MILKING SYSTEM

Abstract

A milking system includes a milking device for milking a milking from a dairy animal. The system is provided with a control unit for the milking system, milking cups, a first milk jar for receiving the milking, a first pumping device for pumping the milking from the first milk jar to a first milk pipe, a second milk jar in flow communication with the first milk pipe for receiving the milking from the first milk jar, and a second pumping device for pumping the milking from the second milk jar into a second milk pipe. The first pumping device is configured to pump the milking at a first flow rate and the second pumping device is configured to pump the milking at a second flow rate, which is lower than the first flow rate. The milking system also includes a heat-exchanging system in flow communication with the second milk pipe.

Claims

1: A milking system, comprising a milking device for milking a milking from a dairy animal during a milking session, the system further comprising: a control unit for controlling the milking system, several milking cups, each ending in a milk hose, a first milk jar for receiving the milking which is connected to the milk hoses and which is provided with a first closable milk outlet, a first milk pipe in flow communication with the milk outlet, a first pumping device which is configured to pump the milking from the first milk jar into the first milk pipe, a second milk jar in flow communication with the first milk pipe for receiving the milking from the first milk jar therefrom, and which is provided with a second milk outlet, a second milk pipe in flow communication with the second milk outlet, a second pumping device which is configured to pump at least some of the milking, from the second milk jar into the second milk pipe, wherein the first pumping device is configured to pump the milking at a first flow rate, and the second pumping device is configured to pump the milking at a second flow rate which is lower than the first flow rate, furthermore comprising a heat-exchanging system which is in flow communication with the second milk pipe and is configured to receive the milking pumped in the second milk pipe and to bring the received milking to a desired temperature.

2: The milking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the milking device comprises an animal identification system which is configured to identify a dairy animal to be milked, and wherein the control unit comprises a database containing milk information about a plurality of dairy animals.

3: The milking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second flow rate is automatically adjustable by the control unit.

4: The milking system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured to adjust the second flow rate as a function of at least one milk-dependent or dairy animal-dependent parameter.

5: The milking system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the parameter comprises a volume of the received milking and/or an expected time period between an end of the milking of the dairy animal and an end of a subsequent milking session in the milking device.

6: The milking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat-exchanging system has an energy-exchanging capacity which is automatically adjustable by the control unit.

7: The milking system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said energy-exchanging capacity is adjustable as a function of the received milking and/or an expected milk yield per unit time.

8: The milking system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the heat-exchanging system has an energy-exchanging capacity which is automatically adjustable by the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to adjust the energy-exchanging capacity of the heat-exchanging system as a function of the second flow rate set by the control unit and/or to adjust the second flow rate as a function of a set heat-exchanging capacity.

9: The milking system as claimed in claim 1, furthermore comprising a milk-processing system for processing the milk which has been brought to the desired temperature by the heat-exchanging system.

10: The milking system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the milk-processing system comprises at least one of: a pasteurising device, a sterilising device, a homogenising device, a yogurt-making device, and a cheese-making device.

11: The milking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat-exchanging system is automatically adjustable by the control unit in order to bring the milk of the milking to a temperature which is adjustable by the control unit.

12: The milking system as claimed in claim 1, furthermore comprising one or more storage tanks, each tank for storing at least part of the milk from one or more milkings.

13: The milking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second pumping device is configured to pump the entire milking.

14: The milking system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the animal identification system is configured to identify each dairy animal which is in a queue or a waiting area near the milking device in order to be milked.

Description

[0024] The invention will now be explained in more detail by means of the drawing, in which a few non-limiting embodiments are shown and described, and in which:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic view of a first milking system 1 according to the invention, and

[0026] FIG. 2 diagrammatically shows another embodiment of the milking system according to the invention.

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic view of a first milking system 1 according to the invention. The system 1 comprises an automatic robotic milking device 2, milking cups 3, a robot arm 4 and a control unit 5, containing a database 6, and furthermore a milk sensor 7, a milk hose 8, a first milk jar 9 with a first milk outlet 10, a first milk pump 11, a second milk hose 12, a second milk jar 13 with a second milk outlet 14, a second milk pump 15, a milk pipe 16, as well as a milk tank 17. Finally, reference numeral 18 denotes a heat-exchanger.

