US 2018/0007860 A1Published application

System and method for detecting preparation cup attachment

AssigneeTechnologies Holdings Corp.

InventorPeter M. Linlor

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Abstract

A system comprising a teat preparation cup coupled to a vacuum pump. A first pressure sensor measures the vacuum level of the vacuum pump. A second pressure sensor measures vacuum level inside the preparation cup. The system further comprises a controller comprising an interface, a memory, and a processor. The processor determines if the vacuum pump has sufficient vacuum level and communicates instructions to induce a partial vacuum in the teat preparation cup. The processor determines if the teat preparation cup has a vacuum level greater than a vacuum threshold value and when this condition is achieved, communicates instructions to initiate a teat preparation cycle comprising allowing fluid flowing from a fluid source container through the teat preparation cup into a fluid disposal container.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a teat preparation cup coupled to a fluid source container and a fluid disposal container;
a vacuum pump coupled to the teat preparation cup, wherein the vacuum pump is operable to alter a vacuum level inside the teat preparation cup;
a first pressure sensor operable to measure vacuum level generated by the vacuum pump;
a second pressure sensor operable to measure vacuum level inside the teat preparation cup;
and
a controller comprising:
an interface operable to communicate with the vacuum pump, the first pressure sensor, and the second pressure sensor;
a memory operable to store a first vacuum threshold value and a second vacuum threshold value;
and
a processor operable to:
receive information indicating an attempt to attach the teat preparation cup onto a teat;
receive information from the first pressure sensor to determine if the vacuum pump has a vacuum level that is greater than the first vacuum threshold value;
if the vacuum pump vacuum level is greater than the first vacuum threshold value, communicate instructions to induce a partial vacuum in the teat preparation cup using the vacuum pump;
receive information from the second pressure sensor to determine if the teat preparation cup has a vacuum level that is greater than the second vacuum threshold value;
and
if the teat preparation cup vacuum level is greater than the second vacuum threshold value, communicate instructions to initiate a teat preparation cycle comprising allowing fluid flow from the fluid source container through the teat preparation cup into the fluid disposal container.

13 more elements

A method comprising

receiving information indicating an attempt to attach a teat preparation cup onto a teat;
receiving information from a first pressure sensor to determine if a vacuum pump has a vacuum level that is greater than a first vacuum threshold value;
if the vacuum pump vacuum level is greater than the first vacuum threshold value, inducing a partial vacuum in the teat preparation cup using the vacuum pump;
receiving information from a second pressure sensor to determine if the teat preparation cup has a vacuum level that is greater than a second vacuum threshold value;
and
if the teat preparation cup vacuum level is greater than the second vacuum threshold value, initiating a teat preparation cycle comprising allowing fluid flow from a fluid source container through the teat preparation cup into a fluid disposal container.

3 more elements

A controller comprising

an interface operable to communicate with a vacuum pump, a first pressure sensor, and a second pressure sensor;
a memory operable to store a first vacuum threshold value and a second vacuum threshold value;
and
a processor operable to:
receive information indicating an attempt to attach a teat preparation cup onto a teat;
determine, based on information received from the first pressure sensor, if the vacuum pump has a vacuum level that is greater than the first vacuum threshold value;
if the vacuum pump vacuum level is greater than the first vacuum threshold value, communicate instructions to induce a partial vacuum in the teat preparation cup using the vacuum pump;
receive information from the second pressure sensor to determine if the teat preparation cup has a vacuum level that is greater than the second vacuum threshold value;
and
if the teat preparation cup vacuum level is greater than the second vacuum threshold value, communicate instructions to initiate a teat preparation cycle comprising allowing fluid flow from a fluid source container through the teat preparation cup into a fluid disposal container.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.