereof with larger dimensions than inner dimensions of the sleeve-like holder 20, so that the end portion will be compressed and make this circumferential surface 25 thereof to bear surroundingly air-tightly against the internal walls 22 of the sleeve-like holder in said interconnecting state.

The pulse tube end portion 16 has further surfaces 27 extending on both sides of the opening 17 according to the longitudinal ex- tension of the pulse tube and configured to bear air-tightly on internal walls of the sleeve-like holder 20 laterally of said opening.

The sleeve-like holder 20 has a bottom 28 at an end thereof most remote to the teatcup entrance 7, and this bottom has a hole 29 for a pulse tube to be introduced into the sleeve-like holder from an end thereof opposite to the bottom 28. The inner diameter of this hole 29 is smaller than the outer diameter of pulse tube portions connecting to said end portion 16 for air- tightly sealing the bottom hole by compressing these pulse tube portions 30 in said interconnecting state. Moreover, the sleeve-like holder 20 has bottom surfaces 31 at least closest to the circumferential wall of the teatcup casing and the end portion 16 of the pulse tube has end surface 32 di- rected in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the pulse tube and configured to bear air-tightly against said bottom surfaces 31 of the sleeve-like holder in the interconnecting state for further improving said sealing of the connection of the pulse tube to the teatcup casing.

The end portion of the pulse tube has also a surface 33 opposite to the opening 17 further away from the end 26 than said surrounding circumferential surface 25 being recessed with respect to the latter surface, which facilitates mounting of the pulse tube end portion 16 in the sleeve-like holder 20. Such mounting takes place by introducing an end 34 of the pulse tube into the sleevelike holder and forcing it through the hole 29 in the bottom thereof and then pulling the pulse tube through this hole until the end portion 16 is received in the sleeve-like holder 20 with the opening 17 aligned with the aperture 13 forming an air-tight connection between the pulse tube channel 15 and the connection space 1 1 inside the teatcup casing 3.

The sleeve-like holder 20 has a recess 35 directed away from the teatcup casing, and the pulse tube end portion 16 has an enlarged bumper portion 36 configured to extend in sad recess transversely beyond the sleeve-like holder so as to in the interconnecting state form a bumper transversely protecting the sleeve-like holder.

It appears especially from Fig 7 that the sleeve-like holder 20 has a longitudinal extension making an angle a, here 19°, with a longitudinal axis L of the teatcup casing while converging with respect thereto in the direction away from said teatcup entrance 7. This fact allows a production of the aperture 13 in the circumferential wall of the teatcup casing when producing the teatcup casing with holding member 18 as an integral part by moulding. It is shown in Fig 3 that the pulse tube end portion makes a corresponding angle with a longitudinal extension of the pulse tube in a rest state of the pulse tube.

Fig 10 shows how a connection assembly according to the invention may be applied to a teatcup of the type having the teat- cup casing 40 as an integral part of a shell of the teatcup. Accordingly, this teatcup has no cartridge and no connector corre- sponding to that shown in Fig 1. A clamping member 41 does here attach the sleeve-like holder 20' to the shell 40, which is provided with an aperture 13' in said sleeve-like holder for air- tightly connecting the pulsating chamber 10' inside the shell 40 with the channel of the pulse tube 5'. The sleeve-like holder 20' and the clamping member 41 may also be provided with an adhesive for improving the reliability of an air-tight connection of the holder and clamping member to the shell 40.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments dis- closed, but may be varied and modified within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

ims

A connection assembly for interconnecting:

1 ) a teatcup casing (3) forming an external part of a teat- cup at at least an end of the teatcup remote to an entrance (7) of the teatcup for at teat of an animal to be milked, and

2) a pulse tube (5) to be connected to a pulsating chamber (10) between a shell (8) and a liner (9) received by said shell of a said teatcup,

said assembly comprising a first connecting means to be fixed with respect to a said pulse tube and a second connecting means to be fixed with respect to said casing for forming said interconnection,

characterized in that said first connecting means comprises an end portion (16) of a said pulse tube having an opening (17) to a channel (15) of said pulse tube and this opening is directed transversally to a longitudinal extension of said tube, and

that said second connecting means comprises an aperture (13) in a circumferential wall (14) of said teatcup casing (3) and a member (18) fixed with respect to said circumferential wall and configured, in an interconnecting state of the assembly, to hold said end portion (16) of the pulse tube with surfaces of said end portion surrounding said opening (17) to bear air-tightly under pretension against surfaces of said circumferential wall surrounding said aperture (13) for forming an air-tight connection between said pulse tube channel and the interior (1 1 ) of said teatcup casing.

