Milking cup and milking method

A device for milking animals, the device comprising:

• a teat cup;
• a teat cup liner disposed at least partially in the teat cup;
• and
• a pulsation chamber defined at least partially by the teat cup liner and the teat cup;
• wherein the pulsation chamber is subdivided into at least four separated pulsation compartments, and each pulsation compartment is separately chargeable with gas at a substantially different pressure from at least one other adjacent pulsation compartment, and at a substantially similar gas pressure to at least one other non-adjacent pulsation compartment, and wherein the pulsation compartments extend in an axial direction of the liner and are arranged in the peripheral direction of the housing.

A method for milking animals with an apparatus including:

• a housing;
• a liner arranged at least partially inside the housing;
• and
• a pulsation chamber disposed at least partially between the housing and the liner;
• and
• wherein the pulsation chamber is subdivided into at least four pulsation compartments wherein the pulsation compartments extend in a longitudinal direction of the liner and are arranged in the peripheral direction of the housing, and the method comprising the step of:
• applying a gas pressure to one pulsation compartment that
• is substantially different from a gas pressure in at least one adjacent pulsation compartment and is substantially similar to a gas pressure in at least one other non-adjacent pulsation compartment.

Apparatus for milking animals, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• a liner disposed at least partially inside the housing;
• a pulsation chamber disposed at least partially between the housing and liner, and subdivided into at least four gas-tight compartments extending in an axial direction of the liner and arranged in a peripheral direction of the housing;
• and
• a plurality of pulsation spouts, each in fluid communication with a corresponding gas-tight compartment to supply fluid to the compartment at a pressure that is substantially different from a pressure supplied to at least one other adjacent gas-tight compartment, and that is substantially the same as a pressure supplied to at least one other non-adjacent gas-tight compartment.

Apparatus for milking animals, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• a liner disposed at least partially inside the housing;
• a pulsation chamber disposed at least partially between the housing and liner, and subdivided into a first non-adjacent pair and a second non-adjacent pair of gas-tight compartments, and the pairs of non-adjacent compartments extend in an axial direction of the liner and are arranged in a peripheral direction of the housing;
• and
• a first pulsation spout connected with the first pair of non-adjacent pulsation compartments to charge the first pair of non-adjacent compartments to a substantially similar gas pressure, and a second pulsation spout connected with the second pair of pulsation compartments to charge the second pair of non-adjacent compartments to a gas pressure that is substantially different than the gas pressure in the first non-adjacent pair of compartments.