Animal husbandry – Milkers – Methods of milking
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-24
2004-11-30
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Milkers
Methods of milking
C119S014080
Reexamination Certificate
active
06823817
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically milking a dairy animal, in particular a cow, wherein a number of the milk's characteristics are monitored as the milking proceeds and the process is terminated or the milk is diverted if an abnormality is detected or a predetermined norm or parameter is reached.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Such a method and device are known from the International Application No. PCT/US99/18742, International Publication No. WO 00/18218, of Gompper et al, published Apr. 6, 2000, for a milk flow monitor and milker unit detacher. Although in such application numerous possibilities are described with respect to the moment when milking by means of a teat cup is stopped, at the present moment there appears still to be a need for a method and a device by means of which it is possible to determine for each dairy animal individually the moment when milking can be stopped, so that a dairy animal can optimally be milked with respect to inter alia udder health and the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to supply the above need.
For that purpose, according to a first aspect of the invention, a method of the above-described type comprises deactivation of a teat cup when a deactivation threshold value is reached on a milk characteristic being monitored, such threshold value being arrived at based on, at least in part, the value of a milking parameter. Due to the fact that the deactivation threshold is determined at least partially based on the value of the milking parameter, the deactivation threshold can be adapted to the present momentary situation and the values of the milking parameter measured at the moment can be taken into account. This provides a considerable improvement relative to the existing pre-set deactivation thresholds.
The milking parameter is preferably selected from a group consisting of milk flow, milk yield, milk temperature, electric conductivity of the milk, fat content of the milk, protein content of the milk, cell count of the milk, intervals between milk gushes, duration of the milk gushes, and the peak and off-peak values of the mentioned milking parameters. Although other parameters may also be applied, these parameters appear to be the most efficient ones for determining the deactivation threshold.
It is particularly advantageous when, for the value of the milking parameter, an average value is selected. Due to this, fluctuations or temporary perturbations present by nature in the measured values are averaged, and a more accurate determination of the deactivation threshold becomes possible.
In an embodiment of a method according to the invention the method comprises the step of recording in a step (a) a starting time from which the average value of the milking parameter is determined. As a starting time from which the average value of the milking parameter is preferably determined the starting point of time when the milk flow in step (a) starts. In some cases the selected milking parameter shows strongly fluctuating values at the beginning of the start of the milk flow, so that it is advantageous to determine, as a starting time from which the average value of the milking parameter is determined, a point of time after the starting time when the milk flow in step (a) starts. Such a period of time may vary, depending on the milking parameter, between a few seconds and a few tens of seconds.
The average value of the milking parameter is preferably recorded continuously from the starting time. Although continuously recording the average value requires considerable calculation capacity, this results in extremely accurate values.
In an embodiment of a method according to the invention, the method comprises the step of determining and storing the momentary value of the milking parameter. Here by “storing” is meant retaining the value of the milking parameter at least as long as is necessary for processing the value.
Although the value of the milking parameter may be used as such to deactivate the teat cup, it is preferred when a mathematical function is applied to the value of the milking parameter for obtaining a threshold milking parameter value. By selecting the function based on the desires of a manager or farmer the deactivation of the teat cup accordingly can be adapted to his own views.
In an advantageous embodiment of a method according to the invention, the method comprises the step of comparing the momentary value of the milking parameter with the threshold milking parameter value, the step of deactivating the teat cup preferably being carried out when the momentary value of the milking parameter equals or is lower than the threshold milking parameter value. For being insensitive to usually occurring fluctuations or perturbations, the step of deactivating the teat cup is preferably carried out when the momentary value of the milking parameter equals or is lower than the threshold milking parameter value during a period of time. The period of time is preferably adjustable, in particular between approximately two seconds and approximately nine seconds.
The termination of the milking can be accomplished without unfavorably influencing the udder health, in that the method comprises the step of storing in a memory of a computer a number of ranges of average milking parameter values, and of storing in a memory of the computer a respective threshold milking parameter value corresponding with a certain range. For example, with cows, at the following average milk flows: (a) more than 500 ml/min.; (b) between 370 and 500 ml/min.; (c) between 250 and 370 ml/min.; (d) between 170 and 250 ml/min., and (e) less than 170 ml/min., the following threshold milk flows respectively appear to provide good results: (a) 400 ml/min.; (b) 120 ml/min.; (c) 50 ml/min.; (d) 30 ml/min.; and (e) 20 ml/min.
When comparing the average milking parameter value with the ranges stored in the memory demonstrates that the momentary value of the milking parameter value equals or is lower than the threshold milking parameter value corresponding with the average milking parameter value, deactivation of the teat cup can take place.
In an embodiment of a method according to the invention, in which the method comprises the step that, when the average of the threshold milking parameter value equals or is lower than the threshold milking parameter value, deactivation of the teat cup takes place when the momentary value of the milking parameter equals or is lower than the threshold milking parameter, a deactivation of the teat cup takes place each time when the threshold milking parameter has been reached. This prevents the teat from being milked too long.
Based on long research it has been found that a quick deactivation of the teat cup, for example when it is expected that many dairy animals will have to be milked within a short period of time, is carried out correctly when the function consists in dividing the value by three. A deactivation which is not so expedited, in contrast, takes place when the function consists in dividing the value by five. It will be appreciated that the indicated values are thus guide values, which may be deviated based on experience.
The method preferably comprises the step of determining, during obtaining a milk flow, the values of several milking parameters, the deactivation threshold being determined at least partially with the aid of the values of at least two measured milking parameters. Thus it is possible to take into account several values obtained during milking for deactivating the teat cup.
Although by means of the inventive method a deactivation threshold is determined during milking, in some cases it may be advantageous that the method comprises the step of determining, during obtaining a milk flow, the value of at least one milking parameter, and that the deactivation threshold is determined at least partially based on the value of the at least one measured milking parameter and a predetermined milking parameter value which is in particular based on histori
van den Berg Karel
Vijverberg Helena Geralda Maria
Albright Penrose Lucas
Jordan Charles T.
Lely Enterprises A.G.
Shaw Elizabeth
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