Milking system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11445694-B2
Application number	US-201716467391-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2017
Priority date	Dec 14, 2016
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

A milking system for milking of a milk animal, including a milking cup for obtaining the milk, the milking cup having a teat space with a first milk outflow opening, and a measuring chamber directly and rigidly connected to the milking cup for at least temporarily containing the obtained milk. The measuring chamber is provided with a milk inflow opening which is in flow communication with the first milk outflow opening, a second milk outflow opening, a vacuum outlet, and a sensor device for measuring a property of the milk in the measuring chamber. The sensor device includes an optical sensor device having a plurality of optical sensor elements, at least one light source, and a control unit which is configured to process sensor signals into values of at least two parameters of the milk in the measuring chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A milking system for milking a dairy animal, comprising:
a milking cup for obtaining milk from the dairy animal, with a teat space having a first milk outflow opening,
a measuring chamber directly and rigidly connected to the milking cup for at least temporarily containing the obtained milk and provided with a milk inflow opening which is in flow communication with the first milk outflow opening, a second milk outflow opening, a vacuum outlet separate from the second milk outflow opening which is connectable to a reduced-pressure pump and a sensor device for measuring a property of the milk in the measuring chamber,
wherein a flow path of the milk runs from the first milk outflow opening via the milk inflow opening through the measuring chamber to the second milk outflow opening,
wherein the sensor device comprises an optical sensor device having a plurality of optical sensor elements and at least one light source configured to shine light via at least a part of the milk onto the optical sensor elements and to generate sensor signals therein, further comprising a control unit which is configured to process the sensor signals into values of at least two different parameters of the milk in the measuring chamber,
wherein the parameters comprise at least a milk level in the measuring chamber, and at least one of a content of a milk component and a color.

2. The milking system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, during milking, the second milk outflow opening is located on an underside of the measuring chamber.

3. The milking system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a controllable closure means for the measuring chamber,
Wherein the control unit is configured to control the closure means on a basis of a milk level in the measuring chamber, in such a way that the closure means is opened if a milk level increases or exceeds a predetermined upper threshold, and is closed if a milk level decreases or falls below a predetermined lower threshold.

4. The milking system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the closure means is a valve, wherein the control unit or a closure control unit is configured to adjust a passage opening of the valve on the basis of a milk level in the measuring chamber.

5. The milking system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the valve comprises a proportional valve with a variably adjustable passage opening, and wherein the control unit or closure control unit is configured to adjust the passage opening of the proportional valve on the basis of a milk level in the measuring chamber, in such a way that the milk level is kept substantially constant.

6. The milking system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sensor device comprises an array of optical sensor elements.

7. The milking system as claimed in claim comprising a plurality of light sources with differing peak wavelength.

8. The milking system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein there are a same number of light sources as optical sensor elements.

9. The milking system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the optical sensor elements have different wavelength sensitivity.

10. The milking system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical sensor elements comprise at least two of the same optical sensor elements.

11. The milking system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the plurality of optical sensor elements are an array of sensor elements and the at least two of the same optical sensor elements are arranged along the flow path.

12. The milking system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the optical sensor elements extend over substantially a height of the measuring chamber.

13. The milking system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein a plurality of optical sensor elements extend in another direction during milking.

14. The milking system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the plurality of optical sensor elements are an array of optical sensor elements that extend along the flow path.

15. The milking system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to detect and/or distinguish between particles in the milk by evaluating a wavelength, position- and/or time dependency of the sensor signals from the plurality of optical sensor elements.

16. The milking system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the particles are flakes or air bubbles.

17. The milking system as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor device comprises at least two part devices, each part device comprises a plurality of optical sensor elements and a plurality of light sources, and the light sources of each part device are configured to shine light onto one or a plurality of the sensor elements of another part device.

18. The milking system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one or a plurality of light sources comprise focusing means configured to form a narrow light beam, which illuminates a single one of the optical sensor elements, or only a limited number of the optical sensor elements.

19. The milking system as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the focusing means is a collimator.

20. The milking system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first milk outflow opening is connected to the measuring chamber via a convex outflow.

Assignees

• Lely Patent Nv

Inventors

• Mostert Gerard
• Van Halsema Frans Emo Diderik
• Steenbergen Rik

Classifications

• A01J5/0135 Primary

  by using light, e.g. light absorption or light transmission · CPC title

• A01J5/0131

  by analysing the milk composition, e.g. concentration or detection of specific substances · CPC title

• A01J5/007

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

• A01J5/01 Primary

  Milkmeters; Milk flow sensing devices {(air or gas separators in combination with liquid meters G01F15/08)} · CPC title