Animal husbandry – Milkers – Releasers
Patent
1998-01-22
1999-11-30
Poon, Peter M.
Animal husbandry
Milkers
Releasers
119 1441, 119 1444, 119 1447, A01J 516
Patent
active
059923474
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of milking an animal by a milking machine having a teatcup with a teatcup liner and a pulsation chamber, comprising applying the teatcup to the teat of the animal, and applying a milking vacuum to the interior of the teatcup liner and a pulsating vacuum to the pulsation chamber so that the teatcup liner cyclically opens and closes. Moreover the invention relates to a milking machine comprising a teatcup having a teatcup liner and a pulsation chamber, a vacuum source for generating a milking vacuum in the interior of the teatcup liner and a pulsator provided to alternately connect the pulsation chamber to the atmosphere and to said vacuum source for generating a pulsating vacuum in the pulsation chamber so that the teatcup liner cyclically opens and closes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Traditionally a milking machine comprises a cluster having a claw and four teatcups, each teatcup having a shell and a teatcup liner provided in the shell to form a pulsation chamber between the teatcup liner and the shell. During milking the interior of the teatcup liner is subjected to a milking vacuum, i.e. a low pressure of normally about 50 kPa under atmospheric pressure. There are also milking machines working under high pressure conditions, whereby the low pressure might be above atmospheric pressure. The pulsation chamber is subjected to a cyclically pulsating vacuum normally varying between atmospheric pressure, when the teatcup liner is collapsed or closed, and a maximum vacuum level when the teatcup liner is fully open. The maximum pulsating vacuum level is normally a low pressure level of 50 kPa under atmospheric pressure, i.e. equal to the milking vacuum level. This means that the pressure difference across the wall of the teatcup liner is essentially equal to zero when the teatcup liner is fully open.
The pulsating vacuum demonstrates a pulsation cycle which may be divided into four phases, i.e. (a) an opening phase during which the pulsating vacuum increases from atmospheric pressure to normally about the milking vacuum level and the teatcup liner moves from a closed position to an open position, (b) an open phase during which the pulsating vacuum has reached its maximum level and is essentially equal to the milking vacuum level and the teatcup liner is in an open position, (c) a closing phase during which the pulsating vacuum decreases from about the milking vacuum level to the atmospheric pressure and the teatcup liner moves from the open position state to the closed position, and finally (d) a closed phase during which the pulsating vacuum is equal to the atmospheric pressure and the teatcup liner is in a closed position. The opening and closing of the teatcup liner during phase (a) and (c), respectively comprises a very fast and abrupt movement of the teatcup liner. From a closed state, i.e. opposite wall portions of the teatcup liner touch each other, as the pulsating vacuum increases the teatcup liner remains essentially closed until it at a certain pulsating vacuum level, the so called TPD (touch pressure difference), starts to open abruptly to the so called CCPD (critical collapse pressure difference) at which level the teatcup liner is fully open, i.e. said opposite wall portions of the teatcup liner are spaced apart from each other. From the point of time when the pulsating vacuum exceeds the CCPD-level the teatcup liner thus is essentially open and a further increase of the pulsating vacuum only results in an insignificant further opening of the teatcup liner.
Each milking may be divided into four periods, i.e. (I) the initial stimulation or massage period, (II) the main flow period, (III) the flow decreasing period, and (IV) the flow terminating period. During the initial, flow decreasing and flow terminating period the milk flow is reduced in comparison with the main flow period.
Among those skilled in the art it has up to now been considered necessary that the teatcup liners must be fully open once
REFERENCES:
patent: 3255732 (1966-06-01), Raht
patent: 3482547 (1969-12-01), Maier
patent: 4211184 (1980-07-01), Abrahamson
patent: 4572104 (1986-02-01), Rubino
patent: 5218924 (1993-06-01), Thompson et al.
patent: 5443035 (1995-08-01), Lind et al.
Innings Lars
Lind Ole
Ornerfors Benny
Schlaiss Gunter
Abbott Yvonne
Alfa Laval Agri AB
Poon Peter M.
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