AU778865B2 - Improvements in and relating to teats - Google Patents

Description

DH Ref: 94-19AU

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention Title: 6 tc10l Pa6ctVs LOAv '94 SEC STEPHEN HENRY CRAWSIIAW and ,.lZAl3F.... MA SEC RAw5.IA trading as STALION P ,ASTS of 73 W w 113 Road, Palmr.ton North, New. Zealand ,oie ir ry" 1IVDor. S e O CS t Aitej LlQr 0 eo aJ DESMOND CROSSLEY of 25 Cargill Grove, Palmerston North, New Zealand Don Hopkins Associates Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33, St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales 2000, Australia IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO TEATS 0**s The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:- AULP3

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2 IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO TEATS BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION This invention relates to a teat (also referred to as a nipple) intended primarily for use in the feeding of small animals. The invention can however also have application to teats for use with baby bottles. More particularly the invention is directed to a valve for use in conjunction with 10 such teats.

*~e It is known with teats of the aforementioned type to provide .ee.e: .a valve. The purpose of the valve especially when the valve is used with a teat for the feeding of small animals is to 0 15 prevent or at least restrict back flow of the liquid feed (milk or milk product) from within the teat when a squeezing action is applied to the teat. The valve is particularly useful when training very young animals to feed from the teat.

With animal feeding teats the usual construction is to form the valve integrally within the teat or to provide a separate valve element which is fixed within the teat. Such arrangements can however significantly reduce or indeed Spec307 24 April 2001 prevent internal cleaning of the teat. For example with valve elements which are fixed by bonding or otherwise adhering the valve element into the teat it is not possible to access the interior of the teat to enable complete cleaning of the teat to occur.

It is also known that such valves can cease to operate or at least operate effectively. As a consequence the whole teat needs to be discarded.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a valve for use with a feeding teat which overcomes or at least goes some way to overcome the aforementioned problems associated with known teat and valve combinations or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.

Broadly in one aspect of the present invention there is provided a valve for a feeding teat, the valve including a first element of discal form, the first element having flaps formed by conjoining slits and a second element with -apertures formed therein, the first and second elements being adapted, in use, to be placed face to face 27 August 2001 Spec305 adjacent an inlet end of a teat, the second element having engagement means aligned with said conjoining slits to prevent movement of the flap in one direction.

In a first embodiment of the invention the first and second elements are both of discal form and are formed from a synthetic paper material.

In a second embodiment of the invention the first and second elements are of discal form, the first element being formed from a pliable rubber/plastic, the second element being formedefrom a rigid material.

oo According to a preferred form ot the invention the flaps are formed by a pair of intersecting slits that align *o with the cross-piece engagement means at the second element.

According to one form of the invention the first and second elements are joined together by a hinge arrangement. In a further form of the invention the first and second elements are joined by an interference fit and/or plug means.

Spec305 27 August 2001 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of the valve in a manufactured state, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the valve of Figure 1 in its in use configuration relative to a teat of a screw-on type, Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the arrangement shown in Figure 2, Figure 4 is a general exploded view showing a second form of the invention, •Lee Figure 5 is an underneath and top perspective view of the first element according to the second form of the invention, and Figure 6 is a top and underneath perspective view of the second element according to the second form of the invention.

Spec307 24 April 2001 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT According to the first form of the invention as shown in Figures 1 to 3 the valve is formed from a synthetic paper material. As a result the valve can be manufactured by cutting or stamping from a sheet of synthetic paper. In other arrangements (described hereinafter) the invention could be manufactured from a plastics material of thin cross sectional thickness.

i'.r Referring to Figure i, a first discal element 11 is coupled to a second discal element 12 by a hinge 13. As shown in Figures 2 and 3 the first and second discal elements 11 and 12 can be hinged about the hinge axis and thus be brought 15 face to face to take up the in-use configuration. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the two discal elements do not need to be hinged together but could be quite separate elements which are simply brought into a face to face configuration when combined with a teat and the structure to which the teat is fitted.

The first discal element 11 has a plurality of flaps 14 which are created by forming cuts or slits 15a and 15b. As shown Spec307 24 April 2001 in Figure 1 the slits 15a and 15b are located at mutual right angles. Four flaps 14 are thus formed.

In the second discal element there is formed a plurality of openings 16. These openings 16 are separated by cross-shaped area 17 which forms engagement means corresponding to the location of the slits 15a and 15b. The reason for this will hereinafter be described.

10 As shown in Figures 1 and 2 the form of the invention shown

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in Figure 1 is intended for use with a screw on teat T. The teat T has a body B with a peripheral flange F at the inlet .oo.o: end I. This flange F inter-engages with an annular cap C and from which the body B of the teat T projects. The cap C has 15 a screw S thread which enables the cap C to be screwed onto a screwed bottle neck, wall etc.

The valve 10 is therefore located against the flange F at the inlet I end of the teat T. In use the valve 10 will be sandwiched between the flange F and a surface of the bottle neck, wall or the like (not shown in Figures 2 and 3) onto which the cap C is screwed. The valve 10 is therefore fixed firmly in place and held about its peripheral edge.

