Loading patent…
AssigneeLely Enterprises A.G., a Swiss Limited Liability Company
InventorsKarel van den Berg, Alexander van der Lely, Renatus Ignatius Josephus Fransen, Wilhelmus Johannes Adrianus van Lier
Estimating the term…
A system for automatically milking animals is provided with a milking robot and a computer which is capable of being connected to a plurality of measuring instruments for a plurality of functions of the system and physiological conditions of the animals being milked. Monitoring programs for the functions and conditions are installed in a computer which, based on comparison reference data, determines that one or more components of the system is likely to fail or otherwise malfunction and reports on abnormal physiological conditions of animals being milked by the system. As a result of the computer determinations, diagnoses of the likelihood of failure or other malfunction of one or more of the system's components, and of abnormal conditions of the animals being milked, are transmitted to interested parties including a user and a service mechanic together with the appropriate actions to be taken.
An apparatus for the automated milking of milk producing animals which comprises components which include a milking robot, sensor means for automatically sensing the locations of teats of each said animal milked by the apparatus, teat cups carried by said milking robot which are connected to each relevant animal's teats as controlled by said sensor means, cleaning means for automatically cleaning the teats and udders of said animals milked by the apparatus, a vacuum pump for providing milking vacuum and pulsating vacuum to said teat cups, a computer which controls the process of automated milking of said animals, at least one further component which carries out at least one function of the apparatus, monitoring means for monitoring the functioning of said at least one component, data transmitting means for transmitting data from said monitoring means to said computer, a program in said computer for receiving said data and comparing it with further data provided said computer for prognosticating when a said component is likely to malfunction, and diagnostic information transmission means that transmits information to interested parties when at least one of said components is likely to malfunction and should be repaired or replaced.
An apparatus for automatically milking animals which comprises a milking robot, a computer, a plurality of monitoring means which monitor a plurality of physiological condition parameters of an animal to be milked, a separate monitoring program for each of said parameters installed in said computer whereby said computer can determine a diagnosis of a said physiological condition of an animal to be milked by a deviation in each said parameter and on the basis of comparison of data from said measuring means with reference data in said computer which relates to said parameters.
An apparatus for the automated milking of milk producing animals which consists essentially of a milking compartment, a milking robot, sensor means for automatically sensing the locations of teats of each said animal being milked by the apparatus, teat cups carried by said milking robot which are automatically connected to each relevant animal's teats by said robot as controlled by said sensor means, cleaning means for automatically cleaning the teats of each said animal being milked, a vacuum pump for providing milking vacuum and pulsating vacuum to milk and to pulsate said teat cups, a common container for receiving milk from each of said teat cups, a bulk milk cooling tank for receiving milk from said common container, a milk pipeline through which milk received from said milk producing animals flows, washing means for automatically washing said teat cups, said pipeline and said bulk milk cooling tank, and fluids for use by said washing means, milk flow meters for measuring the milk flow from each of said teat cups, milk conductivity measuring instruments for measuring the electrical conductivity of milk from each teat cup and a computer which controls the process of automated milking of the apparatus;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.