Animal husbandry – Milkers – With cooling means
Patent
1995-07-26
1999-09-28
Price, Thomas
Animal husbandry
Milkers
With cooling means
A01J 5011
Patent
active
059570814
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an apparatus for automatically milking of animals, such as cows, by means of a milking robot, including an automatic milking system and means for automatically connecting and disconnecting teat cups to and from the teats of an animal, the apparatus further comprising a reservoir for storing and cooling milk obtained by the milking robot and a computer controlling the milking and cooling process.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Automation for milking animals, such as cows, is disclosed in numerous published articles and prior art patents.
For example, European Patent Application No. 0 385 539 discloses a system wherein animals can approach and be received by a milking robot freely for milking; in contrast to conventional milking, wherein the animal are, within a short period of time, usually milked twice a day, the automatic milking occurring randomly, spread over the day. Thus, a shorter or longer period may occur between two milkings of the same animal. The milk is stored in a refrigerated bulk milk tank. After the tank has been cleaned, or in any event has been emptied, there is a danger that when milk is next received in the tank it will be over-cooled and frozen.
British Patent Specification No. GB-A-1 266 870, which relates to a bulk milk tank, mentions the problem of milk freezing. As a solution, this document suggests to switch on, automatically, a further cooling element within the tank when milk in the tank has reached a certain level. This is accomplished by a sensing device, comprising a probe for sensing the level of the milk in the tank causing a further refrigerating unit to operate under the control of a thermostat. Further units are brought into operation as the corresponding refrigerated plates in the tank become substantially submerged in the milk. This British Patent Specification does not deal with the problem of milk being over-cooled when it initially enters an empty bulk milk tank nor does it reveal how and when the first cooling element of the tank is put into operation.
Therefore, although the dairy farm industry has long recognized the need to chill the milk obtained by a milking robot, under certain circumstances, known cooling processes do not perform satisfactory in that the milk may be over-cooled or frozen.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, after the emptying and possibly cleaning of the reservoir, the cooling of the milk in the reservoir is automatically activated when it has become sensed by the computer system of the milking robot that a predetermined amount of milk has entered the reservoir via the milking robot.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the cooling of the reservoir can be activated after a predetermined number of cows has been milked by the milking robot. According to another embodiment of the invention, the amount of milk is measured outside the reservoir and the determination of the amount of milk passed to the reservoir is accomplished by the computer on the basis of, e.g., the amount of milk measured by a milk meter of the robot. According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the milk tank includes a level sensor which can supply a signal to the process computer associated with the apparatus, which signal is related to the milk level, whereas on the basis of such signal the cooling device of the tank is activated by the process computer.
The invention further relates to a milking apparatus, including a recirculating line in which a milk tank and a pump for circulating the milk through the tank and through the recirculating line are incorporated. The apparatus, comprising one or a plurality of supply lines, to each of which a milking plant may have been connected, incorporates a milk filter in the recirculating line and/or in a supply line. Such an apparatus renders it possible to keep the milking plant compact and, more specifically, the storage portion thereof with the milk tank and the recirculating line, can be made suitable for combining it with a contemporary, automa
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Fransen Rene
van den Berg Karel
van der Lely Ary
van der Lely Olaf
Albright Penrose Lucas
Maasland N.V.
Price Thomas
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