MILKING DEVICE

Abstract

A milking device includes a mounting with four milking cups detachably fitted thereto, a robot arm for displacing the mounting from a rest position in the direction of an udder of a dairy animal, and a control system for the robot arm. The milking cups are each connected with a milk line connection to a milk line so that once the milking cups are fitted to the mounting, a first pair of the milk line connections extend in parallel in a first direction, and another pair of the milk line connections extend in parallel in a second direction, which first and second directions are parallel to a vertical plane and vertical projections of the first direction and the second direction onto a horizontal plane are oppositely directed. As a result, milking cups can be provided very compactly on the mounting without the milk lines lying in the way of one another, for example in the connection process. The mounting can therefore be narrow brought through between the hind legs of a dairy animal with less chance of touching the hind legs.

Claims

1. A milking device for milking a dairy animal, comprising: a mounting with four milking cups detachably fitted thereto, a robot arm for displacing the mounting from a rest position in the direction of an udder of the dairy animal, and a control system for controlling the robot arm, wherein the four milking cups are each connected with a respective milk line connection to a respective milk line for the removal of milk milked with the milking cup, and are each connected with a respective pulsation line connection to a respective pulsation line, wherein, once the four milking cups are fitted to the mounting, a first pair of the milk line connections and/or of the pulsation line connections extend substantially parallel to each other in a first direction, and another pair of the milk line connections and/or of the pulsation line connections extend substantially parallel to each other in a second direction, which first and second directions are substantially parallel to a vertical plane, and wherein a vertical projection of the first direction onto a horizontal plane and a vertical projection of the second direction onto a horizontal plane, are oppositely directed.

2. The milking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and the second direction are substantially opposed.

3. The milking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the milk lines and/or the pulsation lines of the first pair extend in an arc and reach out, in the direction of an end facing away from their milk line and pulsation line connection respectively, substantially parallel with the second pair.

4. The milking device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the arc extends in a substantially vertical plane.

5. The milking device as claimed in claim 1, comprising a milking place for receiving and milking the dairy animal in an intended position, wherein the robot arm is positioned with respect to the milking place and designed to bring the mounting with the milking cups through between the hind legs of the dairy animal toward the udder.

6. The milking device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a plurality of mutually parallel milking places and wherein the robot arm is displaceable along at least two of the plurality of milking places, for the purpose of the milking in these at least two milking places.

7. The milking device as claimed in claim 1, comprising a teat recognition device, and wherein the control system is programmed and configured to make the robot arm, with the aid of the teat recognition device, automatically fit the milking cups onto teats of the dairy animal.

8. The milking device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the robot arm and the mounting are couplable via a hinge having a substantially vertical central axis, wherein the control system is configured to make the robot arm rotate the mounting about the central axis.

9. The milking device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the mounting has two parallel side faces, as well as one or more front faces at an end thereof, and wherein the milking cups of one of the two pairs of milking cups, if fitted to the mounting, are each located on one of the side faces, and the milking cups of the other pair of milking cups are each located on the front face or on one of the front faces.

10. The milking device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the robot arm comprises a telescopic arm, a tracked cable duct, or a parallelogram construction.

11. The milking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one supplementary teat cup, which extends substantially in said plane, is further fitted, in particular detachably, to the mounting.

12. The milking device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one supplementary teat cup comprises a teat cleaning cup, a pre-milking cup or a teat-treating cup.

13. The milking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dairy animal is a cow.

14. The milking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first direction and the second direction are substantially horizontal.

15. The milking device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the milking place is a milking box.

16. The milking device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the milking place is a milking box.

17. The milking device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the robot arm and the mounting are fixedly coupled via a hinge having a substantially vertical central axis, and wherein the control system is configured to make the robot arm rotate the mounting about the central axis.

18. The milking device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the robot arm comprises a telescopic arm, a tracked cable duct, or a parallelogram construction which is pivotable about a horizontal axis.

