Milking cup with rotating shell

A milking cup comprising a body having a top portion and a bottom portion. The top portion has a first lip formed thereon and the bottom portion has a second lip formed thereon. The first lip and the second lip are separated by a distance. The milking cup further comprises a rotating shell positioned between and secured by the first lip and the second lip, wherein the rotating shell encircles the body and is operable to rotate around the body independently of the movement of the other portions of the body. The rotating shell has a length that corresponds to the distance between the first lip and the second lip.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to dairy equipment, and more specifically to a milking cup with rotating shell.

BACKGROUND

Dairy farms and parlors sometimes use milking cups to facilitate collecting milk from dairy animals, such as cows. However, these milking cups often cause hoses and other components of milking systems to twist when they are used for milking. This twisting can also irritate the dairy animal and cause the milking cup to fall off the cow. Thus, milking cups that can be used for milking while reducing twisting of hoses and other components coupled to the milking cup are needed.

SUMMARY

A milking cup comprising a body having a top portion and a bottom portion is disclosed. The top portion has a first lip formed thereon and the bottom portion has a second lip formed thereon. The first lip and the second lip are separated by a defined distance. The milking cup further comprises a rotating shell positioned between and secured by the first lip and the second lip. The rotating shell encircles the body and is operable to rotate around the body independently of the movement of the other portions of the body. The rotating shell also has a length that corresponds to the distance between the first lip and the second lip.

The present embodiment presents several distinct advantages. For example, when a rotational force is applied to a milking cup of the present embodiment, the milking cup rotates freely even if the milking cup is being held by a robotic arm or a human. In this manner, if the milking cup is coupled to hoses that are twisted, the milking cup can rotate to untwist the hoses without requiring the robotic arm or hand holding the milking cup to rotate as well. This embodiment keeps the milking cup from irritating or injuring a dairy animal by keeping the milking cup from rotating while the milking cup is coupled to a dairy animal. This embodiment further keeps the milking cup from twisting and falling off of a dairy animal.

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure may include some, all, or none of these advantages. One or more other technical advantages may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the figures, descriptions, and claims included herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Dairy parlors and farms use milking systems to extract milk from dairy animals. These milking systems employ equipment, such as robotics and milking pipelines, to collect and transport milk from dairy animals to collection containers. For example, some modern dairy parlors and farms use milking cups and liners to extract milk from cows. These parlors and farms place liners inside the milking cups and then couple the liners to cow teats. The milking cups are sometimes coupled to pulsators or other devices that alternatively induce a vacuum and atmospheric pressure on the cup and the liner. This pulsation stimulates milking of the cow. Milk then flows out of the cow, through the cup, and into milking hoses that are coupled to pipelines or other conduits for transporting the milk to a container.

To automate this process and increase efficiency, dairy parlors sometimes employ robots to move the milking cups and attach the milking cups to dairy animals for milking. One way of using such robots is by having a robotic arm grab the milking cup and move the cup to the cow udder for coupling the milking cup to a teat. The robotic arms thus effectively reduce the time and work that would otherwise be done by a worker at the dairy or farm. However, the movement of these robotic arms can be coarse and, in some situations, the robotic arms can injure the cow or otherwise hinder the milking process. One such situation occurs when the robotic arms connect the milking cups to a cow teat and, in the process, rotate the milking cup while the cup is coupled to a milking hose and the cow teat. This rotation causes the teat and/or the milking hose to twist as well. Twisting the cow's teat can cause the cow discomfort and may even injure the cow. Twisting the milking hose can cause milk flow through the hose to become restricted and can even cause the milking cup to become disconnected from the cow teat.

To prevent such twisting of the cow teat and milking hose, the present embodiment contemplates a milking cup that has a rotating shell as its outer surface. The rotating shell is operable to slide and rotate across the body of the milking cup. A robotic arm can then grab the rotating shell of the cup and can rotate the shell as it attaches the cup to the teat without causing the teat and/or the milking hose to twist. This configuration thus enables a robotic arm to effectively function in a milking system and reduces the likelihood of injury to the cow by the twisting of the milking cup.

