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CA-3046453-C - MILKING SYSTEM

CA3046453CCA 3046453 CCA3046453 CCA 3046453CCA-3046453-C

Abstract

A milking system for milking a dairy animal comprises a milking cup having a first milk outflow opening, a measuring chamber having a milk inlet which is in flow communication with the first milk outflow opening, with a second milk outflow opening to a milk hose, and with a vacuum connection, a level sensor for measuring a milk level in the measuring chamber, a controllable valve having an adjustable passage opening, which is provided in or downstream of the second milk outflow opening, and a control unit which is operatively connected to the level sensor and the valve, and which is configured to adjust the passage opening of the valve on the basis of the measured milk level. It is therefore possible to adjust the position and thus the passage opening of the valve to the milk level, for example in order to have a fixed, but continuously refreshed milk volume, from which reliable measurements may be taken, but also in order to maintain a constant milk flow which is as small as possible.

Inventors

  • Gerard Mostert
  • Rik STEENBERGEN
  • Frans Emo Diderik van Halsema

Assignees

  • LELY PATENT N.V.

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20171127
Priority Date
20161214

Claims (20)

  1. 85327386 14 CLAIMS 1. A milking system for milking a dairy animal, and comprising - at least one milking cup having a first milk outflow opening, 5 - a measuring chamber having a milk inlet which is in flow communication with the first milk outflow opening, with a second milk outflow opening to a milk hose, and with a vacuum connection, - a level sensor for measuring a milk level in the measuring chamber, - a controllable valve having an adjustable passage opening, which is provided in 10 or downstream of the second milk outflow opening, and - a control unit which is operatively connected to the level sensor and the valve, and which is configured to adjust the passage opening of the valve on the basis of the measured milk level, between a smallest open position and a largest open position during at least a part of a milking operation.
  2. 2. The milking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring chamber is directly and rigidly connected to the milking cup.
  3. 3. The milking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the milking cup and the 20 measuring chamber form one rigid unit.
  4. 4. The milking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit is configured to adjust the passage opening between a smallest open position and a largest open position during at least a part of a milking operation. 25
  5. 5. The milking system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said at least part of a milking operation comprises at least a main milking phase of the milking operation.
  6. 6. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit is configured to continuously adjust the passage opening between a smallest open 30 position and a largest open position during at least a part of a milking operation.
  7. 7. The milking system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said at least part of a milking operation comprises at least a main milking phase of the milking operation. Date Re9ue/Date Received 2024-02-01 85327386
  8. 8. The milking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control unit is configured to enlarge the passage opening in the case of a rising milk level and reduce the passage opening in the case of a falling milk level.
  9. 9. The milking system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the control unit is configured to adjust the passage opening in such a way that the aim is a milk level which remains the same. 10
  10. 10. The milking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the level sensor extends substantially vertically over an internal height of the measuring chamber during milking.
  11. 11. The milking system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the level sensor 15 comprises a series of mutually separate electrodes which are electrically connectable via a sensor control unit.
  12. 12. The milking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising an inclination sensor for determining an inclination of the milking cup, wherein the control 20 unit is operatively connected to the inclination sensor and is configured to correct the measured milk level on the basis of the determined inclination.
  13. 13. The milking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the valve is provided in the measuring chamber.
  14. 14. The milking system as claimed 13, wherein the valve is provided in the second milk outflow opening.
  15. 15. The milking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, comprising a 30 milk flow meter which is configured to determine the milk flow through the second milk outflow opening on the basis of the passage opening of the valve. Date Re9ue/Date Received 2024-02-01 85327386 16
  16. 16. The milking system as claimed in claim 15, comprising a pressure measuring device configured to measure a pressure difference over the valve and/or the passage opening. 5
  17. 17. The milking system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the pressure measuring device comprises a first pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure in the measuring chamber, and a second pressure sensor to measure a pressure in the milk hose. 10
  18. 18. The milking system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the second sensor is configured to measure the pressure in the milk hose past the valve.
  19. 19. The milking system as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 18, comprising a height determining device configured to determine a milking height at which the 15 measuring chamber is located during milking of the dairy animal, and wherein the milk flow meter is operatively connected to the height determining device and is configured to determine the milk flow on the basis of the determined milking height.
  20. 20. The milking system as claimed in 19, wherein the height determining device 20 is further configured to determine a valve height at which the valve is located during milking, and wherein the milk flow configurator determines the milk flow on the basis of the determined milk height and also the valve height.

