AN IMPLEMENT FOR AUTOMATICALLY MILKING ANIMALS, SUCH AS COWS

Abstract: The invention relates to an implement for automatically milking animals, such as cows, comprising an automatic milking machine and a milking robot (5) for automatically connecting teat cups to the teats of an animal to be milked. The implement is further provided with a control room (6) in which at least part of the milking machine and/or the milking robot (5) is arranged temporarily or permanently. The implement is further provided with cleaning and/or disinfecting means (8; 10; 12; 13; 14; 15) with the aid of which an operator is cleaned and disinfected preferably automatically before coming into contact with part of the milking machine and/or the milking robot (5) in the control room (6).

Description: AN IMPLEMENT FOR AUTOMATICALLY MILKING ANIMALS, SUCH AS COWS The invention relates to an implement for automatically milking animals, such as cows, comprising an automatic milking machine and a milking robot for automatically connecting teat cups to the teats of an animal to be milked, said implement further being provided with a control room in which at least part of the milking machine and/or the milking robot is arranged temporarily or permanently. Such an implement is known. With such an implement it is important to work very hygienicall . Particularly when an operator or a mechanic comes into contact with part of the milking machine and/or the milking robot, the milking machine and/or the milking robot and/or the milk that may be present therein must be prevented from being contaminated and/or infected. Therefore, the invention aims at providing an implement enabling a very hygienic way of working. In accordance with the invention, this is achieved in that the implement is provided with cleaning and/or disinfecting means with the aid of which an operator is cleaned and/or disinfected preferably automatically before coming into contact with part of the milking machine and/or the milking robot in the control room. According to a further inventive feature, the cleaning and/or disinfecting means are arranged near an entrance door of the control room. In this manner the operator is cleaned and/or disinfected immediately before, during or immediately after entering the control room. According to another embodiment of the invention, the cleaning and/or disinfecting means are arranged in the control room. In accordance with again another inventive feature, the cleaning and/or disinfecting means comprise a hygienic gateway. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the cleaning and/or disinfecting means comprise a swing door7 while cleaning and/or disinfecting means are arranged on, in or near the swing door. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cleaning and/or disinfecting means comprise a basin to be waded through, which basin can be filled with a cleaning and/or disinfecting liquid and/or a disinfecting mat for disinfecting the shoes of an operator. According to another aspect of the invention, the cleaning and/or disinfecting means comprise a mechanical device for cleaning and/or disinfecting shoes or boots. According to a further aspect of the invention, the mechanical cleaning and/or disinfecting device comprises brushes and/or a spraying device. According to again another embodiment of the invention, the cleaning and/or disinfecting device comprises a radiation source with the aid of which disinfecting radiation, such as UVC-light, is transmitted. In accordance with an inventive feature, the cleaning and/or disinfecting device comprises a blowing device for cleaning and/or drying the clothes and/or the shoes of the operator by blowing. According to again another aspect of the invention, the cleaning and/or disinfecting means comprise a high-pressure sprayer and/or an automatically operable cock. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the above described implement is designed as a, preferably movable, container. The invention further relates to a swing door, provided with cleaning and/or disinfecting means, which swing door can be applied in an implement as described above. According to a further inventive feature, the swing door comprises sensor means with the aid of which the swing door is automatically put into operation when an operator approaches same. The invention will now be explained in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of the invention, in which the control room with the cleaning and/or disinfecting means accommodated therein, the milking robot and the milking machine are arranged in the middle of the shed; Figure 2 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the invention, in which the control room with the cleaning and/or disinfecting means accommodated therein, the milking robot and the milking machine are arranged near a side wall of the shed; Figure 3 is a plan view of a third embodiment of the invention, in which the implement is designed as a con- tainer; Figure 4 is a plan view of a fourth embodiment of the invention, in which the implement is also designed as a container and in which a swing door construction with cleaning and/or disinfecting means included therein is shown as an entrance door to the control room; Figure 5 is a side view of a swing door construction with cleaning and/or disinfecting means included therein; Figure 6 shows a fifth embodiment of the invention, in which the implement is provided with two milking robots and a hygienic gateway is arranged near the entrance door to the control room, and Figure 7 is a plan view of a sixth embodiment of the invention, in which the implement is also provided with two milking robots and the hygienic gateway is arranged between the robots. Figure 1 is a plan view of a shed 1 with a number of cubicles 2, in which an implement 3 for automatically milking animals is arranged. The implement 3 for automatical- ly milking animals comprises a milkbox 4 with a milking robot 5 and a (non-shown) automatic milking machine disposed therein. The implement 3 is further provided with a control room 6 surrounded by walls. The control room 6 gives entrance to at least part of the milking robot 5 and at least part of the milking machine. The control room 6 is provided with an entrance door 7. It is possible to enter the entrance door 7 via a hygienic gateway 8. In the present embodiment the hygienic gateway 8 is designed as an extra room surrounded by walls and provided with an entrance door 9. In the hygienic gateway 8, near the entrance door 7 to the control room rT, there is disposed a basin 10 to be waded through, which basin is filled with cleaning and/or disinfecting liquid. The basin 10 to be waded through is disposed over the full width of the hygienic gateway 8. In an alternative embodiment, it is further possible to replace the basin 10 to be waded through by a disinfecting mat. In again another (non-shown) embodiment of the invention, it is further possible to dispose a bench over the full width of the control room, while at one side of the bench the operator leaves his/her contaminated clothes and/or shoes and puts on clean clothes and shoes at the other side of the bench before entering the control room. Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of the invention, in which the parts of the implement 3 corresponding to those of the first embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals. The implement 3 according to the second embodiment only differs in that the implement is arranged near a side wall of the shed 1. Figure 3 is a plan view of a third embodiment of the invention, in which the implement 3 is designed as a possibly movable container 11. In this embodiment, corresponding parts are also indicated by the same reference numerals. In the hygienic gateway 8 there is further disposed a cock 12 which can be automatically put into and out of operation. Figure 4 shows a fourth embodiment of the invention, in which the implement 3 is also constituted by a container 11, but in which the entrance door 9 to the control room 6 is designed as a swing door and in which the lower side of the swing door comprises a basin 13 which can be filled with the cleaning and/or disinfecting liquid. Figure 5 shows a non-integrated swing door construction 14 which, near its lower side, is provided with a basin 13 which can be filled with cleaning and/or disin- fecting liquid. An already existing entrance door to the control room can easily be replaced by the swing door construction 14 which is provided with cleaning and/or disinfecting means. Figures 6 and 7 show a plan view of a fifth and sixth embodiment, respectively, of the invention, in which the implement 3 is provided with two milking robots 5. In the embodiment according to Figure 6, the milking robots 5 are disposed behind each other and for the two milking robots 5 there is one control room 6 to be reached via one hygienic gateway 8. Near the entrance door 9 of the hygienic gateway 8 there is further provided a blowing device 15 by means of which the clothes and/or the shoes of an operator entering the hygienic gateway 8 are cleaned by blowing. Both in Figure 6 and in Figure 7 corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference numerals. In the embodiment of Figure 7 the two milking robots 5 are arranged side by side, while the hygienic gateway 8 is disposed between the two milking robots 5. It is possible to enter the two control rooms 6 from the hygienic gateway 8 via separate entrance doors 7.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An implement for automatically milking animals, such as cows, comprising an automatic milking machine and a milking robot (5) for automatically connecting teat cups to the teats of an animal to be milked, said implement further being provided with a control room (6) in which at least part of the milking machine and/or the milking robot (5) is arranged temporarily or permanently, characterized in that the implement is provided with cleaning and/or disinfecting means (8; 10; 12; 13; 14; 15) with the aid of which an operator is cleaned and disinfected preferably automatically before coming into contact with part of the milking machine and/or the milking robot (5) in the control room (6). 2. An implement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that cleaning and/or disinfecting means (8, 10, 12 - 15) are arranged near an entrance door (7) of the control room (6). 3. An implement as claimed in claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the cleaning and/or disinfecting means (8, 10, 12 - 15) are arranged in the control room (6). 4. An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning and/or disinfecting means (8, 10, 12 - 15) comprise a hygienic gateway (8). 5. An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning and/or disinfecting device (8, 10, 12 - 15) comprises a swing door (14), on, in or near which swing door (14) cleaning and/or disinfecting means (8, 10, 12 - 15) are arranged. 6. An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning and/or disinfecting means (10, 13) comprise a basin (10, 13) to be waded through, which basin can be filled with a cleaning and/or disinfecting liquid and/or a disinfecting mat for disinfect- ing the shoes of the operator. 7. An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning and/or disinfecting means comprise a mechanical device for cleaning and/or disinfecting shoes or boots. 8. An implement as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the mechanical cleaning and/or disinfecting device comprises a brush and/or a spraying device. 9. An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning and/or disinfecting device comprises a radiation source with the aid of which disinfecting radiation, such as UVC-light, for example, is transmitted. 10. An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning and/or disinfecting device comprises a blowing device (15) for cleaning and/or drying the clothes and/or the shoes of an operator by blowing. 11. An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning and/or disinfecting means comprise a high-pressure sprayer and/or an automatically operable cock (12). 12. An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the implement is designed as a, preferably movable, container (11). 13. A swing door, provided with cleaning and/or disinfecting means, as described in any one of claims 6 - 11, which swing door can be applied in an implement as claimed in any one of claims 1 - 12. 14. A swing door as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the swing door (14) comprises sensor means with the aid of which the swing door is automatically put into operation when an operator approaches same.

Inventors: DE GROEN FRANCISCUS JOHANNES A, VAN DEN BERG KAREL, VAN DER LELY ALEXANDER, VAN DER WEELE WILLEM ABRAHAM F, DE GROEN, FRANCISCUS, JOHANNES, ADRIANUS, VAN DEN BERG, KAREL, VAN DER LELY, ALEXANDER, VAN DER WEELE, WILLEM, ABRAHAM, FRANS
Applicants: BERG KAREL VAN DEN, GROEN FRANCISCUS JOHANNES ADRI, LELY ALEXANDER V D, MAASLAND NV, WEELE WILLEM ABRAHAM FRANS V D, DE GROEN, FRANCISCUS, JOHANNES, ADRIANUS, MAASLAND N.V., VAN DEN BERG, KAREL, VAN DER LELY, ALEXANDER, VAN DER WEELE, WILLEM, ABRAHAM, FRANS
Application year: 1999
Main classification: A01K1
IPC codes: A01J5, A01J7, A01K1