Animal husbandry – Milkers – With automatic control
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-03
2003-06-03
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Milkers
With automatic control
Reexamination Certificate
active
06571731
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for the automatic selecting out of milk during machine milking comprising a measuring apparatus for the control of the quality of the supplied milk a distributing valve mechanism with a milk input and several milk outputs, as well as a seal mechanism for the optional dosing of the milk outputs and for the optional guiding of the stream of milk into one of several lines, and a control device that actuates the distributing valve mechanism for selecting out milk,
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
As is known, during machine milking milk from a large number of animals ends up in a collection tank. Thereby, the yielded milk quality can be heavily spoiled by the milk of diseased animals, especially those with a just beginning and not yet diagnosed illness. To insure a high milk quality it is therefore requisite to carry out a monitoring of the milk during the milking process and, at the recognition of milk of unacceptable quality, to select out the milk before it ends up in the collection tank.
In particular, raw milk may not, in accordance with §3 of the milk ordinance, show any “abnormal sensory characteristics.” Assessing of the quality of the milk for changes during the automatic milking process is already possible in known apparatuses. Apparatuses of the kind described in the introduction are known that make use of the fact that the ion content in the milk of ill animals differs from that in the milk of healthy animals. In this way, the conductivity of the milk serves as a parameter by which a selecting out of the milk of insufficient quality can be carried out.
An apparatus of this type is disclosed in DE 196 30 146. In the milking apparatus described therein, a measurement chamber including a sensor element for the detection of the conductivity and temperature of the milk is disposed in the valve housing, wherein the measurement chamber is in fluid communication with the housing interior by at least one opening. This arrangement allows, in particular, a dependable recognition of mastitis diseases in the milked cows. To fulfill the legal requirements. It would be desirable to be able to recognize even more sources of registerable changes in the milk and to correspondingly control a selecting out of the milk.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a new apparatus and a new method for the automatic selecting out of milk of the type mentioned in the introduction that, in comparison to traditional apparatuses and methods of this type, more reliably meet the requirements for milk dictated by quality concerns, especially the monitoring of the abnormal sensory characteristics.
This object is solved in an inventive manner with an apparatus like that described in the introduction for the automatic selecting out of milk, wherein the measuring system comprises a detection means for the automatic detection of particles in the milk stream.
Through the particle detection, it is possible to determine if there are particles present in the milk stream that either have formed due to changes caused by infection or that have gotten into the milk stream due to the contamination of the udder or milking machine. The particles of the first type are, in particular, suppurating particles that can appear with a size from 0.5 to 3 mm. Especially in the case of illnesses which result in a formation of pus in the area of the udder, pus particles occur in the milk that, in accordance with the present invention, will now also be detectable during machine milking.
In a preferred embodiment the detection means comprises a signal transmitter for the transmitting of signals and a signal receiver for the receiving of signals. The transmission of appropriate signals, which are affected in differing ways by the milk and by the particles contained therein, allows a detection of particles that can be substantially carried out without disturbing the milk flow. To this end, advantageously an optical signal transmitter and receiver as well as a transmitter and receiver operating in the range of microwaves are may be used.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the detection means comprises an electronic analyzing circuit that receives data from the signal receiver. The analyzing circuit is thereby preferably provided as a microcontroller that can exchange data with the signal transmitter and receiver via, for example, electrical wires or also over a wireless connection. When the signal transmitter and receiver are provided as current and voltage sources or as sensors, these can also be integrated into the microcontroller. For the analyzing circuit, therefore, a very compact, interference-free and robust structure may be realized.
In a preferred embodiment the detection means comprises an area-like flat filter element for the filtering out of particles from the milk stream. This filter element extracts particles exceeding a predefined size from the milk stream, whereby these are then, independent of the milk stream, accessible for measurement.
In a further advantageous embodiment, the detection means comprises an apparatus for the cleaning of the filter element. It is thereby possible to carry out quantitative measurements during the entire milking process, since constant measurement conditions can be maintained on the filter element during the entire milking process in which the particles are continuously removed from the filter element in this way, it is possible to correspondingly select out milk during the different stages of the milking process in which the quality of the milk can vary entirely.
In yet another preferable form of this embodiment, the filter element is rotated around an axis. In particular when the filter element is, for example, provided as a grid or as a filter with only longitudinal elements, it is effective to rotate the filter element in order to carry out a washing of the particles from the grid surface by means of the milk stream. Thereby, the filter element can be so positioned such that particles that are caught on one surface of the grid are flowed against from behind, while the particle free surface of the grid selects out particles from the milk stream. A nearly parallel flow of the milk stream with respect to the grid surface is possible as well.
Preferably the detection means comprises an actuation element for the rotation of the filter element. The cleaning of the filter element can be carried out therewith prior to each measurement process, independent of the degree of contamination, whereby the microcontroller takes over the driving of the actuation element as is appropriate.
In a further preferred embodiment, the filter element comprises electrically conductive elements that are arranged at a distance and isolated from one another. When current or voltage is introduced into this element, the amount of particles present on the filter surface can be detected in an easy manner, since changes occur in the relationships between the resistances in the filter element as a consequence of the deposited particles.
Advantageously, the conductivity of the elements is dependent on the length of the elements. It is thereby possible to receive information about the particle sizes.
In a further preferred embodiment, the filter element comprises an area in which the conductive elements each have a first distance from one another and a further area in which the conductive elements each have a second distance from one another. Thereby, it is possible to select particles according to size in order to, for example, extract information about the type of illness of the animal.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the intention in which a filter element is provided, the detection means comprises a radiation source for the transmitting of electromagnetic radiation in the direction of the filter element and a radiation sensitive sensor element for the receiving of the transmitted radiation from the direction of the filter element. With this arrangement, the structure of
Flynn ,Thiel, Boutell & Tanis, P.C.
Jordan Charles T.
Shaw Elizabeth
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