# US 2014/0190415 A1 · Robot and method for milking a cow by this robot

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2014/0190415 A1
- Document ID: US20140190415A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/165,803
- Filed: 2014-01-28
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2009-03-27
- Assignees: Technologies Holdings Corp.
- Applicants: Technologies Holdings Corporation
- Inventors: Peter Willem Van Der Sluis; Hendrik Hofman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190415A1

## CPC

- A01J 5/017: Automatic attaching or detaching of clusters
- A01J 5/0175: {Attaching of clusters}
- A01J 5/041: {Milk claw}
- A01K 1/126: {Carousels}
- 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 robot comprising a movable arm and a plurality of grippers. The movable arm has a length in a longitudinal direction. The plurality of grippers are swivably mounted to the movable arm such that each gripper moves between a first position parallel to the movable arm's longitudinal direction and a second position at which the gripper extends sideways in a horizontal plane away from the movable arm's longitudinal direction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A milking robot, comprising;
a movable arm having a length in a longitudinal direction; and
a plurality of grippers swivably mounted to the movable arm such that each gripper moves between a first position parallel to the movable arm's longitudinal direction and a second position at which the gripper extends sideways in a horizontal plane away from the movable arm's longitudinal direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The milking robot of claim 1, wherein at least one gripper comprises a plurality of cooperating fingers for gripping a milking cup.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The milking robot of claim 1, wherein at least one gripper comprises a clamping apparatus that pinches off and holds a milking hose that connect to a milking cup.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The milking robot of claim 1, wherein the movable arm moves one or more milking cups from a resting position to an operational position, and in the operational position, at least one gripper connects a milking cup to a teat of a dairy livestock.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The milking robot of claim 1, wherein the plurality of grippers comprises four grippers.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The milking robot of claim 1, wherein the plurality of grippers are individually controllable for selective operation of each of the grippers.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The milking robot of claim 1, wherein the movable arm is arranged for cooperation with a rotor that houses a plurality of dairy livestock such that the movable arm moves at the rotor's circumference so as to maintain for a time-period depending on the rotor's rotational speed a stationary position relative to a preselected part of the moving rotor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The milking robot of claim 1, wherein the movable arm is mounted on a frame that is movable along a guide-track.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The milking robot of claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors that detects the teats of a dairy livestock, and a controller operable to control the grippers in response to the one or more sensors.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The milking robot of claim 1, wherein the grippers are extendible from the movable arm in the longitudinal direction.

### Claim 11 (depends on 4)

The milking robot of claim 4, wherein movement of the one or more milking cups between the resting position and operational position is done through an area located between the dairy livestock's hind legs.