Description

[0020] The present invention will be explained in greater detail below on the basis of a few exemplary embodiments, as well as with the aid of the drawing, in which:

[0021] FIG. 1 shows schematically a top view of a milking device according to the invention,

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a schematic top view of a part of the milking device,

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of the part of FIG. 2,

[0024] FIG. 4 shows an alternative of a part of the milking device according to the invention,

[0025] FIGS. 5a and 5b show a schematic side and top view, respectively, of an alternative of a part of the milking device,

[0026] FIG. 6 shows a schematic top view of a further alternative of a part of the milking device, and

[0027] FIG. 7 shows a schematic view in perspective of another embodiment of the milking device according to the invention.

[0028] FIG. 1 shows schematically a top view of a milking device according to the invention. The milking device is indicated in general terms with the reference numeral 1 and serves to milk a dairy animal 2, having an udder 3 with teats 4 and hind legs 5. The milking device 1 further comprises a milking box 10 having a frame 11 and gateways 12a, 12b and a feed trough 13.

[0029] To the frame 11 is fitted a displaceable trolley 14 with a robot arm 15 thereon, which latter bears a mounting 16 with teat cups 17. A control system of the milking device is indicated with 18.

[0030] The shown milking device 1 is a milking box with entrances and exits on one side, a so-called K-flow. Alternatively, access can also be provided on the rear side of the milking box 10 in a so-called I-flow, etc. In the shown embodiment, the robot arm 15 is suspended from a trolley 14, which is displaceable in the direction of the double arrow A along an arm of the frame 11. The robot arm 15 is telescopically movable in the direction of the double arrow B and can thereby bring the mounting 16, bearing the milking cups 17 in rest position, through between the hind legs 5 of the dairy animal 2 to the udder 4. All this happens under the control of the control system 18. This control system 18 is further configured to fit the robot arm 15 the milking cups 17 with the aid of the robot arm 15 onto the teats 4.

[0031] Here it is further noted that in this case, as in most cases, the longitudinal direction of the dairy animal 2 coincides with a longitudinal direction of the robot arm 15 and of the mounting 16. This runs parallel to the direction of the double arrow B and stands perpendicular to a connecting line between the hind legs 5. The distance between the hind legs 5 is often relatively small, whereby it is of importance that the mounting 16 with the milking cups 17 is designed correspondingly narrow.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows schematically a side view of a part of a milking device according to the invention. What is shown is a part of a robot arm 15 having a mounting 16, with 4 milking cups 17a, b, c, d thereon. Reference numeral 20 represents in general terms a teat recognition device such as a camera, while cords which with a retraction or tensioning device 22 withdraw the milking cups on the mounting 16 into a respective rest position are indicated with 21. A (vertical) plane in which the milking cups lie in their respective rest position is indicated with 23.

[0033] In FIG. 2, the milking cup 17c is still in a rest position, while the milking cups 17a, b, d are detached from the mounting 16 and are connected to the rest of the milking device only by means of their respective cord 21, as well as their milk line (not shown here) (with separate or integrated pulsation line). The milking cups 17a and 17b form a first pair of milking cups, and the milking cups 17c and 17d form a second pair of milking cups. Both pairs of milking cups have respective rest positions which each lie in a plane that runs parallel with a longitudinal direction of the mounting 16. For the pair of milking cups, this is the plane 23. Thus the width of the mounting 16 with the milking cups 17 in the rest position is minimal.

[0034] After the milking with a milking cup 17, the particular milking cup can be withdrawn on the mounting 16 into a respective rest position, by tightening of the cord 21 by means of the retraction device 22. The cords 21 are in this case led through the mounting 16, which is here designed as a hollow plate, that is to say a flat box. Moreover, the cords 21 can also be designed as chains, bands etc., and these cords or the like, which can also to be generally referred to as retraction means, can also be led over the mounting 16.

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of the part according to FIG. 2. In this, as in the drawing as a whole, similar components are indicated with the same reference numerals. In very schematic representation is shown how the milking cup 17c is in a rest position, while the milking cup 17d is detached from the mounting 16. A cord fastening point of the cord 21 on the respective milking cup 17 is here indicated with 23, while an opening in the mounting 16 where the cord passes out is indicated with 24. Finally, a center of gravity of the milking cup 17 is indicated with 25.