A connection assembly according to claim 1 , characterized in that said end portion (16) has a surface (23) surrounding said opening (17) with an extension coinciding in a rest state with a surface (19) of the circumferential wall of the teatcup casing surrounding said aperture (13). A connection assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that said end portion (16) has a bead-like rim (24) of an elastic material delimiting said surface (23) surrounding said opening (17) and configured to bear under pretension against said surface (19) of the circumferential wall of the teatcup casing in said interconnecting state.

A connection assembly according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said member of said second connecting means comprises a sleeve-like holder with said surfaces of the circumferential wall (14) of the teatcup casing (3) surrounding said aperture (13) forming a part of an internal wall (22) of said sleeve-like holder (20) configured to receive said end portion (16) of a said pulse tube, and that said end portion of the pulse tube is of an elastic material and has in a rest state transversal dimensions being larger than transversal dimensions of an inner space (21 ) of said sleeve-like holder formed by internal walls (22) thereof so as to be compressed and by that held under said pretension by these walls when received therein in said interconnecting state.

A connection assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that said end portion (16) of said first connecting means has a circumferential surface (25) surrounding said portion closer to an end (26) of this portion than the location of said opening (17), that this circumferential surface of said end portion defines in a rest state of the end portion a cross- section thereof with larger dimensions than inner dimensions of said sleeve-like holder (20), and that the end portion is configured to be compressed and make this circumferential surface (25) thereof to bear surroundingly air- tightly against said internal walls (22) of the sleeve-like holder in the interconnecting state. A connection assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that said end portion (1 6) has a surface (33) opposite to said opening (17) further away from the end (26) of said end portion than said surrounding circumferential surface (25) being recessed with respect to the latter surface.

A connection assembly according to any of claims 4-6, characterized in that said inner space (21 ) of said sleevelike holder (20) has a cross-section with a first extension in one direction (Ei ) and said end portion (16) has a cross- section with a second extension in one direction (E2), and that said sleeve-like holder is configured to receive said end portion with said first extension coinciding with said second extension configured to counteract turning of the end portion in said sleeve-like holder in said interconnecting state.

A connection assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that said sleeve-like holder (20) of said second connecting means has said first extension in the direction in which said aperture (1 3) is facing and said end portion ( 1 6) has said second extension in the direction in which said opening (17) is directed.

A connection assembly according to any of claims 4-8, characterized in that said sleeve-like holder (20) has a bottom (28) at an end thereof most remote to a said teatcup entrance (7), that a hole (29) extend through said bottom and is configured to receive said pulse tube to be introduced into said sleeve-like holder from an end thereof opposite to said bottom, and that the inner diameter of said hole is smaller than the outer diameter of pulse tube portions (30) connecting to said end portion (1 6) for air-tightly sealing said bottom hole by compressing said pulse tube portions in said interconnecting state.

10. A connection assembly according to any of claims 4-9, characterized in that said sleeve-like holder (20) has a bottom (28) at an end thereof most remote to a said teatcup entrance (7), that a hole (29) extend through said bottom and is configured to receive said pulse tube to be introduced into said sleeve-like holder from an end thereof opposite to said bottom, that said sleeve-like holder has bottom (31 ) surfaces at least closest to said circumferential wall (14) of the teatcup casing and said end portion (16) of said first connecting means has end surfaces (32) directed in the direction of the longitudinal extension of a said pulse tube and configured to bear air-tightly against said bottom surfaces (31 ) of the sleeve-like holder (20) in said interconnecting state.

