MILKING DEVICES

• Main Authors: PETTERSSON, TORBJOERN, ODEBERG, JOHAN, KASSIBRAHIM, JAN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 09.04.2013
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F,C08G; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; AGRICULTURE; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; FISHING; FORESTRY; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HUNTING; MANUFACTURE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS; METALLURGY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCESIN A PLASTIC STATE; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; TRANSPORTING; TRAPPING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL; WORKING-UP

A milking device according to the invention comprises at least a teat-receiving flexible sleeve, adapted to be positioned on/over a teat. A first portion thereof comprises a material, selected from the group consisting of thermo-plastic elastomers (TPE), as defined in ISO 18064, and a second portion thereof comprises a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastics. The method of making a milking device, in particular a teat cup liner, is a molding process carried out in two or more steps. In the first step, a thermoplastic, preferably polypropylene (PP) or polyamide (PA), is injected in a mold defining only those portions of the device that are to exhibit a higher stiffness or rigidity, such as couplings. The stiffer parts, are demolded from the mold, and placed in a second mold, into which, as a second molding step, a suitable TPE is injected. Further steps can be performed if required by the design.