CA-3047057-C - MILKING SYSTEM

CA3047057CCA 3047057 CCA3047057 CCA 3047057CCA-3047057-C

Abstract

Milking system (I) for milking of a milk animal ( 40), comprising - a milking cup ( 5) for obtaining the milk (20), with a teat space ( 15) having a first milk ouflow opening ( 16), - a measuring chamber ( 6) directly and rigidly connected to the milking cup (5) for at least temporarily containing the obtained milk (20) and provided with a milk inflow opening which is in flow communication with the first milk outflow opening (16), a second milk outflow opening (25), a vacuum outlet which is connectable, and in particular connected to a reduced-pressure pump and a sensor device (26) for measuring a property of the milk in the measuring chamber ( 6), wherein a flow path of the milk (20) runs from the first milk outflow opening via the milk inflow opening (16) through the measuring chamber (6) to the second outflow opening (25), wherein the sensor device (26) comprises an optical sensor device having a plurality optical sensor elements (27) and at least one light source (30) configured to shine light via at least part of the milk onto the sensor elements and to generate sensor signals therein, further comprising a control unit (9) which is configured to process the sensor signals into values of at least two parameters of the milk in the measuring chamber ( 6), wherein the parameters comprise at least a milk level in the measuring chamber ( 6), and at least one component of the content ofa milk and a color.

Inventors

Gerard Mostert
Frans Emo Diderik van Halsema
Rik STEENBERGEN

Assignees

LELY PATENT N.V.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20171127
Priority Date: 20161214

Claims (1)

85335500 22 CLAIMS 1. A milking system for milking a dairy animal, comprising - a milking cup for obtaining the milk, with a teat space having a first milk outflow opening, 5 - a measuring chamber directly and rigidly connected to the milking cup for at least temporarily containing the obtained milk and provided with a milk inflow opening which is in flow communication with the first milk outflow opening, a second milk outflow opening, a vacuum outlet which is connectable to a reduced-pressure pump and a sensor device for measuring a property of the milk in the measuring chamber, 10 wherein a flow path of the milk runs from the first milk outflow opening via the milk inflow opening through the measuring chamber to the second milk outflow opening, wherein the sensor device com prises an optical sensor device having a plurality of optical sensor elements and at least one light source configured to shine light via at least a part of the milk onto the optical sensor elements and to generate sensor signals therein, 15 further comprising a control unit which is configured to process the sensor signals into values of at least two different parameters of the milk in the measuring chamber, wherein the parameters comprise at least a milk level in the measuring chamber, and at least one out of a content of a milk component and a color. 20 2. The milking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vacuum outlet is connected to the reduced-pressure pump. 3. The milking system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, during milking, the second milk outflow opening is located on the underside of the measuring chamber. 4. The milking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a controllable closure means for the measuring chamber. 5. The milking system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the control unit is 30 configured to control the closure means on the basis of a milk level in the measuring chamber, in such a way that the closure means is opened if a milk level increases or exceeds a predetermined upper threshold, and is closed if a milk level decreases or falls below a predetermined lower threshold. Date Re9ue/Date Received 2024-02-01 85335500 23 6. The milking system as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the closure means is a valve. 7. The milking system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the valve is a proportional 5 valve with a variably adjustable passage opening, wherein the control unit or closure control unit is configured to adjust the passage opening of the proportional valve on the basis of a milk level in the measuring chamber. 8. The milking system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the control unit or closure 10 control unit is configured to adjust the passage opening of the proportional valve in such a way that the milk level is kept substantially constant. 9. The milking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the sensor device comprises an array of optical sensor elements. 10. The milking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising a plurality of light sources. 11. The milking system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the plurality of light 20 sources have differing peak wavelength. 12. The milking system as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the plurality of light sources contain the same number of light sources as optical sensor elements. 25 13. The milking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the sensor elements have different wavelength sensitivity. 14. The milking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the plurality of optical sensor elements comprise at least two of the same optical sensor 30 elements. 15. The milking system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the array comprises at least two of the same optical sensor elements. Date Re9ue/Date Received 2024-02-01 85335500 24 16. The milking system as claimed in claim 13 or claim 14, wherein the at least two of the same optical sensor elements are arranged along the flow path. 17. The milking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein a 5 plurality of the optical sensor elements extends over substantially the height of the measuring chamber. 18. The milking system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the array extends over substantially the height of the measuring chamber. 19. The milking system as claimed in claim 17 or 18, wherein a plurality of optical sensor elements extends in another direction during milking. 20. The milking system as claimed in claim 17 or 18, wherein the plurality of 15 optical sensor elements extends in another direction during milking. 21. The milking system of claim 9 wherein the array of sensor elements extends in another direction during milking. 20 22. The milking system as claimed in claim 20 or 21, wherein the another direction is along the flow path. 23. The milking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the control unit is configured to detect and/or distinguish between particles in the milk by 25 evaluating a wavelength, position and/or time dependency of the sensor signals from the plurality of optical sensor elements. 24. The milking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein the control unit is configured to detect and/or distinguish between particle flakes or air bubbles 30 in the milk by evaluating a wavelength, position and/or time dependency of the sensor signals from the plurality of optical sensor elements. 25. The milking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein the sensor device comprises at least two part devices, wherein each part device comprises Date Re9ue/Date Received 2024-02-01 85335500 a plurality of optical sensor elements and a plurality of light sources, wherein the light sources of each part device are configured to shine light onto one or a plurality of the optical sensor elements of another part device. 5 26. The milking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 25, wherein one or a plurality of light sources comprise focusing means configured to form a narrow light beam, which illuminates a single optical sensor element, or only a limited number of optical sensor elements. 10 27. The milking system as claimed in claim 26, wherein the focusing means is a collimator. Date Re9ue/Date Received 2024-02-01

