WO2016162654A1 - Automated milking - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of milking using a milking system comprises a plurality of teatcups (TC1-TC4) each of which contains a liner adapted to engage with a teat of an animal; a milk pump (210) which applies a drawing pressure to each teatcup to draw milk from the teat of the animal into a milking line (40); a vacuum pump (230) operable to apply a palpitating pressure to the liner thereby to stimulate the teat into allowing milk to be drawn into the milking line; the system further comprising at least one sensor unit (250) adapted to sense at least one characteristic of milk drawn along the milking line; and a controller (220) which is adapted to operate the vacuum pump to cause at least one selected teatcup to draw milk along the milking line at any one time, the method comprising the steps of: (a) operating the controller to draw milk from all teatcups; (b) operating the controller to restrict milk flow from one or more teatcups; and (c) obtaining sensor data from milk from the selected teatcup from which milk is being drawn.

Description

AUTOMATED MILKING

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the milking of animals, whether by entirely automated means or otherwise, such as cattle or goats, for example. Automated milking is well-known. Animals to be milked are typically coaxed into a pen or parlour which constrains their motion. A human operator or robotic arm moves teatcups into position over the animal's teats, whereupon alternating pressure and vacuum is applied to draw milk through the teats from the udder and into a milk reservoir.

2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

WO2004/089069 discloses such a system in which the milk extracted via each of the four teatcups - corresponding to the four quarters of the animal's udder - is tested for contaminants or microbiological infections by means of a sensor located in a single collection line for all four teatcups. The document additionally discloses a controller which delivers milk from two or more teatcups and, therefore, is adapted to prevent milk from all the teatcups entering the collection line at any one time - thereby to enable testing of milk from separate glands of the animal's udder. In one embodiment this is achieved by control of the alternating pressure and vacuum to extract milk from a single teatcup at a time. Milk is collected from each of the teatcups in a single reservoir.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention provides a method of operating a milking system having a teatcup for each teat of the animal, the teatcup being operable to apply suction and palpitation to the teat thereby to cause milk to flow out of the teat, and a milk sensors adapted to provide an output relating to milk condition, wherein according to the method, milk is pumped from the animal's udder and, upon detecting an output from the milk sensor indicating the presence of milk, teatcups are operated periodically to constrain the flow of milk from one or more respective teats thereby to send milk from selected teats (typically only one teat at a time) through the sensor. Such a method may, if desired, be performed with conventional or automated milking systems.

Preferably, the teatcups are operated cyclically so that milk condition is detected from different teatcups in a periodic manner. By ensuring that milk is flowing before initiating restriction of milk flow from teatcups it is ensured that milk sensor data is not missed from certain teats (i.e. the sensor data is sampled too soon before milk has flowed, or alternatively, is not sampled until after milkflow from a teat has ended). By allowing the system to milk in the traditional manner until milk flow is detected, and/or some threshold of milk yield is attained, a more reliable milking method and system are attained since it is ensured that the sensor data relates to milk condition of the target animal as opposed, for example, to some residue from the previous animal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of a milking system;

Fig. 2 is a schematic section through a teatcup liner;

Fig. 3A shows teatcup liners and their operation to extract milk over the course of a single pressure variation cycle;

Fig. 3B shows graphs describing the pressure variation over the course of a single pressure variation cycle;

Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a milking system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a schematic illustration of a sensing milk system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 6 shows a modification of the system of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 shows a modification of the system of Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig. 1, illustrated schematically, a milking system comprises four (this can also be two for small ruminants) teatcups TC1-4 which engage with the teats of an animal - in this embodiment the animal having four teats, though the present invention applies equally to the milking of any animal with two teats or more. Milk is extracted via the teatcups TC1-1 by means of the application of a reduced pressure to a milking line 40 along which milk flows from the teats to a milk reservoir 50. Milk is drawn along the milk line 40 by means of a milk pump 60 which applies pressure to the line milking 40 and, in addition, a varying pressure applied to the teats of the animal by means of a vacuum pump 70. Such a system may be automated, in that a robotic arm moves the teatcups TC1-4 into position thereby obviating the need for any human involvement; or the teatcups may be applied by hand.

