Dipping device for mechanical milking system

Abstract

A dipping device for a mechanical milking system comprises at least one liner defining an accommodation space for a teat. The liner has a milk evacuation opening and a collecting claw. For each liner, a connector connects the liner to the collecting claw. The dipping device further includes a source of a dipping product, an injunction interface mounted on the collecting claw, and an injection tube for each liner. The injection tube extends from the interface and substantially to the teat accommodation space, running inside of the connector and through the evacuation opening.

Claims

1. A mechanical milking system comprises: at least one liner defining an accommodation space for a teat and having a milk evacuation opening; a collecting claw; for each liner, a connector connecting the liner to the collecting claw; a device for dipping the teat with a dipping product, the dipping device including a source of the dipping product; wherein the dipping device comprises: an injection interface mounted on the collecting claw, the interface including at least one pipe with: at least one inlet located on an external surface of the interface and intended for being coupled to the source of dipping product; at least one outlet located inside of a milk circulation space; an injection tube for each liner, the injection tube extending from said at least one outlet of the pipe and substantially to the teat accommodation space, running inside of the connector and through the evacuation opening.

2. The mechanical milking system of claim 1, wherein the collecting claw comprises a bowl having an upper portion and a lower portion that can be assembled together, and in that the interface is inserted between the upper portion and the lower portion of the bowl.

3. The mechanical milking system of claim 1, wherein the interface assumes the form of a ring and has a central opening on both sides of the interface, the central opening communicating with the milk circulation space.

4. The mechanical milking system of claim 1, wherein the injection tube is flexible.

5. The mechanical milking system of claim 4, wherein said at least one liner includes a massaging component for the teat, and in that the injection tube has a first end opening into the accommodation space while being surrounded by a cylindrical portion of the massaging component, the injection tube being designed to open into the accommodation space substantially at the level of the maximum depth (P) of insertion of the teat in the accommodation space.

6. The mechanical milking system of claim 5, further comprising means for synchronizing the dipping device with the massaging component.

7. The mechanical milking system of claim 1, further comprising a compressed air injection device communicating with the dipping device.

8. The mechanical milking system of claim 1, wherein the dipping device is connected to a source of disinfectant.

9. The mechanical milking system of claim 1, further comprising a rinsing device coupled to the collecting claw.

10. A device for dipping a teat with a dipping product, for a mechanical milking system, the device comprising: at least one liner defining an accommodation space for a teat and having a milk evacuation opening; a collecting claw; for each liner, a connector connecting the liner to the collecting claw; an injection interface comprising: means for assembling on the collecting claw; at least one pipe with: at least one inlet located on an external surface of the interface and intended for being coupled to a source of dipping product; at least one outlet located inside of a milk circulation space; an injection tube for each liner, the injection tube extending from said at least one outlet of the pipe and having a length arranged so that said injection tube extends substantially to the accommodation space of the liner, running inside of the connector and through the milk evacuation opening of the liner when said injection tube is partially housed in a connector and a liner.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other features and advantages of the invention will appear clearly upon reading of the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention given as illustrative and non-limiting examples and of the appended drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation in cross section illustrating an embodiment example of a milking system according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation in perspective of just the dipping device of the milking system presented in reference to FIG. 1, of which the interface is mounted on the lower portion of the bowl of a collecting claw.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) In reference to FIG. 1, a mechanical milking system according to the invention includes: four liners 2; a collecting claw 5; connectors 4 connecting the liners 2 to the collecting claw 5.

(5) The upper interior portion of each liner defines an accommodation space 20 for a teat 1.

(6) In the context of the invention, the accommodation space designates a volume located inside of the liner. This accommodation space is designed to receive teats of any size and can in particular be defined by a maximum depth P of insertion of a teat in the liner.

(7) The liners have an insertion opening 21 for a teat and an evacuation opening 22 for the milk, delimited by a rim 220.

(8) The liners 2 also include a massaging component 23 for the teats 1. Such a massaging component is known in itself to the person skilled in the art.

(9) The collecting claw 5, represented in a simplified manner in FIG. 1, includes a bowl. This bowl has an upper portion 50 and a lower portion 51 which can be assembled together.

(10) The upper portion 50 of the bowl has intakes 500 on which the connectors coming from the liners are coupled.

(11) The connectors are coupled to the rims 220 of the liners 2.

(12) The milk extracted from a teat is thus routed from the teat accommodation space of a liner to the bowl of the collecting claw, running through the milk evacuation opening 22 of the liner, and then into the connector connecting the liner to the collecting claw.

(13) The lower portion 51 of the bowl has an outlet 510 on which an evacuation tube 7 is connected.

(14) The collecting claw 5, at least because of the presence of the bowl, has a milk circulation space 52.

(15) The milking system also includes a device for dipping the teat with a dipping product. This dipping product is an at least hydrating solution intended for being sprayed on the teats after milking.

(16) This dipping device includes: a source 8 of dipping product; an injection interface 6 which is mounted on the collecting claw 5; an injection tube 3 for each of the four liners 2.

(17) The interface 6 can be mounted on the collecting claw 5 while being coupled on this collecting claw 5 in a non-destructive manner. The interface 6 can thus be removed from the collecting claw 5 a posteriori without this making this collecting claw 5 unusable without the interface 6.

(18) According to another embodiment that can be considered, the interface 6 can be designed and mounted so that it is inseparable from the collecting claw 5.

(19) According to another variant, it is possible to consider using a dipping device including one interface per liner, mounted between each liner and the connector connecting the liner to the collecting claw.

(20) According to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the interface is designed to be inserted between the upper portion 50 and the lower portion 51 of the bowl of the collecting claw.

(21) The interface in particular assumes the form of a ring 61.

