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US 12,161,083 B2Granted
Rubber teat element with flexible head geometry
AssigneeGEA Farm Technologies GmbH
InventorsThomas Grüter, Benedikt Schürmann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a rubber teat element which, on account of the radial expandability of the head part, is able to adapt to different teat geometries, in particular in the case where an animal has small, thin and short teats. A teat cup and a milking cluster with a corresponding rubber teat element are also provided.
Claims17
A teat cup liner comprising:
- a shank extending in a longitudinal direction of the teat cup liner;
- a one-part head joined to the shank and having:
- a lip defining a teat opening;
- and
- a lateral outer surface extending in the longitudinal direction of the teat cup liner, and having:
- an expansion region disposed between the lip and the shank and having a length extending in the longitudinal direction during milking, the expansion region joined to the lip and disposed to expand in a radial and circumferential direction along the length of the expansion region during milking, wherein the expansion region comprises a plurality of spaced apart and inwardly directed first indentations in the lateral outer surface, the first indentations forming parts of an undulatory cross-sectional shape disposed to unwind circumferentially as the expansion region expands;
- and
- a skirt joined to the expansion region and spaced radially outwardly from the shank.
5 more elements
A teat cup liner comprising:
- a shank extending in a longitudinal direction of the teat cup liner;
- and
- a one-part head joined to the shank and having a lateral outer surface, the one-part head including:
- a lip defining a teat opening;
- and
- an expansion region formed in the lateral outer surface and disposed between the lip and the shank, the expansion region (i) having a length that extends in the longitudinal direction during milking and (ii) including multiple indentations that form an undulatory, cross-sectional shape disposed to unwind circumferentially during milking as the expansion region expands.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.