Milk conduit, and a milk conduit assembly

A teatcup assembly, comprising:

• i) a cartridge (1) comprising a sleeve (6) and a teatcup liner (7) mounted in the sleeve (6) thereby defining a) an inner space (8) for receiving the teat, and b) a pulsation chamber (9) between an inner side of the sleeve (6) and an outer side of the teatcup liner (7),
• the sleeve (6) having an upper end (6a) and a lower end (6b),
• the teatcup liner (7) comprising an upper end portion (7a) located at the upper end (6a) of the sleeve (6), a barrel portion (7c), and a lower end portion (7b) located at the lower end (6b) of the sleeve (6),
• the barrel portion (7c) being an intermediate tubular portion provided between and adjoining the upper end portion (7a) and the lower end portion (7b) and being a main part of the teatcup liner (7) that is in contact with the teat of the animal during milking,
• the lower end portion (7b) extending from a position within the sleeve (6) and including an end nozzle (10) that extends away from and beyond the lower end (6b) of the sleeve (6), the end nozzle (10) defining an outlet from the inner space (8), the end nozzle (10) having a decreasing tapered external shape and a decreasing tapered internal shape forming a decreasing tapered outlet for the milk from the inner space (8) of the teatcup liner (7);
• ii) a connector (2) having an outer wall, and a bottom wall (25) with an outlet opening (29) extending through the bottom wall (25),
• the sleeve (6) of the cartridge (1) being releasably locked to the connector (2), via a locking unit located on a) an inner surface of the connector (2) and b) an outer surface of the sleeve (6),
• the teatcup having a longitudinal center axis (x) that extends through and along a longitudinal length of the teatcup including the cartridge and the connector;
• and
• iii) a milk conduit (4) that transports milk received from the end nozzle (10), the milk conduit (4) comprising
• a) a first end portion (4a) defining a first end connected to the connector (2), the first end portion (4a) comprising an outward facing first circumferential groove (41) snap fit onto and engaging an inward facing edge of the bottom wall (25) that defines the outlet opening (29) such that the outlet opening (29) receives the outward facing first circumferential groove (41) and holds the milk conduit (4) extending through the outlet opening (29),
• b) a second end portion (4b) defining a second end, and
• c) a conduit portion (4c) located between the first end portion (4a) and the second end portion (4b),
• wherein the milk conduit (4) defines a milk channel (40) extending through the first end portion (4a), the conduit portion (4c), and the second end portion (4b),
• wherein the first end portion (4a) further includes
• i) an external surface with a decreasing tapered external shape from the first end toward the conduit portion (4c), the first circumferential groove (41) being located along the decreasing tapered external shape of the external surface, wherein the decreasing tapered external shape of the external surface facilitates mounting of the milk conduit by a pulling movement to snap fit the first circumferential groove (41) onto and engaging the edge of the bottom wall (25) at the outlet opening (29), and
• ii) an internal surface with a decreasing tapered internal shape from the first end towards the conduit portion (4c),
• wherein the first circumferential groove (41) is located, in a cross section of the first end portion, surrounding internal surface with the decreasing tapered internal shape,
• wherein the decreasing tapered external shape of the end nozzle (10) is received in the internal surface with the decreasing tapered internal shape of the first end portion (4a) of the milk conduit (4), and
• wherein internal surface with the decreasing tapered internal shape of the first end portion (4a) provides a radial seal with the decreasing tapered external shape of the end nozzle (10) received therein with the decreasing tapered external shape of the end nozzle (10) penetrating in tight abutment with the internal surface with the decreasing tapered internal shape of the first end portion (4a) of the milk conduit (4).