Composite Milk Hose With Hard Ends For Milking Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
Milk hoses in milking systems face issues with frequent wear and tear due to bending loads, adhesion problems on greasy surfaces, incomplete cleaning, and vacuum fluctuations, leading to increased maintenance and replacement needs.
Innovation Solution
A milk hose design featuring two opposite end areas and an intermediate area, with the end areas made of hard materials and the intermediate area of soft material, incorporating connecting and fastening means for easy assembly and maintenance, and a ventilation device for improved operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the milk hose is made entirely of soft material to improve flexibility and comfort, then the hose becomes more comfortable and adaptable, but the hose suffers from rapid aging due to bending loads and requires frequent replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The milk hose combines soft material (silicone or rubber) for the intermediate area to maintain flexibility and comfort, with hard material (thermoplastic) for the end areas to provide mechanical strength and resistance to bending loads. This composite construction allows the hose to simultaneously achieve adaptability and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the milk hose are assigned different material properties: the intermediate area uses soft material for flexibility and comfort against the animal's body, while the end areas use hard material for structural integrity and resistance to mechanical stress during connection and milking operations.
2Ease of operation
If the end area of the milk hose is cut at an angle to facilitate connection to the milk claw, then assembly becomes easier, but the hose is damaged by sudden loads on the slanted end
Solution Approach 1:
The end areas are made of hard thermoplastic material that provides structural strength to withstand sudden loads, while maintaining the angled cut configuration for easy connection to the milk claw. The hard material prevents damage at the vulnerable angled end.
Solution Approach 2:
The end areas are specifically reinforced with hard material to provide localized strength where mechanical stress and sudden loads occur during connection and milking, while the intermediate area remains soft for comfort.
3Ease of operation
If the milk hose is pushed onto greasy or dirty surfaces to achieve connection, then assembly is simplified, but adhesion is reduced and the hose may slip off during milking
Solution Approach 1:
The end areas are made of hard thermoplastic material that provides consistent adhesion properties less sensitive to contamination compared to soft rubber materials. This maintains reliable connection even when pushed onto greasy or dirty surfaces.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design enables simple assembly and maintenance, reduces wear and tear, prevents slipping, ensures complete cleaning, and stabilizes vacuum, resulting in a more durable and efficient milking system with reduced maintenance efforts.
Implementation Method 1
The intermediate area (2) is made from a soft material (4). The two end regions (3A, 3B) are made of a hard material (5).
Implementation Method 2
The milk hose adheres to the nozzle due to static friction.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a milk tube for a milking unit, comprising two end regions lying opposite one another and an intermediate region, all regions being interconnected to form one piece. The intermediate region is composed of a soft material and at least one end region is composed of at least one hard material.