Cleaning device for cleaning teats of an animal for milking, milking machine provided therewith and method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10349619-B2
Application number	US-201415100220-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2014
Priority date	Jul 19, 2013
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cleaning device ( 4 ) for cleaning and pretreating teats of an animal for milking, milking machine ( 2 ) provided therewith and method therefor. The cleaning device according to the invention comprises:
a frame ( 52 ) provided with an arm ( 6 ); a cleaning head arranged on the arm and provided with a rotatable holder ( 12 ) on which one or more rotatable cleaning elements ( 14 ) are provided; and moving means ( 48, 50, 56 ) connected to the frame for displacing the cleaning head relative to the teats such that the teats are cleanable using the cleaning elements.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cleaning, comprising:
an arm having a first end and a second end;
a first sub-arm coupled to the first end of the arm and operable to rotate about a first rotation shaft;
a first brush arranged on a first end of the first sub-arm and operable to rotate about a first brush axis;
a second brush arranged on a second end of the first sub-arm and operable to rotate about a second brush axis; and
a detector coupled to the arm and configured to detect teats of a dairy livestock.

2. The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the first rotation shaft is oriented substantially vertically during use.

3. The cleaning device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second sub-arm coupled to the second end of the arm and operable to rotate about a second rotation shaft.

4. The cleaning device of claim 3 , further comprising:
a third brush arranged on a first end of the second sub-arm and operable to rotate about a third brush axis;
a fourth brush arranged on a second end of the second sub-arm and operable to rotate about a fourth brush axis.

5. The cleaning device of claim 4 , further comprising a sanitizing device configured to sanitize the first brush and the second brush while the third brush and the fourth brush are in use.

6. The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the arm rotates about a second rotation shaft.

7. The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein at least the first brush has a surface that comprises a curved face.

8. The cleaning device of claim 7 , wherein at least the first brush is provided with bristles of differing lengths.

9. The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the first brush and the second brush are rotatable in opposite directions.

10. The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second brushes are configured to rotate at a first speed and the first sub-arm is configured to rotate at a second speed less than the first speed.

Assignees

• Rotec Eng B V
• Van Der Sluis Peter Willem
• Berghuis Raymond Roger
• Hofman Henk
• Technologies Holdings Corp

Inventors

• Van Der Sluis Peter Willem
• Berghuis Raymond Roger
• Hofman Henk

Classifications

• B60S3/06

  with rotary bodies contacting the vehicle {(hand-held B60S3/048)} · CPC title

• A01J7/04 Primary

  for treatment of udders or teats, e.g. for cleaning · CPC title

• A46B9/028

  Bristle profile, the end of the bristle defining a surface other than a single plane or deviating from a simple geometric form, e.g. cylinder, sphere or cone · CPC title

• A46B9/026

  where the surface of the brush body or carrier is not in one plane, e.g. not flat (A46B9/005 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01J5/017

  Automatic attaching or detaching of clusters · CPC title