Teat cup and a milking robot comprising same
First Claim
1. A teat cup for milking a teat of an animal to be milked, which comprises an upper opening at its upper aspect to receive a teat of an animal to be milked, a pulsation liner, a milk discharge opening at its lower aspect, a cover which surrounds said pulsation liner, a pulsation opening to a space between said cover and said pulsation liner, said cover being flexible for at least part of its length whereby it can be bent at least about 90°
- from the vertical to reduce undesired matter from entering said upper opening when said cover is so bent.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
At least part of the length of a teat cup for milking the teat of an animal is flexible or deformable or both. The teat cup is mounted on a robot arm in a fully automated milking system so as to be releasably retained on the robot arm in a fixed, predetermined orientation relative thereto. A compression spring coated with vulcanized rubber is retained in the cover or jacket of the teat cup. A cord connected to the upper part of the teat cup is pulled to bend the teat cup by at least about 90° relative to the vertical so that undesired material is less likely to enter the opening at the top of the teat cup and the teat cup is more compact and shorter between milkings. The cord used to bend the teat cup also function to retain the teat cup firmly on the robot arm in its fixed orientation relative thereto when the teat cup is not connected or being connected to a teat. When the cord is released the spring in the teat cup'"'"'s jacket causes the teat cup to assume its operable upright disposition. The spring also facilitates the pulsation function of the teat cup and reduces the wear to which the pulsation liner is otherwise subjected.
19 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A teat cup for milking a teat of an animal to be milked, which comprises an upper opening at its upper aspect to receive a teat of an animal to be milked, a pulsation liner, a milk discharge opening at its lower aspect, a cover which surrounds said pulsation liner, a pulsation opening to a space between said cover and said pulsation liner, said cover being flexible for at least part of its length whereby it can be bent at least about 90°
- from the vertical to reduce undesired matter from entering said upper opening when said cover is so bent.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A fully automated milking system comprising a milking robot having at least one robot arm, a teat cup releasably mounted on said robot arm, said teat cup comprising an upper opening for receiving the teat of the animal to be milked, a pulsator liner, a milk discharge conduit, a cover surrounding said pulsator liner, and a pulse tube communicating with a space between said pulsator liner and said cover, said cover comprising a resilient member, bending means associated with said cover for bending said cover through an angle of at least about 90°
- and mounting means for releasably mounting said teat cup in a fixed orientation on said robot arm.
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25. In a fully automated milking system, a milking robot having at least one robot arm, a teat cup for milking an animal, said teat cup extending upwardly from said robot arm, said teat cup comprising an opening in its upper aspect for receiving the teat of an animal being milked, a pulsation liner extending downwardly from said opening, a discharge opening which communicates for the interior of said pulsation liner, a cover which surrounds said pulsation liner and a pulsation conduit in communication with a space between said pulsation liner and said cover, mounting means for releasably mounting said teat cup on said robot arm in a fixed, predetermined orientation relative to said robot arm, bending means for bending said teat cup, said bending means comprising a flexible means which is interconnected to said cover in its upper aspect and which can be pulled to bend said cover whereby the central axis of said opening is turned through an angle which is at least about 90°
- , said flexible means also releasably retaining said teat cup in said fixed, predetermined orientation relative to said robot arm.
Specification