(22) The interface thus includes means for assembling on the collecting claw.

(23) These assembling means can be complementary to the connecting elements enabling one to assemble the upper portion and the lower portion of the bowl. For example, if the lower portion of the bowl is initially screwed on the upper portion of the bowl, then the interface has assembling means enabling one to screw the interface on the upper portion of the bowl, and then to screw the lower portion of the bowl on the interface.

(24) The interface 6 is designed to enable one to bring the dipping product from the outside of the collecting claw 5 to the milk circulation space 52, inside of the collecting claw 5.

(25) For this purpose, the injection interface 6 includes at least one pipe 60 with: inlets 601 located on an external surface 62 of the interface 6, these outlets 601 being coupled to the source 8 of dipping product. outlets 600 located inside of the milk circulation space 52.

(26) As can be seen in FIG. 2, the interface 6 is designed for equipping a milking system having four liners, and it has two internal pipes 60 (represented by dotted lines), each pipe having an inlet 601 and two outlets 600.

(27) The inlets 601 are connected to the source of dipping product by means of an adaptor 64 having an end piece 641 from which two arms 640 extend, each of which is coupled to one of the inlets 601.

(28) Each of the four outlets 600 is coupled to a different injection tube 3.

(29) In reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the injection tubes 3 extend from each outlet 600 of the pipe 60 substantially to the accommodation space 20 for the teat, running inside of the connector 4 and through the evacuation opening 22.

(30) These injection tubes 3 are flexible and can have characteristics similar to those of catheters.

(31) The interface 6 has a central opening 63 which opens on both sides of the interface 6. This central opening 63 communicates with the milk circulation space 52.

(32) Each injection tube has a first end 30 which leads into the accommodation space 20 of a liner, and a second end 31 coupled to one of the outlets 600 of the interface 6.

(33) The first ends 30 of the injection tubes 3 lead into the accommodation spaces 20 of the liners while being surrounded by the massaging components 23.

(34) More precisely, for each liner, a cylindrical portion of the massaging component 23 surrounds the first end 30 of the injection tube 3.

(35) In reference to FIG. 1, the injection tube 3 is designed in such a manner that the first end 30 opens substantially in the vicinity of the accommodation space 20. Indeed, the injection tube 3 opens at a depth of a few millimeters, for example 2 to 5 millimeters, greater than the maximum depth P of insertion of a teat 1 in the liner, in this particular embodiment of the invention.

(36) More precisely, in each liner, the first end 30 of the injection tube dedicated to the liner is intended for being located facing the meatus of the teat 1, while being as close as possible to this meatus but without coming in contact with it.

(37) In other words, the injection tube has a length such that its first end 30 is located inside of the liner, in a position in which it is substantially in contact with the accommodation space for the teat 1, while being surrounded by a cylindrical portion of the massaging component 23. Under the action of the massaging component, the first end of the injection tube is centered inside of the liner, and directly facing the teat.

(38) In variants of this particular embodiment of the invention, the first end of the injection tube 3 can be at a distance of 5 to 10 millimeters, or 10 to 50 millimeters, or even 80 millimeters, from the accommodation space of the liner. It should be noted that in the case of a greater distance between the first end of the injection tube and the accommodation space of the liner, the injection pressure of the dipping product should be adjusted, in such a manner that the dipping product can be applied appropriately to the liner.

(39) The milking system also includes: means for synchronization of the dipping device with the massaging component; a compressed air injection device 90 communicating with the dipping device; a disinfectant source 91 connected to the interface 6.

(40) Thanks to the synchronization means, the dipping product, injected in liquid form, is transformed into an emulsion thanks to the synchronized action of the massaging component whose pulsations emulsify the liquid.

(41) The compressed air injection device is used for drying the different pipelines of the system in which fluids have circulated during the milking and after the milking. The compressed air used by the device is filtered.

(42) The disinfectant is advantageously injected through the interface and the injection tubes in order to rid these elements of the traces of dipping product while performing a disinfection of the liners.

(43) This disinfectant is brought to the interface from the source of disinfectant by means of a disinfectant supply circuit. In this particular embodiment of the invention, the disinfectant supply circuit is the same as the dipping product injection circuit which connects the source of dipping product to the interface. In this manner, a disinfection of the dipping product injection circuit is performed concomitantly with the disinfection of the interface, the injection tubes and the liners.

(44) The disinfection is performed only after the withdrawal of the liners from the teats of the dairy animal.

(45) The milking system also includes a rinsing device (not represented) coupled to the collecting claw. This rinsing device makes it possible to clean possible traces of dipping product and disinfectant off of the collecting claw, the connectors and the liners.

(46) The different fluids used in the mechanical milking system according to the invention are injected by means of electrovalves 92, 93, 94 the activation of which makes it possible to deliver precise doses of fluids.

(47) The milking system according to the invention comprises a programmable element making it possible to trigger the electrovalves in order to perform timed sequences, which can be modulated in terms of number and duration, for injection of dipping product, injection of disinfectant, rinsing with clean water, and drying with compressed air.

(48) The milking system can be used in three phases.

(49) In a first phase, the dipping product is injected by means of the dipping device in order to protect the teats after milking. This dipping step is automatically performed after milking when the liners are still in place on the teats of the animal.

(50) After this phase, the liners are withdrawn from the teats of the animal.

(51) In a second phase, in order to avoid cross contamination between two animals, the equipment is disinfected. Thanks to the use of the interface and the injection tubes, the disinfectant is injected flawlessly (optimized dose of disinfectant, reliable injection into the different liners of the milking system, etc.)

(52) In a third phase, after the dipping step and after the disinfection step which are performed using non-food-quality products, the milking system allows automation of the rinsing and drying of the equipment.