CN212414200U

CN212414200U - Milking system for dairy animals

Info

Publication number: CN212414200U
Application number: CN201922244458.2U
Authority: CN
Inventors: R·I·J·弗兰森; A·A·范莱文
Original assignee: Lely Patent NV
Current assignee: Lely Patent NV
Priority date: 2019-12-13
Filing date: 2019-12-13
Publication date: 2021-01-29
Anticipated expiration: 2029-12-13

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a milking system for a dairy animal for fully milking the dairy animal, comprising: a milking place, such as a milking box, accessible to said dairy animal; a plurality of teat cups to be attached to the teats of the dairy animal; a milking robot arm arranged for connecting the teat cup to the teat and provided with a teat detection system for detecting the position of the teat; a control system for controlling the milking system, in particular the robot arm. The milking animal system further comprises teat cleaning and preparation means arranged for cleaning and stimulating the teats of the milking animal and comprising two counter-rotatable brushes. These brushes effectively clean and stimulate the teat without the need for a fluid supply or the like.

Description

Milking system for dairy animals

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a dairy animals milking system, dairy animals milking system is used for to the dairy animals, for example the full-automatic milking of milk cow and include: a milking place, such as a milking box, accessible to said dairy animal; a plurality of teat cups to be attached to the teats of the dairy animal; a milking robot arm arranged for connecting the teat cup to the teat and provided with a teat detection system for detecting the position of the teat; and a control system for controlling the milking system, in particular the robot arm.

Background

Milking robots are known for cleaning and preparing the teats of a dairy animal by spraying water through the teat cups onto the teats.

In practice, however, it has not always proven that such cleaning and preparation systems do not always work satisfactorily.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

It is an object of the present invention to provide a milking system with an improved teat cleaning and preparation system.

To this end, the utility model provides a beast animal milking system for milking beast animals, such as milk cow full-automatic milking, includes: a milking place, such as a milking box, accessible to the dairy animal, a plurality of teat cups to be connected to the teats of the dairy animal, a milking robot arm arranged for connecting the teat cups to the teats and provided with a teat detection system for determining the position of the teat, a control system for controlling the milking system, in particular the robot arm, characterized in that the dairy animal milking system further comprises a teat cleaning and preparation device arranged for cleaning and stimulating the teats of the dairy animal and comprising two counter-rotatable brushes. By such a brush, the teat is cleaned effectively and also stimulated in an effective and controlled manner. Since the brushes rotate in opposite directions to each other, i.e. from above towards the other brush and then away from the other brush, the teat is securely received between the brushes. In addition, since the brush only needs to be rotated for cleaning and stimulation without any fluid supply, the use of consumables is reduced.

In an embodiment, the brush is arranged on a brush robot arm arranged on the milking robot arm and rotatable between an idle position of a teat cup on a side facing away from the milking robot arm and a working position in front of the teat cup. This is an effective way of moving the brush to a position to perform a brushing action. The nipple detecting system detects the position of the nipple and then the brush robot arm with the brush is moved to the working position. Then, based on the determined nipple position, the control unit controls the milking robot arm with the hair robot arm to brush the nipples one by one. After brushing, the brush robot arm rotates away into an idle position, and then the teat detection system re-detects the teat position and connects the teat cup to the teat.

In an embodiment, the milking system is provided with a pneumatic motor for driving the brush. The pneumatic motor is a safety device for driving the brush, as the motor torque is easily limited to a safe threshold. If the teat is trapped too deep between the brushes, or a portion of the breast, or even the tail, etc., is pinched by the brushes, the animal may be injured when the motor applies too much torque, such as when the motor is a powerful electric motor.

In an embodiment, each of the brushes is rotatable in two opposite directions. This is advantageous to prevent injury to the animal. If the nipple, breast or other body part (e.g., tail) is trapped between the brushes in some manner, only rotation in the opposite direction is required to release the body part. The control unit may optionally be arranged to determine whether a body part may be trapped between the brushes by determining whether the power or torque of the motor for the brushes exceeds a threshold value, and arranged to reverse the direction of rotation of the brushes if said threshold value is exceeded.

