The present invention relates to a valve device comprising means forming a passage for liquid, a sleeve of elastic material, the interior of which constitutes a part of said passage, an annular seating surrounding said passage, a sealing member, which abuts sealingly against the annular seating, so that said passage is closed, and an operating member, which is rigidly connected to the sealing member and which extends from the latter into the elastic sleeve, the operating member being adapted to be affected by the elastic sleeve at bending of the latter, such that the sealing member is tilted relative to the annular seating and said passage is opened.

A known such a valve device is used for cleaning of for instance the udders of milking cows. It is important that the udders are kept clean to prevent infection of the udders and contamination of the milk.

The known valve device has a bushing which seals against a bendable rubber sleeve. Further, the sealing member at said valve device abuts against a seating in the bushing. To enable a satisfactory sealing between the seating and the sealing member the latter is provided with a special rubber gasket.

Thus, the known device has a relatively complicated design which makes it relatively expensive to manufacture. In addition, it is so heavy that the keeper in certain situations needs to use both his hands in handling of it.

The object of the present invention is to provide a valve device of the kind here in question, which is cheaper to manufacture than the above described known valve device and which has such a low weight that it easily can be handled by one hand grip.

This object is obtained by a valve device of the initially described kind, which is characterized in that the annular seating is formed by one of the ends of the elastic sleeve.

Hereby, a number of advantages are obtained. Thus, the valve device will have a particularly simple design, which makes it cheap to manufacture. Further, the valve device can be designed with a low weight, which facilitates handling of it by one hand grip.

Another important advantage with the constructive features stated above is that the new valve device in contrast to the known valve devices will function satisfactorily and will give a sufficient flow whether the water pressure is high or not. The reason for this is that the sealing member seals directly against the end of the elastic sleeve. At a high liquid pressure in said passage the sealing member is pressed strongly against the elastic sleeve, so that at bending of the sleeve only a relatively small opening is formed between the sealing member and the sleeve, which means that the liquid flow out of the sleeve will not be too strong, whereas at a low liquid pressure the sealing member is not pressed that strongly against the rubber sleeve. This will mean that at a bending of the sleeve a relatively large opening is formed between the sealing member and the sleeve, whereby a sufficient large liquid flow can stream through the sleeve and out of the valve device.

The invention will be described more closely with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which

Fig. 1 shows a side view of a valve device according to the invention for water spraying, a partial section of the latter being shown, and

Figs. 2-4 show different details of the valve device according to Fig. 1.

With reference to Fig. 1, there is shown a valve device according to the invention comprising an elastic sleeve of

rubber, which is clamped in a relatively stiff metal sleeve 2 with a cooperating inner ring 3. Alternatively, the rubber sleeve may be glued to the metal sleeve. At one of its ends the rubber sleeve 1 has a distribution nozzle (not shown in the drawing), which cooperates with a ball 4 of metal or other material. The distribution nozzle is kept clamped in the rubber sleeve by means of an outer clamping ring 5.

The distribution nozzle is constituted by a locking washer provided with a centre hole and having lugs, which extend up from the plane of the washer on both sides of the latter and are placed with even distribution around the centre hole. In use of the valve device the ball 4 will rest on the lugs, whereby the ball is prevented to cover the hole in the washer. By said cooperation between the washer and the ball the advantage is also obtained that the water streaming through the valve device is conducted out of the rubber sleeve via the lugs of the locking washer, which means an even and favourable spreading of the water out of the rubber 'sleeve.

Against the other end of the rubber sleeve a sealing member in the form of a washer 6 is applied, which is rigidly fixed to an operating member 7, which extends a distance into the rubber sleeve. Thus, said other end of the rubber sleeve 1 forms an annular seating for the washer formed sealing member.

