Device for and a method of cleaning a milking machine, and a milking machine
AssigneeLely Enterprises A.G., a Swiss Limited Liability Company
InventorRenatus Ignatius Josephus Fransen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for and a method of milking animals. Said device is provided with a cleaning device for cleaning at least a part of a milking machine, the cleaning device comprising a cleaning start device for starting the cleaning. A milking machine is provided with a computer comprising a memory. The computer is adapted to store the points of time of the visits of the animals to the milking machine in the memory. The cleaning start device is activated by a cleaning start signal issued by the computer on the basis of historical data in relation to the points of time of the visits of the animals stored in the memory.
Claims27
A device (1) for milking animals, said device (1) being provided with:
- a cleaning device (42) for cleaning at least a part of a milking machine (33), said cleaning device (42) comprising a cleaning start device (35) for starting the cleaning, and
- a milking machine (33) provided with a computer having a memory (37), the computer being adapted to store the points of time of the visits of the animals to the milking machine (33) in the memory (37), characterized in that the cleaning start device (35) is activated by means of a cleaning start signal issued by the computer, on the basis of historical data in relation to the points of time of the visits of the animals stored in the memory (37).
A device (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the computer activates the cleaning start device (35) three times per day.
A device (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (1) comprises a reservoir (2) for containing a cleaning liquid, a supply line (3) connected to the reservoir (2) for supplying cleaning liquid to the part (15, 31, 32) to be cleaned, and a heating device (6) for heating the cleaning liquid.
A device (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (1) is provided with a detection device (39) for detecting the presence respectively the absence of an animal in a milking machine (33) to be cleaned.
A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the milking machine is constituted by an automatic milking machine having a robot arm for automatically connecting a teat cup to a teat.
A method of cleaning at least a part (15, 31, 32) of a milking machine (33) for milking animals, characterized in that the method comprises the step of determining off-peak periods in the visits to the milking machine (33), the cleaning of at least said part of the milking machine (33) taking place at least partially during an off-peak period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.