DE29522237U1 - Plant with a device for milking animals - Google Patents

Description

Patent Attorney Dipl. Ing. Walter JadWsdhÄ Partner.' .. * '..··..·

Menzelstr. 40-70192 Stuttgart

Maasland N.V. A 41 521/hbie

Weverskade 10 04.09.2000

3155 PD Maasland
Netherlands

Description

The invention relates to a system according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such an installation is known from document EP-A-0 091 892. From this document a rotating milking platform with a stationary robot is known which is suitable for connecting a milking device to the teats of a cow. As soon as the milking device is connected to the teats, a drive device is activated to rotate the platform so that it moves forwards by one step. When the next box has reached its position, the doors of the box open so that the next cow can enter the box, after which the robot connects the milking device to the teats of the cow. The installation described above has the disadvantage that the robot is out of operation during the time the platform is rotating.

The invention is based on the object of creating a system with a device according to the preamble of claim 1, which has a larger capacity, i.e. by means of which relatively many animals can be milked in a short time.

According to the invention, this is achieved by the features of the characterizing part of claim 1. This allows the milking robots to be used in an optimal manner, because the number of animals to be milked per unit of time is limited by the capacity of the milking robots.

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ter, which is in contrast to the well-known milking robot, where the milking time of an animal to be milked is generally the decisive factor.

According to a further development of the invention, the displacement path of the milking robot corresponds approximately to the length of two milking parlors. According to a further embodiment, the entrance to the movable floor is located near the location where the milking robot is arranged. When an animal has entered the milking parlor via the entrance to the movable floor, the teat cups are connected to the animal's teats by means of the milking robot, whereby both the milking robot and the animal are moved forward. This gives the milking robot the opportunity to connect the teat cups to the teats over a length of approximately two milking parlors, whereby the milking robot returns to the starting point after this connection process has been completed, after which another milking cluster can be connected to a second animal. According to a further feature, at least one cleaning box for cleaning the teats of an animal is arranged near the entrance. This means that the time that an animal spends waiting to be able to enter a free milking parlor on the movable floor can be used to clean the teats of an animal. In one embodiment of the invention, two cleaning boxes are arranged next to each other near the entrance. This allows access to the milking parlor at an even higher speed, which results in a larger capacity.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device comprises a rotating platform with at least one milking parlor. Before an animal enters the milking

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When a milking parlor is opened, its teats are automatically cleaned in the cleaning box, so that when a milking parlor becomes available, the animal can immediately enter the platform and no valuable time is wasted. Another animal can then enter the cleaning box and the process described above is repeated.

In a further embodiment, the system has several milking parlors and several detectors for determining the teat positions of an animal, the number of milking parlors being equal to or approximately equal to the number of detectors. If the teat cups in a milking parlor are to be reconnected, for example if a teat cup has been kicked away, the position of the teat can be determined again using the detector in the milking parlor and the teat cup can be reconnected using the milking robot. At least one cleaning box connected to the movable floor is expediently provided.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the movable floor is delimited on both sides or on one side by a stationary or fixed wall. In one embodiment, the walls are designed as a fence. Advantageously, the milking parlor is delimited at the front and rear by a wall that is moved together with the movable floor. It is advantageous that the wall has a feeding trough that is arranged at the front of the milking parlor.

Preferably, each milking parlor or a number of milking parlors is provided with a removal device for the collective or individual automatic removal of the teats.

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It is advisable for the teat cups to be arranged on a support arm which can be pivoted under the animal and is supported on the movable floor. For this purpose, the teat cups are arranged on a conveyor. Preferably, the installation has a cleaning device for cleaning the teat cups. When the teat cups are removed from the teats, the teat cups are automatically cleaned and possibly disinfected with the help of the cleaning device, after which they can be reconnected to an animal to be milked.