Description

85335500 1 Milking system The present invention relates to a milking system for milking a dairy animal, comprising a milking cup for obtaining the milk, with a teat space having a first milk outflow 5 opening. The system has a measuring chamber for at least temporarily containing the obtained milk and a sensor device for measuring a property of the milk in the measuring chamber, wherein the sensor device comprises an optical sensor device having a plurality of optical sensor elements and at least one light source configured to shine light via at least a part of the milk onto the sensor elements and to generate sensor signals therein, further 10 comprising a control unit which is configured to process the sensor signals into values of a parameter of the milk in the measuring chamber. Such milking systems are known per se from the prior art. Thus, for example, each milking robot, such as the Lely Astronaut®, has a system for monitoring milk quality, milk volume and the like, by measuring at least one milk parameter. In practice, it has been found that it is not readily possible to take reliable measurements of the milk quality or other milk parameters using a compact milking system, and which can be responded to quickly. It is an object of the present invention to provide a milking system of the type mentioned in the introduction which is able to perform quick and reliable measurements of 20 the milk using a compact and lightweight system. The invention achieves this object by means of a milking system as describe herein, in particular a milking system for milking a dairy animal, comprising a milking cup for obtaining the milk, with a teat space having a first milk outflow opening, a measuring chamber directly and rigidly connected to the milking cup for at least temporarily containing the 25 obtained milk and provided with a milk inflow opening which is in flow communication with the first milk outflow opening, a second milk outflow opening, a vacuum outlet which is connectable, and in particular connected, to a reduced-pressure pump and a sensor device for measuring a property of the milk in the measuring chamber, wherein a flow path of the milk runs from the first milk outflow opening via the milk inflow opening through the measuring 30 chamber to the second milk outflow opening, wherein the sensor device comprises an optical sensor device having a plurality of optical sensor elements and at least one light source configured to shine light via at least a part of the milk onto the sensor elements and to generate sensor signals therein, further comprising a control unit which is configured to process the sensor signals into values of at least two different parameters of the milk in the Date Re9ue/Date Received 2024-02-01 WO 2018/111094 PCT /NL2017 /050780 2 measuring chamber, wherein the parameters comprise at least a milk level in the measuring chamber, and at least one out of a content of a milk component and a color. In this case, the invention uses the insight that it is beneficial for the reliability and the measurement if this is carried out at a location as close as possible to 5 the source of the milk, without influencing the milking operation itself. In the invention, it was decided to arrange the sensors in a measuring chamber which is directly and rigidly connected to the milking cup. In other words, the milking cup ends in the measuring chamber, which measuring chamber also hangs underneath the dairy animal during milking via the milking cup. This ensures that, in principle, the milk changes as little as 10 possible after emerging from the teat, and thus that the measured values correspond as far as possible to the "actual" values of the milk. It should be noted here that some foam nearly always forms during milking, because some (leakage) air is supplied to the space in which the milk ends up for the purpose of transporting the milk through pipes. As a result of said air, and said 15 milk foam, the milk becomes a two-phase system, in which it is more difficult to take reliable measurements, both in terms of milk properties and milk volume. In order to as far as possible limit and counteract this disadvantageous effect, the milking system according to the invention is further provided with a vacuum outlet in the measuring chamber. As a result, there are fewer to no more problems caused by the air, which is 20 already extracted during or even before the formation of milk foam. As a result, a singlephase system once again arises, containing (almost) exclusively milk. In the present application, the phrase "intended via at least a part of the milk" comprises both the possibility that light passes through a part of the milk and shines onto the sensor elements, thus transmission or scattering, and the possibility that 25 light rebounds from (a surface of) the milk, thus reflection. Combinations are of course also possible. It is further advantageous to keep the unit which hangs from the teat compact,