Title: Milking apparatus and holder for receiving teat cups
Abstract: An apparatus for milking livestock, which apparatus has a milking box; a milking robot disposed close to or in the milking box; and a holder for receiving therein teat cups which during use are arranged on an animal for milking by the milking robot, and a holder for such an apparatus. The holder has a guard, a carriage with an engaging mechanism for engaging the teat cups and with a displacer for displacing the carriage between a first position, in which at least the teat cups are protected by the guard in the situation engaged by the carriage, and a second position, in which the teat cups are released for removal by the milking robot.
Patent Number: 6,948,449 Issued on 09/27/2005 to Van der Lingen, et al.
| Inventors:
|
Van der Lingen; Daan D. (Hasselt, NL);
Van der Sluis; Peter W. (IJsselmuiden, NL)
|
| Assignee:
|
Idento Electronics B.V. (Eris, NL)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
344920 |
| Filed:
|
August 27, 2001 |
| PCT Filed:
|
August 27, 2001
|
| PCT NO:
|
PCT/NL01/00627
|
| 371 Date:
|
July 28, 2003
|
| 102(e) Date:
|
July 28, 2003
|
| PCT PUB.NO.:
|
WO02/15676 |
| PCT PUB. Date:
|
February 28, 2002 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Current U.S. Class: |
119/14.13; 119/14.1 |
| Intern'l Class: |
A01J 005/04 |
| Field of Search: |
119/141,140.8,141.3,140.2
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
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| 5722343 | Mar., 1998 | Aurik et al.
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| 5778820 | Jul., 1998 | van der Lely et al.
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| 5862776 | Jan., 1999 | van den Berg.
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| 5896828 | Apr., 1999 | Kronschnabel et al.
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| 5960736 | Oct., 1999 | Ludington et al.
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| 6009833 | Jan., 2000 | van der Lely.
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| 6244215 | Jun., 2001 | Oosterling.
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| 6584929 | Jul., 2003 | van der Lely et al.
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| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 0560438 | Sep., 1993 | EP.
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| 0647390 | Apr., 1995 | EP.
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| 0811319 | Dec., 1997 | EP.
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| 0360354 | Mar., 1990 | NL.
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| 0545916 | Jun., 1993 | NL.
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| 0630557 | Dec., 1994 | NL.
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| 0635204 | Jan., 1995 | NL.
| |
| WO 99 0721/2 | Feb., 1999 | WO.
| |
Primary Examiner: Swiatek; Robert P.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: The Webb Law Firm
Claims
1. An apparatus for milking livestock, comprising a milking box; a milking robot
disposed close to or in the milking box; and a holder for receiving therein teat
cups which during use are arranged on an animal for milking by the milking robot,
wherein the holder comprises:
a guard; a carriage with engaging means for engaging the teat cups and with displacing
means for displacing the carriage between a first position, in which at least the
teat cups are protected by the guard in the situation engaged by the carriage,
and a second position, in which the teat cups are released for removal by the milking robot.
2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carriage is movable in the
direction of the milking robot in the second position or at least prior to reaching
the second position.
3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the carriage is tiltable in or
close to the second position.
4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a flow sensor measuring the milk
flow through a conduit is arranged connected to conduits running from the teat cups.
5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the conduits comprise tensioning
means for retracting the teat cups into the engaging means of the carriage if it
is established that at least hardly any milk is running through the conduit.
6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guard comprises a cleaning
unit for cleaning the teat cups in the first position of the carriage.
7. A holder for receiving teat cups therein and for use in an apparatus for milking
livestock, comprising a milking box; a milking robot disposed close to or in the
milking box; and a holder for receiving therein teat cups which during use are
arranged on an animal for milking by the milking robot, wherein the holder comprises:
a guard; a carriage with engaging means for engaging the teat cups and with displacing
means for displacing the carriage between a first position, in which at least the
teat cups are protected by the guard in the situation engaged by the carriage,
and a second position, in which the teat cups are released for removal by the milking robot.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for milking livestock, comprising
a milking box; a milking robot disposed close to or in the milking box; and a holder
for receiving therein teat cups which during use are arranged on an animal for
milking by the milking robot, and the invention relates more particularly in such
an apparatus to the holder for receiving teat cups therein.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Such an apparatus and holder are generally known.
A drawback of the prior art is that the holder for receiving teat cups is stationary.
A freedom of movement in a wide area is therefore required of the milking robot.
This makes high demands of the choice of dimensions, materials used and so on.
In the known art the teat cups are moreover subject to all sorts of harmful influences,
such as the excrement of the animals for milking, and the animals may kick against
the teat cups if they become restless.
