Milking vacuum fluctuation filter
AssigneeDEC International, Inc.
InventorChristopher J. Fleischman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A milking system for milking a mammal such as a cow includes a source of vacuum applying vacuum through a conduit system to a plurality of milking clusters, each cluster having a plurality of teat cups supplying milk to a claw in response to pulsation vacuum controlled by a pulsator in the conduit system. The conduit system has a first portion upstream of the pulsator and applying vacuum from the source of vacuum to the pulsator. The conduit system has a second portion downstream of the pulsator and applying pulsation vacuum to the teat cups. The vacuum in the upstream portion of the conduit system is subject to fluctuation due to pulsation vacuum in the downstream portion. A vacuum fluctuation suppression filter is provided in the upstream portion of the conduit system attenuating the noted vacuum fluctuation.
Claims30
A milking system comprising a source of vacuum applying vacuum through a conduit system to a plurality of milking clusters, each cluster comprising a plurality of teat cups supplying milk to a claw in response to pulsation vacuum controlled by a pulsator in said conduit system, said conduit system having a fire portion upstream of said pulsator and applying vacuum from said source of vacuum to said pulsator, said conduit system having a second portion downstream of said pulsator and applying pulsation vacuum to said teat cups, the vacuum in said first portion of said conduit system being subject to fluctuation due to said pulsation vacuum in said second portion of said conduit system, a vacuum fluctuation suppression filter in said first portion of said conduit system and tuned to attenuate vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, wherein said vacuum fluctuation suppression filter comprises an auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe communicating with said first portion of said conduit system and tuned to attenuate said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and wherein said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe has a length calibrated according to frequency of said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator.
A milking system comprising a source of vacuum applying vacuum through a conduit system to a plurality of milking clusters, each dust comprising a plurality of teat cups supplying milk to a claw in response to pulsation vacuum controlled by a pulsator in said conduit system, said conduit system having a first portion upstream of said pulsator and applying vacuum from said source of vacuum to said pulsator, said conduit system having a second portion downstream of said pulsator and applying pulsation vacuum to said teat cups, the vacuum in said first portion of said conduit system being subject to fluctuation due to said pulsation vacuum in said second portion of said conduit system, a vacuum fluctuation suppression filter in said first portion of said conduit system and tuned to attenuate vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, wherein said vacuum fluctuation suppression filter comprises an auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe communicating with said first portion of said conduit system and tuned to attenuate said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and wherein said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe has a cross-sectional dimension calibrated according to frequency of said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator.
A milking system comprising a source of vacuum applying vacuum through a conduit system to a plurality of milking clusters, each cluster comprising a plurality of teat cups supplying milk to a claw in response to pulsation vacuum controlled by a pulsator in said conduit system, said conduit system having a first portion upstream of said pulsator and applying vacuum from said source of vacuum to said pulsator, said conduit system having a second portion downstream of said pulsator and applying pulsation vacuum to said teat cups, the vacuum in said first portion of said conduit system being subject to fluctuation due to said pulsation vacuum in said second portion of said conduit system, a vacuum fluctuation suppression filter in said first portion of said conduit system and tuned to attenuate vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, wherein said vacuum fluctuation suppression filter comprises an auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe communicating with said first portion of said conduit system and tuned to attenuate said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and wherein said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe has a length calibrated according to frequency of said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and wherein said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe has a cross-sectional dimension calibrated according to frequency of said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator.
A milking system comprising a source of vacuum applying vacuum through a conduit system to a plurality of milking clusters, each cluster comprising a plurality of teat cups supplying milk to a claw in response to pulsation vacuum controlled by a pulsator in said conduit system, said conduit system having a first portion upstream of said pulsator and applying vacuum from said source of vacuum to said pulsator, said conduit system having a second portion downstream of said pulsator and applying pulsation vacuum to said teat cups, the vacuum in said first portion of said conduit system being subject to fluctuation due to said pulsation vacuum in said second portion of said conduit system, a vacuum fluctuation suppression filter in said first portion of said conduit system and tuned to attenuate vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, wherein said vacuum fluctuation suppression filter comprises an auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe communicating with said first portion of said conduit system and tuned to attenuate said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and wherein said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe includes a termination tank having a volume calibrated according to frequency of said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator.
