US-12616159-B2 - Milking system

US12616159B2US 12616159 B2US12616159 B2US 12616159B2US-12616159-B2

Abstract

A milking system, including: a vacuum pump, a receiver, a milk line, and a plurality of milking units. Each milking unit is connected to the milk line via a respective milk conduit. Each milking unit is also associated with a respective valve arrangement, arranged in the milk conduit, wherein the valve arrangement includes an adjustable passage for adjustment of the fluid pressure. The system also includes a pressure sensor, arranged to measure fluid pressure in the milk conduit upstream the valve arrangement; and a controller. The controller is configured to obtain a pressure level measurement from the pressure sensor and generate and provide a control signal to the valve arrangement, to adjust the adjustable passage, based on the pressure level measurement.

Inventors

Gunnar Brostedt
Andreas EDMARK

Assignees

DELAVAL HOLDING AB

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20221012
Priority Date: 20211014

Claims (13)

1 . A milking system ( 100 ) configured to milk several animals ( 110 , 110 a , 110 b , 110 c , 110 d , 110 e , 110 f ) simultaneously, comprising: a vacuum pump ( 210 ), configured to generate a system vacuum pressure (Ps); a receiver ( 220 ), connected to the vacuum pump ( 210 ); a common milk line ( 130 ), connected to the receiver ( 220 ); a plurality of milking points ( 120 , 120 a , 120 b , 120 c , 120 d , 120 e , 120 f ), each milking point configured to house one of the animals ( 110 , 110 a , 110 b , 110 c , 110 d , 110 e , 110 f ) at the time during a milking session; wherein each of the milking points ( 120 , 120 a , 120 b , 120 c , 120 d , 120 e , 120 f ) includes: a milking unit ( 140 , 140 a , 140 b ), said milking unit comprising at least one teat cup ( 241 , 241 a , 241 b , 241 c ), which is/are configured to fit on a respective teat of the animal ( 110 , 110 a , 110 b , 110 c , 110 d , 110 e , 110 f ) during the milking session; wherein said milking unit ( 140 , 140 a , 140 b ) is connected to the common milk line ( 130 ) via a respective milk conduit ( 260 , 260 a , 260 b , 260 c ); and wherein said milking unit ( 140 , 140 a , 140 b ) is associated with a controllable valve arrangement ( 250 , 250 a , 250 b , 250 c ), arranged in the milk conduit ( 260 , 260 a , 260 b , 260 c ) between the milking unit ( 140 , 140 a , 140 b ) and the common milk line ( 130 ), wherein the controllable valve arrangement ( 250 , 250 a , 250 b , 250 c ) comprises an adjustable passage ( 300 ) wherein fluid pressure of the common milk line ( 130 ) is provided to the milk conduit ( 260 , 260 a , 260 b , 260 c ) via the adjustable passage ( 300 ); and wherein an adjustment of the adjustable passage ( 300 ) results in an adjustment of the fluid pressure in the milking unit ( 140 , 140 a , 140 b ) and in a section of the milk conduit ( 260 , 260 a , 260 b , 260 c ) between the milking unit ( 140 , 140 a , 140 b ) and the controllable valve arrangement ( 250 , 250 a , 250 b , 250 c ) upstream of the controllable valve arrangement ( 250 , 250 a , 250 b , 250 c ) in a liquid flow path; a pressure sensor ( 270 , 270 a , 270 b , 270 c ), arranged to measure fluid pressure in the section of the milk conduit ( 260 , 260 a , 260 b , 260 c ) between the milking unit ( 140 , 140 a , 140 b ) and the controllable valve arrangement ( 250 , 250 a , 250 b , 250 c ); a controller ( 280 ) communicatively connected to the pressure sensor ( 270 , 270 a , 270 b , 270 c ) and to the controllable valve arrangement ( 250 , 250 a , 250 b , 250 c ), wherein the controller ( 280 ) is configured to, repeatedly during the milking session: obtain a pressure level measurement from the pressure sensor ( 270 , 270 a , 270 b , 270 c ); and generate and provide a control signal to the controllable valve arrangement ( 250 , 250 a , 250 b , 250 c ), to adjust the adjustable passage ( 300 ) in order to maintain the fluid pressure upstream of the controllable valve arrangement ( 250 , 250 a , 250 b , 2050 c ) in the liquid path at a plurality of distinct fluid pressure levels during the milking session, based on the obtained pressure level measurement, wherein the controller is further configured to compare a most recent obtained respective pressure level measurement with one or several previously obtained said pressure level measurements and calculate a size of the adjustment of the adjustable passage based on the change rate of the difference between the pressure level measurements.
2 . The milking system ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the milking unit ( 140 , 140 a , 140 b ) comprises a plurality of the teat cups ( 241 , 241 a , 241 b , 241 c ) and a claw ( 242 ), the claw ( 242 ) being connected to each of the teat cups ( 241 , 241 a , 241 b , 241 c ); and wherein the milk conduit ( 260 , 260 a , 260 b , 260 c ) is connected to the claw ( 242 ).
3 . The milking system ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the controller ( 280 ) is configured to obtain an identity reference of the animal ( 110 , 110 a , 110 b , 110 c , 110 d , 110 e , 110 f ) situated in the milking point ( 120 , 120 a , 120 b , 120 c , 120 d , 120 e , 120 f ), before or at the beginning of the milking session; obtain a vacuum profile of the animal ( 110 , 110 a , 110 b , 110 c , 110 d , 110 e , 110 f ), based on the obtained identity reference; and generate and provide the control signal to the controllable valve arrangement ( 250 , 250 a , 250 b , 250 c ) in order to follow the obtained vacuum profile during the milking session of the animal ( 110 , 110 a , 110 b , 110 c , 110 d , 110 e , 110 f ).
4 . The milking system ( 100 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the pressure sensor ( 270 , 270 a , 270 b , 270 c ) is arranged in a section of the milk conduit ( 260 , 260 a , 260 b , 260 c ) in close vicinity of the milking unit ( 140 , 140 a , 140 b ), but not integrated in the milking unit ( 140 , 140 a , 140 b ).
5 . The milking system ( 100 ) according to claim 4 , wherein the pressure sensor ( 270 , 270 a , 270 b , 270 c ) is arranged in a passage of the milk conduit ( 260 , 260 a , 260 b , 260 c ) having substantially the same diameter as the milk conduit ( 260 , 260 a , 260 b , 260 c ).
6 . The milking system ( 100 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the controllable valve arrangement ( 250 , 250 a , 250 b , 250 c ) comprises an actuator ( 310 ) arranged to receive the control signal from the controller ( 280 ) and adjust the adjustable passage ( 300 ) of the milk conduit ( 260 , 260 a , 260 b , 260 c ), based on the received control signal.
7 . The milking system ( 100 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the controllable valve arrangement ( 250 , 250 a , 250 b , 250 c ) also comprises a valve ( 320 ), the valve ( 320 ) comprising a wet section ( 321 ) and a dry section ( 322 ), separated by a flexible membrane ( 323 ), wherein the milk conduit ( 260 , 260 a , 260 b , 260 c ) passes the wet section ( 321 ), and wherein the flexible membrane ( 323 ) is configured to close the adjustable passage ( 300 ) of the milk conduit ( 260 , 260 a , 260 b , 260 c ) when atmospheric air pressure is provided to the dry section ( 322 ) and to open the adjustable passage ( 300 ) when control vacuum is provided to the dry section ( 322 ); and wherein the actuator ( 310 ) is arranged to receive the control signal from the controller ( 280 ) and, based on the received control signal, adjust a level of the control vacuum provided to the dry section ( 322 ) of the valve ( 320 ); and wherein the valve ( 320 ) is arranged to adjust the adjustable passage ( 300 ) according to the provided control vacuum.
8 . The milking system ( 100 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the controllable valve arrangement ( 250 , 250 a , 250 b , 250 c ) comprises a moveable magnetic male part ( 330 ) arranged inside the milk conduit ( 260 , 260 a , 260 b , 260 c ), wherein the moveable magnetic male part ( 330 ) is arranged to interact with a non-moveable female part ( 340 ) in the milk conduit ( 260 , 260 a , 260 b , 260 c ); and wherein a longitudinal distance between the moveable magnetic male part ( 330 ) and the non-moveable female part ( 340 ) forms the adjustable passage ( 300 ), wherein said adjustable passage ( 300 ) is adjusted by altering a longitudinal position of the moveable magnetic male part ( 330 ) in relation to the non-moveable female part ( 340 ); and wherein the actuator ( 310 ) is arranged to receive the electrical control signal from the controller ( 280 ) and, based on the received electrical control signal, adjust position of a magnetic segment ( 350 ) of the actuator ( 310 ) acting on the moveable magnetic male part ( 330 ), thereby altering the longitudinal position of the moveable magnetic male part ( 330 ), which position adjusts the adjustable passage ( 300 ).
9 . The milking system ( 100 ) according to claim 8 , wherein the controller ( 280 ) is configured to, repeatedly during the milking session: compare the obtained pressure level measurement with a previously obtained pressure level measurement; and, when a difference between the respective pressure levels exceeds a kick-off detection pressure difference: generate and provide the control signal to the controllable valve arrangement ( 250 , 250 a , 250 b , 250 c ) to close the adjustable passage ( 300 ).
10 . The milking system ( 100 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the milking system ( 100 ) comprises a milking parlor ( 101 ).
11 . The milking system ( 100 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the milking system ( 100 ) comprises a rotary platform ( 102 ).
12 . The milking system of claim 1 , wherein the controller ( 280 , 280 a , 280 b ) is configured to apply a latency period before making any changes in the control signal provided to the controllable valve arrangement ( 250 , 250 a , 250 b , 250 c ).
