Animal husbandry – Milkers – Methods of milking
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-21
2001-03-13
Poon, Peter M. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Milkers
Methods of milking
C119S014080
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199507
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to milking machines.
Most modern milking machines operate in two modes
(i) a milking mode;
(ii) a cleaning or washing mode.
Frequently in moving from one mode to another in order to achieve effective washing reconfiguration of the lines is sometimes required. This may involve the use of multi pathway valving systems.
Examples of such multi-modal milking machines include several currently on the market in New Zealand [for example, THE WAIKATO™ SUPAMILKER™ milking machines of this company, the milking machines of Alfa Laval (NZ) Limited (marketed by Nu Pulse New Zealand), that offered under the trade mark MILKERWARE™ and that available from L Read and Sons of Christchurch].
Typical of such systems is that disclosed in Alfa Laval (NZ) Limited New Zealand Patent Specification No. 224545 and Maasland NV in European Patent Application EP0626129A1.
The present invention relates to a system embodied in milking machinery and thus the resultant milking machinery and the methods of operation thereof as well as sub assemblies which will provide an alternative to existing choices.
In a first aspect the present invention consists in a milking machine of a kind having a milk line to a milk receiver through which a “vacuum” (as herein defined) is drawn, said machine being operable in (i) a milking mode and in (ii) a cleaning mode,
wherein there is provided a “line” (as herein defined) (“the cleaning line”) for cleaning fluid into said milk line,
and wherein, when the machine is in its cleaning mode, cleaning fluid pooling and/or pooled in said cleaning line is caused to move (wholly or in part) under the action of a gas (e.g. air) impulse into the pooling and/or pooled cleaning fluid from said cleaning line into said milk line (and preferably (at least) said milk receiver).
Preferably the impulse is one of a series of impulses into different quantities of pooling and/or pooled cleaning fluid.
Preferably said impulses are periodic or otherwise spaced in time (e.g. whether under the action of a sensor control or a time based control).
Preferably said impulse into the pooling and/or pooled cleaning fluid is caused by an induction of ambient air at ambient pressure under the actions of said vacuum in the milk line.
In other forms of the present invention however, irrespective of whether or not the gas is solely or in part air, the pressure of the impulse gas can be greater than that of ambient air if desired. Where however the “vacuum” is that customary used for milking purposes (or thereabouts) there is a sufficient pressure differential between ambient air and the “vacuum” to achieve a movement of “slugs” of cleaning fluid through the system in a manner sufficiently turbulent to achieve effective cleaning.
Preferably said milking machine has a jetter line having jetters or other means to which the milking cups of a milk claw can be attached when configured to the cleaning mode so as to utilise the vacuum in the milk line to draw a cleaning fluid in from the jetter line.
Preferably said cleaning line is adapted to draw cleaning liquid from a similar or the same source as said jetter line only during the cleaning mode.
Preferably said cleaning line has at least a rising region from the region from which the gas impulse is to be injected, inducted or otherwise ingress so as to achieve sufficient pooling and/or flooding to ensure a sufficient quantity of the cleaning liquid is positioned between the incoming gas and the milk line.
Preferably flow choking, restricting or other means (for example a restrictor plate) is positioned between the region where the impulse gas is injected, inducted or otherwise ingresses and the source of the cleaning liquid for the cleaning line (preferably valved) such that even in the absence of any gas injection, induction and/or ingress there is in the cleaning mode a flow of cleaning liquid into the cleaning line and preferably from thence into said milk line and said receiver.
Preferably said milk line has a fall from where it is to receive cleaning fluid from said cleaning line through to said milk receiver.
Preferably said milk line is a loop line such as of a kind used by this company.
Preferably a sanitary trap is provided above said milk receiver.
Preferably the impulse flow of the cleaning fluid during the cleaning mode is such as to cause turbulent flows at different times along the milk line and ideally in the milk receiver and preferably also a cleaning flow over surfaces of said sanitary trap.
Preferably said milk receiver is connected to a milk pump and said sanitary trap is connected to a source of vacuum.
Preferably cleaning liquid can be discharged from the system upsteam or downstream from said milk pump depending on the particular installation.
Preferably cleaning liquid accumulating in the sanitary trap can be drained therefrom as and when required, i.e. so as not to interrupt significantly the cleaning mode requirement for vacuum in the system.
Preferably said milk line is of a large diameter kind (ie: preferably larger than the diameter of said cleaning line.
Preferably an expansion zone is provided between said cleaning line and said milk line.
Preferably said expansion zone involves a frustoconical or other type surface which has the effect of blasting all surfaces of the milk line with the cleaning fluid of said slug.
Preferably the machine improves the deployment of the flushing liquid from a conduit of smaller cross-section (preferably circular) into a conduit of larger cross-section (preferably circular) by
providing a transition zone flaring from the smaller conduit into the larger conduit, and
providing at and/or proximate to (but preferably at and partly downstream of) the transition zone flushing flow flaring means.
Preferably said flaring means is substantially conical or frustoconical.
Preferably said transition zone is an expansion “cone” [e.g. a frustoconical zone].
Preferably said flaring means is supported from an upstream appendage preferably having little flow interference (eg: a blade or thin plate affixed to opposed walls of the smaller conduit and/or the expansion “cone”).
Preferably said gas injection, induction or ingress means is a valve having associated therewith appropriate control systems which are preferably timer or sensor based.
In a further aspect the present invention consists in assemblies or sub-assemblies of apparatus in accordance with the present invention.
In yet a further aspect the present invention consists in a method of operating a milking machine in its cleaning or washing mode which comprises the operative use of a milking machine as previously defined in such a cleaning or washing mode.
Preferably said use is before or after operation of the apparatus in its milking mode.
In still another aspect the invention consists in apparatus for operative association with components of a milking machine so as to provide a milking machine according to the present invention, said apparatus comprising or including
means defining a conduit having an intake end for liquid and an outlet end connectable directly or indirectly into the milk line of a milking machine,
means to allow the intake of air into said conduit between said ends, and
means to provide a partial flow restriction for liquid between said intake end and the intake means.
Preferably said apparatus is mountable so as to pool intake liquid into contact with part of said intake means.
Preferably said outlet end is itself or is from an expansion cone (or the equivalent).
Preferably said outlet end has a cross-section several times that of the cross-section of said conduit and many times the cross-section of the flow restriction means (eg; the outlet about twice the diameter of the tubular diameter of the conduit is circular in cross-section).
Preferably said outlet end provides for an improvement of the flushing liquid from a conduit of smaller cross-section (preferably circular) into a conduit of larger cross-section (preferably circular) by
providing a transition zone flaring from the smaller conduit into
DEC International NZ Limited
Jacobson Price Holman & Stern PLLC
Poon Peter M.
Shaw Elizabeth
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