Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01J—MANUFACTURE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS
  • A01J5/00—Milking machines or devices
  • A01J5/017—Automatic attaching or detaching of clusters
  • A01J5/0175—Attaching of clusters
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01J—MANUFACTURE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS
  • A01J7/00—Accessories for milking machines or devices
  • A01J7/04—Accessories for milking machines or devices for treatment of udders or teats, e.g. for cleaning

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method for cleaning a teat of an animal with a teat cleaning device having teat receiving means for accommodating a teat during a cleaning process and cleaning means arranged for cleaning said teat.
• the invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method.
• the invention also relates to an automated milking system comprising the apparatus.
• Teat cleaning may nowadays be performed automatically, utilising robot systems performing teat cleaning and other animal related processes, such as milking, with no or little human intervention.
• the animal should accept the cleaning process, feel confident with it, and carry it through on a voluntary basis. It is also desirable that the animal is given a possibility to accustom to the cleaning process without force of any kind with respect to the needs of the animal.
• a method for cleaning a teat with a teat cleaning device is disclosed in SE 9704515- 7, in which a teat is cleaned by being inserted into a teat cup and sprayed by high speed cleaning fluid ejected from a nozzle.
• a teat is cleaned by being inserted into a teat cup and sprayed by high speed cleaning fluid ejected from a nozzle.
• the object of the present invention is to cause animals, such as cows, to accept and accustom to a cleaning process without suffering from discomfort, particularly when the animals is unfamiliar with what the cleaning process implies.
• said adapted cleaning process is less intensive than said default cleaning process. Consequently, the animal may more easily accept the cleaning process.
• said adapted cleaning process includes cleaning the teat by means of a cleaning fluid flow which is less intensive than a default cleaning fluid flow. In this way a more gentle rinsing is realized.
• said adapted cleaning process includes cleaning the teat by means of vacuum-supplying means providing said teat receiving means with an under-pressure which is less intensive than a default under-pressure.
• said adapted cleaning process includes cleaning the teat by means of vacuum-supplying means providing said teat receiving means with an under-pressure which is less intensive than a default under-pressure.
• the adapted cleaning process may also include cleaning the teat by means of rotating brushes having a speed of rotation which is less intensive than a default speed of rotation. In this way a gentle mechanical cleaning of the teat is realized.
• said adapted cleaning process is applied for a predetermined number of coming subsequent cleaning processes before a default cleaning process is taken into practise. In this way an animal with no or little experience of a cleaning process may more easily accustom to the cleaning process.
• said adapted cleaning process is successively intensified, in subsequent cleaning processes, until a cleaning intensity corresponding to said default cleaning process is achieved.
• a transitory stage between an adapted cleaning process and a default cleaning process which the animal more easily will accept and accustom to.
• an apparatus for cleaning said teat characterised by:
• fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a cleaning device, where a method according to the invention may be implemented;
• fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a cleaning device, where a method according to the invention may be implemented;
• fig. 3 illustrates schematically a flowchart of a method according to the present in- vention.
• Figures 1 and 2 show two embodiments of a device intended for cleaning and pre- milking an animal, where the method according to the present invention may be implemented.
• the invention is not limited to the use of these devices, but is also conceivable to adopt to other devices featured in a similar manner. Consequently, the devices themselves do not depict any inventive features, but serve just as an example in which the inventive method may be adopted.
• a first embodiment of a teat cleaning and pre-milking device 1 comprising a teat receiving means in the shape of an approximately cylindrical teatcup 2 with a teat receiving opening 3 in its upper end surface 5.
• Teatcup is intended to be placed under the udder of an animal to be milked with opening 3 be- low a teat 7 which is to be cleaned. Teatcup 2 is then raised so that teat 7 enters through opening 3.
• Opening 3 has sealing means 9 in the shape of a resilient sealing collar 9 which is in substantially airtight sealing contact with the udder when teat 7 is fully inserted into teatcup 2.
• Teatcup 1 has cleaning means 1 1 in the form of at least one approximately tangential inlet nozzle 1 1 near to the upper surface 5.
• a cleaning fluid supplying means 13 in the form of a hose 13 is connected to a cleaning fluid supply (not shown).
