Milking Cluster and Milking Parlor Having Such a Milking Cluster

• US 20140041591A1
• Filed: 03/16/2012
• Published: 02/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH (GEA Group AG)
• Original Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH (GEA Group AG)
• Inventors: Krone, Otto
• Granted Patent: US 9,426,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/14.02
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 5/017 Automatic attaching or detaching of clusters
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 5/0175 Attaching of clusters
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 5/02 with mechanical manipulation of teats
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/12 Milking stations

Abstract

A milking cluster for a milking parlour for milking milk-giving animals, having at least one teat cup unit having a housing, a teat cup, a drive appliance, a pulling element arrangement connected to the teat cup, and the pulling element arrangement has a segment unit having at least two pulling elements.

Claims

1. A milking cluster for a milking parlor for milking milk-producing animals, the milking cluster comprising:

a teat cup unit having a teat cup;

a drive device; and

a pulling element arrangement connected between the teat cup and the drive device, the pulling element arrangement including a segment unit and a plurality of pulling elements.

2. The milking cluster of claim 1, wherein the teat cup unit is movable between a park position in which the teat cup assumes a position that is inclined with respect to the perpendicular, a positioning position in which the teat cup is in a substantially perpendicular position, and a milking position in which the teat cup is connected to an associated teat of the animal to be milked.

3. The milking cluster of claim 1, wherein the segment unit comprises:

a fixing device joined to the teat cup;

a tilt segment adjacent to the fixing device;

an intermediate segment; and

a fixing segment, joined to a teat cup unit housing.

4. The milking cluster of claim 3, wherein the fixing device further comprises:

an inclined tilt portion, and the tilt segment has an inclined contact portion which bears against the inclined tilt portion when the teat cup unit is in a park position.

5. The milking cluster of claim 1, wherein the at least two pulling elements of the pulling element arrangement are arranged one above the other.

6. The milking cluster of claim 1, and further comprising:

a tilt lever operatively connected between the drive device and the pulling elements; and

a tilt drive operatively connected to the tilt lever.

7. The milking cluster of claim 6, wherein the tilt lever is movable by the drive device into a first position in which the pulling elements are tensioned, and the segment unit is contracted to engage the teat cup in a positioning position, and the tilt lever is movable by the drive device into a second position in which the at least two pulling elements are slackened, to move the teat cup into a milking position.

8. The milking cluster of claim 6, wherein the segment unit comprises:

a fixing device joined to the teat cup and having an inclined tilt portion;

a tilt segment adjacent to the fixing device and having an inclined contact portion which bears against the inclined tilt portion when the teat cup unit is in a park position;

an intermediate segment; and

a fixing segment, joined to a housing;

wherein the tilt lever is pivotable about a tilt axis to a first position by the tilt drive and into a pivot position in which at least one of the pulling elements is shortened and another pulling element is lengthened, wherein the inclined tilt portion of the fixing device and the inclined contact portion of the tilt segment are engaged and the teat cup is pivoted into a park position which is inclined with respect to perpendicular.

9. The milking cluster of claim 1, wherein the teat cup unit is movable between a park position, a positioning position, and a milking position in which the teat cup is connected to an associated teat of the animal to be milked.

10. The milking cluster of claim 1, wherein the segment unit comprises:

a fixing device fixed to the teat cup;

a cover segment;

an intermediate segment; and

a fixing segment fixed to a housing.

11. The milking cluster of claim 10, wherein the cover segment is joined to a cover.

12. The milking cluster of claim 1, and further comprising:

a head defining a teat opening to the teat cup; and

a cover cap for covering the head in a park position.

13. The milking cluster of claim 12, and further comprising:

a cover segment defining an entrainment slot, and

a stop pin pivotably connected to the teat cup and slidably disposed in the entrainment slot.

14. The milking cluster of claim 1, wherein the segment unit comprises:

a fixing device fixed to the teat cup;

an intermediate segment; and

a fixing segment fixed to a housing.

15. The milking cluster of claim 1, and further comprising:

a carrier piece joined to the teat cup unit on which an intermediate segment rests.

16. The milking cluster of claim 1, wherein at least two pulling elements of the pulling element arrangement are arranged side by side.

17. The milking cluster of claim 1, wherein at least two of the pulling elements of the pulling element arrangement are operatively connected to the drive device.

18. The milking cluster of claim 17, wherein:

the at least two pulling elements are movable by the drive device into a first position in which they are tensioned, the segment unit is contracted, and the teat cup is in a positioning position; and

the at least two pulling elements are movable by the drive device into a second position in which they are slackened and the teat cup is moved by gravitational force into a park position or a milking position.

19. A milking parlor for milking milk-producing animals, the milking parlor having a milking cluster comprising:

a teat cup unit having a teat cup;

a drive device; and

a pulling element arrangement connected between the teat cup and the drive device, the pulling element arrangement including a segment unit and a plurality of pulling elements.

20. The milking parlor of claim 19, wherein the milking cluster is attached to a support arm device.

21. The milking parlor of claim 20, wherein the milking cluster is attached in a flexible manner to the support arm device.

22. The milking parlor of claim 19, wherein the milking cluster is attached to a robot arm.

23. The milking parlor of claim 22, wherein the milking cluster is attached in a flexible manner to the robot arm.

24. A method for positioning a milking cluster for attachment to the teats of a milk-producing animal, the milking cluster having:

a teat cup unit having a teat cup;

a drive device; and

a pulling element arrangement connected between the teat cup and the drive device, the pulling element arrangement including a segment unit and a plurality of pulling elements; and

the method comprises the steps of;

moving the milking cluster upward in the direction of a dairy animal udder;

moving individual teat cups of the milking cluster which are not positioned on corresponding dairy animal teats to a positioning position; and

moving teat cups that are not attached to corresponding dairy animal teats into a park position.