Teatcup Liner Polygonal Barrel Gradient Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing teatcup liners face challenges in achieving optimal collapsing behavior and maintaining a tight contact with the teat during milking, leading to potential leakage and inefficient teat massage.
Innovation Solution
A teatcup liner with a polygonal cross-sectional shape featuring decreasing corner wall thickness from the upper to the lower section, allowing for a hinge-like function at the lower section for complete collapsing and ensuring a tight contact at the upper section, thereby reducing air or gas leakage and enhancing teat massage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the corner wall thickness is uniform along the barrel, then the manufacturing is simpler, but the collapsing behavior is asymmetric and incomplete
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the corner wall thickness along the longitudinal axis of the barrel. The corner wall thickness is designed to be greater at the upper section and decrease towards the lower section, creating different mechanical properties in different regions. This gradient thickness distribution enables the corner portions to function as hinges during collapse while maintaining structural integrity during operation, thereby achieving symmetric and complete collapsing behavior.
2Strength
If the corner wall thickness is increased throughout, then the structural strength is improved, but the collapsing capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the barrel into an upper section and a lower section with different corner wall thickness characteristics. The upper section has greater corner wall thickness to provide structural strength during milking operation, while the lower section has reduced corner wall thickness to enable hinge-like folding and complete collapse. This segmentation allows the barrel to simultaneously achieve both strength and collapsibility.
3Productivity
If the barrel collapses completely at the lower section, then the teat massage is enhanced, but the contact tightness at the upper section may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameter of corner wall thickness along the longitudinal axis, creating a gradient from thicker at the upper section to thinner at the lower section. This parameter variation ensures that the upper section maintains sufficient structural integrity and contact tightness with the teat, while the lower section achieves complete collapse for effective massage. The gradual transition prevents abrupt changes that could compromise either function.
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 ensures a symmetric and complete collapsing of the barrel, providing a secure and efficient teat massage while minimizing leakage, and is independent of teat length, ensuring effective milking operation.
Implementation Method 1
the corner portions may obtain a more hinge-like function and thus a perfectly symmetric collapsing of the barrel may be achieved
Implementation Method 2
The teatcup liner may be made of an elastomeric material, such as natural or synthetic rubber, silicon, or a thermoplastic elastomer
Data Source
AI summary
A teatcup to be attached to the teat of an animal and a teatcup liner (1) for mounting in a shell (2) of the teatcup, where the teatcup liner includes a barrel (3) enclosing an inner space (7) for receiving the teat. The barrel includes a lower section (3′) and an upper section (3″) adjoining the lower section. The barrel has a polygonal cross-sectional shape, defining a plurality of side portions (18) and a plurality of corner portions (19), each connecting two of the side portions. Each side portion has a side wall thickness at a center line of the side portion. Each corner portion has a corner wall thickness at a center line of the corner portion. The corner wall thickness is thicker than the side wall thickness along the barrel. The corner wall thickness decreases along the upper section of the barrel towards the lower section.