Animal husbandry – Milkers – With fluid compression
Patent
1996-02-15
1998-07-07
Weiss, John G.
Animal husbandry
Milkers
With fluid compression
A01J 516
Patent
active
057752540
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a valve assembly for a milking machine. Each of the machine's teat cups comprises a shell and a rubber lining. There is a pulsing chamber between the shell and the lining. A pulsator alternately pressurizes the pulsing chamber to atmospheric pressure and evacuates it by way of a pulsation-forwarding line. The pressurization and evacuation are timed in accordance with the cross-section of a passage that conveys air into and out of the pulsing chamber.
The pulsing chamber is characterized by four phases, specifically an evacuating phase, an evacuated phase, a pressurizing phase, and a pressurized phase. When there is a lot of milk flowing, the vacuum in the pulsing chamber is known to be more powerful than that inside the lining. The lining accordingly inflates during the evacuated phase. This is called ballooning. Highly elastic linings are desirable because they are gentle to the teat, but they tend to snap back against it in the pressurizing phase. The impact can damage the udder.
A milking machine is known from German 3 524 380 A1. The rate of change of pressure during the evacuating phase and pressurizing phase is dictated by the cross-section of a pressurizing line. The pressure accordingly establishes more rapidly in the pressurizing phase, promoting the aforesaid impact.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to improve the above type of milking machine to the extent that the animal's teats will be treated gently.
This object is attained in accordance with the present invention in the above type of milking machine in that a bypass channel is associated with the air channel, whereby the bypass channel includes a valve shut-off element that opens when air enters from the pulsing chamber and closes when air enters the pulsing chamber.
The air channel is designed to ensure that the pressure will become established slowly enough during the pressurizing phase to prevent the teat-cup lining from snapping back against the teat. The bypass channel can simultaneously be designed to ensure that the pressure is eliminated just as rapidly. This feature makes it possible to use softer linings, which stimulate the teats more gently.
The valve shut-off element in another advantageous embodiment of the present invention is one-way and allows the air to flow only out of the pulsing chamber. This feature is a simple means of differentiating between the flow rate during the evacuating phase and that during the pressurizing phase.
The valve shut-off element in another advantageous embodiment can be activated by outside means, i.e., electrically activated. In this embodiment the pressure can be varied during the pressurizing phase in accordance with when and how long the valve shut-off element is activated.
Further advantageous embodiments are recited in the remaining subsidiary claims.
This object can also be attained in the above type of milking machine wherein the air channel constitutes a vortex chamber with one tangential connection and one axial connection. Vortex chambers of this type impede flow through the tangential connection more powerfully than the flow through the axial connection. This is due to the vortex induced in the air entering tangentially. An appropriate design can accordingly decelerate the establishment of pressure in the pulsing chamber, whereas it can be eliminated essentially more rapidly.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be specified with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates a valve housing with an air channel and a bypass channel,
FIG. 2 illustrates an air channel in the form of a vortex chamber, and
FIG. 3 is a view from the direction indicated by arrow X in FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The valve assembly 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a housing 2 with two connection tubes 3 and 4. Housing 2 accommodates an air channel 5 and a bypass channel 6. Bypass channel 6 accommodates a valve shut-off element 7. Co
REFERENCES:
patent: 1727501 (1929-09-01), Budach
patent: 2986117 (1961-05-01), Ronaldson
patent: 4034712 (1977-07-01), Duncan
patent: 4827961 (1989-05-01), Nitzberg et al.
Koster Ludger
Wohlbruck Ralf
Cho David J.
Weiss John G.
Westfalia Separator Aktiengesellschaft
LandOfFree
Valve assembly for a milking machine does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Valve assembly for a milking machine, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Valve assembly for a milking machine will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1195133