Abstract: A cartridge and a teatcup to be attached to the teat of an animal to be milked are disclosed. The cartridge includes an elongated sleeve, having an upper end section and a lower end section, and a teatcup liner pre-mounted in the elongated sleeve. The teatcup liner includes an upper end portion located at the upper end section, a lower end portion located at the lower end section, and a barrel portion extending between the upper and lower end portions. The barrel portion has a polygonal cross-sectional shape defining a plurality of corner portions and a plurality of side portions. The elongated sleeve includes a primary locking member. The teatcup liner includes a primary complementary locking member. The two locking members engage each other to prevent rotation of the teatcup liner in relation to the elongated sleeve.

Abstract: A teat cup liner is provided that includes a comparatively thick-walled rear wall and a comparatively thin-walled massage wall. These two walls together from a tube part around a teat-receiving chamber. Preferably, at least two stabilizing strips are provided on the massage wall.

Abstract: A teatcup liner includes a head defining a mouthpiece, a barrel with an upper barrel joined to a lower barrel, an outlet portion that extends downward from the lower barrel co-operates with the shell of the teat cup. In a relaxed state, the barrel has a polygonal cross-sectional shape, with the lower barrel having a flexibility for closing during the liner collapse phase of the milking operation greater than a flexibility of the upper barrel such that corner portions of the lower barrel are weaker than the corner portions of the upper barrel thereby assuring the lower barrel collapses first to create an upward wave movement of the lower barrel towards the upper barrel that securely collapses the upper barrel onto the teat to provide an enhanced teat massage and relieve congestion in the teat tissue.

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.

Abstract: A teatcup liner, for use in a method of providing enhanced teat massage during a milking operation, includes a cross-sectional shape defining plural corner portions and plural side portions with a first side portion being a weak side and each remaining side portion being a strong side; with the weak side having a greater flexibility than each strong side such that during a collapse phase, the collapse of the weak side occurring first and being greater than the collapse of each strong side creates an asymmetric pressure distribution with a greater pressurized area resulting in a prolonged contact surface against the teat end across a first surface region of the cross-sectional shape opposite the weak side as compared to a remainder of the cross-sectional shape, the increased pressurized area across the first surface region providing an enhanced teat massage during the collapse phase.

Abstract: A teatcup liner comprises an upper mouthpiece, an intermediate barrel and a lower connecting tube. The upper mouthpiece further comprises a mouthpiece transition, a mouthpiece lip, and a groove formed in an outer surface of the upper mouthpiece. The intermediate barrel extends along an axial direction for receiving a teat inserted axially thereinto through said mouthpiece. An inner dimension of the upper mouthpiece defines a cavity bore and the groove is located substantially in line with the largest diameter of the cavity bore.

Abstract: A milking device for milking a dairy animal, including at least one teat cup including a flexible cup liner around a teat space, and a single pulsation space and a milk line, a milking vacuum pump connected to the milk line, for providing a milking vacuum, a pulsator connected to the pulsation space, for providing a controllable air pressure therein, and a control device for controlling at least the pulsator during at least a milking action. The control device is configured to cause the pulsator and/or the milking vacuum pump to provide, in a period of time consecutive to a milking action wherein a dairy animal is milked and a teat is located in the teat space, such a substantially stable, non-pulsating pressure difference between the pulsation space and the teat space, that the cup liner shuts off the teat space from the milk line.

Abstract: A milking liner for an automated milking machine includes a barrel that moves between an uncollapsed position and a collapsed condition when it is subjected to a vacuum milking condition. The barrel defines at least three parallel channels open to the inner surface of the barrel. The configuration of the sidewall of the barrel and the channels cause the barrel to uniformly collapse when the barrel is subjected to a vacuum milking condition. In one configuration, ribs protrude from the barrel sidewall and define channels with the same wall thickness as the sidewall segments disposed between the ribs.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for milking animals wherein a negative pressure is periodically built up and relieved in a teat cup gap at a predetermined rate. The negative pressure is maintained over a predetermined suction phase (b) and relieved over a predetermined rest phase (d). The ratio between the suction phase (b) and the rest phase (d) changes at least once during the milking operation. In a preferred embodiment the first duration does not exceed a predetermined, first limit value and the second duration does not fall beneath a predetermined, second limit value.

Abstract: A milking liner for an automated milking machine includes a barrel that moves between an uncollapsed position and a collapsed condition when it is subjected to a vacuum milking condition. The barrel defines at least three parallel channels open to the inner surface of the barrel. The configuration of the sidewall of the barrel and the channels cause the barrel to uniformly collapse when the barrel is subjected to a vacuum milking condition. In one configuration, ribs protrude from the barrel sidewall and define channels with the same wall thickness as the sidewall segments disposed between the ribs.

