US 5,042,428 A · Implement for milking an animal

Abstract

An implement for the automated milking an animal, such as a cow. The implement comprises a segmented robot arm that can be adjusted to place a working platform in an initial position between the animal's front and rear legs generally below the udder. Mounted on the working platform are teat cups, a reciprocating rotary laser sensor, microprocessor for control, and an electromagnetic coupling device for carrying each teat cup in turn to attachment with a teat. The implement also has a contact sensor and an animal recognition system. Data provided from the contact sensor and animal recognition system provide a template for where the teats should be found. Microprocessor control of the robot arm and platform result in a two phase detection and attachment sequence for sequentially attaching the teat cups to first the rear and then the front teats.

Claims35

Dependent claims

An implement for milking an animal, such as a cow, comprising:

a robot arm;
at least one teat cup and a mounting for said teat cup, said at least one teat cup carried by said mounting near a free end of said robot arm;
a coupling means for applying each said teat cup to a relevant teat of the animal's udder;
sensor means for determining the position of each of the teats;
control means for conveying, on the basis of a teat position as determined by said sensor means, the robot arm to a position under the animal's udder such that said teat cup can be applied to the relevant teat, wherein said sensor is mounted so as to be movable with respect to said mounting for said teat cup on a movable member provided near said free end of said robot arm.

2 more elements

A method of connecting teat cups to the teats of the udder of an animal, such as a cow, comprising the steps of:

determining the position of the teats with the aid of a sensor means;
moving a robot arm by means of cylinder to position a free end of said robot arm beneath the animal's udder, said free end carrying teat cups;
sequentially carrying each said teat cup upwardly for attachment to a teat wherein said step of determining the position of the teats further comprises the steps of:
pairwise determination of the teat's position;
comparing the results of said pairwise determination with established data;
and said sequentially carrying each said teat cup upwardly step further comprises the steps of:
successively moving one of said teat cups to a position substantially directly below a relevant teat;
and
connecting said teat cup to sad relevant teat.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Implement for milking an animal

Life of this patent

Implement for milking an animal

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims35