Vacuum control system

• US 6,494,163 B1
• Filed: 09/05/2000
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LELY Enterprises AG A Swiss Limited Liability Company
• Original Assignee: LELY Research Holdings AG
• Inventors: Oort, Dick Marius
• Primary Examiner(s): Swiatek, Robert P.
• Application Number:
  US09/623,409
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 119/14.1, 119/14.08, 119/14.43, 119/14.44
• US Class Current: 119/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 5/007 Monitoring milking processes; Control or regulation of milking machines
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 5/048 Vacuum regulators

Abstract

A vacuum control system for controlling vacuum while an animal is being milked. The vacuum control system comprises a vacuum pump which is interconnected to a buffer vessel via a vacuum line. Each teat cup of the milking apparatus has a milk line which interconnects the teat cup to the buffer vessel. The teat cup is also interconnected to the vacuum pump via a pulse line which contains a pulsator. A regulator which includes an rpm governor and an electronic filter unit is connected to the vacuum pump and also by the filter unit to a vacuum sensor which, in turn is connected to the vacuum line. The filter unit is connected both to the rpm governor and to an electronic fast-acting control valve which is activated by the regulator on the basis of signals which it receives from the vacuum sensor. If the vacuum decreases in the vacuum line (and thus the buffer vessel) as result of, for example, a teat cup being disconnected from the teat of an animal being milked, the rpm governor causes the vacuum pump to increase its rpm and therefore capacity whereby the vacuum and vacuum line is maintained in a constant value. On the other hand, if the vacuum and vacuum line increases over its desired level, the electronic fast-acting valve is actuated to admit air to the vacuum line and thereby maintain the vacuum therein at a constant desired level.

Claims

1. A fully automated milking apparatus which comprises a plurality of teat cups to be received by an animal being milked by the apparatus, a milking robot for automatically connecting said plurality of teat cups to an animal to be milked and disconnecting them at the completion of the milking each of said teat cups having a milking line leading therefrom to a receptacle and also a pulse line leading therefrom, a vacuum pump, said vacuum pump being operatively interconnected to said milk lines via said receptacle and further being interconnected with said pulse lines via pulsation means, a vacuum regulator for said vacuum pump for retaining a constant vacuum in said receptacle, said vacuum regulator comprising an electronic fast-acting valve interconnected to said receptacle which is activated by and connected to a regulator on the basis of signals which said regulator receives from a vacuum sensor which is operatively interconnected to said vacuum pump and to said receptacle.

2. A vacuum control system for controlling the vacuum during milking an animal, which comprises a vacuum pump, a vacuum line interconnected therewith, a pulse line, at least one teat cup connected to said pulse line, a regulator by means of which the vacuum in the system is controlled at a desired vacuum level, said regulator comprising a revolution per minute governor that controls the vacuum pump'"'"'s revolutions per minute, and an electronic valve that admits air into the system.

3. A vacuum control system in accordance with claim 2, comprising a vacuum sensor which is connected to said regulator.

4. A vacuum control system in accordance with claim 3, wherein said regulator comprises a filter unit that filters the signal emanating from said vacuum sensor.

5. A vacuum control system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said electronic valve, is connected to said regulator.

6. A vacuum control system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said electronic valve connects to said vacuum line which is connected to said vacuum pump.

7. A vacuum control system in accordance with claim 2, which comprises at least one further teat cup and at least one further electronic valve, each said electronic valve being connected to a corresponding said teat cup.

8. A vacuum control system in accordance with claim 2, which further comprises a vacuum buffer vessel which interconnects said teat cup with said vacuum pump.

9. A vacuum control system in accordance with claim 2, which comprises a pulsator for pulsating vacuum in said teat cup, said pulsator interconnecting said pulse line and said vacuum pump.

10. A fully automated milking apparatus which comprises a plurality of teat cups to be received by an animal being milked by the apparatus, a milking robot for automatically connecting said teat cups to an animal to be milked and disconnecting said teat cups when the milking is completed, a milk line leading from each of said teat cups, a plurality of pulse lines each connected to a respective one of said teat cups, a vacuum pump which is directly connected to a receptacle that receives said milk lines, said vacuum pump interconnected to each of said pulse lines via a pulsator means, said vacuum pump having a revolutions per minute governor, a vacuum sensor interconnected to each said milk line by being directly connected to a location between said vacuum pump and said receptacle, whereupon said revolutions per minute governor controls the vacuum in said receptacle at a substantially constant uniform value irrespective of whether or not one or more of said teat cups are received by the animal'"'"'s teat at the time.