Pulsator controller for monitoring and controlling a designated pulsator in a milking system and method of using same

A pulsator controller for monitoring, controlling and adjusting the operating parameters of pulsator having an electrically controlled valve to alternatively apply atmospheric pressure and a pulsating vacuum to a milking machine, said controller comprising

• a first sensor configured to be a operatively connected to a designated pulsator operating in a milking system for receiving a pulsating vacuum therefrom and for producing a first signal representing the pulsating vacuum level received from the designated pulsator;
• a processor having a memory for storing pulsator malfunction criteria as a reference table and stored reference signals representing a predetermined vacuum range of pulsating vacuum levels programmed as acceptable for milking system pulsators, said processor being operatively connected to said first sensor for receiving said first signal representing said pulsating vacuum level from the designated pulsator and wherein said processor includes a comparator for comparing said first signal to the stored reference, said processor generating at least one control signal when the designed pulsator pulsating vacuum level is at a vacuum level outside of the predetermined vacuum range;
• and at least one information signal generated by the processor from the pulsator malfunction criteria reference table identifying the pulsator malfunction represented by the at least one control signal;
• and
• a control circuit responsive to said at least one control signal for signaling that the designated pulsator pulsating vacuum level is outside of the range of pulsating vacuum levels programmed as acceptable for the milking system pulsators and an operating control signal from the processor which is applied to a designated pulsator to adjust the operating parameters thereof in response to said operating control signal.

A method for monitoring an operating pulsator in a milking system comprising the steps of:

• producing with a first sensor a first signal representing the pulsating vacuum level from a monitored operating pulsator;
• comparing with a processor said first signal representing a pulsating vacuum level from the monitored operating pulsator to a stored reference signal representing a predetermined vacuum range of pulsating vacuum levels programmed as acceptable for milking system pulsators;
• and
• generating with a processor at least one control signal when the monitored operating pulsator pulsating vacuum level is at a vacuum level outside of the predetermined vacuum range and at least one information signal generated by the processor from a pulsator malfunction criteria reference table identifying the pulsator malfunction represented by the at least one control signal.

A system comprising

• a milking system having a plurality of milking apparatus each having inflations and wherein each of said milking apparatus have a pulsator for controlling with pulsating vacuum the inflations when a milking apparatus is attached to a dairy animal and a milking vacuum is present in the milking apparatus;
• a source of milking vacuum applied to each of the milking apparatus;
• a plurality of pulsator controllers one of each being designated for a designated one of the plurality of milking apparatus, each of said pulsator controllers comprising
• a first sensor configured to be a operatively connected to a designated pulsator operating in a milking system for receiving a pulsating vacuum therefrom and for producing a first signal representing the pulsating vacuum level received from the designated pulsator;
• a processor having a memory for storing pulsator malfunction criteria as a reference table and stored reference signals representing a predetermined vacuum range of pulsating vacuum levels programmed as acceptable for milking system pulsators, said processor being operatively connected to said first sensor for receiving said first signal representing said pulsating vacuum level from the designated pulsator and wherein said processor includes a comparator for comparing said first signal to the stored reference, said processor generating at least one control signal when the designed pulsator pulsating vacuum level is at a vacuum level outside of the predetermined vacuum range;
• and at least one information signal generated by the processor from the pulsator malfunction criteria reference table identifying the pulsator malfunction represented by the at least one control signal, and
• a control circuit responsive to said at least one control signal for signaling that the designated pulsator pulsating vacuum level is outside of the range of pulsating vacuum levels programmed as acceptable for the milking system pulsators.

A computer controlled monitoring and control system for a milking system comprising

• a computer system including a memory configured for at least one of storing and retrieving stored data therefrom;
• a plurality of milking apparatus wherein each of said milking apparatus include inflations and a pulsator;
• a plurality of pulsator controllers for monitoring an operating pulsator in a milking system wherein one controller is designated for one of the plurality of milking apparatus, each of said pulsator controller comprising
• a first sensor configured to be a operatively connected to a designated pulsator operating in a milking system for receiving a pulsating vacuum therefrom and for producing a first signal representing the pulsating vacuum level received from the designated pulsator;
• a processor having a memory for storing pulsator malfunction criteria as a reference table and stored reference signals representing a predetermined vacuum range of pulsating vacuum levels programmed as acceptable for milking system pulsators, said processor being operatively connected to said first sensor for receiving said first signal representing said pulsating vacuum level from the designated pulsator and wherein said processor includes a comparator for comparing said first signal to the stored reference, said processor generating at least one control signal when the designed pulsator pulsating vacuum level is at a vacuum level outside of the predetermined vacuum range;
• and at least one information signal generated by the processor from the pulsator malfunction criteria reference table identifying the pulsator malfunction represented by the at least one control signal;
• and
• a control circuit responsive to said at least one control signal for signaling that the designated pulsator pulsating vacuum level is outside of the range of pulsating vacuum levels programmed as acceptable for the milking system pulsators;
• and
• a communication system operatively connected between said computer system, each of the controllers and other computer controlled milking system components, said communication system being configured to transfer control signals, data signals and instructions between the computer, each of the controllers and other computer controlled milking system components, said computer system having stored therein reference data and instructions relating to operating parameters and conditions of each of the pulsators and other computer controlled milking system components including wherein said processor in each controller uses the comparator for comparing said first signal to a stored reference signal applied to the processor from the computer system and wherein the stored reference signal represents a predetermined vacuum range of pulsating vacuum levels programmed as acceptable for milking system pulsators, said processor generating at least one control signal when the monitored pulsator pulsating vacuum level is at a vacuum level outside of the predetermined vacuum range and at least one information signal generated by the processor from the pulsator malfunction criteria reference table identifying the pulsator malfunction represented by the at least one control signal.