NZ526161A - Valve having elongate element located within teat so that animal can open valve by moving element - Google Patents

Abstract

A suckling animal is able to deflect element 15 located within teat T so as to allow feed to flow, but positive shut off is achieved when the animal releases the teat.

Description

52 6 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z -8 JUL 2004 RECEIVED No: 526161 Date: 29 May 2003 NEW ZEALAND Patents Act 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION IMPROVEMENTS IN ANIMAL FEEDING DEVICES WE, STALLION PLASTICS LIMITED a New Zealand company of Railway Road, Palmerston North, New Zealand do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- 2 Title of the Invention "Improvements in Animal Feeding Devices" Background to the Invention This invention relates to improvements in animal feeding devices of the type commonly referred to as a feeding teat or feeding nipple.

An animal feeding teat or nipple (which for convenience will herein be referred to as a "teat") made from a resilient rubber-like material is a known and widely used means of feeding small animals such as calves. The teat can be mounted on a single feeding device such as a bottle or bucket (pail). A plurality of teats are also commonly used on multi-animal feeders, which can either be of static form e.g. mounted on a stand or to a structure such as a fence or the like or can be part of a mobile feeder e.g. towable by a vehicle. With both static and mobile feeders, the teats can be mounted with an open or closed manifold, the feeding liquid being supplied to the manifold from a bulk tank or reservoir.

The teat may or may not be associated with a valve. In some applications, a valve may be required in order to SPEC484(COMP) 7 July 2004 3 facilitate correct operation of the teat or at least optimise the flow of feed to an animal suckling on the teat. The incorporation of a valve can also assist in reducing "leakage" from the teat. Leakage will occur when the teat does not seal entirely closed, with a result that feed can dribble from the teat when the teat is not being suckled by an animal.

Generally, the animal feeder is taken to the animal or animals at the time of feeding or the animal (s) can be brought to the feeder. This usually occurs at set feeding times. However, there is now a trend toward on-demand feeding where the animal feeder is filled with feed at the beginning of the day and the animal (s) simply go to and feed from the feeder whenever the animal requires feed.

With feeders used for on-demand feeding, it is even more a requirement that the teat completely seal off the flow of feed so that no losses through the teat occur when an animal is not feeding from the teat. Additionally, it is believed necessary with on-demand feeding, that the animal secure a good flow of feed at the time of feeding so that its feed demands are satisfied. The animal is SPEC484(COMP) 7 July 2004 4 thus more likely to leave the feeder when it has consumed sufficient feed and feels satisfied.

Summary of the Invention It is an object of the present to provide a valve for a feeding teat or nipple, which provides good flow control, whereby a teat incorporated with the valve can be used in an on-demand feeding situation.

Broadly, according to the present invention, there is provided a valve for an animal feeding teat, the valve including a mounting portion adapted for combining with an animal feeding teat, an opening in the mounting portion, a sealing element to seal closed the opening, an elongate element coupled to the sealing element, said elongate element projecting from and transverse to the mounting portion, and a biasing means to bias the sealing element to seal closed the opening, the elongate element projecting transverse to the mounting portion such that in use the elongate element is, at least in part, located within a hollow interior of the animal feeding teat to be moveable against the action of the biasing means to thereby cause the sealing element to move from its sealing position to, at least in part, uncover the opening.

In the preferred form of the invention the elongate element extends through the opening such that the sealing element is located to one side of the opening and a SPEC484(COMP) 7 July 2004 distal end of the elongate element is located to a second side of the opening.

Preferably the biasing means is a spring. The spring can be a conically shaped coil spring. In the preferred form, the spring is located at said second side of the opening. Preferably it engages with the mounting portion and with the elongate element at a distance away from the mounting portion.

In a preferred form the sealing element is mounted by a disc from which extends the elongate element.

Preferably the mounting portion includes a peripheral flange which can be located in a sealing arrangement between a portion of a feeding teat or nipple and an engagement surface of a feeding device with which the teat is to be mounted.

