Abstract: A teat cup inflation comprises a mouthpiece having a vent for the limited admission of ambient air into the inflation barrel above the lower tip of the teat. One or more airflow passages are formed by the configuration of the barrel and extend along the length of the barrel to vent air from mouthpiece to the short milk tube. The one or more airflow passage can be formed between the sides of barrels that are multisided in cross-section.

Abstract: A teat cup assembly comprises an inflation having a plurality of radially-extending longitudinal ribs circumferentially spaced about the inflation and having a T-shaped cross-section.

Abstract: The suction sleeve of a milking inflation includes three axially extending side walls connected together to form a generally triangular cross section. The side walls have a convex section which bulges slightly outwardly such that, where the inflation is installed on a teat cup shell and the side walls are in a full open position, a built-in spring effect is induced into each side wall to bias them toward the full open position and such that the biasing force of this built-in spring must be overcome before the side walls can be moved inwardly toward a closed position in response to the shell chamber being exposed to atmospheric pressure and assists movement of the side walls toward an open position in response to exposing the shell chamber to a subatmospheric pressure.