Detector system, sensor and dairy animal treatment device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9681636-B2
Application number	US-201615377686-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2016
Priority date	Jul 20, 2011
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

Sensor system with a sensor device having a through-flow cell for liquid, a detector device for measuring a property of the liquid in the through-flow cell and for generating an associated detector signal, a sensor control for analyzing the detector signal, wherein the sensor control detects a liquid transition between two different liquids in the through-flow cell when a change (per unit time) in the detector signal is greater than a threshold value. In the case of such a liquid transition detection, the sensor control generates an alarm signal. Liquid transition detection is carried out by optical, temperature and/or conductivity sensors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dairy animal treatment device, comprising:
a teat detection device for detecting the teats of a dairy animal;
a teat treatment device for carrying out a teat-related operation on the teat;
a robot arm with a control device configured to operatively bring the teat treatment device to at least one of the teats by means of the teat detection device;
at least one liquid line; and
a sensor system, the sensor system further comprising
a through-flow cell in communication with the liquid line,
a detector device for measuring a property of liquid in the through-flow cell and generating an associated detector signal, and

a sensor control to analyze the detector signal,
wherein the sensor control detects a liquid transition between two different liquids in the through-flow cell upon detecting at least one of (1) a change in the detector signal per unit time, (2) a change in the detector signal greater than a predetermined change threshold value, and (3) a change in the detector signal greater than a predetermined threshold value,
wherein the change in the detector signal comprises at least one peak or trough in the detector signal, and wherein the peak or the trough has at least a predetermined magnitude.

2. The dairy animal treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid line comprises a teat treatment liquid supply line and wherein the dairy animal treatment device is configured to apply teat treatment liquid for the teat treatment.

3. The dairy animal treatment device according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage container for teat treatment liquid which is connected to the liquid line so as to be closable by a controllable valve,
wherein the control device is configured to make the controllable valve close the connection between the storage container and the liquid line on the basis of a generated alarm signal.

4. The dairy animal treatment device according to claim 1 , further comprising a liquid presence detection mechanism configured to emit a liquid presence signal if liquid is present in the through-flow cell.

5. The dairy animal treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor control is configured to generate an alarm signal if the sensor control detects a liquid transition.

6. The dairy animal treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the detector device comprises a temperature sensor which is configured to measure a temperature of the liquid in the through-flow cell.

7. The dairy animal treatment device according to claim 6 , wherein the property comprises the temperature of the liquid and the sensor control is configured to generate an alarm signal if the temperature changes by more than a change threshold.

8. The dairy animal treatment device according to claim 7 , wherein the sensor control generates an alarm signal if, within a predetermined time period, the temperature shows a peak of at least a predetermined magnitude, followed by a decrease by at least a predetermined decrease threshold.

9. The dairy animal treatment device according to claim 8 , wherein the sensor control is configured to generate an alarm signal if, within a time period depending on the liquid flow velocity, the temperature shows an increase by at least a predetermined increase threshold, followed by a decrease by at least a predetermined decrease threshold.

10. The dairy animal treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the property comprises an optical property of the liquid.

11. The dairy animal treatment device according to claim 10 , wherein the sensor control is configured to detect a liquid transition if the detector signal changes by more than a predetermined threshold change within a predetermined time period.

12. The dairy animal treatment device according to claim 10 , the sensor system further comprising a light source to pass optical radiation through the through-flow cell, wherein the detector device comprises an optical detector to pick up and detect emitted optical radiation from the light source which has passed through the liquid.

13. The dairy animal treatment device according to claim 12 , wherein at least one of (1) the light source, (2) a partial light source, and (3) an optical detector is provided around the through-flow cell, wherein the through-flow cell is translucent or transparent, at least at the location of said light source or partial light source.

14. The dairy animal treatment device according to claim 12 , wherein the light source is configured to emit a light beam through the through-flow cell, and wherein the detector device comprises an optical sensor which is configured to detect a detection position on the optical sensor of the light beam which has passed through the through-flow cell.

15. The dairy animal treatment device according to claim 12 , wherein the property comprises a detection position and the optical detector comprises an image recorder which is configured to record an image of the liquid in the through-flow cell, and wherein the sensor control comprises image-processing software to process the image and is configured to detect a liquid transition if the image shows a predetermined minimum change in time.

16. The dairy animal treatment device according to claim 15 , wherein the image recorder comprises a video camera.

17. A dairy animal treatment device, comprising:
a teat detection device for detecting the teats of a dairy animal;
a teat treatment device for carrying out a teat-related operation on the teat;
a robot arm with a control device configured to operatively bring the teat treatment device to at least one of the teats by means of the teat detection device;
at least one liquid line; and
and a sensor system, the sensor system further comprising
a through-flow cell in communication with the liquid line,
a temperature sensor to measure a temperature of liquid in the through-flow cell and to generate an associated detector signal, and

a sensor control to analyze the detector signal,
wherein the sensor control is configured to detect a liquid transition between two different liquids in the through-flow cell upon detecting at least one of (1) a change in the detector signal per unit time, (2) a change in the detector signal greater than a predetermined change threshold value, and (3) a change in the detector signal greater than a predetermined threshold value, and
wherein the sensor control is configured to generate an alarm signal if the sensor control detects the liquid transition and if, within a predetermined time period, the temperature shows a peak of at least a predetermined magnitude, followed by a decrease by at least a predetermined decrease threshold.

18. The dairy animal treatment device according to claim 17 , wherein the liquid line comprises a teat treatment liquid supply line and wherein the dairy animal treatment device is configured to apply teat treatment liquid for the teat treatment.

19. The dairy animal treatment device according to claim 17 , further comprising a storage container for teat treatment liquid which is connected to the liquid line so as to be closable by a controllable valve,
wherein the control device is configured to make the controllable valve close the connection between the storage container and the liquid line on the basis of the generated alarm signal.

Assignees

• Lely Patent Nv

Inventors

• Van Halsema Frans Emo Diderik
• De Groot Pieter Gerlof
• Vijverberg Hélèna Geralda Maria

Classifications

• B25J11/0045

  Manipulators used in the food industry · CPC title

• A01J5/0135

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

• Y10S901/09

  Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement · CPC title

• A01J5/0138

  by using temperature · CPC title

• A01J7/04 Primary

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