The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 29, 2001
Filed:
May. 05, 2000
Alexander van der Lely, Jan Witkampstraat, NL;
Karel van den Berg, Boterbloemstraat, NL;
Franciscus J. A. de Groen, Kookwitje, NL;
Willen A. F. van der Weele, Zügerstrasse, NL;
Maasland N.V. a Dutch Limited Liability co., Maasland, NL;
Abstract
An apparatus for automatically milking animals, such as cows, comprising automatic milking machine and a milking robot for automatically connecting teat cups to the teats of an animal to be milked. The apparatus is further provided an enclosure having a control room which is accessible to and contains at least part of the milking machine and milking robot. The apparatus further comprises a device for cleaning or disinfecting, or both, an operator who enters the control room. This is accomplished automatically by providing adjacent to, or as part of, the door that enters the control room, a cleaning and disinfecting device which at least contacts the footwear of an operator entering the control room. The door may be turnable about a centrally disposed vertical axis which rotates to provide an entrance and exit from the control room, the bottom of the rotatable door comprising a basin which contains cleaning or disinfectant fluid or both. The enclosure may have one or two milking compartments either side by side or aligned longitudinally, a control room with access to the milking robot or robots and milking machine or machines and a cleaning and disinfecting device adjacent to, or as part of, the entry door and, as a whole, the enclosure may be movable.