In an embodiment, the milking system is provided with injection means for injecting towards the brush when in the rest position. The spray device is used to apply a cleaning fluid, such as a hydrogen peroxide solution, to the brush to clean and/or disinfect the brush. Alternatively, a pin is provided that dries the brush when the brush is rotated while contacting the pin with a certain force.

Drawings

The invention will now be elucidated with reference to the drawings, in particular the following drawings, showing some embodiments of the invention:

figure 1 is a top view of a milking system,

FIGS. 2A and 2B show perspective, partly cut-away views of the milking robot arm of the milking system of FIG. 1, wherein the brush robot arm is in two different positions, and

fig. 3 shows further details of the brush robot arm of fig. 2A, 2B in perspective view.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a top view of a milking system 1. The milking space 2 is surrounded by a milking parlour having a first and a second fence portion 3-1, 3-2, as well as an entrance and an exit gate 4, 5 and a feed hopper 6.

The milking robot arm is generally indicated by 7 and carries a brush robot arm 8 with a brush 9. The control unit is schematically indicated by the touch screen 10.

The milking robot arm 7 is movable along the second fence part 3-2 and can swing into and out of the milking space 2 with its distal end portion carrying the brush robot arm 8. In the figures the brush robot arm 8 is in its working position, in which the brush 9 is in front of the teat cups (not visible here) and its longitudinal direction extends in the longitudinal direction of the milking space 2.

Fig. 2A and 2B show perspective views of the milking robot arm 7 of the milking system of fig. 1, wherein the brush robot arm 8 is in two different positions. Fig. 2A shows the brush robot arm 8 in the working position, i.e. in front of the teat cup 12 (also called teat cup).

The milking robot arm 7 comprises a carrier 7-1 and three arm parts, a top part 7-2, a middle part 7-3 and an end or distal part 7-4 carrying the teat cup 12, the teat detection system 13 and the brush robot arm 8. In use, the teat detection system 13 determines the position of the teats of a dairy animal, such as a cow, present in the milking space 2. Based on these teat positions, the control unit 10 rotates the brush robot arm 8 from its rest position to its working position, and then controls the robot arm 7 and the brush motor 11 to bring the brushes 9 to each teat and continuously clean and stimulate the teat by brushing the teat with the two brushes 9.

Fig. 2B shows the brush robot arm 8 in a rest position rotated away from the teat cup 12 after a brushing action. Two sprayers 14 are now ready to spray the brushes for cleaning with a cleaning fluid such as a hydrogen peroxide solution. Suitable actuators and rotation shafts are provided on the milking robot arm 7 for rotating the brush robot arm 8.

Fig. 3 shows further details of the brush robot arm of fig. 2A, 2B in a perspective view. Again the brush robot arm 8 is seen carrying the brush 9 and the pneumatic brush motor 11. In addition, the two injectors 14 (one for each brush 9) are supplied with cleaning fluid via a fluid connection 15 (here, not connected to a fluid reservoir).

Claims

1. A dairy animal milking system for fully automatically milking a dairy animal, the dairy animal milking system comprising:

a milking site accessible to said dairy animal,

a plurality of teat cups to be attached to the teats of the dairy animal,

a milking robot arm arranged for connecting the teat cup to the teat and provided with a teat detection system for determining the position of the teat,

a control system for controlling the milking system, the control system controlling the milking robot arm,

characterized in that the milking animal system further comprises teat cleaning and preparation means arranged for cleaning and stimulating the teats of the milking animal and comprising two counter-rotatable brushes.

2. The milking system for a livestock animal according to claim 1, wherein said brush is arranged on a brush robot arm, which is arranged on said milking robot arm and is rotatable between an idle position of a teat cup on a side facing away from said milking robot arm and an active position in front of said teat cup.

3. A milking system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the milking system is provided with a pneumatic motor for driving the brush.

4. A milking system for a dairy animal as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein each of said brushes is rotatable in two opposite directions.

5. A milking system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the milking system is provided with injection means for injecting towards said brushes when in said rest position.

6. A milking system for a dairy animal as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said milking place is a milking parlour.