[0028] Furthermore, a milking station 50 containing a dairy animal 100 with teats 101 and an ID tag 102, as well as an animal identification device 30 are shown.

[0029] The robotic milking device 2 comprises a robot arm 4 for attaching milking cups 3, only one of which is shown here, to the teats 101 of a dairy animal 100. Here, the robot arm is provided with a gripper for gripping and attaching milking cups 3 one by one, but this may also be an arm which is provided with a holder on which the four milking cups are detachably arranged. However, such details are not important in this case. For control, the robotic milking device is provided with or connected to a control unit 5, containing a database 6 with data about the dairy animals and/or with space for storing data about the dairy animals, such as milk data. In order to correctly couple data in the database 6, an animal identification device 30, such as a tag reader, is provided in order to read an ID tag 102 on the neck of the dairy animal 100. In this case, the dairy animal 100 may voluntarily present itself at the milking station 50 or also due to forced cow traffic, in which case a herd is driven to a milking station, for example twice daily.

[0030] The robotic milking device 2, 4 may also be replaced by a conventional milking device, in which case the milking cups 3 are attached by hand by milkers. This is irrelevant to the invention, although the advantages will be more significant in case of irregular, voluntary visits by animals, as is the case with a robot with free cow traffic.

[0031] When milking the dairy animal 100, the milk obtained will be collected as a milking in the first milk jar 9 via the milk hose 8. Partly on the basis of the data associated with the dairy animal 100 from the database 6 and/or data which are obtained by the milk sensor 7 during the milking operation, a milk quality can be determined and it is also possible, partly on the basis thereof, to determine what the milk will be used for. Milk which meets the requirements is passed, for example, by the control unit 5 to the bulk tank 17 for milk for consumption, whereas unsuitable milk, such as milk from sick dairy animals, can be passed to another destination (not shown here), such as drains. Of course, it is possible to provide several destinations with a correspondingly adapted valve device. This will be explained in more detail in FIG. 2.

[0032] In order to vacate the milking device 2, 4 as quickly as possible for a subsequent milking, the milk in the first milk jar 9 will be pumped off by means of the first milk pump 11 via the first milk outlet 10. The available time is in principle no longer than the time required for the dairy animal 100 to leave the milking station 50 and to allow a subsequent dairy animal to position itself and prepare for the milking operation. This is a time in the order of magnitude of 1 minute. With the known milking systems, this milk would then be pumped through the entire milk pipe system to the milk tank at a correspondingly high speed. However, at such high speeds, the milk is subjected to mechanical loads and intimately mixed with air. This is disadvantageous for the milk quality, in particular for the fat globules, since this causes the release of a relatively large amount of free fatty acids, rendering the milk rancid. However, with the present invention the milk from the milking is pumped out of the first milk jar 9 at the same speed, but only over a short distance, namely only for the distance from the short second milk hose 12 to the second milk jar 13. Not only is this distance much shorter than an average distance to the bulk tank in a conventional milking system, which latter distance is often a few tens of meters, but the second milk hose 12 may also be optimised for quick transportation over a short distance. For example, the second milk hose may have a large diameter and also otherwise exhibit little resistance to flow.

[0033] Optionally mixed air can then escape again in the second milk jar 13. The milk can then be pumped on much more calmly to the milk tank 17 by means of the second milk pump 15 via the second milk outlet 14 and the milk pipe 16. The reason for this is that the time period for this pumping operation is for example approximately equal to the time period from receiving the milk from the first milk jar to the end of the subsequent milking. This time period is in principle at least equal to the duration of a milking, approximately 6 to 10 minutes, but this time period may be virtually unlimited if no subsequent dairy animal presents itself immediately. The pumping speed of the milk through the second milk pump 15 can therefore be selected to be much lower, which may have a beneficial effect on the milk quality. In addition, the control unit 5 may be configured to control this pumping speed dynamically, for example on the basis of the expected waiting time. The expected waiting time may in turn be determined by the control unit by means of the time at which a subsequent dairy animal is identified and/or when a milking of the subsequent dairy animal starts and/or the expected milk yield of the subsequent dairy animal and on the basis thereof the expected duration of the milking, etc.