The present disclosure will be described in more detail usingFIGS. 1 through 4.FIG. 1illustrates a milking system using one embodiment of the disclosed milking cup.FIG. 2Aillustrates an exploded view of one embodiment of milking cup.FIG. 2Billustrates an assembled view of the milking cup ofFIG. 2A.FIG. 3illustrates a perspective and blown-up view of one embodiment of the disclosed milking cup with a rotating shell. AndFIG. 4illustrates a perspective and blown-up view of another embodiment of the disclosed milking cup with a rotating shell.

FIG. 1illustrates a system10with a milking cup14coupled to a liner20. Milking cup14has a first opening16and a second opening18. The outer surface of milking cup14forms a rotating shell22. System10further comprises a robot24having a robotic arm26. As shown, liner20is positioned inside milking cup14. During operation, as illustrated, liner20is attached to a dairy animal teat12and milk flows from teat12through liner20, which is positioned inside milking cup14, and into pipeline30via milking hose28.

As shown, teat12suspends from an udder of a dairy animal and may be positioned inside liner20which is positioned inside milking cup14. Although this disclosure contemplates that the dairy animal is a cow, in other embodiments, the dairy animal may be any other suitable animal including goats, sheep, buffalo etc.

Milking cup14may be any container, vessel, tube or conduit through which fluids can flow. In various embodiments, milking cup14may be made of various different materials including metals and flexible or rigid polymers. Milking cup14may be of any suitable size large enough to fit teat12and liner20. In some embodiments, milking cup14has a rotating shell22as its outer surface. Rotating shell22may be operable to move or rotate across the body of milking cup14. For example, in some embodiments, rotating shell22may be slidably coupled to the body of milking cup14so that rotating shell22is operable to slide across the body of milking cup14. Three such embodiments of milking cup14are described in greater detail with respect toFIG. 2throughFIG. 4below. Milking cup14has a first opening16and a second opening18.

First opening16of milking cup14is positioned at one end of milking cup14and second opening18is positioned at a second end of milking cup14. First opening16and second opening18may be of any suitable shape including a circular shape. First opening16is sized so that at least a portion of teat12may be inserted into milking cup14via first opening16. Second opening18is sized so that fluid inside liner20, which is positioned inside milking cup14, may flow out of milking cup14.

Liner20is a flexible tube or conduit that may be positioned inside milking cup14. Liner20may be made of any suitable material including any flexible polymer or rubber. In some embodiments, liner20may be molded to approximate the shape of teat12. Liner20is operable to relax and constrict as the air pressure between liner20and milking cup14increases and decreases. As such, in embodiments where liner20is coupled to a pulsator (not shown) operable to pressurize and depressurize milking cup14, liner20relaxes and constricts as the pulsator pressurizes and depressurizes milking cup14. In such embodiments, the pressurization and depressurization of liner20induces milking in the dairy animal.

As illustrated, one end of liner20is coupled to milking hose28and a second end of liner20is coupled to milking cup14. Milking hose28may be any tube or conduit through which fluids can flow. In various embodiments, milking hose28may be made of various different materials including rubber and flexible or rigid polymers. Milking hose28may have a first end and a second end. As shown, the first end of milking hose28is coupled to liner20. The second end of milking hose28is coupled to a pipeline30. In some embodiments, milking hose28may not be directly coupled to liner20or pipeline30. Instead, milking hose28may additionally be coupled to other components such as valves, milk meters, other conduits, couplers, etc.

In some embodiments, system10further comprises a robot24having a robotic arm26. Robot24may be any machine or device operable to control and navigate robotic arm26. Robot24may use any combination of hardware or software to operate robotic arm26. Robot24may employ processors, memory, interfaces, or any other hardware and electronics to control and navigate robotic arm26. Some embodiments of robot24may control multiple robotic arms26.

