Milking module, a milking arrangement, and a method for milking a group of animals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10980213-B2
Application number	US-201716089091-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2017
Priority date	Apr 1, 2016
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

An automatic milking installation controlled by a system including: a graphical user interface enabling user interaction with the automatic milking installation via at least one display view, an imaging unit recording image data representing at least one portion of a dairy animal, the imaging unit having a transparent cover surface configured to protect an optics section of the imaging unit and through which transparent cover surface the image data are recorded, and a control unit receiving the recorded image data, and based thereon, producing a control signal for controlling functions of the automatic milking installation. The control unit further processes the recorded image data to determine a parameter indicating an amount of dirt on the transparent cover surface, and generates graphics data for presentation to the user via the graphical user interface, which includes at least one graphical element reflecting the amount of dirt on the transparent cover surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A milking module ( 1 ), comprising:
a primary end ( 1 ′) and a secondary end ( 1 ″) opposite to the primary end ( 1 ′), the milking module ( 1 ) extending along a longitudinal axis (x) from the primary end ( 1 ′) to the secondary end ( 1 ″);
at least two milking places ( 3 ) arranged side by side after each other along the longitudinal axis (x), each milking place ( 3 ) being configured to receive a respective animal to be milked;
a front side ( 5 ), and a rear side ( 6 ) opposite the front side ( 5 ), both the front side and the rear side extending in directions parallel with the longitudinal axis (x);
a front gate assembly ( 20 ) movable between a lower closed position that closes the front side ( 5 ) to prevent the animals from leaving the milking places ( 3 ) through the front side ( 5 ), and an upper open position that permits the animals to leave the milking places ( 3 ) through the front side ( 5 );
a further gate assembly ( 30 ), movable between a lower position and an upper position above the animals; and
a stationary support structure supporting the front gate assembly ( 20 ) and the further gate assembly ( 30 ),
wherein the front gate assembly ( 20 ) comprises a shaft ( 23 ), a front gate ( 21 ) attached to the shaft ( 23 ), and at least one guide bar ( 27 ), the front gate ( 21 ) having an inner end located at the shaft ( 23 ) and an outer end opposite the inner end,
wherein the front gate ( 21 ), by means of the at least one guide bar ( 27 ), is guided along a curved path by means of the at least one guide bar ( 27 ) when the front gate assembly ( 20 ) is moved between the lower closed position and the upper open position, such that the outer end of the front gate ( 21 ) is caused to move upwardly in a direction along the front side ( 5 ) while, simultaneously, the inner end of the front gate ( 21 ) is caused to move upwardly and away from the front side ( 5 ) toward the rear side ( 6 ),
wherein the further gate assembly ( 30 ) comprises at least two sequence gates ( 31 ),
said sequence gates being openable from a closing position, in which the sequence gates extend along a direction parallel with the longitudinal axis (x), to an opening position, in which said at least two sequence gates ( 31 ) each extend transversely to the longitudinal axis (x) to permit access to a respective milking place ( 3 ), and
wherein the sequence gates ( 31 ) are in the closing position when the further gate assembly ( 30 ) is in the upper position.

2. The milking module ( 1 ) according to claim 1 ,
wherein the outer end of the front gate ( 21 ), guided along the curved path by means of the at least one guide bar ( 27 ), moves upwardly substantially in parallel with the front side ( 5 ) while the inner end of the front gate ( 21 ) moves towards the rear side ( 6 ).

3. The milking module ( 1 ) according to claim 1 ,
wherein the stationary support structure defines an uppermost point ( 15 ) of the milking module ( 1 ), and
wherein the front gate assembly ( 20 ) is located substantially below said uppermost point ( 15 ) when in the lower closed position, when in the upper open position, and when being moved between the lower closed position and the upper open position, and
wherein the further gate assembly ( 30 ) is located substantially below said uppermost point ( 15 ) when in the upper position, when in the lower position, and when being moved between lower position and the upper position.

