BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The features and advantages of the invention will be appreciated upon reference to the following drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a milking implement that is suitable for milking a dairy animal and cleaning at least a part of a milking implement.
DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
The following is a description of an embodiment of the invention, given by way of example only and with reference to the drawing.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a milking implement 1 that is suitable for milking a dairy animal and cleaning at least a part of a milking implement. For the sake of clarity, in FIG. 1 the inventive idea is shown only by means of one teat cup 2 of the milking implement 1. Like the other teat cups, said teat cup 2 is connected to a milk collecting means 4 via a milk line 3. In each of the milk lines 3 there is included a foremilk reservoir 11. The foremilk reservoir 11 may be an integrated element in a milk line 3. In the exemplary embodiment, the milk line 3 should be considered as subdivided into a connection 28 between the at least one teat cup 2 and the associated foremilk storage volume 12 and a further connection 29 of the foremilk storage volume 12 with, in this case, the milk collecting means 4 of the milking implement. In this embodiment, the milk collecting means 4 is a milk glass. Into said milk glass 4 debouch the four milk lines 3 coming from the teat cups 2, while, in the chosen embodiment, the milk glass 4 is further connected via a controllable valve 5 to the vacuum system 6 of the milking implement 1. This vacuum system 6 comprises inter alia a vacuum pump 8 and a cyclone separator 7. The vacuum pump 8 acts as a vacuum source for the milking implement 1 and the cyclone separator 7 serves for separating liquid, necessary for preventing liquid from getting into the pump 8. The controllable valve 5 may also be omitted; in that case, the vacuum pump 8 is put into operation directly. Via a valve 9 and by means of a pump 10, the milk is discharged from the milk glass 4 to a not further shown milk tank. Between a foremilk reservoir 11 and the milk collecting means 4, there is included a milk line valve 16 that is controllable by the control unit (not shown in the FIGURE) of the milking implement 1. This means that the connection 28 of the at least one teat cup 2 with the foremilk storage volume 12 is at any rate at least liquid-tightly separable from a part of the connection 29 of the foremilk storage volume 12 with the part of the milking implement 1 that, viewed in the direction of flow of the fluid, is located after the milk line valve 16. By closing a milk line valve 16, there is obtained a very short rinsing liquid discharge line, so that the teat cup 2 and also a part of a milking implement, i.e. the connection 28 between the at least one teat cup 2 and the associated foremilk storage volume 12, and the foremilk storage volume 12 itself can be cleaned easily, and in particular after each milking turn of an animal. In the milking implement 1 there is further provided a milk analysing system 17 for analysing the milk yielded that is led through the milk lines 3.
A milking begins with the attachment of at least one teat cup 2 to a teat of the animal to be milked. This attachment may take place in an automated manner by means of a milking robot (not shown in FIG. 1). Subsequently, milk is withdrawn from the animal in a known manner. The milk yielded will not directly flow to the milk collecting means 4 due to the presence of the foremilk reservoir 11. The foremilk reservoir 11 is designed to contain an amount of fluid, such as foremilk or a cleaning fluid. Preferably, all the withdrawn foremilk is collected herein. By foremilk is meant in this context the milk withdrawn during a time span after the withdrawal of milk has started. In this chosen embodiment, a foremilk storage volume 12 forms part of a foremilk reservoir 11 in which the foremilk storage volume 12 is closable. It is stressed that in relation to the inventive idea the presence of only a foremilk storage volume 12 suffices. The foremilk storage volume 12 may also relate to, for example, a milk line portion. The foremilk reservoir 11 comprises a foremilk storage volume 12, a foremilk storage volume closing means 13 and a foremilk storage volume discharge line 14 provided with a foremilk storage volume discharge line valve 15. The size of the foremilk storage volume 12 is often established in directives from the dairy industry, on the basis of which the dimensions of this element are determined. The first obtained milk will fill in the first instance the foremilk storage volume 12 of the foremilk reservoir 11. In the foremilk storage volume 12 there is a foremilk storage volume closing means 13 that closes the foremilk storage volume 12 as soon as it has been filled with the foremilk. In the present embodiment, the foremilk storage volume closing means 13 is designed as a ball. After a foremilk storage volume 12 has been filled, the ball 13 will be positioned against a seat 18, so that the foremilk storage volume 12 is closed and the subsequent milk flow will stream to the milk glass 4. It has been found in practice that the milk streaming from a teat cup 2 to the milk glass 4 does not mix significantly with the foremilk present in the lower part of a foremilk storage volume 12. By closing the milk line valves 16 present and by opening the foremilk storage volume discharge line valves 15, the temporarily stored foremilk may be released in such a way that the foremilk is displaced out of the foremilk reservoirs 11. Foremilk from the foremilk reservoirs 11 may now be displaced to a destination by means of a vacuum.