Referring additionally to Figs. 2 and 3 each teatcup contains a liner 100 The liner 100 has an inner sleeve 112 which in use forms a close contact with the animal's teat and therefore is preferably constructed of a relatively pliable, resilient rubber or like material. The inner sleeve 112 defines an interior cavity 132 and, when the inner sleeve 112 is in air tight contact with the outside of an animal's teat, a reduced pressure applied to the cavity 132 via milk outlet port 162 and will therefore serve to draw milk from the udder, through the teat and to the milking line. An outer sleeve 122 serves to provide structural strength to the liner, and thus provides a structure for the mechanical location of the liner 100 in a teatcup. In addition, the outer liner 122 defines an outer cavity 142 between the inner and outer liners 112, 122. The outer cavity 142 includes an inlet/outlet port 152 which is connected to the vacuum pump 70 and thereby enables a varying pressure to be applied by the vacuum pump 70 to the inner cavity 132. This varying pressure serves to stimulate the animal teats into releasing milk by replicating to some degree the 'stripping' action of a young animal suckling on the teat. This varying cycle of pressure in the inner cavity 132 and the continual application of low pressure to the outlet port 162 to draw off milk is illustrated over the course of a cycle in Figs 3A and 3B.

It is useful to monitor various characteristics of milk drawn off from an animal, such as the temperature, pH, ion levels and various microbiological parameters. Analysis of these characteristics will provide an indication of the health of the animal and also the quality and, ultimately the suitability of the milk for human consumption. This analysis can be achieved by locating one or more milk sensors in the milking line 40. Where analysis establishes that the animal in question has, for example, an infection in its udder, the milk displaying unacceptable characteristics must be discarded. Where that milk has been drawn into a reservoir with milk which was acceptable, all the milk in the reservoir must be discarded.

Referring now to Fig. 4, one aspect of the present invention concerns the operation of a milking system in which milk sensor data is collected once the flow of milk has been detected. The milking system may, in accordance with a first aspect of a method of an embodiment of the present invention, comprise a single milk sensor located in the milking line. Alternatively, a sensor may be provided for each individual teatcup, possibly inside the teatcup or in the line associated with it, for example. Accordingly, the method of the present invention is operable with either the systems described subsequently herein or, alternatively, for example, with the system disclosed in WO2004/089069 or with entirely conventional systems. A milking process according to an embodiment of the present invention starts at step 402 whereby the animal's identity is initialised within the milk detection system, so that all milk sensor data can then be linked to that animal. Typically the animal ID will be contained within an RFID located around the neck, in the ear or around the leg and so a character string having a unique association with that animal will be output by the RFID upon inductive activation. Alternatively the animal ID may be established manually by other means such as visual recognition. Animal identification is not, however, essential and the present method is equally applicable without it. Once the animal ID has been initialised, milk pumping in the conventional fashion, i.e. pumping from all four quarters of the animal (in the case of a cow, or halves in the case of a goat, for example) at the same time, is initiated at step 404. The or each milk sensor is then polled at step 406 to establish whether milk is flowing and, at step 408, the system determines whether the output of the sensor 406 upon polling is indicative of milk flow. If no milk is detected, the process proceeds to step 410 which adds the value of 1 to the instant value n of an integer N and, then at step 412, the value of N is evaluated. If N is greater than some predetermined threshold value T, this signifies that the milking has been occurring for sufficient time normally for milk to have flowed and, because no milk has flowed, an error signal is then generated at step 414 and the process ends. When polling of the milk sensor indicates milk flow, either straight away, or within the threshold interval, sequential sensing of the milk is then initiated at step 416. This involves the operation of teatcups to restrict flow from one or more teats so that milk sensors can sense milk condition of milk from one, two or three teats at a time as desired.

It will be appreciated that, having only two teats, the method of the present invention applied in the case of a goat which has only two teats, restriction of flow of one teat will leave flow from the other, thus pinpointing the teat from which milk is being detected.

In one embodiment, sequential milk sensing occurs for a predetermined period of time sufficient to enable key sensor data to be obtained, and thereupon it ends at step 418, and the system then pumps milk in the conventional manner from all teats at once. In a modification, sequential milk sensing is continued for the entire duration of the milking cycle so that the entire udder may be emptied whilst undergoing sequential milk sensing. In this embodiment, step 418 is missed out. Subsequent either to step 416 or 418 as the case may be, the milk sensors are then polled periodically at step 420 to establish whether milk is still flowing at step 422. If it is, the process recurses to step 420 and the sensors are polled again and repeatedly until it is established the milk is no longer flowing. If, at step 422, it is established the milk is no longer flowing, then the pumping ends at step 424, with an optional recursion to step 402 for a further milking operation.