Robotic arm26may be any mechanical or electromechanical device operable to grab, rotate, twist, move, and otherwise interact with milking cup14. Robotic arm26may comprise any suitable hardware or software including any electronics for receiving instructions from robot24. Robotic arm26may be made of any suitable material including metal, polymer, rubber, a combination of such materials, etc. In some embodiments, robotic arm26is operable to grip milking cup14and attach milking cup14to a teat12for milking as described in greater detail below.

Although system10is illustrated as having a robot26with robotic arm26, in other embodiments, system10may not comprise any of these features. In such embodiments, a user may manually move and install milking cup14to a teat12for milking. Alternatively, some embodiments of system10may utilize other mechanical or electromechanical devices such as a manual claw to move and attach milking cup14to teat12.

In operation, robotic arm26grips milking cup14to position milking cup14under teat12. In this embodiment, one end of liner20, which is positioned inside and coupled to milking cup14, is further coupled to milking hose28. Milking hose28is also coupled to pipeline30. Robotic arm26moves milking cup14to teat12and attaches milking cup14to teat12by positioning milking cup14under teat12and inserting teat12into milking cup14. In some embodiments, milking hose28may twist when robotic arm26couples with milking cup14and moves milking cup14under teat12. If robotic arm26attaches milking cup14to teat12while milking hose28is twisted, milking hose28will apply a rotational force upon teat12as it attempts to untwist after it is coupled to teat12. This rotational force may cause discomfort to the dairy animal and it may cause milking cup14to fall off of teat12.

In an embodiment contemplated by the present disclosure, however, robotic arm26grips the rotating shell22of milking cup14as robotic arm26moves milking cup14under teat12. In such embodiments, if milking hose28twists when robotic arm26grips milking cup14, rotating shell22rotates independently of milking cup14and causes milking hose28to untwist before milking cup14is coupled to teat12. In this manner, little to no rotational force is applied to teat12and milking cup14securely couples with teat12while reducing or eliminating discomfort to the dairy animal.

FIG. 2Aillustrates an exploded view of one embodiment of milking cup14. In this embodiment, milking cup14is separated into a top portion50and a bottom portion52. Top portion50has a top lip54and bottom portion52has a bottom lip56. As illustrated, rotating shell22is positioned in between top portion50and bottom portion52.FIG. 2Billustrates an assembled view of the milking cup14ofFIG. 2Awhere top portion50is connected to bottom portion52. In this embodiment, rotating shell22is positioned in between top portion50and bottom portion52and is secured by top lip54and bottom lip56.

In this embodiment, milking cup14has a body58comprised of top portion50and bottom portion52. Top portion50may be connected to bottom portion52in any suitable manner. For example, top portion50may be welded, screwed, glued, etc. to bottom portion52. Although the illustrated embodiment shows milking cup14with a top portion50and a bottom portion52that are connected together, in other embodiments, milking cup14may be made of any number of portions including one continuous portion.

In one embodiment, rotating shell22has an inner dimension, such as an inner diameter, that is larger than a corresponding outer dimension, such as an outer diameter, of body58. As shown, rotating shell22encircles body58and is positioned in between top lip54and bottom lip56. Top lip54and bottom lip56may be any protrusions, notches, or other suitable formations on top portion50and bottom portion52for preventing rotating shell22from sliding off of body58. In some embodiments, rotating shell22may have a length that is shorter than the distance between top lip54and bottom lip56. In this embodiment, rotating shell22may be operable to slide laterally between top lip54and bottom lip56in addition to rotating around body58. In some embodiments, top lip54and bottom lip56may be removably coupled to milking cup14. For example, in embodiments where milking cup14is formed of one continuous portion, milking cup14may have a threaded portion62and top lip54and/or bottom lip56may be removably screwed onto milking cup14via the threaded portion62.