The invention has for its object to obviate the above stated drawbacks of the
known art, for which purpose an apparatus for milking livestock and more particularly
herein a holder for receiving teat cups are distinguished in that the holder comprises:
a guard; a carriage with engaging means for engaging the teat cups and with displacing
means for displacing the carriage between a first position, in which at least the
teat cups are protected by the guard in the situation engaged by the carriage,
and a second position, in which the teat cups are released for removal by the milking robot.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention the teat cups can thus be retracted into the
first position in which they are protected by the guard, so that the teat cups
are not exposed to the above stated and other harmful influences in a milking parlour.
In the second position the chosen reach of the milking robot can further be smaller
when the second position is closer to the milking robot than the first position,
which is preferably the case.
In a first preferred embodiment an additional movement is provided, wherein the
carriage is movable in the direction of the milking robot in the second position
or at least prior to reaching the second position. This is particularly advantageous
when the first and the second position are at least approximately the same distance
from the milking robot, and with this feature the teat cups can be carried closer
to the milking robot so as to reduce the reach required of it. Such an additional
movement can be realized in simple manner in that the carriage is tiltable in or
close to the second position. In such an embodiment the shape of the body of an
animal for milking is of course also taken into account, wherein the teat cups
are for instance first displaced downward in the carriage to the second position
and are then swivelle in the direction of the milking robot. In an arrangement
where the milking robot and the holder are arranged opposite one another relative
to an animal for milking, the teat cups are thus tilted herein in the direction
of the udder of an animal for milking.
In another preferred embodiment, conduits running from the teat cups comprise
tensioning means for retracting the teat cups into the engaging means of the carriage
when it is established that hardly any milk is running through the conduits. Such
a situation may have different causes. The teat cup may have fallen off or been
kicked off, or a relevant quarter of a cow for milking is empty. Since this will
never, or in any case seldom, occur with all teat cups simultaneously, a fallen
teat cup is retracted into the safe environment of the carriage, while the other
teat cups can continue milking the relevant quarters of the udder of for instance
a cow. Once a fallen teat cup has been retracted into the engaging means of the
holder, the milking robot can be instructed to rearrange the teat cup on the teats
from which it has fallen. This is a choice based on the consideration of whether
milk can still be expected from the relevant quarter and so on. This embodiment
is favourable in that the milking robot does not need here to search for the fallen
teat cup on the parlour floor, but that the teat cup can be found with certainty
in the engaging means of the displaceable carriage of the holder.
In a further favourable embodiment the holder and the apparatus have the feature
that the guard comprises a cleaning unit for cleaning the teat cups in the first
position of the carriage. After cleaning of the teat cups in the first position,
the guard ensures that, after cleaning, the teat cups cannot be fouled again, for
instance by excrement from an animal for milking, such as a cow.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
As already stated above, the present invention comprises both an apparatus for
milking livestock and in particular a holder used herein for receiving teat cups.
The invention will be further elucidated on the basis of the description following
hereinbelow which is related to the annexed drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an apparatus with a holder for teat cups,
both according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows a partly cut-away perspective view of a holder from an apparatus,
both according to the present invention; and
FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the holder of FIG. 2 in a different situation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows an apparatus
1 with a holder
2 for receiving teat
cups therein, both according to the present invention. Apparatus
1 further
comprises a milking robot
3, wherein holder
2 and milking robot
3
are both disposed in the vicinity of a milking parlour
4. A cow
5
for milking is placed in milking parlour
4, whereafter the milking robot
3 removes teat cups
6 from holder
2 in order to arrange them
on the teats of the udder of a cow
5.
As is also shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, holder
2 comprises a carriage
7
with engaging means designed as passages
8 for engaging teat cups
6.
As shown in FIG. 1, it is possible with milking robot
3 to take teat cups
6 out of the passages
8 so as to place them on the teats of the udder
of a cow
5. The location of the teat cups can thus be very readily defined,
so that milking robot
3 can find them immediately.
Holder
2 further comprises a guard designed as a plate
9, wherein
carriage
7 with teat cups
6 engaged by the engaging means can be
retracted behind plate
9 when using displacing means designed as a cylinder
10. In the situation shown in FIG. 2 with the carriage
7 retracted
behind plate
9, teat cups
6 are protected against the harmful influences
in a milking parlour
4, such as kicking by the animals for milking, and
excrement. In the context of the present description this situation is designated
as the first position, while the second position of carriage
7, in which
the teat cups
6 are released for removal by milking robot
3, is shown
in FIGS. 1 and 3.
In an embodiment such as that shown in the drawings, it is advantageous when
carriage
7 consists of two parts which are coupled for tilting on a pivot point
11.
