Method of and device for milking a dairy animal
AssigneeLely Patent N.V.
InventorsJan Willem Schrader, Pieter Gerlof De Groot
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for and method of milking dairy animals, in particular cows includes teat cups that are connected by a robot arm to respective teats of the dairy animal. This makes it possible to start the milking of the teats of the dairy animal. A milk flow from the respective teat can be measured. The milking can be ended by a control unit in dependence on a comparison value which is calculated on the basis of a milking parameter representative of a milk flow from the respective teat and in dependence on a deactivation threshold. A second manner of calculating is used for calculating the comparison value of the last teat. The milking of the last teat can also depend on the moment of ending the milking of the one-but-last teat.
Claims27
A method of milking a dairy animal, comprising:
- connecting teat cups to teats of the dairy animal;
- milking the teats of the dairy animal;
- measuring, for each teat, a milking parameter representative of a milk flow from that teat;
- assigning, during milking, a first group of teats and a second group of teats, wherein the second group includes at least a last teat being milked;
- calculating a set of first comparison values associated with the first group of teats, each of the first comparison values being associated with a respective teat from the first group, each first comparison value being calculated in a first manner of calculation, the first manner of calculation depending on the milking parameter of each respective teat from the first group, and
- calculating a set of second comparison values associated with the second group of teats, each of the second comparison values being associated with a respective teat from the second group, each second comparison value being calculated in a second manner of calculation, the second manner of calculation depending on the milking parameter of each respective teat from the second group, and the second manner of calculation being different from the first manner of calculation;
- and
- ending the milking of each teat once the respective first or second comparison value reaches a deactivation threshold associated with that teat.
A device for automatically or semi-automatically milking a dairy animal,
- wherein the device comprises teat cups and a robot arm configured to connect the teat cups to teats of the dairy animal for milking the dairy animal, wherein the device further comprises a measuring unit for measuring a respective milking parameter representative of a milk flow in each teat cup, the measuring unit being connected to and is configured to send the respective milking parameter to a control unit,
- wherein the control unit is configured to:
- assign, during milking, a first group of teat cups and a second group of teat cups, wherein the second group includes at least a last teat cup used in milking;
- calculate a set of first comparison values associated with the first group of teat cups, each of the first comparison values being associated with a respective teat cup from the first group, each first comparison value being calculated in a first manner of calculation, the first manner of calculation depending on the respective milking parameter of each teat cup from the first group;
- calculate a set of second comparison values associated with the second group of teat cups, each of the second comparison values being associated with a respective teat cup from the second group, each second comparison value being calculated in a second manner of calculation, the second manner of calculation depending on the respective milking parameter of each respective teat cup from the second group, the second manner of calculation being different from the first manner of calculation;
- and
- end the milking of each teat cup once the respective first or second comparison value reaches a deactivation threshold associated with that teat cup.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.