According to a further development of the invention, the system is also equipped with an animal identification system which comprises transponders arranged on the animals. By means of the animal identification system it can be determined whether an animal is to be admitted to the cleaning box and/or the milking parlor and what quantity of concentrated feed is to be fed to the animal in the feeding trough of the milking parlor.

In a first embodiment of the invention, the movable floor is designed as a milking carousel. In a second embodiment of the invention, the movable floor is designed as a roller track. In a third embodiment of the invention, the installation has two roller tracks arranged next to each other at a certain distance from each other. Advantageously, the entrance is arranged at one end of the roller track, while the exit is at the other end. Preferably, the device is designed for milking a herd of approximately 1,000 cows and/or for approximately 3,000 milkings in a period of 24 hours.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the system has a cowshed in which the device for milking animals is installed, whereby this stable is designed as a free-stall barn. Likewise advantageously, the milking device has a computer-controlled concentrate feed distribution system that is able to individually distribute a certain amount of feed to each animal.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a rotatable platform with a milking robot and a cleaning box;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the invention with a rotatable platform, a milking robot and two cleaning boxes;

Fig. 3 shows a third embodiment of the invention, which comprises two roller tracks arranged parallel to each other at a certain distance from each other and each equipped with a milking robot and a cleaning box.

Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a first embodiment of the invention, which has a movable floor designed as a rotating platform 1 with seven milking parlors 2. The rotating platform 1 has a fixed outer wall 3 and an inner wall 4 which moves together with the rotating platform 1. In the present embodiment of the invention

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In accordance with the invention, the outer wall 3 and the inner wall 4 are designed as a fence. Each milking parlor 2 is delimited by a front wall 5 and a rear wall 6, the front wall 5 of a milking parlor 2 forming the rear wall 6 of the milking parlor 2 in front of it. In operation, the walls 5 and 6 are moved together with the rotating platform 1. The front walls 5 are provided with a feeding trough 7 from which an animal 8 is supplied with feed by a computer-controlled concentrate distribution system (not shown) during its stay in a milking parlor 2. A milking parlor 2 also comprises four teat cups 9 which are attached to the end of a support arm 10. The support arm 10 is arranged close to the inner wall 4 and also rotates together with the rotating platform 1.

Each of the support arms 10 is composed of a first arm part 11 and a second arm part 12, each of which has vertical hinge pins 13, the arrangement being such that the first arm part 11 can be pivoted relative to a second arm part 12 and the support arm 10 can be pivoted under an animal 8 located in a milking parlor 2. The teat cups 9 arranged on a carrier 14 can also be pivoted about a vertical hinge pin 13 and relative to the second arm part 12. Furthermore, each of the hinge pins 13 can have a stepper motor (not shown) in order to be able to position the teat cups 9 in a suitable manner under the animal 8. The teat cups 9 can be moved individually or together relative to the carrier 14 for connection to or, if necessary, detachment from the teats.

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Furthermore, a milking robot 15 is arranged near the inner wall 4, by means of which the teat cups 9 can be automatically connected to the teats of an animal. To determine the positions of the teats of an animal, the milking robot 15 has a detector (not shown), for example a laser or ultrasonic sensor. In addition, the milking robot 15 is arranged on a guide rail 16 in such a way that it moves back and forth. The guide rail 16 extends parallel to the curved inner wall 4, its length being approximately 1.5 to 2 times the length of an inner wall of a milking parlor 2.

Near the location where the milking robot 15 is mounted, the entrance 17 to the milking parlors 2 is arranged in the outer wall 3 of the rotating platform 1, the entrance having a computer-controlled entrance door 18. The installation comprises a cleaning box 19 adjoining the entrance door 18 for cleaning the teats of an animal to be milked. The cleaning box 19 is delimited on both sides by a border 20 and has an entrance door 21, which is also computer-controlled. Near the entrance door 18 to the milking parlors 2, an exit 22 is provided through which the animals 8 can leave the rotating platform 1 after milking. The exit 22 is also delimited by a border 23.