In order to clean the teat cups and also the connections 28 between the teat cups 2 and the associated foremilk storage volumes 12, and the foremilk reservoirs 11 themselves, the milk line valves 16 located after the foremilk reservoirs 11 are closed. By properly controlling the foremilk storage volume discharge line valves 15 concerned, the associated foremilk storage volume discharge lines 14 are opened, so that the temporarily stored foremilk is displaced out of the foremilk reservoirs 11. Cleaning liquid may now be led through and out of the foremilk reservoirs 11. For this purpose, a cleaning holder 19 is connected to the teat cups 2. The cleaning holder 19 comprises spraying elements 20 by means of which cleaning liquid is sprayed over the brims 21 of the teat cups 2 in order to clean the outer side of the teat cups 2, while by means of the spraying elements 20 the cleaning liquid is also sprayed into the teat cups 2, the connections 28 between the teat cups 2 and the associated foremilk storage volumes 12, and the foremilk reservoirs themselves. A liquid-gas mixture is also conceivable as a cleaning fluid. The cleaning liquid is supplied to the spraying elements 20 via a line 22 that is connected to the cleaning holder 19. A connection 25 for discharging the foremilk and/or the cleaning fluid, which connection is connected to the plurality of foremilk reservoirs 11, debouches into a collecting element 26. In the chosen embodiment, the collecting element 26 is provided with a collecting element valve 27 that is controllable by the control unit. A valve autonomously switching only on the basis of the amount of fluid in the collecting element 26 is also a proper construction element at this position. When it is ensured that the rinsing liquid does not contain chemical components that are harmful to the animals, and thus only consists of water with milk residues that may be present therein, the rinsing liquid collected in the collecting element 26 may also be supplied as drinking water to a device for supplying feed and/or drink to the animals. In the other case, the rinsing liquid may be discharged to the sewer. At least virtually simultaneously with the displacement of fluid from the foremilk storage volume 12 by means of a vacuum generated by the vacuum pump 8, cleaning liquid is now led through the foremilk storage volume 12. After a particular, adjustable time span, a controllable three-way valve 23 included in the line 22 is subsequently controlled by the control unit in such a way that the line 24 is connected to the cleaning holder 19. As a result thereof a drying air is brought into the teat cups 2 and a first part of the milk lines 3 via the spraying elements 20. By means of the drying air the rinsing liquid is pressed from the teat cups 2 and the first part of the milk lines, i.e. the connections 28 between the teat cups 2 and the associated foremilk storage volumes 12, and the foremilk reservoirs 11 themselves, in such a way that the rinsing liquid can escape via the foremilk reservoirs 11. In this embodiment, leading cleaning fluid through and out of the foremilk reservoirs 11 is thus divided into leading a cleaning liquid or a liquid-gas mixture through and out of the foremilk reservoirs 11, followed by leading a gas through and out of the foremilk reservoirs 11. After leading the cleaning fluid through and out of the foremilk reservoir 11 has ended, the withdrawal of fluid from the foremilk reservoir 11 by means of a vacuum source still continues during a time span. It is pointed out here that it is further possible to connect the foremilk discharge line 25 connected to the foremilk reservoirs 11 directly to the cyclone separator 7. The cleaning fluid and the foremilk may now be discharged via the cyclone separator. By means of the described cleaning of the teat cups 2, the connections 28 between the teat cups 2 and the associated foremilk storage volumes 12, and the foremilk reservoirs 11 themselves, it is prevented that rinsing liquid residues remain at these places and as a result thereof get mixed with the milk at a subsequent milking.
After the teat cups 2, the connections 28 between the teat cups 2 and the associated foremilk storage volumes 12, and the foremilk reservoirs 11 themselves have been cleaned, the cleaning holder 19 is removed and the valves 16 that are controllable by the control unit are opened and the teat cups 2 may be attached again to the teats of an animal to be milked.
The invention is by no means limited to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, but comprises all those embodiments falling within the scope of the accompanying claims. For the sake of completeness it is pointed out that ‘teat cup’ may be read as ‘foremilk teat cup’.
All kinds of embodiments for a foremilk reservoir, deviating from the specific embodiment denoted in FIG. 1 by reference numeral 11, are conceivable. Thus, while the invention has been described by reference to certain embodiments discussed above, it will be recognized that these embodiments are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms well known to those of skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, although specific embodiments have been described, these are examples only and are not limiting upon the scope of the invention.
Patent Application
20080072824
