Cabinet in a milking parlour

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9215858-B2
Application number	US-201113819806-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2011
Priority date	Sep 7, 2010
Publication date	Dec 22, 2015
Grant date	Dec 22, 2015

Abstract

A teat cup magazine ( 1 ), arranged to store at least two teat cups ( 3 ), includes a removing device for each teat cup ( 3 ), which is arranged to retract the teat cup ( 3 ) into the teat cup magazine when a milking process has finished. Each removing device includes a cylinder ( 8 ) and a piston ( 9 ). The cylinders ( 8 ) of the removing devices are formed by at least one cylinder profile ( 35, 38, 39 ), manufactured in one piece, which constitutes the sole load-bearing structure of the teat cup magazine. The at least one cylinder profile ( 35, 38, 39 ) includes on one side, integrated attachment zones ( 37 ) for attaching milking components, and on an opposite side, a guiding track ( 13 ) for each cylinder ( 8 ), adapted for a movable guiding element ( 6 ) supporting a milk tube ( 4 ) and a pulse tube ( 5 ) connected to the teat cup.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A teat cup magazine ( 1 ) arranged to store at least two teat cups ( 3 ) when the teat cups ( 3 ) are not used, comprising:
a removing device for each teat cup ( 3 ), each removing device arranged to retract each teat cup ( 3 ) into the teat cup magazine when a milking process has finished,
wherein each removing device comprises a piston ( 9 ) movably arranged inside a corresponding cylinder ( 8 ) of at least two cylinders,
wherein each cylinder ( 8 ) comprises a first upper end and an opposite second lower end, and is formed from a cylinder profile ( 35 , 38 , 39 ), the cylinder profile is a one-piece manufactured element, and the cylinder profile constitutes a sole load-bearing structure of the teat cup magazine,
wherein the cylinder profile ( 35 , 38 , 39 ) comprises i) on a first side of a circumference of the cylinder, an integrated attachment zone ( 37 ) with a milking component attached thereto, and ii) on an opposite second side of the circumference of the cylinder, a guiding track ( 13 ), wherein the guiding track ( 13 ) extends along at least a part of a length of the corresponding cylinder ( 8 ) from the upper end to the bottom end of the cylinder ( 8 );
a movable guiding element ( 6 ) supporting a milk tube ( 4 ) and a pulse tube ( 5 ) connected to a corresponding one of the teat cups, the movable guiding element ( 6 ) movably arranged in the guiding track ( 13 ) of a corresponding one of the cylinders ( 8 ); and
an elongated element ( 10 ) that connects the piston ( 9 ) to the movable guiding element ( 6 ), the elongated element ( 10 ) extending from the piston ( 9 ) upward inside the cylinder ( 8 ) to an upper end of the cylinder ( 8 ) and downward to the movable guiding element ( 6 ),
wherein the milking component is one of the group consisting of an electric component, a valve, and a measuring equipment used in connection with milking processes.

2. A teat cup magazine ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the guiding track ( 13 ) extends along a whole length of the corresponding cylinder ( 8 ) from the first upper end to the second lower end of the cylinder ( 8 ).

3. A teat cup magazine ( 1 ) according to claim 2 , wherein the cylinder profile ( 35 , 38 , 39 ) comprises one of i) one cylinder ( 8 ), ii) two cylinders ( 8 ), and iii) four cylinders ( 8 ).

4. A teat cup magazine ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , further comprising a cabinet attached to the integrated attachment zone ( 37 ) of the cylinder profile ( 35 , 38 , 39 ).

5. A teat cup magazine ( 1 ) according to claim 4 , wherein the cabinet comprises:
an inner space accommodating the milking component ( 22 - 24 ) attached to the attachment zone ( 37 ) of the cylinder profile ( 35 , 38 , 39 ),
a door element ( 17 ), arranged to close the inner space in an openable manner,
a first pivoting mechanism ( 31 a , 31 b , 32 a , 32 b ), allowing the door element ( 17 ) to swing around a first pivoting axis ( 33 ) when the door is moved from the closed position,
a second pivoting mechanism ( 31 c , 31 d , 32 c , 32 d ), allowing the door element ( 17 ) to swing around a second pivot axis ( 34 ) when the door is moved from the closed position, and
an opening mechanism, arranged to disconnect at least one of said first and second pivoting mechanisms ( 31 a - d , 32 a - d ) when the door element ( 17 ) is to be moved from the closed position.