As mentioned previously, such a method may be implemented with conventional milking systems requiring manual attachment of teats or in conjunction with entirely automated systems. Referring now to Fig. 5, an embodiment of a system of the present invention comprises four teatcups TC1 to 4, connected, via a manifold 200 to a milking line 40. Pressure acting to draw milk from the teatcups TC1-4 is applied to the milking line 40 via a milk pump system 210, whose operation is controlled by a controller 220. A varying, palpitating pressure is applied to the inner sleeve of each liner within the teatcups TC1-4 by means, inter alia, of a vacuum pump system 230. More particularly, the vacuum pump system applies a constant low pressure via a vacuum multiplex control unit 240. A central controller 220 is operable, optionally, to apply varying pressure sequentially to the teatcups TC1-4 in such a manner that when pressure in the liner cavity of one teatcup is such as to draw milk through the animal's teat, the pressure in the liner cavities of each of the three remaining teatcups is such as to prevent milk being drawn. In this way, at any one time, the milk passing from the teatcups through the manifold 200 and into the milk line 40 comes from only one quarter of the animal's udder. Alternatively, the controller 220 applies pressure variation in a manner that results in milk flowing from all teats simultaneously - this provides quicker milk draw from the animal.

A sensor unit 250 is located in the milking line 40 and, in response to polling from the controller 220, provides sensor data on the presence of milk (i.e. whether milk is present in the milk line) and various of the milk characteristics, including temperature, pH, level of ions present and data relating to the detection of any microbes. The system of Fig. 5 (and all modifications and subsequent embodiments described herein) can be operated in accordance with the methods described in connection with Fig. 4, whereby cycling and sensing of milk from individual or selected groups teats only occurs once the presence of milk has been sensed (this phase being preceded by conventional milking from all teats) or throughout the milking operation; and sensing can be conducted for a short period or throughout the milking cycle as desired; the former being more efficient at drawing milk more quickly, the latter providing more individual data. Because it is more complicated, the various embodiments of system will be described in connection with the latter mode of operation but are usable equally with either.

The polling of the sensor 250 from the controller is timed having regard to the timing of the palpitating pressure applied to each teatcup TC1-4 and the time of travel of the milk along the milking line. This time interval may, for example, be detected empirically in advance and/or by calculating the time from the various operational parameters such as milking line volume per unit length and drawing pressure. (With suitable processing capability, the timing of these operations can be optimised by what can be termed the self-learning capability of the system to establish the timing needed to optimise the measuring system and minimising additional milking time.) In this way, the controller 220 sequentially obtains data on the milk quality and characteristics from each of the glands of an animal's udder and is thereby able to correlate the sensor data to the individual teatcup from which the milk to which the sensor data relates was drawn (and, thereby, the related quarter of the animal's udder).

The milking line 40 is connected, at its end distal to the teatcups TC1-4, to a de-multiplexing manifold 260. The de-multiplex manifold 260 operates, under the control of controller 220, to direct the milk from the milking line 40 into one of four reservoirs, RES1-4. The reservoirs RES1-4 correspond to the teatcups TC1-4 such that, again having regard to the time of travel of the milk from an individual teatcup TC1-4, along the milking line 40, and to the de-multiplex manifold 260, The controller 220 is able to operate the manifold 260 to cause the milk drawn by, say, teatcup TC1 into the reservoir RES1; the milk from teatcup TC2 into reservoir RES2 and so on. In this way, milk from each of the four quarters of the animal's udder is tested distinctly and, to a significant degree, isolated from the milk from each other quarter. Consequently, in circumstances where one quarter of the udder is diseased, for example, the milk from that quarter will be tested and analysed separately first to establish the presence of disease and then, having been retained separately, can be discarded without contaminating milk from the other udder quarters.

The de-multiplexing capability described above in connection with Fig. 5, though a preferred embodiment, is not essential, however, and in a modification, all of the milk from each of the teatcups TC1-4 is simply discharged into a single, central milk reservoir. In yet a further modification, which has utility both in conjunction with and without the demultiplexing capability, a 'triage' reservoir is used, and into which milk is diverted initially at the start of milking until tests have been conducted to establish the viability of the milk. Once milk viability has been established (that is to say an absence of disease), the milk can then be diverted to a central reservoir which contains milk from other animals. In this way, further precautions are taken against the spoiling of milk from one teat of one animal and which may cause the loss of good milk already retrieved from healthy animals.

