Milk tube with an impact-absorbing area

Abstract

A milk hose for connecting a milk collecting piece to a teat cup in an automatic milking plant comprises a first end area which is adapted to be fixed to the connection element of the teat cup and a second end area which is adapted to be fixed to the connection element of the milk collecting piece. Furthermore, said second end area has provided thereon an impact-absorbing area comprising elongate impact-absorbing elements, which, when subjected to a radial impact load, are deformed and/or bent at least sectionwise in a predefined preferred direction, and/or nipple-shaped impact-absorbing elements which are deformed and/or bent when subjected to said radial impact load. In addition, an impact-absorbing device for mounting on a milk hose is described.

1 - 18 . (canceled)  
   
   
       19 . A milk hose for connecting a milk collecting piece to a teat cup in an automatic milking plant, comprising: 
 a first end area adapted to be fixed to a connection element of the teat cup;    a second end area adapted to be fixed to a connection element of the milk collecting piece;    at least said second end area comprising:    an impact-absorbing area comprising elongate impact-absorbing elements which, when subjected to a radial impact load, are at least one of deformed and bent at least sectionwise in a predefined preferred direction, said elongate impact-absorbing elements arranged such that they are inclined, at least sectionwise, relative to a normal to a surface of the second end area.    
   
   
       20 . A milk hose according to  claim 19 , wherein the elongate impact-absorbing elements comprise at least one section forming an inclination angle with said normal to the surface, said angle ranging from 8° to 50°.  
   
   
       21 . A milk hose according to  claim 19 , wherein the elongate impact-absorbing elements are, at least sectionwise, arranged at an oblique angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the second end area.  
   
   
       22 . A milk hose according to  claim 19 , wherein the elongate impact-absorbing elements are oriented such that a first section of each element forms a first inclination angle with a normal to a surface having formed thereon said elongate impact-absorbing elements and such that a second section forms a second inclination angle which differs from the first one.  
   
   
       23 . A milk hose according to  claim 22 , wherein the value of said first inclination angle varies continuously from said first section to said second section.  
   
   
       24 . A milk hose according to  claim 22 , wherein the first inclination angle is oriented inversely to the second inclination angle.  
   
   
       25 . A milk hose according to  claim 19 , wherein the elongate impact-absorbing elements have a thickness in the range of from 0.5 to 5 mm.  
   
   
       26 . A milk hose according to  claim 19 , wherein the height of the individual elongate impact-absorbing elements is in a range of from 1 to 10 mm.  
   
   
       27 . A milk hose according to  claim 19 , wherein at least one of the thickness and the height of the individual elongate impact-absorbing elements varies, at least sectionwise, along the longitudinal direction of the impact-absorbing elements.  
   
   
       28 . A milk hose according to  claim 19 , wherein the impact-absorbing area has a length of 20 to 60 mm in the longitudinal direction.  
   
   
       29 . A milk hose according to  claim 19 , wherein the impact-absorbing area and the second end area of the milk hose are formed of one piece of material.  
   
   
       30 . A milk hose according to  claim 19 , further comprising nipple-shaped impact-absorbing elements configured to undergo at least one of a deformation and a bending when being subjected to said radial impact load.  
   
   
       31 . A milk hose according to  claim 30 , wherein said nipple-shaped impact-absorbing elements have a diameter that ranges from 1 to 8 mm and a length that ranges from 1 to 10 mm.  
   
   
       32 . A milk hose according to  claim 30 , wherein the nipple-shaped impact-absorbing elements include at least a first species and a second species, the first and second species differing in at least one length and diameter.  
   
   
       33 . A milk hose according to  claim 32 , further comprising rib-shaped reinforcement elements, which are oriented essentially in the radial direction, so that an increased longitudinal stability of the second end area is obtained by said rib-shaped reinforcement elements.  
   
   
       34 . A milk hose according to  claim 33 , wherein a height of the rib-shaped reinforcement elements is smaller than the length of the nipple-shaped impact-absorbing elements.  
   
   
       35 . A milk hose for connecting a milk collecting piece to a teat cup in an automatic milking plant, comprising: 
 a first end area adapted to be fixed to a connection element of the teat cup;    a second end area adapted to be fixed to a connection element of the milk collecting piece;    at least said second end area comprising:    an impact-absorbing area comprising nipple-shaped impact-absorbing elements configured to undergo at least one of a deformation and a bending when being subjected to a radial impact load.    
   
   
       36 . A milk hose according to  claim 35 , wherein said nipple-shaped impact-absorbing elements have a diameter that ranges from 1 to 8 mm and a length that ranges from 1 to 10 mm.  
   
   
       37 . A milk hose according to  claim 35 , wherein the nipple-shaped impact-absorbing elements include at least a first species and a second species, the first and second species differing in at least one length and diameter.  
   
   
       38 . A milk hose according to  claim 37 , further comprising rib-shaped reinforcement elements, which are oriented essentially in the radial direction, so that an increased longitudinal stability of the second end area is obtained by said rib-shaped reinforcement elements.  
   
   
       39 . A milk hose according to  claim 38 , wherein a height of the rib-shaped reinforcement elements is smaller than the length of the nipple-shaped impact-absorbing elements.  
   
   
       40 . An impact-absorbing device for attachment to a milk hose, comprising: 
 an impact-absorbing area comprising elongate impact-absorbing elements which, when subjected to a radial impact load, are at least one of deformed and bent at least sectionwise in a predefined preferred direction;    wherein said impact-absorbing device is implemented such that it is adapted to be fixed to an end area of the milk hose establishing a fluid connection between a milk collecting piece and a teat cup; and    wherein the elongate impact-absorbing elements are arranged such that they are inclined, at least sectionwise, relative to a normal to the surface of the end area of the milk collecting piece in the mounted condition.    
   
   
       41 . An impact-absorbing device according to  claim 40  further comprising a fastener configured to fasten the impact-absorbing device to said end area.  
   
   
       42 . An impact-absorbing device according to  claim 40 , wherein said impact-absorbing area further comprises nipple-shaped impact-absorbing elements which are at least one of deformed and bent when subjected to said radial impact load.  
   
   
       43 . An impact-absorbing device for attachment to a milk hose, comprising: 
 an impact-absorbing area comprising nipple-shaped impact-absorbing elements which are at least one of deformed and bent when subjected to a radial impact load;    wherein said impact-absorbing device is implemented such that it is adapted to be fixed to an end area of the milk hose establishing a fluid connection between a milk collecting piece and a teat cup.    
   
   
       44 . An impact-absorbing device according to  claim 43 , further comprising a fastener configured to fasten the impact-absorbing device to said end area.