Abstract: A method of attaching and/or removing a teat cup from an animal with a liner inflatable and deflatable by a pulsator which alternately introduces air and vacuum to a pulsation chamber surrounding the liner. The method comprising the steps of: setting the pulsator to constantly introduce vacuum to the pulsation chamber to open and maintain the liner in an open position for an attachment time period; attaching the teat cup to the animal during the attachment time period; setting the pulsator to alternate between introducing air and vacuum to the pulsation chamber during a milking time period to milk the animal; and removing the teat cup from the animal.

Abstract: A milking cup for milking animals, the milking cup having a liner arranged inside a housing to define a pulsation chamber therebetween. The pulsation chamber is divided into multiple compartments so that vacuum pulsation applied to the pulsation chamber compartments causes controlled collapse of the liner on an animal teat inserted therein.

Abstract: A dairy inflation includes a barrel portion connected to a milk tube portion for extracting milk from a teat of an animal. The barrel portion includes an axial passage defined by a wall, the wall having an exterior surface defining an outer periphery having a substantially circular shape. The wall further includes an interior surface defining an inner periphery having a substantially elliptical shape. The elliptical inner periphery includes a major axis and a minor axis, and the disposition of the elliptical inner periphery within the circular outer periphery creates reduced-thickness regions on opposing sides of the wall along the major axis. The reduced-thickness regions allow a controlled collapse of the barrel portion during milking operations.

Abstract: A combination of a teat cup and a flexible milk tube is shown. The flexible milk tube has a main duct and a plurality of secondary ducts for discharging milk from the teat cup and for applying vacuum in the teat cup. The main duct is confined by a duct wall extending around the main duct. The secondary ducts are included in the duct wall of the main duct. By including the plurality of secondary ducts in the duct wall of the main duct the flexible milk tube as a whole has a smaller cross-section than that of the known milk tube. The plurality of secondary ducts no longer need separate duct walls forming separate tubes either connected or not with the flexible milk tube comprising the main duct. This results in space saving.

Abstract: A milking liner for an automated milking machine includes a barrel that moves between an uncollapsed position and a collapsed condition when it is subjected to a vacuum milking condition. The barrel defines at least three parallel channels open to the inner surface of the barrel. The configuration of the sidewall of the barrel and the channels cause the barrel to uniformly collapse when the barrel is subjected to a vacuum milking condition. In one configuration, ribs protrude from the barrel sidewall and define channels with the same wall thickness as the sidewall segments disposed between the ribs.

Abstract: A milking liner for an automated milking machine includes a barrel that moves between an uncollapsed position and a collapsed condition when it is subjected to a vacuum milking condition. The barrel defines at least three parallel channels open to the inner surface of the barrel. The configuration of the sidewall of the barrel and the channels cause the barrel to uniformly collapse when the barrel is subjected to a vacuum milking condition. In one configuration, ribs protrude from the barrel sidewall and define channels with the same wall thickness as the sidewall segments disposed between the ribs.

Abstract: A dairy inflation includes a barrel portion connected to a milk tube portion for extracting milk from a teat of an animal. The barrel portion includes an axial passage defined by a wall, the wall having an exterior surface defining an outer periphery having a substantially circular shape. The wall further includes an interior surface defining an inner periphery having a substantially elliptical shape. The elliptical inner periphery includes a major axis and a minor axis, and the disposition of the elliptical inner periphery within the circular outer periphery creates reduced-thickness regions on opposing sides of the wall along the major axis. The reduced-thickness regions allow a controlled collapse of the barrel portion during milking operations.

Abstract: A milking liner for an automated milking machine includes a barrel that moves between an uncollapsed position and a collapsed condition when it is subjected to a vacuum milking condition. The barrel defines at least three parallel channels open to the inner surface of the barrel. The configuration of the sidewall of the barrel and the channels cause the barrel to uniformly collapse when the barrel is subjected to a vacuum milking condition. In one configuration, ribs protrude from the barrel sidewall and define channels with the same wall thickness as the sidewall segments disposed between the ribs.

Abstract: A milking liner for an automated milking machine includes a barrel that moves between an uncollapsed position and a collapsed condition when it is subjected to a vacuum milking condition. The barrel defines at least three parallel channels open to the inner surface of the barrel. The configuration of the sidewall of the barrel and the channels cause the barrel to uniformly collapse when the barrel is subjected to a vacuum milking condition. In one configuration, ribs protrude from the barrel sidewall and define channels with the same wall thickness as the sidewall segments disposed between the ribs.