Patent ID: 8464655
Filing Date: 2013-06-18
Classification: A01J

Abstract:
1. A method for cleaning a teat cup gripper device of a milking station for milking animals, the milking station including a control unit, an automatic moving device, and a cleaning device, the method comprises: automatically detecting when a gripping surface of the gripper device is too soiled to grip a teat cup properly by i) detecting, with a sensor, performance deterioration of the gripper device as indicated by a degree of soil on the gripping surface, wherein the performance deterioration detected by the sensor relates to the ability of the gripper device to hold a teat cup, and ii) based on the detected degree of soil, forming a determination when the gripping surface of the gripper device is too soiled to function properly to grip the teat cup; and automatically initiating, based on the detected performance deterioration, and the determination that the gripper device is too soiled to function properly to grip the teat cup, with the control unit, a gripper device cleaning procedure including, moving, with the automatic moving device, the gripper device to a cleaning position, and cleaning, with the cleaning device, the gripper device to remove dirt off the gripping surface of the gripper device; transmitting, with the sensor, information of the detected performance deterioration of the gripper device; receiving, with the control unit, the information; processing, with the control unit, the information to determine if cleaning is necessary, the cleaning procedure being initiated based on the processing, wherein the gripper device is an electromagnetic gripper device, wherein the sensor is an inductive sensor in the electromagnetic gripper device, the inductive sensor sensing a magnetic field, an inductance, or a change of inductance caused by the gripper device surface being soiled, and wherein the transmitted information from the sensor is at least one of magnetic field information, induced electric current information, and a change field or current information, said transmitted information used for forming the determination that the gripper device is too soiled to function properly to grip the teat cup.