When the valve device is in a normal position, i.e. when the rubber sleeve is straight and no water spraying can be effected, the washer 6 seals against the end of the rubber sleeve. The washer 6 is shown more closely in Figs. 2 and 3. Thus, the washer has circular form and has four recesses 8 at its peri¬ phery, which recesses have the form of circle segments and are displaced 90° in relation to each other. The diametric distance between two of the recesses must be larger than the inner diameter of the rubber sleeve, so that water can not leak unintentionally past the washer 6 and into the rubber sleeve 4.

The advantage of forming the washer 6 with such recesses is that a larger water flow can stream past the washer at a minor bending of the rubber sleeve than would be the case with a washer without recesses. Hereby the valve device according to the invention will be very easy to handle.

Alternatively, the washer could be designed with a substantially square shape with chamfered corners, the distance between two opposite sides of the square being somewhat larger than the inne diameter of the rubber sleeve.

The end of the operating member 7 which is within the rubber sleeve has a knob 9 with an enlarged radial extension. The knob 9 has two functions: It should prevent that the ball 4 is clamped between the operating member 7 and the rubber sleeve, and it should come into contact with the inner wall of the sleeve at the slightest bending of the rubber sleevej whereby the operating member 7 is tilted, which means that water can stream past the washer 6 and into the interior of the rubber sleeve. It should be clear to those skilled in the art that the invention also functions without a knob on the operating means. However, in that case the rubber sleeve has to be bent even more before contact arises between the operating member 7 and the rubber sleeve.

The tilting of the operating member 7 and the washer 6 is effected against the action of a screw spring 10, one of the ends of which abuts against the washer 6 and keeps the latter pressed against the rubber sleeve 1 when there is no water pressure against the washer. Alternatively, the washer 6 may be pressed against the rubber sleeve 1 by means of a rubber spring.

The other end of the spring 10 abuts against a nipple 11, which has a radially thicker portion 12 and a radially slimmer

portion 13. The thicker portion 12 of the nipple is designed with an encircling groove 14, which cooperates with an en¬ circling inwards directed projection 15 in the metal sleeve 2.

The slimmer portion 13 of the nipple is intended to be connected to the tube 16 for supplying water to the valve device. For clamping of the tube 16 on the portion 13, there is a clamping sleeve 17, which is provided with an encircling radially inwards directed projection 18, which cooperates with an encircling recess 19 in the slimmer portion 13 of the nipple.

The valve device operates in the following way: In a normal position, i.e. when the valve device is not used for liquid spraying, the water pressure, which prevails in the tube 16, presses the washer 6 seallngly against the rubber sleeve 1, so that no liquid can stream past the washer and into the rubber sleeve. If liquid spraying is to be done, for instance flushing and cleaning of a cow udder, the keeper may grip the rubber sleeve by one of his hands and easily bend the rubber sleeve. Hereby contact arises between the rubber sleeve and the knob 9 on the operating member 7, which means that the operating member 7 and the washer 6 are tilted, which in turn leads to the formation of a free passage for liquid through the valve device. Hereby liquid can stream into the rubber sleeve 1 and out of the latter via the distribution member, i.e. the ball 4 and the locking washer which constitutes a nozzle. As soon as the keeper releases his grip on the valve device, the operating member 7 and the washer 6 return to a normal position, whereby said passage is closed.

The described valve device according to the invention has the following advantages over the prior art.

1) It is cheap to manufacture because of its simple design.

2) It is easy to handle because of the design of the sealing member. Contributing to the easy handling is also the fact that the rubber sleeve may be made very elastic, so that it will be easy to bend.

3) It is easy to clean as need arises. To this contributes the simple design and the fact that the valve device lacks strainer devices or the like, which easily can be clogged.

4) It is relatively insensitive to the water pressure prevailing in the tube conduit, and therefore the function of the valve device will remain satisfactorily during different operating conditions. The reason for this is primarily the fact that the washer seals directly against the rubber sleeve.

As mentioned above, cleaning of cow udders is one field of application of the new valve ^" device. However, it should be clear that the valve device according to the invention is applicable also within other fields in which liquid spraying may be possible. Further, instead of rubber other elastic materials, as for instance plastic, may be used.