As illustrated, milking cup14is positioned along a longitudinal axis60and body58extends along the length of longitudinal axis60. In the illustrated embodiment, rotating shell22rotates across the body of milking cup14around longitudinal axis60. Although the illustrated embodiment shows rotating shell22as forming a center portion of milking cup14, in other embodiments, top portion50, bottom portion52, or any other suitable portion of milking cup14may comprise rotating shell22. For example, in one embodiment, top portion50of milking cup14may rotate independently of the remaining portions of milking cup14. In such an embodiment, if milking hose28is twisted, liner20may exert a rotational force upon the top portion50of milking cup14to rotate top portion50independently of the other portions of milking cup14and untwist milking hose28. In various embodiments, rotating shell22may be made of various different materials including a material that is different from or the same as the rest of milking cup14. In some embodiments, rotating shell22may be metallic and/or magnetic. Rotating shell22may be coated with a corrosion or wear resistant plating such as a nickel plating. In some embodiments, the plating of rotating shell22may facilitate the rotation of rotating shell22across top portion50and bottom portion52by reducing the friction between rotating shell22and top/bottom portions50and52.

In embodiments where rotating shell22is made of a magnetic material, robotic arm26may magnetically grab rotating shell22. Rotating shell22may be operable to rotate in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction independently of the movement of the remaining portions of milking cup14including top portion50and bottom portion52of milking cup14. In some embodiments, rotating shell22may rotate in both a clockwise and a counterclockwise direction. In other embodiments, rotating shell22may rotate in only one of a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction. Further, in some embodiments, rotating shell22may be operable to rotate freely or lock into place.

FIG. 3illustrates another embodiment of milking cup14with rotating shell22including a cross-sectional cut-out of milking cup14. In the illustrated cut-out, rotating shell22has two hooks100aand100bthat engage with two guide tracks102aand102brespectively. Guide tracks102aand102bare formed upon top portion50and bottom portion52of milking cup14. In one embodiment, guide tracks102aand102bare shaped so that hooks100aand100blatch onto guide tracks102aand102b.

In the illustrated embodiment, hook100ais formed along a top portion of rotating shell22and encircles rotating shell22. In this manner, hook100aengages with guide track102aalong the length of rotating shell22. Similarly, hook100bis formed upon a bottom portion of rotating shell22and also encircles rotating shell22. Hook100bengages with guide track102balong the length of rotating shell22. In this manner, rotating shell22securely fastens onto body58. When hooks100aand100bare latched onto guide tracks102aand102b, rotating shell22can slide on guide tracks102aand102bindependently of body58.

FIG. 4illustrates another embodiment of milking cup14with a rotating shell22.FIG. 4also illustrates a blown-up view of a cross-sectional cut-out of milking cup14showing rotating shell22positioned between top lip54and bottom lip56and where rotating shell is coupled to rollers150.

Rollers150may be any round or spherical object that reduces the friction between rotating shell22and body58. Rollers150may be coupled to the edges of rotating shell22or may be positioned at any other suitable position to facilitate sliding rotating shell22across body58. For example, in some embodiments, rollers150may be positioned in between rotating shell22and body58near the middle of rotating shell22.

AlthoughFIGS. 2 through 4illustrate several embodiments of how rotating shell22may rotate across body58, in other embodiments, rotating shell22may rotate across body58in various different ways using any suitable mechanism whereby rotating shell22moves across body58independently of the movement of other portions of milking cup14.

Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the systems, apparatuses, and processes described herein without departing from the scope of the disclosure. The components of the systems and apparatuses may be integrated or separated. Moreover, the operations of the systems and apparatuses may be performed by more, fewer, or other components. The methods may include more, fewer, or other steps. Additionally, steps may be performed in any suitable order. Additionally, operations of the systems and apparatuses may be performed using any suitable logic. As used in this document, “each” refers to each member of a set or each member of a subset of a set.

Although several embodiments have been illustrated and described in detail, it will be recognized that substitutions and alterations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, as defined by the appended claims. To aid the Patent Office, and any readers of any patent issued on this application in interpreting the claims appended hereto, applicants note that they do not intend any of the appended claims to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) as it exists on the date of filing hereof unless the words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in the particular claim.