[0034] According to the present invention, the milk passes a heat exchanger 18 in order to bring the milk to a desired temperature. In a simple example, such as that illustrated in FIG. 1, this is a pre-cooler prior to the milk entering the milk tank 17. As a result thereof, the new milk entering the milk tank will only have a reduced heating effect, if at all, on the milk which is already present in the tank 17. In addition, it may be better for the milk quality if this is cooled to a lower temperature as quickly as possible, so that any bacteria or the like are not able to multiply in the milk as quickly during the transportation to the milk tank 17 and that fat globules in the milk are damaged less easily.

[0035] It is advantageous if the heat exchanger 18 is not overly large and also does not consume energy unnecessarily by using too much cooling medium or pumping it too quickly or circulating it unnecessarily, for example if no milk arrives for some time. To this end, the heat exchanger 18 is advantageously controllably connected to the control unit 5. The control unit can then advantageously reduce the heat-exchanging capacity of heat exchanger 18 if no or less milk arrives. Additionally or alternatively, the control unit can control the second milk pump 15 to increase or decrease the second flow rate. For example if no subsequent dairy animal has presented itself (yet) in the milking station 50, it may be sensible for the control unit 5 to control the second milk pump 15 to run at a lower flow rate, so that the milk of the milking is transported at an even lower speed. This is advantageous in order to retain the fat globules in the milk and to prevent air from unnecessarily being mixed in with the milk. In addition, the control unit may optionally control the heat exchanger 18 to run at a lower capacity, which may be advantageous energetically.

[0036] The control unit 5 can control the second milk pump 15 and/or the heat exchanger 18 in numerous ways. Thus, after a dairy animal 100 has presented itself and been identified, the control unit 5 may use historical data in the database 6 in order to retrieve the associated data, such as the time of the previous milking, suitability for consumption of the milk and average milk yield or milk production per hour. The control unit is then configured to, based on these data, either maintain the values set for the second flow rate of the second milk pump 15 and the heat-exchanging capacity of the heat exchanger 18 or to change the setting for one or both components, such as a lower second flow rate or a different heat-exchanging capacity. In all cases, it is an object of the milking system as a whole to pump the milk in a softer, slower way without any or only a very slight loss of milking capacity and/or to bring it to the desired temperature in a more energy-efficient way.

[0037] It should be noted that it is advantageous to provide a three-way valve with an outlet to a drain or the like between the first milk jar 9 and the second milk jar 13. After all, it makes no sense to bring milk which will subsequently not be passed to the tank 17 for milk for consumption to a specific temperature or to treat such milk with care.

[0038] FIG. 2 diagrammatically shows another embodiment of the milking system according to the invention, here denoted overall by reference numeral 1′. In the drawing, similar parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, optionally provided with one or more accents and/or indications such as “−1” etc.

[0039] In addition to or instead of the corresponding parts which have already been shown in FIG. 1, the milking system 1′ comprises, downstream of the heat exchanger 18, a valve system 19 with connecting lines to a first milk tank 17-1, a second milk tank 17-2 and a milk-processing device 20 which in turn is coupled to a milk tank 17-3.

[0040] The milk of the dairy animal 100 is again collected in the first milk jar 9. The control unit 5 may decide what to do with the milk on the basis of historical data and/or of data about the milk which have been collected by sensor device 7 during the milking and been sent to the control unit 5.

[0041] Should the occasion arise where the milk is unsuitable for human consumption, such as antibiotic milk or mastitis milk, then this may be discharged, for example, into a drain (not shown) or, for example, into a first milk tank 17-1 provided for the purpose, for example a calves milk tank. The control unit 5 can then operate the valve device 19, in this case a four-way valve, but obviously also configurable differently, accordingly. If the milk is stored, the control unit 5 may be configured to not switch on the heat exchanger 18, so that the milk is not cooled or heated, which is often not necessary for calves milk which is used again quickly. Since, according to the invention, the heat exchanger may be of a small and compact design, due to the low required heat-exchanging capacity, it may make sense to also take this measure for a small amount of milk. After all, the heat exchanger 18 is then able to quickly adjust its temperature as well.