• a teat is cleaned by being inserted into teatcup 2 and sprayed by high speed cleaning fluid ejected from nozzle 1 1.
• the impact of the fluid on a circular inner wall 23 of the teatcup 2 produces vortices which clean the teat due to their turbulent motion.
• This turbulent motion, and consequential cleaning effect can be increased and adjusted, for example, by pulsating and/or varying the intensity of the fluid flow, in- jecting air into the fluid flow and applying a vacuum to the teatcup.
• the cleaning fluid leaves the teat cup 2 via outlet opening 19 which has an outlet 25 with a nonreturn valve 27 which permits the cleaning water to drain away either to a sewage system or to a storage system for possible examination and recycling.
• the draining of the cleaning fluid from the teat cup 2 is assisted by a vacuum (not shown) applied to the outlet 25.
• a vacuum causes the teat to expand which cracks and loosens any dried-on matter on the teat. This makes it easier to remove the dried-on matter during the cleaning process.
• a second embodiment of a teat cleaning and pre-milking de- vice 30 comprising a teat receiving means in the shape of a box-like holder 32 with a teat receiving opening 34 in its upper end surface 36.
• Holder 32 is intended to be placed under the udder of an animal to be milked with opening 34 below a teat 38 which is about to be cleaned. Holder 32 is then raised so that teat 38 enters the holder through opening 34.
• Opening 34 has sealing means 40 in the shape of a resilient sealing rubber or plastic collar 40 which is in contact with the udder when teat 38 is fully inserted into holder 32.
• Holder 32 contains a plurality of cleaning means 42 shown here as elongated cylindrical brushes 44 with bristles 46.
• Holder 32 also contains cleaning fluid supplying means 48 in the form of a hose 48 connected to a cleaning fluid supply (not shown), and vacuum supplying means 52 in the form of a non-collapsible pipe 52 connected to a vacuum supply (not shown).
• Vacuum supplying pipe 52 is connected to an outlet opening 54 in the base of holder 32 via a valve means 56.
• Brushes 44 are each orientated with their longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of upper surface 36 and are arranged in a circle with a central space 58 able to receive a teat. Brushes 44 are ro- tatably mounted on holder 32 and can be rotated by driving means 60.
• a teat 38 is cleaned by first being fully inserted into holder 32 and then being brushed by rotating brushes 44 preferably while cleaning fluid is supplied through cleaning supplying means 48.
• Cleaning fluid can be supplied as a pulsating stream to improve the cleaning effect.
• the cleaning fluid leaves the holder via outlet open- ing 54 which has an outlet 62 with a non-return valve 64 which permits the cleaning water to drain away either to a sewage system or to a storage system for possible examination and recycling.
• the draining of the cleaning fluid is assisted by a vacuum (not shown) applied to the outlet 62.
• FIG 3 showing a schematic flowchart of a method according to the invention.
• the expression cleaning process refers to an occurrence, performed before every milking process, for cleaning the teat of an animal.
• the expres- sion default cleaning process refers to a cleaning process having a cleaning intensity generally applied
• the expression adapted cleaning process refers to a cleaning process having a cleaning intensity departing from the cleaning intensity of a default cleaning process and which is adapted with respect to the animal to be cleaned.
• the identification may be accomplished in any known manner, both manual and automatic identification are conceivable. This matter is not restricted by the method according to the invention, the main thing is that any for the purpose interesting and relevant animal related information is revealed.
• the identification may be as simple as a recognition by a farmer, who is familiar with the animal and also is con- scious of the habits and manners of the animal to be cleaned, or it can be performed automatically by means of any suitable prior art solutions, e.g. a transponder connected to an animal and a transponder reader attached to a surrounding stall.
• This animal related information may be stored in a controlling unit (not shown), connected to the identifying means and controlling the cleaning process, but a separate storage means (not shown) is also conceivable.
• Information revealed during this identification step may be the number of times the animal has been subjected to a cleaning process and applied cleaning intensities during these earlier cleaning processes, state of health of the animal, occurred problems during earlier cleaning processes, i.e. all relevant matter and parameters that may affect the ability of the animal to accept the cleaning process.
• the revealed information is interpreted and treated by the controlling unit, which by means of pre-recorded algorithms and/or programs deals with the information in a suitable manner.