[0036] The milking cup 17c is in its rest position on the mounting 16. Thus, the fastening point 23 of the cord (not visible here) will find itself closest to, or even be pressed against, the accompanying opening in the mounting 16. The milking cup 17d, on the other hand, is free from the mounting and is situated higher, such as, for example, connected to a teat (not shown here).

[0037] The respective fastening points 23 are advantageously located above the center of gravity 25 of the particular milking cup. Upon tightening of the cord 21, this milking cup will thus be directed with the top side, that is to say the teat opening, upward, and cannot touch the ground. In order to further prevent the chance of contamination by touching of the floor, it is advantageous if the free length of the cord 21 is maximized. It can be seen that this maximized free path length fpl should satisfy: fpl=H.sub.22H.sub.1. In this, H.sub.2 is the minimum height above the floor at which the top side of the teat cup 17c is in the rest position, taking into account the range of movement of the robot arm 15+mounting 16. H.sub.1 is the height (or distance) below the top side of the milking cup 17 at which the cord fastening point 23 is placed. If the milking cup is free with a maximum free path length of the cord 21 between the respective opening and the milking cup 17, and if the milking cup 17, furthermore, is tilted, whereby the top side of the milking cup can hang with the teat opening maximally downward, under the abovementioned preconditions the top side of the milking cup, that is to say the teat opening, will still not touch the ground.

[0038] Moreover, it is here noted that the cord fastening point 23 advantageously lies as far as possible above the center of gravity 25. In a teat cup 17 comprising a cup wall 26 and a teat liner 27, this corresponds to making the distance between the cord fastening point 23 on the cup wall 26 and the teat liner 27 as small as possible, preferably no greater than 5 cm, more preferably no greater than 2 cm.

[0039] In FIG. 4, another embodiment of a part of the milking device is shown schematically in side view. Here, the generally indicated robot arm 15 comprises a fixed arm part 30, a guide 31 for a tracked cable duct 32, and a hinge 33 having a rotational axis 34.

[0040] The shown robot arm construction here comprises a tracked cable duct 32, which can bend up only one side. It is hereby possible to have the tracked cable duct 32 make a bend with the aid of the guide 31, so as to make it afterward extend in the horizontal direction. Upon retraction of the tracked cable duct 32, this can be rolled up or stored, for example, in the fixed arm part 30, in which an actuator (not shown here) for displacement of the tracked cable duct 32 can also, for example, be found.

[0041] To the tracked cable duct 32 is here bound, by means of a hinge 33, the mounting 16 with the milking cups. With the aid of the hinge 33, the mounting 16 is rotatable with respect to the tracked cable duct 32 along a rotational axis 34 in the direction of the double arrow C, thus the working range for connection of the milking cups is enlarged without the robot arm 15 having to be displaced to an unnecessary extent. Moreover, with the aid of the tracked cable duct 32, the mounting 16 can be displaced in the horizontal direction, especially through between the hind legs of the dairy animal, without the robot arm 15, in a retracted state, occupying a great deal of space. For the rotation of the mounting, the robot arm contains an actuator (not shown here), which is known per se in the prior art.

[0042] FIGS. 5a and 5b show schematically a side view and top view, respectively, of a variant of the part of the milking device according to the invention.

[0043] In this, the camera or teat recognition device 20 has an image field 39 for connection of the teat cups 17 to teats 4 of the udder 3. Milk lines, which comprise a milk line connection 41a, b, c, d and possibly an arc 42, are respectively indicated with 40a, b, c, d. A supplementary teat cup is indicated with 43.

[0044] The teat recognition device 20 is here schematically indicated as a camera having an image field 39 in which teats 4, as well as the top side of teat cups 17, are present. By means of image recognition, the control system can then control the robot arm to place the teat cups on the teats 4. Details of such cameras or other systems, such as laser or ultrasound scanners, fall outside the scope of this invention.

