A short milk tube for extending between a milker teat cup and liner assembly and a milker unit and the short milk tube includes a vent seat having an outwardly extending protective vent plug lip, and a stiffener at least partially surrounding the vent seat to control bending of the short milk tube.

A milk tank system includes a first holder configured for intermediate storage of milk from several milkings of a milking device, and not being a milk glass; a second holder for storage of milk from the first holder; a transport device for transporting milk including a milk line from the first holder to the second holder, via which milk line the second holder may be brought into fluidic connection with the first holder, and a shut-off for shutting off the fluidic connection, in particular from the first holder to the milk line, wherein the transport device has a first operating state which is configured for collecting milk in the first holder, and a second operating state which is configured for transferring the milk from the first holder to the second holder, wherein the milk tank system further includes a control system for switching the transport device from the first to the second operating state when the milk in the first holder reaches a switching milk level which changes over time. Because the pumping of the milk from the intermediate milk storage vessel does not always begin at the same or comparable maximum milk level, but preferably at an ever increasing level, potentially caking milk residue is always rinsed away on a subsequent filling.

A connector configured for receiving a cartridge for forming a teatcup where the cartridge includes an elongated sleeve and a barrel pre-mounted in the elongated sleeve and having an inner space for receiving a teat and the connector includes a lower base member and a shell extending from the lower base member and surrounding a receiving space for receiving the cartridge, the lower base member and the shell foringm one piece of a plastic material, and the shell being configured to extend along an axial length of the elongated sleeve at least to the upper end of the sleeve when the cartridge is received in the connector.

A milking system including: at least one milking device; a milk storage vessel storing milk obtained with the milking device; a milk line system with a milk line with a first end connected to the milking device and with a second end connected to the milk storage vessel; and a monitoring system including: a sensor configured to measure a fluid parameter value of a fluid in the milk line, and a control system actively connected to the sensor and configured to process the measured fluid parameter value and generate a transition signal on fulfilment of a predefined transition criterion. The milk line includes a substantially vertical line portion, and a proposed discharge direction of milk runs through the milk line from the milking device to the milk storage vessel and is raised through the line portion, wherein the sensor is placed in or on the substantially vertical line portion.

A milking system includes several milking devices, each having a milk-carrying part, a temporary milk storage vessel, a milk pipe system, a milk storage tank, and a main milk pipe, which connects the temporary milk storage vessel to the milk storage tank. The milking system includes a first cleaning device having at least one first cleaning liquid supply and at least a pump, which cleaning device is configured to clean at least the milk-carrying part of at least one milking device and a part of the milk pipe system which connects the milk-carrying part to the temporary milk storage vessel, by transferring cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid supply through at least the milk-carrying part of the at least one milking device and through said part of the milk pipe system to the temporary milk storage vessel by pumping. The temporary milk storage vessel includes a main pump for transferring liquid from the temporary milk storage vessel through the main milk pipe in the direction of the milk storage tank. The milking system includes a second, additional cleaning device with at least one second, additional cleaning liquid supply, which second cleaning device is configured to supply additional cleaning liquid from the second cleaning liquid supply in a direction of flow from the temporary milk storage vessel towards the main milk pipe. The second cleaning liquid supply is situated downstream of at least each of the milking devices, viewed in said direction of flow.

A conduit having a flexible tubular body having a first end connectable to a manifold or claw 14 and a free end connectable to a teatcup. Disposed partway along its length are disposed two integrally formed ribs capable of moving about an elbow joint. Each rib consists of two arms connected by an elbow joint about which the arms may move relative to one another. The arms of each rib are substantially planar and meet at a pivot point or elbow to form a substantially inverted V-shape when viewed along its the horizontal axis. The ribs encourage downward movement 5 in the vertical plane about its lateral axis at and away from the apex of each of the inverted V-shaped ribs whilst also resisting lateral movement or even upward movement.

A teatcup includes a sleeve, a teacup liner provided in the sleeve, and a milk receptacle including a milk space. An inlet channel extends between an inner space of the teatcup liner and the milk space for conveying milk from a teat into the milk space. An outlet channel extends from the milk space and is connectable to a milk conduit for conveying the milk in a milk flow from the milk space. A gas supply channel conveys a gas into the milk space for promoting the milk flow. The gas supply channel has an inlet communicating with a gas source, and an outlet into the milk space. The milk space is partly delimited by a side wall. The gas supply channel extends within the side wall and along a surface of the side wall.

A safety valve arrangement and method, having an upstream block valve, a downstream block valve, and a pressure monitored galley between the upstream valve and the downstream valve.

A milking system includes a milking device, and a milk storage system having: a temporary milk storage vessel for temporarily storing milk from a plurality of milking operations, a milk pipe from the milking device to the temporary milk storage vessel, a milk tank for storing the milk from the temporary milk storage vessel, a control unit, a main milk pipe from the temporary milk storage vessel to the milk tank, a pressurized liquid supply which is controllable by the control unit and is provided and configured to supply a pressurized liquid, other than milk, to the milk storage system, a first and a second discharge provided on the main milk pipe, a selection device which is controllable by the control unit and is on the main milk pipe towards the first discharge or the second discharge, wherein the control unit is configured to perform a milk transferring action for transferring milk in the main milk pipe into the milk tank with the aid of the pressurized liquid, wherein the liquid transferring action includes bringing the pressurized liquid supply and the first discharge into liquid connection with the main milk pipe, and breaking a liquid connection of the main milk pipe with the second discharge, allowing an amount of pressurized liquid to flow under pressure from the pressurized liquid supply into the main milk pipe, and breaking the liquid connection between the main milk pipe and the first discharge. Transferring the milk in this way means that it is subjected to less mechanical load and mixed with less air, which benefits the quality. The invention also provides a temporary milk storage vessel and method of this type.

A safety valve device for a milking installation for milking milk-producing animals having a first valve with a first port and with a first port connector, a second valve with a second port and with a second port connector, a third valve with a third port and a third port connector, a drive, a common actuator, and at least one valve spring, and arranged so that the first port connector of the first valve is in fluid communication with the second port connector of the second valve, and the safety valve device can be moved between a first switching position, in which the first valve and the second valve are closed in order to block the first port and the second port and the third valve, is open a transition position, in which the first valve, the second valve and the third valve are closed, and a second switching position, in which the first valve and the second valve are open to connect the first port to the second port and the third valve is closed to block the third port.