CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AT LEAST ONE FLEXIBLE TUBULAR ELEMENT CONNECTED TO A CUP-SHAPED MEMBER

• US 20130180455A1
• Filed: 10/24/2011
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Delavan Limited (Enpro Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delavan Limited (Enpro Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Holmertz, Nils-Erik, Mellberg, Sten
• Application Number:
  US13/825,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20130180455A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 5/0175 Attaching of clusters

Abstract

A control system for at least one flexible tubular element connected to a cup-shaped member includes a positioning mechanism arranged to hold the cup-shaped member and the tubular element in a parking position in a magazine when the cup-shaped member is not used, and to allow a pull-out motion of the tubular element when the cup-shaped member is moved from the parking position in the magazine to an attaching position on a teat of an animal by a gripping member. The control system further includes a control unit arranged to control the positioning mechanism such that it provides a pull-out motion of the tubular element with a controlled speed when the cup-shaped member is moved from the parking position to the attaching position on a teat of an animal by the gripping member.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A control system for controlling a tubular element positioning mechanism, comprising:

a control unit (14); and

a magazine (3, 7) comprising a positioning mechanism,

the positioning mechanism controlled by the control unit (14),

the positioning mechanism holding a flexible tubular element (5, 6, 9) connected to a cup-shaped member (4, 8),

the positioning mechanism holding the tubular element (5, 6, 9) and the cup-shaped member (4, 8) in a parking position in the magazine (3, 7) when the cup-shaped member (4, 8) is not used,

the cup-shaped member (4, 8) being movable from the parking position to an attaching position on a teat of an animal (1) by a gripping member (12a),

the positioning mechanism providing, under control of the control unit, a pull-out motion of the tubular element (5, 6, 9) when the cup-shaped member (4, 8) is moved, by the gripping member (12a), from the parking position to the attaching position on a teat of an animal (1),

wherein, when the gripping member (12a) moves the cup-shaped member (4, 8) from the parking position to the attaching position on the teat of the animal (1), the control unit (14) controls the positioning mechanism to provide the pull-out motion of the tubular element (5, 6, 9) with a controlled speed.

18. The control system according to claim 17, wherein,

the control system further comprises a sensor (19) sensing information of a parameter related to the pull-out motion of the tubular element (5, 6, 9) and

the control unit (14), when controlling the positioning mechanism to provide the pull-out motion of the tubular element (5, 6, 9) with the pull-out speed, estimates the pull-out speed using the information of said parameter.

19. The control system according to claim 17, wherein the gripping member is a gripper (12a) of a robot arm (12).

20. The control system according to claim 19, wherein,

the control unit (14), when controlling the positioning mechanism to provide the pull-out motion of the tubular element (5, 6, 9) with the pull-out speed, estimates the pull-out speed using stored information (14a) about the robot arm (12).

21. The control system according to claim 19, wherein,

the control unit (14), when controlling the positioning mechanism to provide the pull-out motion of the tubular element (5, 6, 9) with the pull-out speed, estimates the pull-out speed using information about position coordinates (x, y, z) of the gripper (12a) as the gripper (12a) moves the cup-shaped member (4, 8) from the parking position to the attaching position.

22. The control system according to claim 21, wherein,

the control unit (14), when controlling the positioning mechanism to provide the pull-out motion of the tubular element (5, 6, 9) with the pull-out speed, estimates the pull-out speed such that a release length of the tubular element (5, 6, 9) is always longer than a rectilinear distance between the cup-shaped member (4, 8) and the parking position in the magazine (3, 7).

23. The control system according to claim 21, wherein,

the control unit (14), when controlling the positioning mechanism to provide the pull-out motion of the tubular element (5, 6, 9) with the pull-out speed, estimates the pull-out speed such that a lowest part of the tubular element (5, 6, 9) is always located at least at a minimum level (L1) above a floor surface on which the animal stands.

24. The control system according to claim 22, wherein,

the control unit (14), when controlling the positioning mechanism to provide the pull-out motion of the tubular element (5, 6, 9) with the pull-out speed, estimates the pull-out speed such that a lowest part of the tubular element (5, 6, 9) is always located at least at a minimum level (L1) above a floor surface on which the animal stands.

25. The control system according to claim 23, wherein,

the control unit (14), when controlling the positioning mechanism to provide the pull-out motion of the tubular element (5, 6, 9) with the pull-out speed, estimates the pull-out speed such that the lowest part of the tubular element (5, 6, 9) is always located at a level located at least at a minimum distance (L2) below a level of the cup-shaped member (4, 8) when the cup-shaped member (4, 8) has reached the attaching position at the teat.

26. The control system according to claim 17, wherein, the positioning mechanism comprises

i) a stationarily arranged guiding element (17, 18) in the magazine (3, 7),

ii) a movable guiding element (10, 11) of the tubular element (5, 6, 9) movably arranged in the magazine, and

iii) a drive arrangement, controlled by the control unit (14), to displace the movable guiding element (10, 11) within the magazine with a variable speed in relation to the stationary guiding element (17, 18).

27. The control system according to claim 26, wherein the movable guiding element (10, 11) comprises a rolling member (10a) defining a position of an upper part of the tubular element (5, 6, 9) in the magazine (3, 7).

28. The control system according to claim 25, wherein the drive arrangement comprises a motor (20) and a transmission (21a, 21b, 22a, 22b, 23) adapted to displace the movable guiding element (10, 11) along a path in relation to the stationary guiding element (17, 18).

29. The control system according to claim 28, wherein,

the transmission comprises gear wheels (21a, 21b) adapted to displace the movable guiding element (10, 11), and

the path along which the movable guiding element (10, 11) is displaced is formed by gear rods (22a, 22b).

30. The control system according to claim 28, wherein,

the transmission comprises a rotatable rod element (23), and

the rod element (23) and the guiding element (10, 11) are connected to each other by helical connecting elements (10c, 23a) such that a rotary motion of the rod element (23) causes a movement of the guiding element (10) along a path in an axial direction of the rod element (23).

31. The control system according to claim 17,

further comprising a sensor (16) connected to detect the cup-shaped member (4, 8) being removed from the teat, wherein,

the control unit (14) is connected to receive information from the sensor (16) connected to detect the cup-shaped member (4, 8) being removed from the teat, and

the control unit (14), when receiving the information that the cup-shaped member (4, 8) being removed from the teat, activates the positioning mechanism such that the positioning mechanism retracts the cup-shaped member (4, 8) from the attaching position on the teat to the parking position in the magazine (3, 7).

32. The control system according to claim 17, wherein the cup-shaped member is a teat cup (4) and the tubular element (5, 6) is one of a milk tube and a pulse tube.

33. The control system according to claim 17, wherein the cup-shaped member is a teat cleaning cup (8).