6. A teat cup magazine ( 1 ) according to claim 5 , wherein said opening mechanism comprises i) a first grip member ( 20 a , 20 b ), allowing disconnection of the first pivoting mechanism ( 31 a , 31 b , 32 a , 32 b ), and ii) a second grip member ( 20 c , 20 d ), allowing disconnection of the second pivoting mechanism.

7. A teat cup magazine ( 1 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the first pivoting mechanism ( 31 a , 31 b , 32 a , 32 b ) and the second pivoting mechanism ( 31 c , 31 d , 32 c , 32 ) are arranged so that the first pivot axis ( 33 ) and the second pivot axis ( 34 ) are parallel.

8. A teat cup magazine ( 1 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the first pivoting mechanism and the second pivoting mechanism are arranged at two edge portions of the door element ( 17 ) allowing the door element ( 17 ) to swing around the first pivot axis ( 33 ) at a first edge portion and around the second pivot axis ( 33 ) at a second edge portion.

9. A teat cup magazine ( 1 ) according to claim 5 , wherein,
at least one of said first and second pivoting mechanisms ( 31 a - d , 32 a - d ) comprises i) two concentrically arranged rod elements ( 31 a - d ) connected to the door element ( 17 ), and ii) two concentrically arranged holes ( 32 a - d ) in stationary parts of the cabinet ( 1 ), each hole ( 32 a - d ) arranged to receive an end portion of the respective rod elements ( 31 a - d ).

10. A teat cup magazine ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein said at least one pivoting mechanism ( 31 a - d , 32 a - d ) comprises a resilient element ( 30 ) arranged to displace said rod elements ( 31 a - d ) into engagement with the respective holes ( 32 a - d ) by a resilient force.

11. A teat cup magazine ( 1 ) according to claim 10 , wherein said opening mechanism comprises a grip member ( 20 a - d ) for each rod element ( 31 a - d ) to allow displacement of the respective rod elements ( 31 a - d ) out of engagement with the holes ( 32 a - d ) against the action of the resilient element.

12. A teat cup magazine ( 1 ) according to claim 11 , wherein,
the rod elements ( 31 a - d ) are displaceably arranged on an inside of the door element ( 17 ), and
each grip member ( 20 a - d ) is connected to a respective rod element ( 31 a - d ) by a pin element ( 25 a , 25 b ) having an extension through an opening ( 26 a - d ) in the door element ( 17 ).

13. A teat cup magazine ( 1 ) according to claim 12 , wherein the opening ( 26 a , 26 b ) in the door element ( 17 ) has an elongated design in a direction to allow displacement of the two grip members ( 20 a , 20 b ) towards each other in order to move the respective rod elements ( 31 a , 31 b ) out of engagement with the holes ( 32 a , 32 b ).

14. A teat cup magazine ( 1 ) according to claim 13 , wherein the two grip members ( 20 a , 20 b ) are arranged at a smaller distance than 15 cm from each other when the rod elements ( 31 a , 31 b ) are in engagement with the respective holes ( 32 a , 32 b ).

15. A teat cup magazine ( 1 ) according to claim 13 , wherein the two grip members ( 20 a , 20 b ) are arranged at a distance of 5 to 10 cm from each other, when the rod elements ( 31 a , 31 b ) are in engagement with the respective holes ( 32 a , 32 b ).

16. A teat cup magazine ( 1 ) arranged to store at least two teat cups ( 3 ) when the teat cups ( 3 ) are not used, comprising:
a cabinet;
at least one cylinder profile ( 35 , 38 , 39 ), each cylinder profile ( 35 , 38 , 39 ) comprising i) a cylinder, ii) on a first side of a circumference of the cylinder, an integrated attachment zone ( 37 ) with a milking component attached thereto, and iii) on an opposite second side of the circumference of the cylinder, a guiding track ( 13 ), wherein each cylinder profile is a one-piece manufactured element, each cylinder having a bottom end and an opposite upper end, wherein the guiding track ( 13 ) extends along at least a part of a length of the corresponding cylinder ( 8 ) from the upper end to the bottom end of the cylinder ( 8 ); and
a removing device that retracts each teat cup ( 3 ) int

Assignees

• Johannesson Leif
• Källman Mikael
• Delaval Holding Ab

Inventors

• Johannesson Leif
• Källman Mikael

Classifications

• A01J7/00 Primary

  Accessories for milking machines or devices · CPC title

• B65G1/00

  Storing articles, individually or in orderly arrangement, in warehouses or magazines (conveyor combinations in warehouses, magazines or workshops B65G37/00; stacking of articles B65G57/00; removing articles from stacks B65G59/00; loading machines B65G65/02) · CPC title

• A01J5/017 Primary

  Automatic attaching or detaching of clusters · CPC title