According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a feeding device comprising a teat made from a resilient material in combination with a valve according to the first broad aspect, the elongate element being at least in part located within a hollow interior of the teat.

SPEC484(COMP) 7 July 2004 6 Brief Description of the Drawings In the following more detailed description of the invention according to one preferred embodiment, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is an exploded view of the valve according to the present invention in conjunction with a teat and a mounting ring, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the valve, and in conjunction with a teat, (shown in dotted detail) the mounting ring for the teat not being shown in the interest of clarity.

Description of a Preferred Embodiment of the Invention The valve according to the present invention is suitable for use with resilient teats of different forms. The valve will, in the following description, be described in conjunction with a teat of the type manufactured and sold by Stallion Plastics Limited. It is a teat of the type, SPEC484(COMP) 7 July 2004 7 which can be mounted by a mounting ring as disclosed and claimed in our New Zealand patent specification 260687.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that this is by way of illustration. The valve of the present invention is not restricted specifically to this form of mounting nor the particular form of teat illustrated in the drawings.

The teat T has a body B with an inlet end I. An opening 0 in the inlet end opens into the interior of the teat T. Inlet end I has a surrounding flange F. One or more openings are formed in the outlet end E of the teat. The teat is formed from a natural or synthetic rubber or rubber-like material in accordance with known teat constructions.

The mounting ring R has an internal thread D, whereby it can be threaded onto a threaded boss on a bottle, feeding pail, the manifold of a mobile multi-animal feeder or the outlets of the body of a static animal feeder. The body B of the teat T is inserted through an opening N in ring R so that the flange F engages with the annular portion A of the ring, which defines the opening N.

SPEC484(COMP) 7 July 2004 8 The valve 10 includes a dished mounting part 11, which has a peripheral flange 12. In the preferred form of the invention, the mounting portion 11 is a dished disc and the flange 12 projects from an annular wall 13.

The annular wall 13 is of a diameter less (preferably just slightly less) than the internal diameter of a threaded mounting boss onto which the ring R is, in use, threadingly engaged. This is in accordance with the mounting arrangement disclosed in our New Zealand patent specification 260687.

Thus, the dished mounting part 11 can engage onto the end of the boss with the peripheral flange 12 seated against the distal end surface of the boss. Consequently, when the whole assemblage is mounted the peripheral flange 12 is sealingly sandwiched between the distal end surface of the boss and the flange F of the teat T. With the axial compressive pressure applied by screwing the ring R onto the boss, a leak-proof seal is achieved.

Disposed centrally in the floor 23 the dished mounting part 11 is an opening 14. Extending through this opening 14 is an elongate pin 15. The pin 15 extends from a base 16, which has located thereon a sealing element 17. The intellectual property office of n.z. dec 2005 <? e* hi f p , SPEC484(COMP) 7 July 2004 9 sealing element 17 can be of annular form. It has an internal flange 18, which engages in a peripheral groove 19 in the base 16.

V? A biasing means is used to bias the sealing element into sealing engagement with mounting disc 11. It also biases the pin 15 into a "rest" position. The biasing means can take various forms as will be apparent to the skilled person.

One example is a conical spiral spring 20 engaged between an enlarged area 21 on the pin 15 and an area (preferably of increased thickness 22) formed in the floor 23 of the dish shaped mounting disc 11. The spring 20 applies an axial loading to the pin 15. This loading is such that on the opposite side of the floor 23 of the mounting disc 11, the seal 17 is drawn into close engagement with the surface of the mounting disc 11 thereby surrounding the opening 14. Consequently, the spring 20 causes the seal 17 to close the opening 14.

It will be observed that the opening 14 is of greater diameter or cross-sectional area than that of the pin 15. Thus, if the pin 15 has a force applied to it in say the direction of arrow A it is caused to deflect from its SPEC484(COMP) 7 July 2004 normal orientation relative to the mounting disc 11, the base 16. As a result the seal 17, will be moved at least partially out of contact with mounting disc 11. This thereby breaks the seal between the seal member 17 and the surface of the mounting disc 11. In this position, the opening 14 is at least partially uncovered and the valve is in the open position.