Spec307 24 April 2001 8 The first discal element 10 is located against the teat T.

Consequently fluid in the form of liquid feed can pass through apertures 16 and force flaps 14 to move to an open position as shown in dotted detail in Figure 3 i.e. away from contact with the first discal element 12 such that the liquid feed can flow into the body B of the teat T. If a squeezing action is applied e.g. by an animal to the body B a reverse flow of the liquid feed is caused however this engages with *.flaps 14 and forces them into a closed position against the 1 0 second discal element 12. Because of the presence of the area 17 in the vicinity of the slits 15a and 15b the flaps cannot move any further thus closing off the apertures 16.

o: As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art the 02oo 15 invention is open to modification. For example the valve can be formed by a first discal member having only one flap. The second element could be formed by a threaded plug which screw threads into a threaded end of the teat. An end surface of the plug will engage face to face with the first discal element and have a bridging area corresponding to area 17 of the first embodiment.

With such an arrangement the teat would be of a type which is a "pull through" fit in an opening. The plug or as it is Spec307 24 April 2001 often referred to as a bung would be provided with a through passage with which a tube can be fitted. Such an arrangement may be necessary where the teat is not fed by gravity.

Figures 4 to 6 illustrate a second form of the invention manufactured from plastic. In most respects the constructions are substantially similar, therefore, the same reference numerals have been used to correspond to Figures 1 go •to 3. Figure 4 additionally shows a screw threaded bottle 0 top A that receives thread S of cap C.

First 'flap' element 11 is preferably formed from a plastic .o.e•i rubber material such as polyurethane. Element 11 again includes narrow slits 15a and 15b creating the flaps 14.

Second 'gate' element 12 is preferably formed from a more rigid material such as nylon. Element 12 again includes a cross piece 17 to align with slits 15a and 15b and apertures 16 to permit flow through of material.

Figures 5 and 16 show perspective views of each element 11, 12 respectively allowing further detail to be seen.

Particularly, element 11 includes a plug 18 at a peripheral edge to be received by a corresponding hole 19 in element 12.

Spec307 24 April 2001 The use of the plug/hole guidance enables slits 15a/15b to be properly aligned with cross piece 17.

The valve elements of the valve of the present invention can therefore be economically produced and are readily removable/dismantlable to enable internal cleaning of a teat to take place. Also the valve element can whenever necessary by easily replaced. For example it is envisaged that a farmer would carry a supply of the valve element or in the 10 case of the preferred embodiment illustrated the entire valve and simply discard a used valve with a new valve as and when necessary.

Because of the "light weight" construction of the valve the 15 flaps 14 readily move from a closed position to permit good flow of liquid into the teat. Equally the valve is sensitive to any back flow and immediately moves to a closed position to retain liquid within the teat thereby ensuring that a feeding animal (especially a young animal) receives most of the "charge" of liquid feed within the teat rather than simply forcing the feed back into the feed container.

It is also believed that by virtue of the construction of the valve it will not be vulnerable to becoming inefficient or Spec307 24 April 2001 11 inoperative as a result of dried feed product causing the operative elements of the valve to stick. In any event if such a situation does arise the low cost nature of the valve and its ready replacement means that it can be treated as a disposal item and simply be replaced when necessary by the farmer. It is envisaged however that when the interior of the teat is washed a washing action would also be applied to the valve thereby lessening the risk of the valve becoming inoperative or defective in operation.

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Claims (10)

1. 2. The valve of claim 1 wherein a flap of the first oo••o element, in use, covers an aperture of the second element. o e 0.
2. 3. The valve of claim 1 or 2 wherein the second element is of a discal form.
3. 4. The valve of claim i, 2 or 3 wherein the first element is formed from pliable material. The valve of any one of the preceding claims wherein the first and second elements are formed from a synthetic paper material. Spec307 24 April 2001 13
4. 6. The valve of any one of the preceding claims wherein the first and second elements are joined by a hinge.
5. 7. The valve of any one of the preceding claims wherein the first element includes a pair of intersecting slits creating a plurality of flaps. 0*° o The valve of claim 7 wherein the second element includes 10 a cross-piece to, in use, align with the intersecting slits of the first element, apertures being formed thereabout the cross piece.
6. 9. The valve of claim 2 wherein a guide means is provided S 1 15 at one or both of the first and second elements to align a flap with an aperture. The valve of claim 9 wherein the guide means is a plug- in-hole arrangement.
7. 11. A combination including a valve for a feeding teat according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and a teat means associated therewith a bottle closure means. Spec307 24 April 2001 14
8. 12. The combination of claim 11 further including a bottle with a bottle neck, wherein, in use the valve may be sandwiched between the closure means and a surface of the bottle neck.
9. 13. A method of preventing backflow in a feeding teat including the steps of sandwiching a valve according to any one of the claims 1 to 10 between a surface of a bottle neck and a closure means associated with the 10 feeding teat.
10. 14. A valve substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 24th day of April 2001 DON HOPKINS ASSOCIATES Spruson Ferguson GPO Box 3898 Sydney NSW 2001 Australia Spec307 24 April 2001