AU1941083A

AU1941083A - Milking machine

Info

Publication number: AU1941083A
Application number: AU19410/83A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Soderman Lennart; Nordegren Sven-Ake
Original assignee: Alfa Laval AB
Current assignee: Alfa Laval AB
Priority date: 1982-08-30
Filing date: 1983-08-26
Publication date: 1984-03-29

Description

Milking machine

This invention relates to a milking machine comprising teat cups and in these ones arranged teat cup liners, the room inside the teat cup liner in each teat cup being connected with a vacuum source and the room between the teat cup and teat cup liner being connected with a pulsator that switches between suction phase and massage phase.

In a conventional milking machine it is normally only the lower part of the teat that is subjected to effective massage. The vacuum decreases very quickly on the teat counted from the point of the teat and up towards the head of the teat cup. In the head itself of the teat cup there is a weak vacuum during the main part of the milking. Due to this fact the teat does not get the necessary stimulation and massage.

By German patent publication No. 1.245.201 is previously known a milking machine working at overpressure. Due to the special design of the machine with a pump cylinder in which a plunger is moving to and fro for generating overpressure and vacuum and to the occurence of a valve in the line between the pump cylinder and the milk collecting receptacle, which valve has a closed position in one phase and an open position in another phase, the apparatus seems to give a vacuum in the room between the teat cup liner and the teat cup that could be stronger than the vacuum in the room inside the teat cup liner.

Due to this technical design the machine is impaired by a serious disadvantage, because the milk collecting receptacle and by that the channel to the inner part of the teat cup liner is discontinuously connected with the vacuum source. This leads to large vacuum fluctuations in the room inside the teat cup liner, which makes the milking of the cow more difficult. The known apparatus owing to this disadvantage has not been of any large use. This invention intends to remove the drawbacks found in the known apparatuses and improve the stimulation and the massage of the teats of the animal in order to increase the milk yield of the animal. This is brought about by the fact that the room between the teat cup and the teat cup liner is arranged to be intermittently under a pressure that is higher than the atmospheric pressure, and intermittently under a vacuum that is stronger than that existing in the room inside the teat cup liner, at the same time as this room is arranged to be under a vacuum that is essentially constant.

A preferred embodiment of the invention shall be described more closely in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which

Fig. 1 shows a teat with a teat cup put on it in section during the suction phase and

Fig. 2 shows a teat with a teat cup put on it during the massage phase.

Fig. 1 and 2 disclose a teat cup 1 fastened onto a teat 2. The teat cup comprises a teat cup liner 3 and two different channels 4, 5. One 4 of the channels is under essentially constant vacuum and is in connection with the room 6 Inside the teat cup liner 3 such that it carries milk from the teat. The second channel 5 is in connection with the room 7 between the teat cup and the teat cup liner and is furthermore connected with a pulsator that switches between vacuum (suction phase) and an overpressure (massage phase).

In conventional milking machines the pressure in the pulsation chamber is regularly switched between vacuum and atmospheric pressure. In this connection the channel that Is connected to the room between the teat cup and the teat cup liner is during the suction phase via the pulsator connected with the vacuum line of the milk ing machine, while during the massage phase the pulsator connects the channel with the atmosphere.

According to the present invention the room 7 between the teat cup 1 and the teat cup liner 3, i.e. the pulsation chamber, is via the channel 5 and the pulsator during the massage phase put under a pressure that is higher than the atmospheric pressure. This can be done in different ways, for instance by means of a separate compressor or by the outlet side of the pump generating the vacuum in the vacuum line, the outlet of the pump being connected with the channel 5.

An essential advantage by putting the pulsation chamber under overpressure is that the teat gets stimulation and massage along all its length, which leads to increased milk yield from the cow.

An effect of the application of the overpressure is that the opening of the teat cup liners may become more difficult during the suction phase. In order to counteract this effect it'is suggested according to the invention that during the suction phase a stronger vacuum than that prevailing in the room 6 inside the teat cup liner 3 is applied in the room 7 between the teat cup 1 and the teat cup liner 3. This stronger vacuum in the pulsation chamber leads to that the teat cup liner that is flattened during the massage phase (see Fig. 2) is opened in the intended way during the suction phase (see Fig. 1) and renders the milk flow from the teat possible.

The strong vacuum in the room 7, i.e. the pulsation side, can be arranged in a suitable way, for instance by connecting the room with the vacuum line of the milking machine. In this connection the vacuum pump is working at the level of the strong vacuum, while the room 6 inside the teat cup liner 3, i.e. the milking side, is connected via a reducing valve such that a weaker vacuum is received there. In this respect it is of great importance that the vacuum of the room 6 is essentially constant.

Other ways to create the strong vacuum are use of an ejector or that each of the milking side and the pulsation side is connected to a vacuum pump, which pumps are working at different levels of vacuum.

Claims

1. Milking machine comprising teat cups and in these ones arranged teat cup liners, the room inside the teat cup liner in each teat cup being connected with a vacuum source and the room between the teat cup and the teat cup liner being connected with a pulsator that switches between suction phase and massage phase, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the room (7) between the teat cup (1) and teat cup liner (3) is arranged to be intertnit tently under a pressure that is higher than the atmospheric pressure and intermittently under a vacuum that is stronger than that existing in the room (6) inside the teat cup liner (3), at the same time as this room (6) is arranged to be under a vacuum that is essentially constant.

2. Machine according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the overpressure in the room (7) between the teat cup (1) and the teat cup liner (3) is applied via a channel (5) connected with the pulsator.

3. Machine according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the overpressure is arranged by means of a separate compressor or by the outlet side of a pump generating the vacuum in the vacuum line.

4. Machine according to anyone of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the vacuum in the room (7) between the teat cup (1) and the teat cup liner (3) is applied via a channel (5) connected with the pulsator.

5. Machine according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the vacuum in the room (7) is arranged by means of a separate vacuum source.

6. Machine according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the vacuum in the room (7) is arranged by means of an ejector.

7. Machine according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the vacuum in the room (7) is arranged by connecting this room with the vacuum source of the apparatus, the room (6) inside the teat cup liner (3) being connected with the vacuum source via a reducing valve.