# US 2008/0184936 A1 · Milking Arrangement > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0184936 A1 - Document ID: US20080184936A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/722,311 - Filed: 2005-10-10 - Published: 2008-08-07 - Earliest claimed: 2004-12-20 - Assignees: DeLaval Holding AB - Inventors: Torbjorn Petterson; Soren Lundin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080184936A1 ## CPC - A01J 5/007: Monitoring milking processes; Control or regulation of milking machines - A01J 5/017: Automatic attaching or detaching of clusters - A01K 1/12: Milking stations - A01J: MANUFACTURE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS - A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS ## Abstract A milking arrangement (1) and a method for milking are described comprising at least two milking positions (2), wherein each milking position (2) comprises teat cups (4) for milking an animal (3). The milking arrangement (1) is arranged to remove the teat cups (4) from animals when milking is finished and to remove the teat cups (4) from all animals (3) that are still being milked when all conditions in a set of conditions are fulfilled, wherein the set of conditions comprises the condition that the teat cups (4) have been removed from a predetermined number of animals (3) and that all animals (3) that are still being milked, in an earlier milking preceding the present milking, must have been milked until the milking was determined to be substantially finished. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A milking arrangement for simultaneous milking of at least two animals, the milking arrangement comprising: at least two milking positions, wherein each milking wherein each milking position comprises teat cups for milking an animal, a removing member for removal of the teat cups from the animals and determining means for determining when milking is finished, and wherein the removing members are arranged to remove the teat cups from the animal when milking is finished, wherein the milking arrangement is arranged to remove the teat cups from all animals that are still being milked, using the removing member, when all conditions in a set of conditions are fulfilled, and wherein the set of conditions comprises the conditions that the teat cups have been removed from a predetermined number of animals and that all animals that are still being milked in an earlier milking, preceding the present milking, must have been milked until the earlier milking was determined to be substantially finished. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A milking arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the set of conditions also comprises the condition that the earlier milking must have occurred no earlier than within a maximum number of milkings preceding the present milking. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A milking arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the maximum number of milkings is in the range 2-10 milkings. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A milking arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the set of conditions also comprises the condition that the earlier milking must have occurred no earlier than within a maximum time limit preceding the present milking. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A milking arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the maximum time limit is in the range 20-50 hours. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A milking arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the determining means is arranged to determine the milk flow from the animal in each milking position during milking and wherein milking is determined to be finished when the milk flow from the animal is below a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A milking arrangement according to claim 6, wherein a unique threshold for the milk flow is arranged for each animal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A milking arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the milking arrangement comprises animal identification means for identifying animals entering the milking positions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A milking arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising an access device, which animals have to pass before entering the milking positions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A milking arrangement according to claim 9, wherein animal identification means are arranged in the access device, identifying animals passing through the access device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) A milking arrangement according to claim 8, wherein said animal identification means are arranged in at least one of the milking positions. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A milking arrangement according to claim 11 wherein animal identification means are arranged in each one of the milking positions. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A milking arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising means for measuring and registering the milking times for each animal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A milking arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the milking arrangement is arranged to indicate milking positions in which animals are present and for which animals any previous milking has taken longer time than for the majority of the animals. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) A milking arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the milking arrangement is arranged to milk a first group of animals, for which animals any previous milking has taken shorter time than for the majority of the animals, differently from the other animals in the milking arrangement. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A milking arrangement according to claim 15, wherein a lower milking vacuum is used for the first group of animals. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) A milking arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the pulse length of a pulsating vacuum is different for the first group of animals, wherein the suction phase is shorter. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A milking arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a memory media for storing information on the milking data for each one of the animals. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A milking arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined number of animals, from which the teat cups have been removed is one. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A milking arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising hindering means for hindering the animals from leaving the milking positions. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A milking arrangement according to claim 20, wherein the hindering means include exit gates. ### Claim 22 A method for simultaneous milking of at least two animals comprising the steps of: placing at least two animals in a respective milking position; arranging teat cups on each animal; determining when milking is finished; removing the teat cups from an animal when milking is finished; and removing the teat cups from the animals that are still being milked when all conditions in a set of conditions are fulfilled, wherein the set of conditions comprises the conditions that the teat cups have been removed from a predetermined number of animals and that all animals that are still being milked in an earlier milking, preceding the present milking, must have been milked until the milking was determined to be substantially finished. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) A method according to claim 22, wherein the earlier milking must have occurred no earlier than within a maximum number of milkings preceding the present milking. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) A method according to claim 22, wherein the maximum number of milking is within the range 2-10 milkings. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) A method according to claim 22, wherein the earlier milking must have occurred no earlier than within a maximum time limit preceding the present milking. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) A method according to claim 25, wherein the maximum time limit is in the range 15-50 hours. ### Claim 27 (depends on 22) A method according to claim 22, further comprising the steps of determining the milk flow from the animal in each milking position during milking and determining milking to be finished when the milk flow from the animal is below a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) A method according to claim 27, wherein a unique threshold for the milk flow is arranged for each animal. ### Claim 29 (depends on 22) A method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of identifying the animals entering the milking positions. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) A method according to claim 29, wherein the animals passes an access device before entering the milking positions. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) A milking arrangement according to claim 30, wherein the animals are identified when they pass through the access device. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) A milking arrangement according to claim 31, wherein the animals are identified in at least one of the milking positions. ### Claim 33 (depends on 22) A method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of identifying the animals are identified in each one of the milking positions. ### Claim 34 (depends on 22) A method according to claim 22, wherein the predetermined number of animals, from which the teat cups have been removed is one.