A milking system comprising a source of vacuum applying vacuum through a conduit system to a plurality of milking clusters, each cluster comprising a plurality of teat cups supplying milk to a claw in response to pulsation vacuum controlled by a pulsator in said conduit system, said conduit system having a first portion upstream of said pulsator and applying vacuum from said source of vacuum to said pulsator, said conduit system having a second portion downstream of said pulsator and applying pulsation vacuum, to said teat cups, the vacuum in said first portion of said conduit system being subject to fluctuation due to said pulsation vacuum in said second portion of said conduit system, a vacuum fluctuation suppression filter in said first portion of said conduit system and tuned to attenuate vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, wherein said vacuum fluctuation suppression filter comprises an auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe communicating with said first portion of said conduit system and tuned to attenuate said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and wherein said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe is connected to said first portion of said conduit system at a connection point, and wherein said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe is calibrated to have substantially zero impedance at said connection point at the frequency of said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator.
A milking system comprising a source of vacuum applying vacuum through a conduit system to a plurality of milking clusters, each cluster comprising a plurality of teat cups supplying milk to a claw in response to pulsation vacuum controlled by a pulsator in said conduit system, said conduit system having a first portion upstream of said pulsator and applying vacuum from said source of vacuum to said pulsator, said conduit system having a second portion downstream of said pulsator and applying pulsation vacuum to said teat cups, the vacuum in said first portion of said conduit system being subject to fluctuation due to said pulsation vacuum in said second portion of said conduit system, a vacuum fluctuation suppression filter in said first portion of said conduit system and tuned to attenuate vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, wherein said vacuum fluctuation suppression filter comprises an auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe communicating with said first portion of said conduit system and tuned to attenuate said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and wherein said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe has a length calibrated to:
- LengthOfPipe = v p · ( tan - 1 ( 2 · x L x L 2 - 1 ) + π ) 4 · π · f .
A milking system comprising a source of vacuum applying vacuum through a conduit system to a plurality of milking clusters, each cluster comprising a plurality of teat cups supplying milk to a claw in response to pulsation vacuum controlled by a pulsator in said conduit system, said conduit system having a first portion upstream of said pulsator and applying vacuum from said source of vacuum to said pulsator, said conduit system having a second portion downstream of said pulsator and applying pulsation vacuum to said teat cups, the vacuum in said first portion of said conduit system being subject to fluctuation due to said pulsation vacuum in said second portion of said conduit system, a vacuum fluctuation suppression filter in said first portion of said conduit system and tuned to attenuate vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, wherein said vacuum fluctuation suppression filter comprises an auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe communicating with said first portion of said conduit system and tuned to attenuate said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and wherein said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe has a length calibrated according to:
- LengthOfPipe = v p · tan - 1 ( 2 · x L x L 2 - 1 ) 4 · π · f .
A milking method in a milking system having a source of vacuum applying vacuum through a conduit system to a plurality of milking clusters, each cluster comprising a plurality of teat cups supplying milk to a claw in response to pulsation vacuum controlled by a pulsator in said conduit system, said conduit system having a first portion upstream of said pulsator and applying vacuum from said source of vacuum to said pulsator, said conduit system having a second portion downstream of said pulsator and applying pulsation vacuum to said teat cups, the vacuum in said first portion of said conduit system being subject to fluctuation due to said pulsation vacuum in said second portion of said conduit system, said method comprising attenuating vacuum fluctuation in said first portion of said conduit system by providing a vacuum fluctuation suppression filter in said first portion of said conduit system and tuning said vacuum fluctuation suppression filter to attenuate vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and comprising providing an auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe communicating with said first portion of said conduit system, and tuning said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe to attenuate said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and comprising calibrating the length of said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe according to frequency of said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator.
A milking method in a milking system having a source of vacuum applying vacuum through a conduit system to a plurality of milking clusters, each cluster comprising a plurality of teat cups supplying milk to a claw in response to pulsation vacuum controlled by a pulsator in said conduit system, said conduit system having a first portion upstream of said pulsator and applying vacuum from said source of vacuum to said pulsator, said conduit system having a second portion downstream of said pulsator and applying pulsation vacuum to said teat cups, the vacuum in said first portion of said conduit system being subject to fluctuation due to said pulsation vacuum in said second portion of said conduit system, said method comprising attenuating vacuum fluctuation in said first portion of said conduit system by providing a vacuum fluctuation suppression filter in said first portion of said conduit system and tuning said vacuum fluctuation suppression filter to attenuate vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and comprising providing an auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe communicating with said first portion of said conduit system, and tuning said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe to attenuate said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and comprising calibrating a cross-sectional dimension of said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe according to frequency of said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator.