In Fig. 2 a second embodiment of the system according to the invention is shown, which is similar in general to that of Fig. 1, which is why corresponding parts are designated with the same reference numerals. In Fig. 2 the rotating platform 1 comprises twelve milking parlors 2, and the milking robot 15 is mounted on a guide rail

16, the length of which is twice the length of a milking parlor 2. In addition, the system comprises two cleaning boxes 19, which are arranged next to each other near the entrance 17 to the rotating platform 1. Each of the cleaning boxes 19 is provided with computer-controlled entrance doors 18 and 21, as already described in the first embodiment.

Although not shown in the embodiments of Figs. 1 and 2, it is also possible to arrange several robots 15 along the inner wall instead of one robot 15 and to increase the number of milking parlors 2 if necessary. In the embodiment according to Fig. 1, it is possible to milk a herd of about 500 cows every 24 hours, the time for connecting the teat cups 9 to the teats of an animal to be milked being about one minute and the milking time per animal being five minutes, while the turnaround time, i.e. the time in which a milking parlor 2 moves from the entrance 17 to the exit 22, is about seven minutes.

By means of the installation according to the second embodiment (Fig. 2), a herd of about 1,000 cows can be milked every 24 hours, the time for connecting the teat cups being about half a minute and the milking time of an animal being about five minutes, while the circulation time is six minutes.

The operation of the above-mentioned embodiments is as follows: After an animal has arrived at the entrance door 21 to a cleaning box 19, the identity of the animal 8 is determined by means of a transponder 24 attached to an animal 8 and an animal identification system (not shown), which

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on a computer checking whether the animal can be milked. When the animal 8 is to be milked, the computer-controlled entrance doors 21 are opened and the animal can enter the cleaning box 19 where the animal's teats are then automatically cleaned. When this is done and a milking parlor 2 is free on a rotating platform 1 in front of the entrance 17, the computer-controlled entrance door 18 is opened and the animal 8 can take up its position in the respective milking parlor 2. When entering the milking parlor or after the animal has entered the milking parlor 2, the rotating platform is activated and the milking parlor 2 is rotated clockwise as viewed from above. At the same time, the positions of the animal's teats are determined by means of the detector attached to the milking robot 15 while the milking robot 15 moves on the guide rail 16 together with the milking parlor 2. After the teat positions of the animal have been determined and the milking robot 15 has been connected to the support arm 10, the teat cups 9 are moved under the teats and connected to the teats of the animal one after the other or simultaneously. The milking robot 15 is then uncoupled from the support arm 10 and moved back to the starting position on the guide rail, whereupon a subsequent support arm 10 can be grasped in order to connect further teat cups 9. During the milking of an animal, the rotating platform 1 can remain in motion or be stopped occasionally so that another animal 8 can take its position in a milking parlor 2 that has become free.

For example, after a sensor has determined that the udder or a quarter of the udder has been milked

has been removed, one or more teat cups 9 are automatically removed from the removal device and the support arm 10 with the teat cups 9 is pivoted out of the milking parlor 2. The animal 8 can then leave the rotating platform 1 when the milking parlor 2 has rotated so far that it is opposite the exit 22. With the aid of a cleaning device (not shown), the teat cups 9 can be cleaned before the milking parlor 2 is rotated to a position opposite the entrance 17, whereupon another animal 8 can take up its position in the milking parlor 2 in order to be milked.

In the embodiment according to the invention according to Fig. 2, milking, connecting teat cups 9 and cleaning the teats of the animal 8 are carried out in the same manner as described above, except that the connection can be carried out in a shorter time, which is due to the use of, for example, a faster-operating, more expensive milking robot 15.

