US 12,721,298 B2Granted

Milking system

AssigneeDeLaval Holding AB

InventorAnders Bertilsson

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Abstract

A milking system includes: a plurality of teat cups; a plurality of milk evacuation tubes, each one connected to a respective teat cup; a vacuum pump arrangement; a receiver, connected to the vacuum pump arrangement via a pipe, and also connected to each one of the teat cups via the respective connected milk evacuation tube, wherein an under-pressure in relation to atmospheric pressure prevails in the receiver during the milking session; and a vacuum regulator for setting the under-pressure prevailing in the receiver to a first level of under-pressure at a commencement of the milking session; and increase the under-pressure during the milking session to a second level of under-pressure.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A milking system (100), comprising:

a vacuum pump (110) connected to a pipe (115) and configured to generate a system vacuum pressure (Ps);
and
plural milking points, each milking point comprising
a plurality of teat cups (150a, 150b, 150c, 150d), each configured to fit on a respective teat of an animal during milk extraction in a milking session,
a receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c), wherein said receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) is arranged to house milk extracted during the milking session from only a single one animal at a respective single one of the milking points and to be emptied before a consecutive said milking session, and wherein an under-pressure in relation to atmospheric pressure prevails in the receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) during the milking session,
a plurality of milk evacuation tubes (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d), wherein each one of the teat cups (150a, 150b, 150c, 150d) is connected to the receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) via a respective one of the milk evacuation tubes (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d),
a vacuum regulator (130a1, 130a2, 130a3, 130a4) configured to set an under-pressure prevailing in the receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) to a first level of under-pressure at a commencement of the milking session, and increase the under-pressure prevailing in the receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) during the milking session from the first level of under-pressure to a second level of under-pressure,
a measuring instrument (170) arranged to measure a measurement indicative of the mass flow rate of milk extracted from the teats of the animal at said one milking point during the milking session,
a controller (160) is communicatively connected to the measuring instrument (170) and also communicatively connected to the vacuum regulator (130a1, 130a2, 130a3, 130a4),
wherein the controller (160) is configured to, repeatedly during the milking session:
obtain a measurement from the measuring instrument (170);
compare the obtained measurement with a threshold limit, and
based on the comparison between the obtained measurement and the threshold limit, generate and provide a control signal to the vacuum regulator (130a1, 130a2, 130a3, 130a4) to switch the under-pressure level prevailing in the receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) from the first level of under-pressure to the second level of under-pressure, by at least one of:
the vacuum regulator (130a1, 130a2, 130a3, 130a4) operating an actuator (620) configured to selectively reduce or increase a size of an adjustable passage (610) of the pipe (115), the adjustable passage (610) being located between the vacuum pump (110) and the receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c), whereby the vacuum regulator (130a1, 130a2, 130a3, 130a4) switches the under-pressure in the receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) from the first level of under-pressure to the second level 41 under-pressure by moving the actuator (620) to selectively reduce or increase the size of the adjustable passage (610) of the pipe (115), and
the vacuum regulator (130a1, 130a2, 130a3, 130a4) repeatedly and alternatingly opening and closing an air inlet (125) of atmospheric pressure at a first frequency when the first level of under-pressure is desired in the receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) and at a second frequency when the second level of under-pressure is desired in the receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c), wherein the air inlet of each milking point is configured so that the receiver is exposed to an atmosphere in which the milking system is arranged only where the air inlet is open.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A milking system (100), comprising:

a vacuum pump (110) connected to a pipe (115) and configured to generate a system vacuum pressure (Ps);
and
plural milking points, each milking point comprising
a plurality of teat cups (150a, 150b, 150c, 150d), each configured to fit on a respective teat of an animal during milk extraction in a milking session,
a receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c), wherein said receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) is arranged to house milk extracted during the milking session from only a single one animal at a respective single one of the milking points and to be emptied before a consecutive said milking session, and wherein an under-pressure in relation to atmospheric pressure prevails in the receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) during the milking session,
a plurality of milk evacuation tubes (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d), wherein each one of the teat cups (150a, 150b, 150c, 150d) is connected to the receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) via a respective one of the milk evacuation tubes (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d),
a vacuum regulator (130a1, 130a2, 130a3, 130a4) configured to set an under-pressure prevailing in the receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) to a first level of under-pressure at a commencement of the milking session, and increase the under-pressure prevailing in the receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) during the milking session from the first level of under-pressure to a second level of under-pressure,
a measuring instrument (170) arranged to measure a measurement indicative of the mass flow rate of milk extracted from the teats of the animal at said one milking point during the milking session,
a controller (160) is communicatively connected to the measuring instrument (170) and also communicatively connected to the vacuum regulator (130a1, 130a2, 130a3, 130a4),
wherein the controller (160) is configured to, repeatedly during the milking session:
obtain a measurement from the measuring instrument (170);
compare the obtained measurement with a threshold limit, and
based on the comparison between the obtained measurement and the threshold limit, generate and provide a control signal to the vacuum regulator (130a1, 130a2, 130a3, 130a4) to switch the under-pressure level prevailing in the receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) from the first level of under-pressure to the second level of under-pressure, by at least one of:
the vacuum regulator (130a1, 130a2, 130a3, 130a4) operating an actuator (620) configured to selectively reduce or increase a size of an adjustable passage (610) of the pipe (115), the adjustable passage (610) being located between the vacuum pump (110) and the receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c), whereby the vacuum regulator (130a1, 130a2, 130a3, 130a4) switches the under-pressure in the receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) from the first level of under-pressure to the second level 41 under-pressure by moving the actuator (620) to selectively reduce or increase the size of the adjustable passage (610) of the pipe (115), and
the vacuum regulator (130a1, 130a2, 130a3, 130a4) repeatedly and alternatingly opening and closing an air inlet (125) of atmospheric pressure at a first frequency when the first level of under-pressure is desired in the receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) and at a second frequency when the second level of under-pressure is desired in the receiver (120, 120a, 120b, 120c), wherein the air inlet of each milking point is configured so that the receiver is exposed to an atmosphere in which the milking system is arranged only where the air inlet is open.

12 more elements