A milking method in a milking system having a source of vacuum applying vacuum through a conduit system to a plurality of milking clusters, each cluster comprising a plurality of teat cups supplying milk to a claw in response to pulsation vacuum controlled by a pulsator in said conduit system, said conduit system having a first portion upstream of said pulsator and applying vacuum from said source vacuum to said pulsator, said conduit system having a second portion downstream of said pulsator and applying pulsation vacuum to said teat cups, the vacuum in said first portion of said conduit system being subject to fluctuation due to said pulsation vacuum in said second portion of said conduit system, said method comprising attenuating vacuum fluctuation in said first portion of said conduit system by providing a vacuum fluctuation suppression filter in said first portion of said conduit system and tuning said vacuum fluctuation suppression filter to attenuate vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and comprising providing an auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe communicating with said first portion of said conduit system, and tuning said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe to attenuate said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and comprising calibrating the length of said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe according to frequency of said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and comprising calibrating a cross-sectional dimension of said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe according to frequency of said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator.
A milking method in a milking system having a source of vacuum applying vacuum through a conduit system to a plurality of milking clusters, each cluster comprising a plurality of teat cups supplying milk to a claw in response to pulsation vacuum controlled by a pulsator in said conduit system, said conduit system having a first portion upstream of said pulsator and applying vacuum from said source of vacuum to said pulsator, said conduit system having a second portion downstream of said pulsator and applying pulsation vacuum to said teat cups, the vacuum in said first portion of said conduit system being subject to fluctuation due to said pulsation vacuum in said second portion of said conduit system, said method comprising attenuating vacuum fluctuation in said first portion of said conduit system by providing a vacuum fluctuation suppression filter in said first portion of said conduit system and tuning said vacuum fluctuation suppression filter to attenuate vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and comprising providing an auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe communicating with said first portion of said conduit system, and tuning said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe to attenuate said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and comprising providing a termination tank as part of said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe, and calibrating the volume of said termination tank according to frequency of said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator.
A milking method in a milking system having a source of vacuum applying vacuum through a conduit system to a plurality of milking clusters, each cluster comprising a plurality of teat cups supplying milk to a claw in response to pulsation vacuum controlled by a pulsator in said conduit system, said conduit system having a first portion upstream of said pulsator and applying vacuum from said source of vacuum to said pulsator, said conduit system having a second portion downstream of said pulsator and applying pulsation vacuum to said teat cups, the vacuum in said first portion of said conduit system being subject to fluctuation due to said pulsation vacuum in said second portion of said conduit system, said method comprising attenuating vacuum fluctuation in said first portion of said conduit system by providing a vacuum fluctuation suppression filter in said first portion of said conduit system and tuning said vacuum fluctuation suppression filter to attenuate vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and comprising providing an auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe communicating with said first portion of said conduit system, and tuning said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe to attenuate said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and comprising connecting said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe to said conduit system at a connection point, and calibrating said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe to have substantially zero impedance at said connection point at the frequency of said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator.
A milking method in a milking system having a source of vacuum applying vacuum through a conduit system to a plurality of milking clusters, each cluster comprising a plurality of teat cups supplying milk to a claw in response to pulsation vacuum controlled by a pulsator in said conduit system, said conduit system having a first portion upstream of said pulsator and applying vacuum from said source of vacuum to said pulsator, said conduit system having a second portion downstream of said pulsator and applying pulsation vacuum to said teat cups, the vacuum in said first portion of said conduit system being subject to fluctuation due to said pulsation vacuum in said second portion of said conduit system, said method comprising attenuating vacuum fluctuation in said first portion of said conduit system by providing a vacuum fluctuation suppression filter in said first portion of said conduit system and tuning said vacuum fluctuation suppression filter to attenuate vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and comprising providing an auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe communicating with said first portion of said conduit system, and tuning said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe to attenuate said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and comprising calibrating the length of said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe according to:
- LengthOfPipe = v p · ( tan - 1 ( 2 · x L x L 2 - 1 ) + π ) 4 · π · f .
A milking method in a milking system having a source of vacuum applying vacuum through a conduit system to a plurality of milking clusters, each cluster comprising a plurality of teat cups supplying milk to a claw in response to pulsation vacuum controlled by a pulsator in said conduit system, said conduit system having a first portion upstream of said pulsator and applying vacuum from said source of vacuum to said pulsator, said conduit system having a second portion downstream of said pulsator and applying pulsation vacuum to said teat cups, the vacuum in said first portion of said conduit system being subject to fluctuation due to said pulsation vacuum in said second portion of said conduit system, said method comprising attenuating vacuum fluctuation in said first portion of said conduit system by providing a vacuum fluctuation suppression filter in said first portion of said conduit system and tuning said vacuum fluctuation suppression filter to attenuate vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and providing an auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe communicating with said first portion of said conduit system, and tuning said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe to attenuate said vacuum fluctuation due to said pulsator, and comprising calibrating the length of said auxiliary vacuum conduit pipe according to:
- LengthOfPipe = v p · tan - 1 ( 2 · x L x L 2 - 1 ) 4 · π · f .
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.