Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01J—MANUFACTURE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS
  • A01J5/00—Milking machines or devices
  • A01J5/017—Automatic attaching or detaching of clusters
  • A01J5/0175—Attaching of clusters
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01J—MANUFACTURE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS
  • A01J5/00—Milking machines or devices
  • A01J5/04—Milking machines or devices with pneumatic manipulation of teats
  • A01J5/08—Teat-cups with two chambers

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a device and a method for gripping teat cups and the like in an automated rmlkiiig robot.
• a teat cup usually comprises a hollow cylindrical body with an open teat-receiving end.
• the robot arm is provided with gripping means such as a pair of opposed curved gripper plates or fingers which can grip around the circumference of the body of a vertically orientated teat cup.
• the gripper plates must grip sufficiently tightly so that when the teat cup is moved the teat cup is prevented from being pulled out from between the gripper plates due to the drag of the hoses attached to the teat cup.
• the gripper plates must not grip too tightly as it is desirable that the teat cup be able to slide up and down, at least a small amount, between the gripping plates. This is because when the teat cup is being attached to a teat it is usual to provide an underpressure in the teat cup which causes the teat cup to suck itself up the teat as it approaches the teat from below.
• a further problem with such gripping means is that, after releasmg a teat cup in order for the robot arm to be able to move to its next position, the tips of the gripping plates have to move sufficiently far apart so that the teat cup can pass between them i.e. the distance between the tips must be greater than the maximum diameter of the teat cup body in the gripping region. These spaced apart tips can catch on or bump against other teat cups as the robot arm is moved to its next position and can cause the teat cup to fall off the teat.
• Document SE,C, 40 233 discloses a teat cup provided with grippable means. However, if a robot arm is adapted to grip the grippable means on the teat cup the target for the robot arm is very small.
• An object of the present invention is to provide a teat cup which overcomes the problems associated with gripping prior art teat cups.
• a further object of the invention is to provide a gripping means for a robot arm which overcomes the problems associated with gripping teat cups.
• a teat cup is provided with at least one grippable means suitable for being gripped by a robot arm wherein said grippable means has a width in the transverse direction of the teat cup housing which is less than the minimum width of the housing and that the grippable means is provided on a holder which surrounds said housing and which is movable in the longitudinal direction of said teat cup.
• This provides a gripping surface which the robot arm can grip onto without having to open its gripping means widely.
• This also provides a large target for the robot arm and can permit longitudinal displacements of the teat cup with respect to the robot arm.
• the g ⁇ ppable means projects out beyond the surface of said housing. This reduces the distance that the robot arm has to move to reach the g ⁇ ppable means.
• the grippable means projects substantially radially from said housing. This makes it easier for the robot arm to calculate where the gripping means is (or are) if only the position of the teat cup can be sensed by the robot arm or its control means.
• the grippable means extends in the longitudinal direction of said teat cup.
• The provides a large target for the robot arm and can permit the robot arm to still pick up the teat cup despite a possible small longitudinal misalignments of the grippable means with respect to the robot arm.
• the grippable means comprises a handle having an upper arm connected near to the top of said housing or holder, a lower arm connected near to the bottom of said housing or holder and an intermediate handle base connecting said upper arm to said lower arm.
• the handle base is tapered and it has its maximum width or thickness nearer to said upper arm than to said lower arm. This allows some relative longitudinal movement between the gripping means and the teat cup and the height at which the robot arm grips the teat cup can be adjusted by setting the gap between the closed gripping means to correspond to the width of the handle at the desired gripping height.
• the upper arm is shorter that said lower arm so that the upper end of said handle base is closer to said housing or holder than the lower end of said handle base is.
• This provides a tapered area enclosed by the handle and allows some relative longitudinal movement between the gripping means and the teat cup.
• the height at which the robot arm grips the teat cup can be adjusted by setting the size of the closed gripping means to correspond to the size of taped area enclosed by the handle at the desired gripping height.
• a teat cup according to the invention is provided with one or more grippable projections which have a width which is less than the diameter of the teat cup.
• the projection is so arranged that a robot arm can grip on the projection which, being narrower than the teat body, means that the robot arm does not have to spread its gripping plates so wide when releasing the teat cup.
• Each grippable projection is advantageously provided with a elongated slot which extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the teat cup.
• the robot arm's gripping means can loosely surround the grippable projection and meet at the top of the slot which is wider than the width of the gripping means.
