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US 11,019,801 B2Granted
Multiple cell voluntary milking method and system, comprising a mobile milking robot having a minimal footprint
AssigneeAfimilk Agricultural Cooperative Ltd.
InventorsNiv Pinsky, Oren Drori, Doron Shalem
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A voluntary milking system and method for treating dairy livestock having fore legs and hind legs, wherein the system comprises milking stalls voluntarily accessible to animals that are milked by mobile units configured to travel between the fore and hind legs of the animal.
Claims14
Voluntary livestock milking system comprising:
- a plurality of voluntarily accessible milking stalls for holding dairy livestock, wherein the dairy livestock freely roam in an area outside the milking stalls and enter the milking stalls, without human intervention, for milking;
- vertical upright teat cup holders comprising teat cups, which are part of the milking stalls and are connected directly to a main milk-line;
- and
- at least one mobile unit comprising:
- equipment for treating livestock and a processor, wherein the mobile unit is configured to:
- travel between the fore legs and hind legs of the dairy livestock;
- and
- use the equipment to perform at least one action related to a treatment of the dairy livestock;
- wherein the equipment includes an arm configured to withdraw the teat cups from the vertical teat cup holder and connect them to the dairy livestock, and
- wherein the vertical upright teat cup holders move vertically, such that a bottom end of the vertical upright teat cup holders is positioned above the livestock, when said livestock is entering the milking stall, and wherein the bottom end of the vertical teat cup holders is positioned below the level of the livestock's udder when the livestock is positioned in the milking stall, and wherein milk from the animal is milked to a high line.
7 more elements
Voluntary livestock milking system comprising:
- a plurality of voluntarily accessible milking stalls for holding dairy livestock, wherein the dairy livestock freely roam in an area outside the milking stalls and enter the milking stalls, without human intervention, for milking;
- vertical upright teat cup holders comprising teat cups, which are part of the milking stalls and are connected directly to a main milk-line;
- and
- at least one mobile unit comprising:
- equipment for treating livestock and a processor, wherein the mobile unit is configured to:
- travel between the fore legs and hind legs of the dairy livestock;
- and
- use the equipment to perform at least one action related to a treatment of the dairy livestock;
- wherein the equipment includes an arm configured to withdraw the teat cups from the vertical teat cup holder and connect them to the dairy livestock;
- wherein the bottom end of the vertical teat cup holders is lower than the platform or ramp on which the livestock enter the milking stall.
7 more elements
A method for milking animals, said method comprising:
- allowing at least one animal to voluntarily enter a milking stall, wherein said milking stall is one of a plurality of milking stalls and is equipped with a vertical upright teat cup holder comprising teat cups that are connected directly to a main milk line;
- a mobile unit positioning itself, at least partially, between the front legs and hind legs of the animal;
- attaching the teat cups to said animal by said mobile unit, thereby milking said animal, such that milk flows directed into the main milk line;
- detaching the teat cups from said animal and returning them to the vertical upright teat up holder by said mobile unit, when the milking is completed;
- and
- allowing said animal to exit the milking stall, and
- wherein the vertical upright teat cup holder moves vertically, wherein, during milking, the vertical teat cup holder is at a high position while during a time when an animal enters the milking stall, the vertical teat cup holder is at a low position.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.