[0045] The milking cups 17 each have a milk line 40, which, for the sake of clarity, is not shown in the other figures and, as not uncommonly, can be integrated with respective pulsation lines. In FIG. 5a, it can be seen, however, that the milk line 40a, c advantageously extends forward from the respectively foremost milking cup 17a, 17c of each pair of milking cups, at least at the height of the respective milking cup connection 41 to the milking cup thereof, that is to say, in usage of the device through between the hind legs in the direction of the head of the dairy animal. The milk line 40a, 40c then preferably makes an arc 42, so as thereafter to reach out again, for example here under the mounting 5, toward the corresponding ends of the milk lines 40b, 40d of the rearmost milking cups 17b, d. Thus the respective milking cups are not obstructed by milk lines which lie in the way, in the connection process or otherwise. Moreover, the total width of the mounting with milking cups thus remains as small as possible.

[0046] A supplementary teat cup, such as a cleaning cup, pre-milking cup or after-treatment cup, is indicated with 43. This is preferably located in one and the same plane as one of the two pairs of milking cups 17a,b and 17c,d respectively. Thus, the total width of the mounting with milking cups and teat cup remains as small as possible. Said plane is, for example, the plane 23 according to FIG. 2, or equivalent.

[0047] In FIG. 5b, the part according to FIG. 5a is represented in a top view, with omission of the camera 20 and the supplementary teat cup 43. It can be seen that the milk line 40a at the height of the milk line connection 41a runs in opposite direction to the milk line 40b at the height of the milk line connection 41b. Furthermore, the milk lines 40a, 40b lie substantially in one plane, compare the plane 23 of FIG. 2. A same arrangement of the milk hoses 40c, 40d for the second pair of milking cups 17c, 17d ensures that the total width of the mounting 16 with milking cups 17 remains as small as possible.

[0048] FIG. 6 shows schematically a top view of a further alternative of a part of the milking device. In this case, the robot arm 15 bears at its end (on the left in the figure) a hinge, such as the hinge 33 in FIG. 4, about which the mounting 16 can rotate. The mounting 16 has side faces 28, which run in parallel and against which the milking cups 17a and 17c are placed, as well as two partial front faces 29a and 29b, which together taper to a point toward the end of the mounting 16 and against which the milking cups 17b and 17d are respectively placed.

[0049] During use, the entirety of robot arm 15 and mounting 16 with the milking cups 17 will be moved, for example through between the hind legs of a dairy animal, forward in the direction of the udder. In the connection process, the robot arm will first connect the rearmost milking cups. These are the milking cups 17b and 17d. The rearmost teats often lie closely adjacent to each other. Once the first milking cup, for example 17b, is connected, there is little room for maneuver. It is then favorable if the mounting, which is now partly (approximately) at the height of the connected milking cup 17b, occupies at little space as possible at the site of the connected milking cup 17b, the hind legs and possibly the other rear teat. To this end, the mounting 16 does not run through between the rearmost milking cups 17b and 17d, but tapers to a point with two partial front faces 29a and 29b. Note that the mounting could also comprise, in place of two front faces 29a and 29b, a single front face. That front face (or each of those front faces) can also be a curved surface, so that it can even be a matter of a single curved (side) face against which all milking cups 17 are placed.

[0050] FIG. 7 shows in perspective view another embodiment of the milking device according to the invention. This milking device is in general terms indicated with 1 and comprises a feed fence 50 having openings 51 which define milking places 52, as well as a frame 11 over which a trolley 14 bearing a robot arm 5 with a mounting 16 carrying milking cups 17 can move. The robot arm 5 comprises a parallelogram construction 54. Fodder behind the feed fence is indicated with 53.

[0051] In this embodiment, there are no milking boxes or other fixed milking places, but these milking places 52 are defined by the openings 51 in the feed fence 50. Via such openings 51, dairy animals can eat fodder 53. When a dairy animal presents at an opening 51, and thus at a milking place 52, a control system (not shown here) can displace the trolley 14 in the direction of the double arrow B in order to bring the robot arm 5 toward the dairy animal. After this, the control system can then bring the robot arm 5 with the parallelogram construction 54, the mounting 16 with the milking cups 17, through between, for example, the hind legs of the dairy animal to the udder, in order to connect up the milking cups 17. This shown embodiment exhibits, of course, a great deal of freedom for the dairy animal which is to be milked. It is possible to fasten to the robot arm 5 fixing means, which serve to limit the freedom of movement of the animal with respect to the feed fence 50. These details are not shown here, however.