13 . The milking system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate the size of the adjustment of the adjustable passage based on the size of the difference between the respective measurements.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is the US national stage of PCT/SE2022/050921, filed Oct. 12, 2022 and designating the United States, which claims the priority of SE 2151262-9, filed Oct. 14, 2021. The entire contents of each foregoing application are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The invention relates to a milking system. Description of the Related Art On a dairy farm, milk is typically extracted from the animals by attaching a teat cup with a liner on each teat of the animal and apply milking vacuum under the tip of the teat, in addition to a pulsation vacuum. Hereby, the rhythmical suckling of a calf is imitated so that sucking by the milking vacuum is interrupted by rhythmical motions, opening and closing of the liner, caused by the pulsation vacuum. It has been noted that the fluid pressure level under each teat end is varying with the actual milk flow of the respective teat. The amplitude of the variation depends e.g. on the type and installation methodologies of tubes and other milking system components. Another reason for the resulting variations in fluid pressure under the teat is that the system vacuum level may vary during the milking session. Too low and/or unstable fluid pressure level under the teat end slows down the milking, leading to low/decreased throughput of animals at the farm. In case the milking vacuum level would be increased to overcome this problem, the teats may be hurt. Another problem sometimes occurring during milking is that the animal may move the legs/body in a way causing one or several teat cups to slip off the teat. In case the teat cup falls to the farm floor, dirt and other non-desired particles may be absorbed into the teat cup and forwarded to the common milk line, thus contaminating the milk of the receiver, which may cause a considerable volume of milk to be wasted. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to evolve a concept for improved milk extraction in terms of time and efficiency, while ensuring and/or enhancing satisfying teat integrity. This object is achieved by a milking system according to claim 1. The inventive milking system aims at adjusting fluid pressure of a milking unit, via a controllable valve arrangement depending on a measured fluid pressure in the milk conduit of the milking unit, indicative of the fluid pressure in the teat cups, under the animal teats. The milking system comprises various components, such as for example one or several vacuum pumps, configured to generate a system vacuum pressure. The milking system also comprises a receiver, connected to the vacuum pump. The milking system also comprises a common milk line connected to the receiver. The milking system in addition comprises a milking unit comprising at least one teat cup. The teat cup/each teat cup is configured to fit on a respective teat of the animal during milk extraction in a milking session, wherein the milking unit is connected to the common milk line via a milk conduit. Each teat cup comprises a respective liner and a shell, forming a pulsation space between the liner and the shell. Each of the milking units is associated with a controllable valve arrangement, arranged in the milk conduit between the milking unit in question, and the common milk line, wherein the controllable valve arrangement comprises an adjustable passage. The fluid pressure of the common milk line is provided to the milk conduit via the adjustable passage. An adjustment of the adjustable passage results in an adjustment of the fluid pressure in the milking unit and in a section of the milk conduit between the milking unit and the controllable valve arrangement upstream of the controllable valve arrangement in a liquid flow path. The expression “upstream” in the current context refers to the liquid/milk flow direction during milk extraction in the milking session, from the teat cups, via the milk conduit to the common milk line and the receiver. The milking system also comprises a pressure sensor, arranged to measure fluid pressure in the milk conduit upstream the controllable valve arrangement, between the milking unit and the controllable valve arrangement. The fluid pressure may thereby be determined in relatively close vicinity of the milking unit, thereby representative of the fluid pressure that the animal teats are exposed for. In addition, the milking system furthermore comprises a controller communicatively connected to the pressure sensor and to the controllable valve arrangement. The controller is configured to, repeatedly during the milking session, obtain a pressure level measurement from the pressure sensor; and generate and provide a control signal to the controllable valve arrangement, to adjust the adjustable passage, based on the obtained pressure level measurement. By providing a milk conduit, pressure sensor and controllable valve arrangement for each of the teat cups, the f