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:
Jan. 03, 2006
Filed:
Sep. 17, 2001
Alexander Van Der Lely, Rotterdam, NL;
Karel Van Den Berg, Bleskensgraaf, NL;
Renatus Ignatius Josephus Fransen, Vlaardingen, NL;
Alexander van der Lely, Rotterdam, NL;
Karel van den Berg, Bleskensgraaf, NL;
Renatus Ignatius Josephus Fransen, Vlaardingen, NL;
Lely Enterprises A.G., Zug, CH;
Abstract
A vehicle for automatically milking dairy farm animals which carries a milk reservoir having milk lines which connect to a set of teat cups that are automatically connected to animals' teats by a milking robot. The vehicle is supported from the underlying surface by wheels, caterpillar tracks, or an air cushion, and includes navigational equipment which controls the vehicle so that it positions itself under the animals' teats whereupon the teat cups automatically placed on the relevant animals' teats one by one or in pairs. The vehicle also has its own propulsion power source. The vehicle including all its components is movable and displaceable as a whole. A gripping mechanism for connecting the vehicle to an animal may be included. In a variation, a central station carries a milk reservoir and a plurality of satellite milking units as described above seek out and milk the dairy farm animals. Such units are coupled to the central station by conduits otherwise to deliver milk they receive from the animals to the reservoir carried by the central station.