When the valve 10 is mounted in use with the teat T, the pin 15 extends for a distance into the interior of the teat body T. The distal end 24 therefore is located at a point such that when an animal suckles the teat T, this will cause a deflection of the pin. This action thereby opens the valve 10 so that feed can flow through opening 14 and into the body B of the teat T to issue from the openings in the end E.

When the animal releases the teat, any force applied by the animal to the pin is released. The spring 20 thus causes the pin 15 to move back to its rest position, which is essentially normal to the plajie of the mounting disc 11. A positive closing of the valve 10 thereby occurs. The teat is consequently isolated from the bulk supply of feed, thereby preventing liquid feed from SPEC484(COMP) 7 July 2004 11 dribbling to waste through the teat when an animal is not suckling the teat.

The valve 10 therefore provides a positive and full seal of the teat, which is particularly desirable for on-demand feeding. At the same time, however, the valve 10 provides very good flow characteristics when an animal is feeding. This is due to the large opening 14 and the positive release (under the action of the animal endeavouring to feed) of the seal 17 for around opening 14 .

The size of the opening 14 can be optimised to provide the best possible supply of feed to the teat T. This will ensure that the animal feeding obtains without undue effort, the required volume of feed and especially a volume of feed, which causes the animal to consider that its hunger has been satisfied. Consequently, after having received sufficient feed the animal will leave the teat and only return when demand for feed occurs at some later time.

The present invention thus provides a valve, which is particularly suited for use with a resilient animal feeding teat to provide positive closure of the teat, but SPEC484(COMP) 7 July 2004 intellectual property office OF N.Z. 1 5 DEC 2005 9 P#1 12 at the same time, good flow characteristics. The valve is thus particularly suitable for use with teats in on-demand feeding situations.

SPEC484(COMP) 7 July 2004 13

Claims (11)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A valve for an animal feeding teat, the valve including a mounting portion adapted for combining with an animal feeding teat, an opening in the mounting portion, a sealing element to seal closed the opening, an elongate element coupled to the sealing element, said elongate element projecting from and transverse to the mounting portion, and a biasing means to bias the sealing element to seal closed the opening, the elongate element projecting transverse to the mounting portion such that in use the elongate element is, at least in part, located within a hollow interior of the animal feeding teat to be moveable against the action of the biasing means to thereby cause the sealing element to move from its sealing position to, at least in part, uncover the opening.

2. A valve as claimed in claim 1 wherein the elongate element extends through the opening such that the sealing element is located to one side of the opening and a distal end of the elongate element is located to a second side of the opening. SPEC484(COMP) 7 July 2004 iTFLLECTUAL property OFFICE OF N.Z. 15 DEC 2005 t !'/rr * 14

3. A valve as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the biasing means is a spring.

4. A valve as claimed in claim 3 wherein the spring is a conically shaped coil spring.

5. A valve as claimed in claim 4 wherein the spring is located at said second side of the opening.

6. A valve as claimed in claim 5 wherein the spring engages with the mounting portion and with the elongate element at a distance away from the mounting portion.

7. A valve as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the sealing element is mounted by a disc from which extends the elongate element.

8. A valve as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the mounting portion includes a peripheral flange which can be located in a sealing arrangement between a portion of a teat and an engagement surface of a feeding device with which the teat is to be mounted. SPEC484(COMP) 7 July 2004 15

9. A feeding device comprising a teat or nipple made from a resilient material in combination with a valve according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the elongate element being at least in part located within a hollow interior of the teat.

10. The combination of claim 9 substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.

11. A valve for an animal feeding teat, the valve being substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings. STALLION PLASTICS LIMITED By its Attorney DON HOPKINS & ASSOCIATES Per: 15 DEC 2005 SPEC484(COMP) 7 July 2004