TEAT CUP WITH A LINER AND PRODUCTION METHOD The Related Art

The invention relates to milking cups of milking machines used for milking cows.

The invention particularly relates to liners used within the milking cups of the milking machines attached to the teats of the cows.

The Prior Art

Nowadays, avoiding irritation of animal teats during milking of cows is quite important in terms of animal health and milk quality. At this point, it is particularly recommended to make milking by hand. In milking by hand, milking is made by first grasping the teat with the hand and holding the thumb in parallel with the teat, then pressing on the teat by the index finger, middle finger, and then the other fingers, respectively, or by patting the teat from top to bottom. When calves suck the teats of cows, their sucking motion with their tongue and palate is similar to the patting motion.

In the milking machines used in the prior art, the rubber (or silicone) liners found within the milking cups attached to the teat make closing and opening motions by means of the pressures transferred by the vacuum pump, pulsator, and valves. These pressures and vacuums provided around the rubber liners are spread uniformly around the teat liner. This causes squeezing of the whole teat perimeter at the same time and with the same amount of force, and this situation can not exactly mimic the natural application. Since patting motion is not applied to the teat, the milk is obtained from the teat in small amounts. Especially the milk left at the upper part of the teat returns back to the udder and thus only the milk found at the end part of the teat in milked. In this case, the time of milking operation is extended and the efficiency is reduced. Extension of milking period causes the teat tissue be exposed to more mechanical impact and increases the risk of teat disease such as mastitis. One of the applications encountered in the literature about this subject is the utility model application no TR 2010/07641 and title: "thermoplastic elastomer milking apparatus". According to the abstract of said application, the invention relates to a milking apparatus, which is used in milking of bovine and ovine mammals, made of thermoplastic elastomers and antibacterial thermoplastic elastomer material; and comprising a flexible bovine milking cap suitable for bovine teats, ovine milking cap suitable for ovine teats, and a flexible and cylindrical milking hose transferring the milk coming from the milking caps to the claw, then from claw to storage means and vacuum engine, and from storage means to another storage means, if present.

Another application about the subject is the application no TR 2009/07190 and title: "transparent teat liner used in milking machines". In the abstract of said application, the transparent teat liner is disclosed to be made of silicone material and provides long term use by preventing deformation. Besides, the teat cap is formed of a two- fold knuckle and enables easy milking of the teat without giving harm to the teat. It also comprises vacuum area, which enables observing whether the milk is healthy or not and transfers the milk to milking channel. It comprises milking channels wherein passage of milk can easily be seen, and which enables easy and simple discharge of milk.

As a result; improvement is to be made in liner embodiment systems used in milking machines, and therefore need has occurred for novel embodiments which would eliminate the above said drawbacks and bring in solutions to present problems. Purpose of the Invention

The present invention relates to milking cups of milking machines used on cows, which meet the above said requirements, eliminate all of the drawbacks and bring about some additional advantages. The invention particularly relates to liners used within the milking cups of the milking machines attached to the cow teats.

A purpose of the invention is to provide application of patting/caressing motion to the teat with the rubber liner embodiment used in the milking machines of the invention. Another purpose of the invention is to reduce the milking time with the liner embodiment used in the milking machines of the invention. Another purpose of the invention is to reduce the amount of milk returning back to the udder with the rubber liner embodiment used in the milking machines of the invention.

Another purpose of the invention is to increase the amount of milk obtained in unit time by means of reducing the amount of milk returning back to the udder.

Another purpose of the invention is to reduce the risk of udder diseases with the liner embodiment used in the milking machines of the invention. Another purpose of the invention is to avoid annoying the animal during milking by means of applying patting motion with the teat liner embodiment of the invention.

In order to achieve the above said advantages which will be better understood from the below detailed description, the present invention; is a cup used in milking machines providing milking from cows and comprising connection body, transfer area, and accumulation area, and comprising a liner, which comprises steps, takes the first collapsing motion from said connection body and transfers the gradually increasing squeezing motion towards the accumulation area of milk. The structural and characteristic features of the invention and all advantages will be understood better in detailed descriptions with the figures given below and with reference to the figures, and therefore, the assessment should be made taking into account the said figures and detailed explanations.

For better understanding of the embodiment of present invention and its advantages with its additional components, it should be evaluated together with below described figures. Brief Description of the Figures

Figure 1 : is the figure showing the teat and the cup comprising liner used in the present invention that can make gradual squeezing motion.

Drawings do not have to be scaled and details not necessary for understanding the present invention may be neglected. Moreover, components which are at least widely equal or which have at least widely equal functions are shown with the same number.

Reference Numbers

10. Cup

11. Liner

12. Connection body

13. Transfer area

14. Step

15. Accumulation area

20. Teat

21. Teat upper part

22. Teat middle part

23. Teat end part

Detailed Description of the Invention

In this detailed description, the preferred embodiments of the teat liner embodiment used in milking machines, which is the subject of the invention, will only be disclosed for better understanding of the subject, and will not form any limiting effect.

The invention relates to liner (1 1 ) used in cups (10) of milking machines. While said liner (1 1 ) is connected to the teat (20) parts of bovine and ovine cows, connection body (12), transfer area (13), and accumulation area (15) are used. The teat upper part (22), teat middle part (23), and teat end part (21 ) found on the teat (20) shown in Figure 1 are positioned such that they would correspond to the connection body (12), transfer area (13), and accumulation area (15), respectively. The milk obtained from the teat (20) of the cow enters into the liner (1 1 ). Afterwards, the milk that has entered into the liner (1 1 ) is transferred into the accumulation area (15) through the transfer area (13). The inner part of said liner (1 1 ) is the teat liner (1 1 ) that expands from the connection body (12) towards the accumulation area and comprises steps (14) for making gradual squeezing motion. Following connection of the cup (10) shown in Figure 1 to the teat (20) of the cow and with the vacuum provided externally, collapsing and loosening occurs in the liner (1 1 ). This collapsing and loosening occurs in the form of gradual motion and the milk is sucked from the teat (20) with the vacuum. In the prior art, liner thickness is the same all along or does not have steps. Collapsing motion is performed from the middle towards the ends all along the liner. Therefore, as shown in Figure 1 , in the liner (1 1 ) of the invention, thickening and gradually can be seen towards X direction. Collapsing motipn starts from the connection body (12) and reaches at the accumulation area (15) of the liner (1 1 ) by making gradual squeezing motion. In this way, milking operation is performed with full efficiency with the stronger vacuum at the teat end part (21 ). Therefore, the simultaneous collapsing and loosening motion seen in the liner (1 1 ) is avoided. As a result, the milk is prevented from effusing or going back to the teat of the cow.

In the present invention, said liner (1 1 ) can be thickened in a stepped (14) manner as shown in Figure 1. Again, in step (14) application, the first place to collapse together with the vacuum is the connection body (12) part of said liner ( 1 ). Afterwards, collapsing would occur in other steps towards the accumulation area ( 5), or in other words, towards X direction. The invention relates to cups (10) used in milking machines, providing milking from cow and comprising connection body (12) and transfer area (13). Said cup (10) comprises a liner (1 1 ) which has a gradually/stepped (14) expanding structure such that it takes the first collapsing motion from the connection body (12) and transfers this motion to the accumulation area (15) of milk. While the cup (10) is produced, said liner (1 1 ) inner wall is produced in a gradual (14) manner such that it would get thicker from the connection body (12) towards the accumulation area (15) of milk. As the working principle, the liner (1 1 ) takes the first collapsing motion from the connection body (12) and continues this motion until the end of the accumulation area (15).