Description

85327386 1 Milking system The present invention relates to a milking system for milking a dairy animal, and comprising at least one milking cup having a first milk outflow opening, a measuring 5 chamber having a milk inlet which is in flow communication with the first milk outflow opening, with a second milk outflow opening to a milk hose with a controllable valve between them, and with a level sensor for measuring a milk level in the measuring chamber, and a control unit which is operatively connected to the level sensor and the valve. The document DE3609275A1 describes such a system, having a measuring 10 chamber for the milk which is obtained from a teat. At the same rhythm as the pulsation with which the teat is milked, a valve is also opened and closed, as a result of which the milk flows out of the measuring chamber to a collection vessel. From there, the milk passes through to a milk transport line in a float-controlled manner. A milk level is measured in the measuring chamber, so that the milk flow may be determined from the sum per unit time of the volumes 15 of the pulsations of milk emerging from the measuring chamber in the pulsation rhythm. In practice, it has been found with this system that the measured milk flow is not always accurately measurable, but the known system is also relatively complicated, and not easy to clean. In addition, the milk quality is often unsatisfactory. It is an object of the present invention to at least partly eliminate the above- 20 mentioned drawbacks. The invention achieves this object by means of a milking system as described herein, in particular a milking system for milking a dairy animal, and comprising at least one milking cup having a first milk outflow opening, a measuring chamber having a milk inlet which is in flow communication with the first milk outflow opening, with a second milk outflow 25 opening to a milk hose, and with a vacuum connection, a level sensor for measuring a milk level in the measuring chamber, a controllable valve having an adjustable passage opening, which is provided in or downstream of the second milk outflow opening, and a control unit which is operatively connected to the level sensor and the valve, and which is configured to adjust the passage opening of the valve on the basis of the measured milk level. 30 The invention uses the insight that it is not necessary to collect each pulsation of milk separately, and subsequently direct it into the further milk hose system effectively pulsed to the same degree and thus with on average a greater (peak) speed. Due to the valve and the control unit, the present milking system is able to pass the collected milk Date Re9ue/Date Received 2024-02-01 85327386 2 through to the milk hose much more regularly. This provides advantages in terms of the milk quality, since this means that it is not necessary to introduce any large and unnecessary decelerations and accelerations of the pulsations of milk in the milk meter, as a result of which peak speeds of the milk are also reduced and, for example, fat globules are damaged to a 5 lesser degree. In this case, the vacuum connection of the measuring chamber is of course situated above the second milk outflow opening, so that air which potentially reaches the measuring chamber is extracted, milk foam bubbles burst and effectively a single-phase system containing only milk remains. There is also effectively one valve (in this case a float) less compared to the 10 prior art. In addition, it is thus possible to exert more influence on the milk level in the measuring chamber, as a result of which the conditions in the measuring chamber are also more constant. This may be advantageous likewise for the accuracy and reproducibility of measurements in the measuring chamber, such as using external non-invasive or also internal measuring devices. 15 In embodiments, the measuring chamber is directly and rigidly connected to the milking cup, and in particular the milking cup and the measuring chamberform one rigid unit. Advantageously, the first milk flow opening directly adjoins the milk inlet, so that there is no unnecessary connection, such as a hose or the like, between the two, and the properties of the milk, such as temperature, conductivity, fat quality, etc., are affected as little as 20 possible. It is of course possible to flexibly connect the measuring chamber to the first milk outflow opening and/or to the milking cup, for example by providing a flexible connecting piece between the two. This implementation may offer the advantage that the measuring chamber always hangs substantially vertically during milking, which makes the measurement results even more reliable. 25 In embodiments, the control unit is configured to adjust, in particular continuously adjust, the passage opening between a smallest open position and a largest open position during at least a part of a milking operation, more particularly at least during a main milking phase of the milk