# US 9,775,324 B2 · Milk conduit, and a milk conduit assembly

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- Number: US 9,775,324 B2
- Document ID: US9775324B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/366,269
- Filed: 2012-12-20
- Published: 2014-12-11
- Granted: 2017-10-03
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-22
- Assignees: DeLaval Holding AB
- Applicants: Carlos La Torre; Anneli Lidmar; Michael Persson
- Inventors: Carlos La Torre; Anneli Lidmar; Michael Persson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9775324B2

## CPC

- A01J 5/044: {Milk lines or coupling devices for milk conduits}
- A01J 5/08: Teat-cups with two chambers
- A01J 5/16: Teat-cups with pulsating devices
- A01J: MANUFACTURE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS

## Abstract

A milk conduit, that connects to a teatcup to be attached to a teat of an animal to be milked, includes a first end portion defining a first end and configured to be connected to the teatcup, a second end portion defining a second end, and a conduit portion located between the first end portion and the second end portion. The milk conduit defines a milk channel extending through the first end portion, the conduit portion and the second end portion. The first end portion is received in an opening extending through a bottom wall of the teatcup. The first end portion includes a first circumferential groove configured that engages in the bottom wall of the teatcup.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first circumferential groove (41) is positioned at a distance from the first end and at a distance from the conduit portion (4c) so that first circumferential groove (41) is located intermediate the first end and the conduit portion (4c).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second end portion (4b) comprises a second circumferential groove (42).

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The assembly according to claim 3, wherein the second circumferential groove (42) is positioned at a distance from the second end and at a distance from the conduit portion (4c).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second end portion (4b) has an external tapered shape from the second end to the conduit portion (4c).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the milk conduit (4) is comprised of a hose material having a relatively high elasticity.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The assembly according to claim 6, wherein the conduit portion (4c) comprises a bending area (43) having a locally increased elasticity that defines a predetermined area for bending of the milk conduit (4).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The assembly according to claim 1, wherein,
the connector (2) further comprises a casing (24), which defines a longitudinal center axis (x) and comprises
i) the bottom wall (25),
ii) the inner surface, the inner surface being located above the bottom wall and defining a connection space (27),
iii) an inlet opening (28) located above and opening to the connection space (27), and
iv) the outlet opening (29) extending through the bottom wall (25) and receiving and holding the milk conduit (4).

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The assembly according to claim 8, wherein the bottom wall (25) is a plane surface.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The assembly according to claim 8, wherein the bottom wall (25) extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal center axis (x).

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The assembly according to claim 8, wherein the casing (24) is made of a shell material having a high stiffness relative to the teatcup liner, and a low elasticity relative to the teatcup liner.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The assembly according to claim 8, wherein,
the locking unit comprises i) outer bayonet coupling parts (31) located on the inner surface of the connector (2), and ii) inner bayonet coupling parts (32) located on the outer surface of the sleeve (6), the outer and inner bayonet coupling parts (31, 32) together forming a bayonet coupling that locks the inner surface of the connector (2) to the outer surface of the sleeve (6) of the cartridge (1).

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The assembly according to claim 1, wherein,
the connector (2) further comprises
a casing (24), which defines a longitudinal center axis (x) and comprises i) the bottom wall (25), ii) the inner surface, the inner surface being located above the bottom wall and defining a connection space (27), iii) an inlet opening (28) located at a topmost edge of an end portion (24a) of the casing above and opening to the connection space (27), and iv) the outlet opening (29) extending through the bottom wall (25) and receiving and holding the milk conduit (4), and
an outer shell (34) extending beyond the inlet opening (28) of the casing (24), overlapping an outside part of the topmost edge of the casing (24), and attached to the end portion (24a) of the casing (24).

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The assembly according to claim 13, wherein
the locking unit comprises outer bayonet coupling parts (31) located on the inner surface of the connector (2), and
the sleeve (6) comprises inner bayonet coupling parts (32) forming a bayonet coupling with the outer bayonet coupling parts (31) located on the inner surface of the connector (2).

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the lower end portion (7b) of the teatcup liner (7) comprises a lower annular engagement member (14) extending outward and having an upper surface in abutment with a lowermost edge of the lower end (6b) of the sleeve (6) such that the barrel portion (7c) of the teatcup liner (7) is maintained in a stretched state in the sleeve (6).

### Claim 16 (depends on 8)

The assembly according to claim 8, wherein the lower end portion (7b) of the teatcup liner (7) comprises a lower annular engagement member (14) extending outward and having an upper surface in abutment with a lowermost edge of the lower end (6b) of the sleeve (6) such that the barrel portion (7c) of the teatcup liner (7) is maintained in a stretched state in the sleeve (6).

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lower end portion (7b) extends beyond the lower end (6b) of the sleeve (6) into the outlet opening (29) extending through the bottom wall of the connector (2).