Fig. 3 shows a plan view of a third embodiment of the system according to the invention, in which the movable floor is formed by two roller tracks 27, which are arranged at a certain distance from each other. The roller track 27 is delimited on its sides by a fixed outer wall and a fixed inner wall 4, which in the present embodiment are each designed as a fence. A belt drive 28 for the teat cups 9 is arranged between the inner walls 4 of the roller tracks 27. The belt drive 28 comprises a belt or strap 29, which is guided over two pulleys 31, which are arranged at a certain distance from each other on vertical shafts 30.

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The first shaft 30 is arranged near one end of a roller track 27 and the second shaft 30 near the other end of a roller track 27. The support arms 10 for the teat cups 9 and the front walls 5 and rear walls 6 of the milking parlors 2 are attached to the belt or strap 29 at a fixed distance from one another and are attached at equal distances from one another. Each of the front walls 5 simultaneously forms the rear wall of a preceding milking parlor 2 and, as in the previous embodiments, is provided with a feeding trough 7. A concentrate distribution system 32, which is arranged near the entrance 17 to the roller track 27, can fill each of the feeding troughs 7 with an amount of feed allocated to a specific animal.

Near the entrance 17, a guide rail 16 is arranged parallel to the inner wall 4 of a roller track 27, whereby the milking robot 15 can be moved back and forth on the guide rail 16. The length of the guide rail 16 corresponds approximately to the length of two milking parlors 2, which is also the displacement path of the milking robot. In addition, near the exit 22 of a roller track 27, a cleaning device 34 for cleaning the teat cups 9 is arranged. Furthermore, the installation comprises a cleaning box 19 for cleaning the teats of an animal 8 to be milked near the entrance 17 to the roller track 27. As in the previous embodiments, the cleaning box 19 has computer-controlled entrance doors 18 and 21. In this embodiment, a removal device 33 is arranged near the exit 22 of a roller track 27 and parallel to the inner wall 4, by means of which the teat cups 9 can be automatically removed from the teats of an animal 8 at the end of the roller track 27. As in the previous embodiments,

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the removal device 33 can also be formed by computer-controlled stepping motors which are arranged under the vertical hinge pins 13, so that the teat cups 9 can be removed in any position on a roller track 27. It is also possible to use the removal device 33 described and shown in Fig. 3 in the embodiments of Figs. 1 and 2.

It is also possible to use only a single roller track 27. The number of milking parlors 2 on a roller track 27 depends on the length of the roller track 27 and the number of milking harnesses arranged on the belt drive 28 and is therefore determined by the options selected.

The operation of the system according to Fig. 3 is as follows:
After the identity of the animal has been determined by means of the animal identification system and the computer has decided that the animal can be milked, the computer-controlled entrance door 21 to the cleaning box 19 is opened, whereupon the animal can take up its position in the cleaning box 19, where the animal's teats are cleaned. After the teats have been cleaned and as soon as there is a free milking parlor 2 in front of the entrance 17, a computer-controlled entrance door 18 to the relevant roller track 27 is opened, whereupon the animal can take up its position in the relevant milking parlor 2. Upon entering the milking parlor 2 or shortly thereafter, the roller track 27 is set in motion and the animal 8 is moved with the roller track 27 towards the exit 22.

After the milking robot 15 has gripped the support arm, the positions of the teats are determined by means of a detector attached to the robot 15. The teat cups 9 are then moved under the teats of the animal by means of the milking robot 15, whereupon the teat cups 9 are connected to the teats one after the other or simultaneously. The milking robot

15 is moved on the guide rail 16 together with the animal 8, whereby this process continues until all teat cups 9 are connected to the teats of the animal 8 to be milked. After the teat cups have been connected, the milking robot 15 is uncoupled from the support arm 10 and on the guide rail

16 is moved back to the starting position, whereupon another milking equipment can be connected to a subsequent animal by means of the milking robot 15.

During milking and while in the milking parlor 2, the animal 8 is moved by the roller track 27 towards the exit 22. When an udder quarter has been milked, a teat cup 9 can be removed individually, or the teat cups can be removed simultaneously when the udder is empty, as is also the case in the previous embodiments. A milked animal 8 can leave the roller track 27 when the milking parlor 2 has arrived at the exit 22. After the animal 8 has left the milking parlor 2, the teat cups 9 are cleaned by the cleaning device 34, whereupon they are conveyed via the pulley 31 to the adjacent roller track 27, where they can be connected to an animal 8 to be milked by means of the milking robot 15.

Claims (26)

1. Installation with a device for milking animals ( 8 ) using one or more milking robots ( 15 ) and with a movable floor, characterized in that the milking robot ( 15 ) is arranged close to the movable floor and can be moved back and forth along a part of the movable floor and the speed of movement of the floor can be automatically changed or the movement can be stopped if necessary. 2. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the displacement path of the milking robot ( 15 ) corresponds approximately to the length of two milking parlors ( 2 ). 3. Installation according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the entrance ( 17 ) to the movable floor is located near the location where the milking robot ( 15 ) is arranged. 4. Installation according to claim 3, characterized in that the entrance ( 17 ) is provided with a computer-controlled entrance door ( 18 ). 5. Installation according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that two cleaning boxes ( 19 ) are arranged next to one another near the entrance ( 17 ). 6. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least one cleaning box ( 19 ) is arranged for cleaning the animal ( 8 ) or at least the teats. 7. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the device comprises a rotatable platform ( 1 ) with at least one milking parlor ( 2 ). 8. Installation according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the cleaning box ( 19 ) is connected to the movable floor. 9. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the installation has several milking parlors ( 2 ) and several detectors for determining the teat positions of an animal ( 8 ), the number of milking parlors ( 2 ) being equal to or approximately equal to the number of detectors. 10. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a stationary or fixed wall ( 3 , 4 ) is arranged on both sides or on one side of the movable floor. 11. Installation according to claim 10, characterized in that the walls ( 3 , 4 ) are designed as a fence. 12. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that a milking parlor ( 2 ) is delimited at its front and rear sides by a wall ( 5 , 6 ) which is moved together with the movable floor. 13. Installation according to claim 12, characterized in that the wall ( 5 ) at the front of the milking parlor ( 2 ) has a feeding trough ( 7 ). 14. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that a milking parlor ( 2 ) is provided with teat cups ( 9 ) which can be automatically connected to the teats of an animal ( 8 ) by means of a milking robot ( 15 ). 15. Installation according to claim 14, characterized in that the milking parlor ( 2 ) has a removal device for the joint or individual automatic removal of the teat cups ( 9 ). 16. Installation according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the teat cups ( 9 ) are arranged on a support arm ( 10 ) which can be pivoted under the animal ( 8 ) and is supported on the movable floor. 17. Installation according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the teat cups ( 9 ) are arranged on a conveyor device ( 1 , 27 ). 18. Installation according to one of claims 14 to 17, characterized in that the installation comprises a cleaning device ( 34 ) for cleaning the teat cups ( 9 ). 19. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the installation is equipped with an animal identification system which comprises transponders ( 24 ) arranged on the animals ( 8 ). 20. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the movable floor is designed as a milking carousel ( 1 ). 21. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the movable floor is designed as a roller track ( 27 ). 22. Installation according to claim 21, characterized in that the installation has two roller tracks ( 27 ) which are arranged next to one another at a certain distance from one another. 23. Installation according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that an entrance ( 17 ) is arranged at one end of the roller track ( 27 ), while the exit ( 22 ) is located at the other end. 24. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 23, characterized in that the device is designed for milking a herd of about 1,000 cows and/or for about 3,000 milkings in 24 hours. 25. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 24, characterized in that the installation comprises a stable in which the device for milking animals ( 8 ) is installed, this stable being designed as a free-stall barn. 26. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 25, characterized in that the milking device has a computer-controlled concentrate distribution system ( 32 ) which is able to individually distribute a certain amount of feed to each animal ( 8 ).