• the teat cup can hang free from the robot arm and can be sucked upwards until the gripping means come into contact with the bottom of the slot. In this way a sure grip on the teat cup is obtained at the same time the desired freedom of vertical movement is permitted.
• a gripping means for gripping a teat cup in a milking machine.
• the gripping means has suction cup means adapted for gripping onto the body of said teat cup. This ensures that a positive grip is obtained on any suitable teat cup.
• an embodiment of a gripping means can grip with a suction cup onto a projection on said teat cup in order to provide good locating of the teat cup with respect to the gripping means.
• Figure 1 shows schematically a milking machine in which teat cups in accordance with the invention can be used
• Figure 2 shows in perspective a first embodiment of a teat cup in accordance with the invention
• Figure 3 shows in perspective a second embodiment of a teat cup in accordance with the invention
• Figure 4 shows a lateral view of a third embodiment of a teat cup in accordance with the invention.
• Figure 5a shows a lateral view of a fourth embodiment of a teat cup in accordance with the invention
• Figure 5b shows a view from above of the teat cup of figure 5a
• Figure 6a shows a lateral view of a fifth embodiment of a teat cup in accordance with the invention.
• Figure 6b shows an end view of a part of gripping means on a robot arm for use with the embodiment of figure 6a);
• Figure 6c shows a view from above of a part of a gripping means on a robot arm for use with the embodiment of figure 6a).
• Figure 7a) shows a lateral view of an embodiment of a gripping means for gripping a teat cup;
• Figure 7b shows a view from above of the gripping means of figure 7a).
• FIG. 1 shows a schematically a milking machine 1.
• Teat-cup 3 is intended to be moved, by a robot arm 11, from a cleaning and storage position 5 (where the robot arm 11 and teat cup are shown by dotted lines) where it is retained inverted to a rnilking position the right- way up on a teat 7 on the udder 9 of the animal being 5 milked.
• FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of a teat cup 3 in accordance with the present invention.
• Teat-cup 3 comprises an elongated cylindrical housing 13 of nrinimum width wi un n which has an upper end 15 where teat receiving means 17 are attached and a lower end 19 to which a fluid line 20 for milk, water and/or vacuum is attached.
• Surrounding housing 13 is a tubular sleeve or holder 21.
• Holder 21 has an inner diameter which is greater than the outside diameter of housing 13 and friction reducing means such as a low friction coating or a liner 23 is provided between the inner surface 25 of the holder 21 and the outer surface 27 of the housing 13.
• Holder 21 is provided with grippable means such as a projection 29 which projects radially out from the exterior surface 31 of holder 21.
• Projection 29 is in the form of a U- shaped handle 29 which is mounted with the base 33 of the U substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the teat cup 3.
• the upper arm 35 of the U-shaped handle 29 is attached to the end 37 of the holder 21 which is nearest to the upper end 15 of the teat cup and the lower arm 39 of the U-shaped handle 29 is attached to the end 41 of the holder 21 which is nearest to the lower end 19 of the teat cup.
• the U- shaped handle 29 encloses a void 43 which has a depth in the radial direction of the teat cup 3 which is determined by the lengths of the upper resp. lower arms 35, 39.
• the longitudinal length of void 43 is determined by the length of the base 33.
• the thickness of the material used for handle 29 is chosen such that the thickness of handle 29 is less that the outer diameter of housing 13.
• the size of void 43 is sufficiently large and the dimensions of the handle 29 are so chosen that gripping surfaces 45', 45" on robot arm 11 can encircle the base 33 of handle 29 and met in the void 43.
• the gripping surfaces 45', 45" on robot arm 11 which are intended to move the teat cup by gripping on the handle 29 or by coming into contact with each other in void 43 do not have to open apart as much as they would have to if they were to grip around the width w hm i n of the housing 13.
• the risk that the robot arm 11 comes into inadvertent contact with other teat cups already attached to the udder of the animal being milked is reduced.
• the gripping surfaces 45', 45" of robot arm 11 are intended to grip onto handle 29 then it is possible to hold teat cup vertically and the risk of housing 13 jamming in holder 21 when teat cup 3 is sucked up onto a teat is minimise
• the gripping surfaces 45', 45" are intended to grip against each other in void 43 the teat cup can hang freely at an angle to the vertical.
• the internal diameter of holder 21, the external diameter of housing 13, the radial width of any intermediate liner or coating 23 and the longitudinal length of holder 21 are chosen such that housing 13 and holder 21 are always substantially parallel.
• FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the invention in which holder 21 ' is provided with a plurality of handles 29'. This construction has the advantage that the robot arm can grip the teat cup from more orientations than is the case in the first embodiment. This embodiment has the disadvantage that the maximum width of the holder 21' and handles 29' is greater than in the case of the first embodiment.
• FIG 4 shows a third embodiment of the invention in which handles 59 are attached directly to teat cup housing 61.
• a handle 59 has an upper arm 63, a lower arm 65 and base 67 joining upper arm 63 to lower arm 65.
• Upper arm 63 and lower arm 65 are of substantially the same length so that base 67 is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of housing 61.
• gripping surfaces of a robot arm can grip onto each other in the void 69 formed between the handle and the housing 61 so that upper arm 63 rests on them and the teat cup hangs freely from them at an angle to the vertical.
• housing 61 can be displaced vertically until the gripping surfaces come into contact with the lower arm to permit the teat cup to be sucked up onto a teat (not shown).
• FIG. 5 shows a fourth embodiment of a teat cup in accordance with the invention in which the teat cup 70 can be held vertical while being gripped by a robot arm 71.
• Gripping surfaces 73', 73" on robot arm 71 have a cross-sectional shape S ghp which is adapted to lock into in a complementary shape S hand i e formed by the junction between the teat cup surface 75, upper arm 77 and base 79 of handle 81.
• Lower arm 83 of handle 81 projects out from the surface 75 further than upper arm 77 so that base 79 is no longer parallel with the longitudinal axis of teat cup 70.
• FIG 6 shows a fifth embodiment of a teat cup in accordance with the invention in which the teat cup 87 can be held in a desired orientation while being gripped by a robot arm 91.
• Gripping surfaces 93 ', 93" on robot arm 91 have a profile Pg nP which is adapted to lock into in a complementary profile of the handle P h a n die formed in the base 95 of handle 97.
• Base 95 is tapered so that it is wider in the transverse direction at the top than at the bottom.
• Upper arm 99 of handle 97 can be made wider than lower arm 101.
• Robot arm 91 has its gripping surfaces 93 ', 93 " positioned sufficiently close together so that they are in contact with both sides of the widest part of handle 97 when the teat cup is being moved by robot arm 91.
• the handle 97 is free to slide between the gripping surfaces as it tapers downwards.
• the gripping surfaces 93'. 93" release their hold on the handle as it moves upwards.
• a further embodiment of the invention is similar to the fifth embodiment with the difference that the thickness of said base varies in the radial direction instead of in the transverse direction.
• FIGS 7a) and 7b) show a first embodiment of a gripper device 103 in accordance with the invention.
• Gripper device 103 is intended to be attached to the end of a robot arm (not shown) by appropriate fastening means (not shown). It comprises a body 105 having a recess 107 adapted to loosely fit onto a projection 115 on a teat cup 113. Inside recess 107 is a suction cup 109 connected to a suction pipe 111 which extends through body 105. The suction pipe can be connected to a vacuum supply (not shown).
• the gripper device 103 is intended to be moved towards a teat cup until suction cup 109 is in contact with a projection 112 on the teat cup 113.
• a vacuum is then applied to suction cup 109 via suction pipe 11 which causes suction cup 109 to grip onto the projection and thereby permits the robot arm to move the teat cup.
• suction pipe 11 which causes suction cup 109 to grip onto the projection and thereby permits the robot arm to move the teat cup.
• the vacuum supply to the suction cup 109 is disconnected.
• body 105 has width which is less than the diameter of the teat cup 113 in the region it is intended to be gripped by.
• Figure 8a shows a view from above of a second embodiment of a gripper device 103 ' which is intended to grip onto the curved surface of a teat cup 113'.
• the profile of recess 107' is adapted to the circumference of teat cup 113'.
• teat cup 113 ' can be provided with longitudinally spaced flanges 117 to guide and restrict the permitted longitudinal positioning of gripping means 103 '.
• body 105' has width which is less than the diameter of the teat cup 113' in the region it is intended to be gripped by.
• the invention has been illustrated by means of teat cups having cylindrical bodies but it conceivable to apply the inventive concept to teat cups of any shape.

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Husbandry (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Manipulator (AREA)
• External Artificial Organs (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20411644

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (2)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 1998
  • 1998-06-10 SE SE9802057A patent/SE9802057L/sv not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1999
  • 1999-06-09 WO PCT/SE1999/001009 patent/WO1999063807A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-06-09 EP EP99930094A patent/EP1083786A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-06-09 AU AU46702/99A patent/AU4670299A/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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