1 1. A connection assembly according to any of claims 4-10, characterized in that said pulse tube end portion (16) has surfaces (27) extending on both sides of said opening (17) along the longitudinal extension of a said pulse tube and configured to bear air-tightly on internal walls (22) of said sleeve-like holder (20) laterally of said aperture (13).

12. A connection assembly according to claims 10 and 1 1 , characterized in that said surfaces (27) bearing laterally have a longitudinal extension to said end surfaces (32) of the end portion (16).

13. A connection assembly according to any of claims 4-12, characterized in that said sleeve-like holder (20) has a longitudinal extension making an angle (a) of at least 10°,

10°-25°, 16°-22° or 19° with a longitudinal axis (L) of said teatcup casing (3) while converging with respect thereto in the direction away from said teatcup entrance (7). 14. A connection assembly according to claim 13, characterized in that said pulse tube end portion (16) is, in a rest state, configured to make an angle with the longitudinal extension of a said pulse tube being substantially the same or the same as the angle made by the sleeve-like holder with respect to the teatcup casing.

15. A connection assembly according to claim 4 and any of claims 1 -14, characterized in that said sleeve-like holder (20) has a recess (35) directed away from the teatcup casing (3) and said pulse tube end portion (16) has an enlarged bumper portion (36) configured to extend in said recess transversely beyond the sleeve-like holder so as to in said interconnecting state form a bumper transversely protecting said sleeve-like holder (20). 16. A teatcup casing forming an external part of a teatcup at at least an end of the teatcup remote to an entrance (7) of the teatcup for a teat of an animal to be milked, said teatcup casing having a holding device configured to connect a pulse tube (5) to a pulsating chamber (10) between a shell (8) and a liner (9) received by said shell of a said teatcup, characterized in that said holding device comprises an aperture (13) in a circumferential wall (14) of the teatcup casing and a member (18) fixed with respect to said circumferential wall and configured to hold an end portion (16) of a pulse tube having an opening (17) to a channel of said pulse tube, which opening is directed transversely to a longitudinal extension of said tube, with surfaces of this end portion surrounding said opening (17) to bear air-tightly under pretension against surfaces of said circumferential wall surrounding said aperture (13) for forming an air-tight connection between said pulse tube channel (15) and the interior (1 1 ) of said teatcup casing.

A teatcup casing according to claim 16, characterized in that said holding device is designed as said second con- necting means of a connection assembly according to any of claims 1 -15.

18. A teatcup casing according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that it is an integral part of a said shell (40) of a teatcup.

19. A teatcup casing according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that it is a connector (3) being configured to connect a milk conduit (4) to a cartridge (2) comprising a said shell (8), that the connector comprises a housing (50) enclosing a connection space (1 1 ), the connector being designed for a teatcup with a said cartridge having an opening (12) connecting said pulsating chamber (10) with said connection space, and that said aperture (13) in the circumferential wall of the teatcup casing opens into said connection space.

20. A pulse tube to be connected to a pulsating chamber (10) between a shell (8) and a liner (9) received by said shell of a teatcup to be attached to a teat of an animal to be milked, characterized in that it comprises an end portion (16) having an opening (17) to a channel (15) of said pulse tube and this opening is directed transversely to a longitudinal extension of the pulse tube. 21. A pulse tube according to claim 20, characterized in that said end portion (16) has a bead-like rim (24) of an elastic material delimiting a surface (23) surrounding said opening (17). 22. A pulse tube according to claim 20 or 21 , characterized in that said end portion (16) is of an elastic material and has an enlarged bumper portion (36) extending transversely with respect to the longitudinal extension of the pulse tube. 23. A pulse tube according to claim 20, characterized in that said end portion (16) is designed as the end portion of said first connection means of a connection assembly according to any of claims 1 -15.

24. A teatcup to be attached to a teat of an animal to be milked, comprising a shell (8), a teatcup liner (9) mounted in said shell and having an inner space (51 ) for receiving said teat and a pulsating chamber (10) separating said shell (8) and said teatcup liner (9),

characterized in that it comprises a teatcup casing (3) ac- cording to any of claims 16-19.