Delaval Holding Ab

Epke Bosma

Nils Erik Holmertz

Lars Wase

Staffan Persson

Jan Ericsson

Björn Johansson

Andrés Lundh

Mats Gudmundsson

Martin Sjolund

G&ouml;sta Fors&eacute;n

Juoko Raninen

Lars Gullander

Carina Fjallmyr

Wase,lars

A milking arrangement includes a milk transport line (), a plurality of milk stations, and a cleaning arrangement () with a delivery arrangement () configured to deliver a cleaning liquid into the milk transport line () and a pump () configured to pump the cleaning liquid through the milk transport line () at a pressure larger than atmospheric pressure, thereby filling the transport line () with cleaning liquid. A control unit () is configured to determine a volume and/or length of the milk transport line () on basis of registered first point of time of pump start, a second point of time of passage of cleaning liquid through the milk transport line (), and the amount of liquid introduced into the milk transport line from the first point of time to the second point of time.

Milking arrangement

A milking system configured to milk animals includes at least one milking station, a milk tank, a transport conduit, a valve arrangement, and a cleaning arrangement that includes a delivery arrangement configured to deliver a first liquid into the milk transport conduit and to deliver a second liquid into the milk transport conduit, a pump, a controller configured to control the delivery arrangement, and a detector configured to detect that a delivery of the first liquid into milk transport conduit has ended. The detector is connected to the controller, which is configured, as a response to a signal from the detector that the delivery of the first liquid has ended, to activate the delivery arrangement to deliver the second liquid into the milk transport conduit subsequently to the ending of the delivery of the first liquid while there is a column of first liquid in the milk transport conduit.

Milking system

A cleaning system for an automatic milking system includes a water supply arrangement alternatively serving first and second cleaning arrangements. The first cleaning arrangement is configured, in milking mode, to clean the teat cups of the automatic milking system and/or the teats of milking animals prior to being milked. The first cleaning arrangement includes at least one cleaning module, at least one feed line interconnecting the cleaning module with a tank, and a feed pump for feeding water from the tank to the cleaning module. The second cleaning arrangement is configured, in system cleaning mode, to clean the automatic milking system and includes a detergent supply system connected to the tank for supplying detergent to the tank, and a supply line interconnecting the tank with the automatic milking system allowing the cleaning liquid to be supplied to the automatic milking system.

Cleaning system and method for an automatic milking system

A arrangement for milking animals includes a milking station, a transport conduit, a main milk tank storing milk from the milking station, a connection conduit extending from the transport conduit to the main milk tank, a cleaning liquid arrangement, and a valve arrangement. From the milking station a connection pipe leads to the transport conduit at a connection point. The cleaning liquid arrangement is connected to the transport conduit via the valve arrangement. The valve arrangement is positionable in at least a first position and a second position. In the first position the transport conduit forms a loop such that two flow paths from the connection point to the connection conduit are provided by the transport conduit, and in the second position the loop is interrupted such that one flow path only from the connection point to the connection conduit is provided by the transport conduit.

Arrangement for milking animals

A milking system includes a milking member for extracting milk from an animal, a transport line, a milk tank, a milk filter unit for filtering the milk with a first filter device and a second filter device, each including a filter container and a filter element, and a valve arrangement to convey milk through the devices, where the valve arrangement communicates with a control unit. The milking system further includes an indication device generating an indication to a user when any one of the filter elements needs to be replaced, which filter of the first and second filter device needs to be replaced, and when the filter element indicated to need to be replaced is accessible for replacement. A method for operating and cleaning the milking system is also provided.

Milking system, and a method for operating a milking system

A milking plant includes a milking member to be attached to a teat of an animal to be milked during a milking operation. A milk container is connected to the milking member and adapted to collect the milk extracted during the milking operation. A milk pump, being a part of a milk transport conduit, defines a suction side and a pressure side. A milk tank is connected to the milk container via the milk transport conduit and adapted to collect the milk from the milk container. A milk sample discharge device is connected to the milk transport conduit at the pressure side. The milk pump is adapted to transport during a milk transport operation the milk extracted during the milking operation from the milk container in a major flow to the milk tank and in a minor flow via the milk discharge device.

Milking plant

A milking installation includes first and second fluid systems (S; S) and a coupling arrangement for connecting and disconnecting the first fluid system (S) to and from the second fluid system (S). In a connected state, the first and second fluid systems (S, S) are in fluid communication with one another, and in a disconnected state the first and second fluid systems (S, S) are not in fluid communication with one another. The coupling arrangement includes a common cavity (CC) configured to be alternately included in the first fluid system (S) or in the second fluid system (S) for through passage of fluid while the first and second fluid systems (S, S) are disconnected from one another. The first fluid system (S) also has a by-pass arrangement configured to allow fluid in the first fluid system (S) to circulate independently from the passage of fluid through the common cavity (CC) when the common cavity (CC) is included in the second fluid system (S).