The upper part of carriage
7 in the figures is only movable up and downward
under the influence of cylinder
10, while the lower part of carriage
7
in the figures is tiltable on pivot point
11 relative to the upper part
of carriage
7 under the influence of another cylinder
12. The teat
cups are thus carried closer to the udder of a cow
5 for milking, and also
closer to the milking robot on the opposite side of milking box
4, so that
the reach required of milking robot
3 can be reduced, and the length of
the hoses
13 connected to teat cups
6 can be kept to a minimum.
Hoses
13 are each trained round two wheels
14,
15. One
of these wheels
14 is stationary in carriage
7, while the other wheel
15 is suspended from a cylinder
16. By driving cylinders
16
to make them shorter, i.e. to retract the pistons into the cylinder housings, a
length of the hoses
13 can each be taken up separately.
Preferably connected to hoses
13 are flow sensors which detect
whether a milk flow is still running through the relevant conduit
13. If
this is not the case for one of the conduits
13, it can be concluded that
an associated teat cup
6 has fallen off or been kicked off, or that the
associated quarter from which this teat cup
6 is suspended is empty. The
relevant teat cup
6 can in any case be retracted into the passage
8
in carriage
7 so as to prevent damage or fouling of teat cup
6, since
it would otherwise remain lying on the floor of milking parlour
4. For this
purpose the relevant cylinder
16 is therefore set into operation to shorten
the hose
13 associated with the teat cup
6 which has fallen off or
finished milking in order to retract this teat cup
6. The cylinders
16
together with wheels
14,
15 and the manner in which hoses
13
are trained round these wheels
14,
15 thus form tensioning means
for retracting teat cups
6.
It is noted that the flow sensors are not shown, but that each of the hoses
13,
or in any case those of the hoses
13 intended for discharge of milked milk,
are provided with such a flow sensor. It is thus possible to retract each of the
teat cups
6 individually to carriage
7 using the tensioning means.
It is further the case that the plate
9 forming a guard is also provided
with a cleaning unit formed by caps
17, to which for instance water and
air conduits run for the purpose of spraying clean respectively blowing dry the
teat cups
6 in the first position of carriage
7 when it is retracted
behind plate
9 and where both teat cups are located in the vicinity of caps
17. Alternatively, caps
17 can form a collector for cleaning liquid
which is pushed from the other side through hoses
13, and therefore through
teat cups
6, in order to clean teat cups
6. The outer end of teat
cups
6 for attaching to the teats of an udder of a cow then forms an exit
for this cleaning liquid, which is collected by caps
17.
It is noted once again that the first position of carriage
7, retracted
behind the guard designed as plate
9, is shown in FIG. 2, while the second
position of carriage
7, in which the teat cups are released for removal
by the milking robot, is shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 2 shows clearly that the outer ends
of teat cups
6 are directed toward caps
17 so as to form, in combination,
cleaning means.
Within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims,
many additional and alternative embodiments are possible, which must all be deemed
as lying within the scope of protection of the present invention. It is thus possible
for the tensioning means to be designed in any random manner other than with the
cylinders
16 explicitly shown and described in the figures, for instance
using a number of drums corresponding with the number of hoses
13, wherein
each of the hoses is trained round one of the drums. The drums can be driven in
a rotating movement, wherein the relevant associated hose
13 can be rolled
up round the drum in order to thus retract the associated teat cup on the other
outer end thereof.
Carriage
7 can also be designed in many alternative ways. Instead
of the two-part configuration explicitly shown and described with reference to
the figures, use can thus be made of a curved construction which can carry the
teat cups into closer proximity to the teats of an udder of a cow for milking and
to the milking robot with a single movement along the curve of the construction.
In the explicitly shown and described construction the tilting movement with cylinder
12 on pivot point
11 can already begin as soon as the lower, tiltable
part of carriage
7 is clear of the guard designed as plate
9. It
is not therefore necessary to wait until carriage
7 as a whole has reached
the fully downward moved position, which can result in time being gained. It is
further possible for teat cups
6 to be pressed against caps
17 in
the first position of the carriage by also causing in this first position of carriage
7 a tilting movement of the lower part of carriage
7 on pivot point
11 using cylinder
12. This has the advantage that during cleaning,
and also thereafter, the teat cup
6, and in any case the interior of these
teat cups, is protected with even greater certainty against adverse, possibly hygienically
harmful influences from outside. Although the cylinder
10 for vertical movement
of carriage
7 between the first position and the second position is shown
on the front side of holder
2 in the figures, it can alternatively also
be mounted upside down on the top of the carriage, or behind carriage
7.
Further alternative and additional embodiments of the holder in particular and
more generally the apparatus according to the present invention will also occur
to the skilled person after examination of the foregoing.
*