4. The milking module ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the stationary support structure comprises an upper elongated element ( 9 ), extending transversely to the longitudinal axis (x) between the rear side ( 6 ) and the front side ( 5 ), and a front post ( 10 ) arranged at the front side ( 5 ) and supporting the upper elongated element ( 9 ).

5. The milking module ( 1 ) according to claim 1 ,
wherein the stationary support structure defines an uppermost point ( 15 ) of the milking module ( 1 ),
wherein the uppermost point ( 15 ) is located at a height of at most 2.5 m above the ground of the milking module ( 1 ), and
wherein the front gate assembly ( 20 ) and the further gate assembly ( 30 ) are located at most 0.2 m above the uppermost point ( 15 ).

6. The milking module ( 1 ) according to claim 1 ,
wherein the stationary support structure comprises a primary structural element ( 7 ) defining the primary end ( 1 ′), and a secondary structural element ( 8 ) defining the secondary end ( 1 ″), and
wherein the further gate assembly ( 30 ) is supported by the primary structural element ( 7 ) and the secondary structural element ( 8 ) to be rotatable around an axis (x′) that is parallel to the longitudinal axis (x).

7. The milking module ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a drive arrangement for moving the front gate assembly ( 20 ) and the further gate assembly ( 30 ) between their lower and upper positions.

8. The milking module ( 1 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the drive arrangement is attached to the stationary support structure and located within the milking module ( 1 ) between the primary end ( 1 ′) and the secondary end ( 1 ″).

9. The milking module ( 1 ) according to claim 7 ,
wherein the drive arrangement comprises a first drive member ( 22 ) for the front gate assembly ( 20 ), and a second drive member ( 32 ) for the further gate assembly ( 31 ), and
wherein the milking module ( 1 ) is associated with a controller ( 40 ) in communication with the first drive member ( 22 ) and the second drive member ( 32 ) for controlling the first drive member ( 22 ) and the second drive member ( 32 ) independently of each other.

10. The milking module ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the controller ( 40 ) is configured to control the second drive member ( 32 ) to move the further gate assembly ( 30 ) from the lower position to the upper position after the animals have reached the milking places ( 3 ).

11. The milking module ( 1 ) according to claim 10 , wherein the controller ( 40 ) is configured to control the second drive member ( 32 ) to move the further gate assembly ( 30 ) from the upper position to the lower position after the milking of the animals has finished.

12. The milking module ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the inner end of the front gate ( 21 ) is located above the sequence gates ( 31 ) when the front gate assembly ( 20 ) is in the upper open position and the further gate assembly ( 30 ) is in the upper position.

13. The milking module ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the sequence gates ( 31 ) are in the closing position when the further gate assembly ( 30 ) is moved from the upper position to the lower position for exerting a pushing force on the animals in the milking places ( 3 ) and thereby urging the animals to leave the milking module ( 1 ) through the front side ( 5 ).

14. The milking module ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the front gate assembly ( 20 ) is movable beyond the lower closed position in a direction towards the rear side to an index position.

15. A milking arrangement comprising at least one milking module ( 1 ) according to claim 1 .

16. A milking module ( 1 ), comprising:
a primary end ( 1 ′) and a secondary end ( 1 ″) opposite to the primary end ( 1 ′), the milking module ( 1 ) extending along a longitudinal axis (x) from the primary end ( 1 ′) to the secondary end ( 1 ″);
at least two milking places ( 3 ) arranged side by side after each other along the longitudinal axis (x), each milking place ( 3 ) being configured to receive a respective animal to be milked;
a front side ( 5 ), and a rear si

Assignees

• Delaval Holding Ab

Inventors

• Gallagher Jeffery
• Carrigg Joel
• Pawlowicz Scott
• Manneke Peter

Classifications

• A01K1/12 Primary

  Milking stations · CPC title

• A01J5/007

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

• A01K1/0017

  Gates, doors · CPC title

• A01J5/017

  Automatic attaching or detaching of clusters · CPC title