Method and apparatus for cleaning of a teat cleaning device
AssigneeDeLaval Holding AB
InventorJan Eriksson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A teat cleaning arrangement (1) for milking equipment, comprising a teat cleaning device (6) with teat cleaning means (23, 41). A milking robot (2) with a robot front end (4) is devised to move the teat cleaning device (6) into engagement with a teat (5), and control means (7) are connectable to the robot (2) for controlling motion thereof. The control means are also connectable to the teat cleaning device (6) for controlling the teat cleaning means (23, 41), and engagement and disengagement with a teat (5). The control means (7) are devised to activate said teat cleaning means (23, 41) to clean said teat cleaning device (6) after each teat disengagement.
Claims20
A teat cleaning arrangement comprising a teat cleaning device with teat cleaning means, a robot with a robot front end devised to move the teat cleaning device into engagement with a first teat of a dairy animal, and control means connectable to the robot for controlling motion thereof, and connectable to the teat cleaning device for controlling the teat cleaning means, and for engagement and disengagement with said first teat, said control means being devised to activate said teat cleaning means to clean said teat cleaning device after disengagement from said first teat and before engagement with a second teat of said dairy animal.
A method of cleaning a teat cleaning arrangement, comprising:
- providing a teat cleaning device with teat cleaning means, a robot with a robot front end devised to move the teat cleaning device into engagement with a first teat of a dairy animal, and control means connectable to the robot and to the teat cleaning device, for cleaning said teat cleaning device;
- engaging said teat cleaning device with said first teat;
- cleaning the first teat using said cleaning means;
- disengaging said teat cleaning device from the first teat;
- cleaning the teat cleaning device using said cleaning means;
- engaging said teat cleaning device with a second teat of the same dairy animal.
A teat cleaning apparatus comprising:
- a teat cup that has an interior, an exterior, and a teat receiving opening for receiving a teat of a milking animal,
- a nozzle carried by the teat cup that discharges cleaning fluid into the interior of the cup during cleaning of a teat of a milking animal that has been inserted through the teat receiving opening and during cleaning of the teat cleaning apparatus, and
- a cover that overlies the teat receiving opening in the teat cup during cleaning of the teat cleaning apparatus and that distributes a portion of the cleaning fluid discharged from the nozzle during cleaning of the teat cleaning apparatus onto the exterior of the teat cup.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.