Referring now to Fig. 6, in a modification, a sensor unit is provided in each of the reservoirs RES 1-4. This has the advantage of enabling greater and more prolonged analysis of the milk characteristics due to the increased time available, but necessarily requires more sensor units 250.

In yet a further modification, illustrated in Fig. 7, each of the reservoirs RES1-4 is connected to a central milk reservoir 280 via valves 270. The valves are operable under the influence of the controller 220 to pass milk from the respective individual reservoirs RES1-4, typically when analysis of data from the respective sensor unit 250 has established the milk within that reservoir is suitable for consumption. This embodiment provides the further advantage of enabling more detailed analysis, and at the same time, eventually, less costly central storage which simplifies the logistics of transporting the milk. In a further modification, each of the reservoirs includes a separate discard line which is used to discard unsuitable milk. It is acknowledged that the practical utility of rejection of milk from individual teats of an animal is linked directly to the ability to prevent carryover of milk from one teat into the reservoir designated for another teat and that this may have an impact upon milk yield. The various modifications disclosed herein are not limited in their use or application to the embodiments in connection with which they were first described, and thus each such modification has general applicability to each embodiment. The system of the present invention can be used as an initial 'triage' tool, to establish, at the start of the milking procedure, the quality of the milk from each quarter of an animal's udder, and then upon the animal passing muster in that regard, normal milking can be commenced with milk from all four teatcups TC1-4 being drawn at the same time. Alternatively, as desired, the system can be used continuously for the entire milking cycle.

Claims

A method of milking using a milking system comprising a plurality of teatcups each of which contains a liner adapted to engage with a teat of an animal; a milk pump which applies a drawing pressure to each teatcup to draw milk from the teat of the animal into a milking line; a vacuum pump operable to apply a palpitating pressure to the liner thereby to stimulate the teat into allowing milk to be drawn into the milking line; the system further comprising at least one sensor unit adapted to sense at least one characteristic of milk drawn along the milking line; and a controller which is adapted to operate the vacuum pump to cause at least one selected teatcup to draw milk along the milking line at any one time, the method comprising the steps of: (a) operating the controller to draw milk from all teatcups; (b) operating the controller to restrict milk flow from one or more teatcups; and (c) obtaining sensor data from milk from the selected teatcup from which milk is being drawn.

A method according to claim 1 wherein the controller is operable to restrict milk flow from all but one teatcup at a time.

A method according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the controller is additionally operable to correlate the sensor data to the teatcup from which milk is being drawn.

A method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor unit is in the milking line.

A method according to claim 1 additionally comprising the step, prior to the performance of step (b), of identifying the presence of milk in the milk line.

A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of operating to the controller to prevent discharge of milk into a reservoir in dependence upon the sensor data.

A method according to claim 6 wherein if the sensor data is indicative of disease discharge of milk into the reservoir is prevented.

A method according to claim 6 comprising the step, prior to the performance of step (b), of identifying the presence of milk in the milk line, and the sensor data used to determined whether discharge of milk into the reservoir should be prevented is obtained during the identifying step.

9. Milking apparatus comprising a plurality of teatcups each of which contains a liner adapted to engage with a teat of an animal; a milk pump which applies a drawing pressure to each teatcup to draw milk from the teat of the animal into a milking line; a vacuum pump operable to apply a palpitating pressure to the liner thereby to stimulate the teat into allowing milk to be drawn into the milking line; the system further comprising at least one sensor unit adapted to sense at least one characteristic of milk drawn along the milking line; and a controller which is adapted to operate the vacuum pump to to draw milk from all teatcups thereby to cause at least one selected teatcup to draw milk along the milking line at any one time; to restrict milk flow from one or more teatcups; to receive sensor data from milk from the selected teatcup from which milk is being drawn.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the controller is additionally adapted to prevent discharge of milk into a reservoir when sensor data is indicative of disease in the milk.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the controller is additionally adapted to detect the presence of milk in the milking line prior to restricting milk flow.

12. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the controller is additionally adapted to detect the presence of milk in the milking line prior to restricting milk flow; and is adapted to prevent discharge of milk into the reservoir based on sensor data obtained during detection of presence of milk in the milking line prior to restricting milk flow.