Independent cleaning of interfaces between separable fluid systems

The present invention, relates to separating a first quantity of milk drawn from a milking animal in an automatic milking machine from a second quantity of milk drawn from a milking animal in said milking machine. Comprising the steps of milking an animal using said automatic milking machine, collecting a small representative amount of said milk during said milking, analysing at least a part of said small representative amount of milk using an on-line cell counter for counting the number of cells in said milk, and operating a valve depending on the counted number of cells so that if the counted number of cells are below a threshold said milk is collected in a first container and if said counted number of cells are equal to or above said threshold said milk are directed to either a drain or a second container.

Automatic milk separation

An indicating system for use in a milking system including an automated milking machine with a method for detecting mastitis of a milking animal in an automated milking machine, includes a first device for automatically obtaining and determining a first indicator of mastitis; a second device for automatically obtaining and determining a second indicator of mastitis; a processor operatively connected to the first and second devices and configured for automatically i) evaluating the first and second indicators of mastitis, and ii) identifying, based on the result the evaluation of the first and second indicators of mastitis, the need for a third indicator of mastitis.

An arrangement for and method of providing a representative sample of milk from one animal, after stirring the milk, includes a receiver, milk extracting parts, a pump transferring milk from the receiver to a sample unit, a circulation line extending from the receiver via the pump and back to the receiver, for stirring the milk in the receiver. The arrangement stirs the extracted milk without injecting air into the milk, before a sample part of the milk is transferred from the receiver to the milk-sampling unit, thereby ensuring that the sampled part is representative of the milk from one animal.

Milking station arrangement for and method of obtaining a representative milking sample

A system for milking animals comprises a plurality of milking machines (), a common vacuum source arrangement (-), and a vacuum conduit system (-) connecting each of said milking machines to the common vacuum source arrangement, wherein each of the milking machines is connected to the common vacuum source arrangement via an air flow regulation device (). Preferably, the common vacuum source arrangement comprises at least one vacuum pump (-) and a header tank (), and each of the air flow regulation devices is provided to regulate the air flow from the milking machine, to which it is connected, to be lower than a threshold value.

System and method for milking animals

A cleaning method in a milking system () includes a plurality of teat cups (), each of which is connected to a respective milk line. During milking of the teats of an 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. The cleaning includes removing milk or other residues present at each of the plurality of teat cups by flushing () each of the plurality of teat cups with a cleaning fluid supplied via a supply line (), evacuating cleaning fluid from each of the plurality of teat cups or from the supply line, and disinfecting at least one of the plurality of teat cups by exposing () the at least one of the plurality of teat cups to steam.

Method and an arrangement at a dairy farm

A method for counting somatic cells or fat droplets in milk on-line during milking by an automated or semi-automated milking system comprising the steps of: flowing milk as milked by the milking system through a measuring chamber (); illuminating milk that flows through the measuring chamber; and recording multiple two-dimensional digital images of illuminated milk that flows through the measuring chamber, wherein the images are recorded through a lens system () to preferably obtain a spatial resolution better than about 5 microns in the images. Finally, a somatic cell or fat droplet count score of the milk is determined from the images by means of digital image processing, preferably including the use of neural networks.

Method and apparatus for counting somatic cells or fat droplets in milk

The invention refers to a milking device and a method of handling a milking device. The milking device includes a milk-transporting member () having at least one teatcup () and arranged to transport milk from a teat of an animal to a milk-collecting member () during a milking state. A low pressure is connected to the milk-transporting member () for sucking the milk from the teat to the milk collecting member. A gas conduit () permits the introduction of a gas into the milk-transporting member. The gas conduit has a first end (), which is a gas inlet member (). The gas conduit has a second end connectable to a relatively low pressure for permitting a flow of a cleaning fluid from the milk-transporting member through the gas conduit during a cleaning state.

Milking device and a method of handling a milking device

The present invention refers to a cleaning method in a milking system () comprising a plurality of teat cups (), 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 () 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 the plurality of teat cups by of flushing () each of said plurality of teat cups with a cleaning fluid supplied via a supply line (); evacuating cleaning fluid from each of the plurality of teat cups or from the supply line; and disinfecting at least one of the plurality of teat cups by of exposing () the at lest one of the plurality of teat cups to steam.

Growing community of inventors

Tumba, Sweden

Epke Bosma