Milking device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10694713-B2
Application number	US-201515305700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2015
Priority date	May 9, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A milking system including: at least one milking device; a milk storage vessel storing milk obtained with the milking device; a milk line system with a milk line with a first end connected to the milking device and with a second end connected to the milk storage vessel; and a monitoring system including: a sensor configured to measure a fluid parameter value of a fluid in the milk line, and a control system actively connected to the sensor and configured to process the measured fluid parameter value and generate a transition signal on fulfilment of a predefined transition criterion. The milk line includes a substantially vertical line portion, and a proposed discharge direction of milk runs through the milk line from the milking device to the milk storage vessel and is raised through the line portion, wherein the sensor is placed in or on the substantially vertical line portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A milking system comprising:
at least one milking device;
a milk storage vessel storing milk obtained with the milking device;
a milk line system including a milk line with a first end connected to the milking device and with a second end connected to the milk storage vessel; and
a monitoring system which comprises:
a sensor configured to measure a fluid parameter value of a fluid in the milk line to determine a transition between milk and a cleaning fluid, and
a control system operatively connected to the sensor and configured to process the measured fluid parameter value and to generate a transition signal on fulfilment of a predefined transition criterion;

wherein the milk line comprises a substantially vertical line portion, and a proposed discharge direction of milk runs through the milk line from the milking device to the milk storage vessel and is upwards through the substantially vertical line portion, and
wherein the sensor is placed in or on the substantially vertical line portion to allow air bubbles to pass at high speed past the sensor to avoid disrupting a measurement of the fluid parameter.

2. The milking system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the substantially vertical line portion transforms with a bend into a substantially horizontal line portion lying upstream thereof in the proposed discharge direction, and wherein the sensor lies higher by a predefined height H than a transition from the largely horizontal line portion to the bend portion.

3. The milking system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein H is at least 25 cm.

4. The milking system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the substantially vertical line portion runs at least to a height Y above the sensor, wherein Y is at least 10 cm.

5. The milking system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sensor is selected from the group of a conductivity meter, an optical meter, a thermometer, and an HF capacitance spectrum profiling meter.

6. The milking system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predefined transition criterion comprises that at least one of the measured parameter value, a change of the measured parameter value or a time-derivative change in the measured parameter value falls outside a first predefined range.

7. The milking system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the milk line between the sensor and the second end further comprises a valve device with a plurality of states and controllable by the control system,
wherein the control system is configured to control a state of the valve device on a basis of the generated transition signal.

8. The milking system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the milk line system at the valve device further comprises a fluid discharge, and wherein in a first state of the valve device the milk line is in fluidic connection with the milk storage vessel, and in a second state of the valve device the milk line is in fluidic connection with the fluid discharge, or a drain.

9. The milking system as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising a fluid supply, not being a milk supply, to at least the milk line system, which is controllable by the control system and is located upstream of the sensor viewed in the proposed discharge direction of the milk.

10. The milking system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the control system is configured to determine a quantity value of fluid supplied via the fluid supply, and to process exclusively fluid parameter values which are measured by the sensor after the pump has pumped a quantity of fluid which is at least as great as a predefined part of one of the defined quantity value and a volume of the milk line between the fluid supply and the sensor.

11. The milking system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a pump to pump the fluid present in the milk line system in the proposed discharge direction.

12. The milking system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an intermediate milk storage vessel arranged in the milk line, which intermediate milk storage vessel is connected between the at least one milking device and the milk storage vessel, and configured to temporarily store milk from each of the connected milking devices and to subsequently transfer the milk to the milk storage vessel.

13. The milking system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the substantially vertical line portion is no more than 15 degrees from vertical.

14. A milking system comprising:
at least one milking device;
a milk storage vessel storing milk obtained with the milking device;
a milk line system including a milk line with a first end connected to the milking device and with a second end connected to the milk storage vessel; and
a monitoring system which comprises:
a sensor configured to measure a fluid parameter value of a fluid in the milk line to determine a transition between milk and a cleaning fluid, and
a control system operatively connected to the sensor and configured to process the measured fluid parameter value and to generate a transition signal on fulfilment of a predefined transition criterion;

wherein the milk line comprises a substantially vertical line portion, and a discharge direction of milk through the milk line from the milking device to the milk storage vessel is upwards through the substantially vertical line portion, and
wherein the sensor is placed in or on the substantially vertical line portion to allow air bubbles to pass at high speed past the sensor to avoid disrupting a measurement of the fluid parameter.

15. The milking system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the substantially vertical line portion is no more than 15 degrees from vertical.

16. A milking system comprising:
at least one milking device;
a milk storage vessel storing milk obtained with the milking device;
a milk line system including a milk line with a first end connected to the milking device and with a second end connected to the milk storage vessel; and
a monitoring system which comprises:
a sensor configured to measure a fluid parameter value of a fluid in the milk line to determine a transition between milk and a cleaning fluid, and
a control system operatively connected to the sensor and configured to process the measured fluid parameter value and to generate a transition signal on fulfilment of a predefined transition criterion;

wherein the milk line comprises a substantially vertical line portion, and a discharge direction of milk through the milk line from the milking device to the milk storage vessel is upwards through the substantially vertical line portion, and
wherein the sensor is placed in or on the substantially vertical line portion.

17. The milking system as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the substantially vertical line portion is no more than 15 degrees from vertical.

Assignees

• Lely Patent Nv

Inventors

• De Hullu Mattheus Jacob
• Dijkshoorn Dirk
• Van Tilburg Ruben Alexander

Classifications

• A01J7/022

  Clean-in-Place Systems, i.e. CIP, for cleaning the complete milking installation in place · CPC title

• A01J5/007 Primary

  Monitoring milking processes; Control or regulation of milking machines · CPC title

• A01J5/044

  Milk lines or coupling devices for milk conduits · CPC title