Method and an arrangement at a dairy farm

• US 20080245307A1
• Filed: 06/03/2008
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delaval Holdings AB
• Original Assignee: Delaval Holdings AB
• Inventors: Holmertz, Nils Erik, Bosma, Epke, Wase, Lars, Ericsson, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 7,793,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/14.18
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 7/02 for cleaning or sanitising milking machines or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 7/025 Teat cup cleaning, e.g. by rinse jetters or nozzles

Abstract

The present invention refers to a cleaning method in a milking system (9) comprising a plurality of teat cups (19), each of which is connected to a respective milk line, wherein, during milking of the teats of a milking-animal, the plurality of teat cups (19) are attached to the teats of the animal, and vacuum is supplied to the respective milk lines in order to draw milk from the teats of the milking animal. The cleaning comprises the steps of removing milk or other residues present at each of said plurality of teat cups by means of flushing (37) each of said plurality of teat cups with a cleaning fluid supplied via a supply line (36, 34c); evacuating cleaning fluid from each of said plurality of teat cups or from the supply line, and disinfecting at least one of said plurality of teat cups by means of exposing (60) said at lest one of said plurality of teat cups to steam.

Claims

1. A method for cleaning in an automated milking system comprising a plurality of teat cups, each of which is connected to a respective milk line, wherein, during milking of a milking animal, the plurality of teat cups are attached to the teats of the animal, and vacuum is supplied to the respective milk lines in order to draw milk from the teats of the milking animal, wherein the steps of:

—

removing milk or other residues present at each of said plurality of teat cups by means of flushing each of said plurality of teat cups with a cleaning fluid supplied via a first supply line;

—

evacuating cleaning fluid from each of said plurality of teat cups or from the first supply line; and

—

disinfecting at least one of said plurality of teat cups by means of exposing said at lest one of said plurality of teat cups to steam.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of evacuating cleaning fluid is performed prior to said step of disinfecting at least one of said plurality of teat cups.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of evacuating cleaning fluid is performed subsequent to said step of disinfecting at least one of said plurality of teat cups.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of teat cups is flushed internally and externally with said cleaning fluid supplied via a first supply line.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said cleaning fluid is water, a mixture of water and air, or a cleaning detergent.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of teat cups is held in a downwards direction while being flushed with said cleaning fluid to prevent said cleaning fluid from flowing into the milk line, to which the teat cup is connected.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein cleaning fluid is evacuated from each of said plurality of teat cups or from the first supply line by means of supplying vacuum to said first supply line.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of disinfecting said at least one of said plurality of teat cups further comprises the step of exposing said at least one of said plurality of teat cups to radiation, particularly UV light radiation.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said steam, to which said at least one of said plurality of teat cups is exposed in the step of disinfecting, is supplied through a second supply line separate from said first supply line.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first supply line is provided with a plurality of smaller orifices in radial or tangential directions, through which the cleaning fluid is ejected as a plurality of jets for flushing each of said plurality of teat cups in the step of removing milk or other residues, while the second supply line is provided with a larger orifice, through which the steam can be exiting in the step of disinfecting to quickly heat said at least one of said plurality of teat cups.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said automated milking system comprises a washing system for washing surfaces of the automated milking system exposed to milk, including the plurality of teat cups and the milk lines connected thereto, at a regular basis, where said second supply line is connected to a tank of the washing system for collecting washing liquid collected through the plurality of teat cups or for supplying washing liquid to the automated milking system through the plurality of teat cups, the method including the step of:

—

disconnecting said tank from the plurality of teat cups prior to the step of disinfecting said at least one of said plurality of teat cups.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein vacuum is supplied to said second supply line prior and/or subsequent to the step of disinfecting said at least one of said plurality of teat cups.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of cooling said disinfected at least one of said plurality of teat cups by means of flushing said disinfected at least one of said plurality of teat cups with a cooling fluid.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said cooling fluid is water, preferably tempered water.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said cooling fluid is a gas.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said step of cooling said disinfected at least one of said plurality of teat cups is performed to lower the temperature of said disinfected at least one of said plurality of teat cups to a temperature of 25-45°

C., more preferably 30-40°

C., and most preferably about 35°

C.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein said cooling fluid is supplied to said disinfected at least one of said plurality of teat cups through said first supply line.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said automated milking system comprises a teat-cleaning device for cleaning each of the teats of the milking animal prior to the respective teat being attached to a respective one of the plurality of teat cups for milking, and said method further comprises the step of:

—

disinfecting said teat-cleaning device subsequent to the cleaning of at least one of the teats of the milking animal by means of exposing said teat-cleaning device to steam.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said teat cleaning device comprises brushes for brushing each of the teats of the milking animal.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said teat cleaning device comprises a teat cleaning cup, to which each of the teats of the milking animal is attached in sequential order to be cleaned, and wherein said teat cleaning cup is disinfect subsequent to the cleaning of each one of the teats of the milking animal.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein said teat cleaning device comprises a plurality of teat cleaning cups, to which the teats of the milking animal are attached to be cleaned, and wherein at least one of said plurality of teat cleaning cups is disinfected subsequent to the cleaning of the teats of the milking animal.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein said automated milking system comprises a robot arm provided with a gripper and an optical sensing means, wherein, prior to milking the milking animal, the plurality of teat cups are gripped by said robot arm gripper, and moved and attached to the teats of the animal with aid of said optical sensing means, said method further comprising the step of:

—

disinfecting at least a portion of said robot arm provided with said gripper and said optical sensing means.

23-61. -61. (canceled)