[0042] If the milk is suitable for human consumption, the milking system 1′ may, for example, also make a distinction regarding the milk quality, for example using the fat percentage or the presence of a particular substance due to the genetic state of the dairy animal 100. All this may, for example, be determined by means of the values of sensor 7 or the animal identity, as determined by means of ID tag 102 which is read out by the tag reader 30. For example, the control unit 5 may send the milk to milk tank 17-2. To this end, the milk may be, for example, pre-cooled in the heat exchanger 18. The desired temperature is, for example, 10 to 15° C., so that the step to between 2 and 4° C. in the tank 17-2 is significantly smaller. A temperature of 15° C. may be reached, for example, by heat exchange with tap water or groundwater. It should be noted that it is also possible to choose the desired temperature downstream of the heat exchanger 18 to be much lower, such as 2-4° C. This may be advantageous if the tank 17-2 is still virtually empty. After all, the cooling power of the cooling element in the milk tank 17-2 is often quite considerable and the cooling element may, upon contact with a small portion of milk, such as a milking, freeze the milk, which is undesirable. By now allowing the much smaller heat exchanger 18 to cool the first milking, or at least a predetermined first amount of milk from one or more milkings, to 2-4° C., the risk of freezing can be prevented efficiently, as the heat exchanger is much smaller and can be controlled more reliably. In this case, it is obviously necessary for the heat exchanger 18 to be configured such that this temperature of 2-4° C. can also be reached, such as by means of an added ice water tank, compressor cooling or the like.

[0043] Alternatively, it is also possible to store the milk at a higher temperature, for example for the purpose of a subsequent processing step. Although there are rules in place for the timely cooling of milk, this may nevertheless be permissible if the milk is processed further sufficiently quickly. According to the invention, milk from dairy animals having a very low cell count and/or germ count may, for example, be selected in order to be processed to (farmhouse) cheese. The cell count and/or germ count may be determined from historical data, i.e. via database 6, or by means of a sensor 7 which is suitable for the purpose and known per se. The respective milk does then not have to be cooled to the low temperature immediately, although this is of course possible. Again, the required small heat exchanger 18 offers the possibility of changing the desired temperature (more) quickly. Incidentally, it is not necessary to set the desired temperature per dairy animal, because then some of the advantageous energy effect would be lost again. However, it is certainly possible to designate, for example, a desired amount of milk for a product, such as cheese or also yogurt, semi-skimmed milk, optionally sterilised etc. and for the control unit 5 to set a certain desired temperature of the heat exchanger 18 for this purpose.

[0044] Alternatively, the control unit 5 may also send milk from one or more milkings to a milk-processing device 20, which is only indicated in a highly diagrammatic manner here. The device 20 is, for example, a fermentation tank or a pasteurising and/or sterilising and/or homogenising and/or standardising device. It is possible that, for an optimum process profile in the milk-processing device 20, a different temperature than for example 10-15 or 2-4° C. for only cooling and storing may be more suitable. A clear example is direct pasteurisation or sterilisation, where cooling milk first does not make sense. The control unit 5 is then able to adjust the desired temperature in the heat exchanger 18 accordingly.

[0045] As has already been indicated above, the desired temperature may in principle be set for each milking. Often, it is energetically more advantageous to treat, a, for example predetermined, amount of milk from several milkings in the same way and thus also to bring them to the same desired temperature. For example, a farmhouse shop provided with a milking system 1′ could choose to produce yogurt when the amount of yogurt in stock drops below a threshold value. The same applies to other dairy products, such as semi-skimmed milk, kefir etc. Obviously, with cheese there is a delay time due to the maturing process, but stock management also plays a role in this case and a production batch will have to be run from time to time. In all such cases, the control unit 5 can set an associated desired temperature in the heat exchanger 18.

[0046] Obviously, other configurations are also possible which make use of the inventive idea of pumping milk in a more steady manner, thus enabling the use of a relatively small, more flexible heat exchanger. In this way, it is possible to save energy without loss of capacity and with improved milk quality.