Loading patent…
AssigneeC. van der Lely N.V.
InventorsKarel van der Berg, Rene Fransen
Estimating the term…
An apparatus and method for automatically cleaning the teat cups of a milking apparatus. The teat cups are automatically removed by a robot arm from the animal's teats. Nozzles are provided which are automatically inserted into the openings for the teats located on top of the teat cups. In the cleaning operation, the nozzles are, in effect, connected to the teat cups and spray a cleansing and/or rinsing liquid through an upper set of outlets from the nozzle to clean the upper surfaces of the teat cups and through a lower set of nozzle outlets to clean and rinse the interior of the teat cups as well as the lines connected therewith. Associated with the nozzles are rotatable cleaning members for cleaning the animals' teats and udders in the vicinity thereof. Brushes and spray nozzles are provided for automatically cleaning these cleaning members after use. All operations are programmed to occur automatically without human assistance or intervention.
A method of automatically cleaning the teat cups of a milking apparatus which comprises the steps of controlling a robot arm automatically to remove the teat cups from the teats of the animal to which they are applied, manipulating said robot arm automatically to interengage said teat cups with a cleaning device, and cleaning said teat cups automatically by means of said cleaning device, the aforesaid steps of removing said teat cups from the animal's teats, interengaging said teat cups with said cleaning device and cleaning said teat cups thereby being automatically accomplished in sequence without human intervention or assistance.
An apparatus for milking animals comprising teat cups, means for automatically positioning said teat cups on the animal's teats and removing said teat cups therefrom, a cleaning device comprising a spray nozzle, and interengaging means for effecting a connection of said spray nozzle with said teat cups after said teat cups have been removed from the animal's teats and maintaining said connection while said cleaning device is cleaning said teat cups.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.