• the information revealed may also be displayed on a screen, and work as a base of decision for a farmer to take suitable further manual measures (not shown).
• the controlling unit or the farmer can adapt cleaning settings, defining the cleaning intensity, on the basis of the revealed information, and determine whether default cleaning settings D, defining a default cleaning intensity of the cleaning process, should apply, or if adapted cleaning settings E, defining an adapted cleaning intensity of the cleaning process, should apply instead.
• the default cleaning settings D can apply, and the cleaning process may commence and will be performed as earlier described.
• These default cleaning settings D refer to e.g. the intensity Dl of the cleaning fluid flow and the amount of applied vacuum D2 to the teat cup.
• These default cleaning settings D may differ between different animal breeds, and they are basically empirically derived and acquired by experi- ence, which during practice has shown a sufficiently satisfactory cleaning effect.
• the animal is considered as not having ability to accept a normal cleaning intensity, i.e. the animal has not been subjected to this kind of cleaning process before, or it has. but does not feel comfortable with the cleaning process yet, or the animal suffers from e.g.
• a default cleaning intensity can not apply. Accordingly, the default cleaning settings D, defining the default cleaning action, have to be rejected and instead adapted cleaning settings E, defining an adapted cleaning intensity should apply.
• the adapted cleaning settings E refer, just like the default cleaning settings D to e.g. the intensity El of the cleaning fluid flow and the amount of applied vacuum E2 to the teat cup. These adapted cleaning settings E may also differ between different animal breeds but may also be animal dependent, thereby varying between different individuals of animals.
• the adaptation in accordance with the inventive method is proceeded by applying an individually adapted intensity El of the cleaning fluid flow into the teat cup 2, which is less than the default intensity Dl of the cleaning fluid flow, when the cleaning process commences. Without any further actions, and if provided underpressure in the teat cup corresponds to the default setting D2. this would imply an increased under-pressure in the teat cup, since the intensity of the cleaning fluid flow has decreased. Accordingly, the provided under-pressure is adapted to E2, which is less than D2, for balancing the increase in under-pressure.
• the teat receiving means comprises cleaning means in the shape of rotating brushes 44 arranged for cleaning the teats during the cleaning process
• the animal may experience discomfort if a normal default speed D3 of rotation of the rotating brushes applies, if the animal has a less ability to accept the cleaning process. Consequently, the speed of rotation of the rotating brushes has to be altered from the de- fault speed D3 of rotation to the adapted speed E3 of rotation, where E3 is less than
• the time the cleaning is in progress may be determined for example by experiment, but also by means of detecting means (not shown) detecting, e.g. presence of dirt in the cleaning fluid.
• the settings D or E of the pres- ent cleaning process may be stored in the storage means or said controlling means which contains the other animal related information. It is important that this storage means is updated continuously, so that a desired and relevant cleaning action is achieved next time this information is revealed. It is important to accentuate the fact that for animals, considered as not yet experienced, the above mentioned adapted cleaning settings E are just thought to be used during a transitory stage or an accustoming period, not permanently and as soon as the animals are considered as experienced, the default cleaning settings D men- tioned above will apply in coming cleaning processes.
• adapted cleaning settings E could apply for a predetermined number of subsequent cleaning processes, e.g. the first five or ten times the animal is subjected to the cleaning process. After theses five to ten times the animal could possibly be considered as fully accustomed, and default settings D could apply in future subsequent cleaning processes.
• the cleaning intensity could also be incrementally intensified in subsequent cleaning processes until the default cleaning intensity is achieved, where the size of the incremental increase may vary between animal individuals.

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• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Husbandry (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Cleaning In General (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20416037

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (3)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1999
  • 1999-06-11 SE SE9902206A patent/SE9902206L/ unknown
• 2000
  • 2000-06-09 JP JP2001502661A patent/JP2003501101A/ja active Pending
  • 2000-06-09 AU AU55840/00A patent/AU5584000A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-06-09 WO PCT/SE2000/001205 patent/WO2000076302A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2000-06-09 CA CA002376209A patent/CA2376209A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-06-09 EP EP00941079A patent/EP1185166A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-06-09 IL IL14666300A patent/IL146663A0/xx unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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