Abstract:
A milking robot comprises a frame that is movable along a guide track that is positioned adjacent to a rotary platform such that the frame can move in conjunction with the movement of the rotary platform. The milking robot further comprises a moveable arm having a first end that couples to the frame and a second end that extends in a longitudinal direction, and at least one gripper coupled to the movable arm at the second end. The gripper is extendable in the longitudinal direction of the movable arm.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/165,803 filed Jan. 28, 2014 which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/260,730 filed Nov. 23, 2011 and entitled “ROBOT AND METHOD FOR MILKING A COW BY THIS ROBOT” which is now U.S. Pat. No. 8,640,646 issued Feb. 4, 2014, which claims the benefit of PCT/NL2010/050154 filed Mar. 25, 2010 which claims the benefit of NL 2002678 filed Mar. 27, 2009. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a robot for moving a milking cup or milking cups from a first resting position to a second operational position or vice versa, in which second position it connects to cow&#39;s teat or teats for collecting milk. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Accordingly the invention also relates to a method for milking a cow, by using a robot for automatically handling milking cups that are near to the cow, wherein the robot handles the milking cups between a first resting position and a second operational position in which the milking cups connect to the cow&#39;s teats for collecting milk. 
         [0004]    A robot in accordance with the preamble is known from European patent application EP-A-1 447 002. This prior art document generally shows that it is known to use a robot for placing milking cups by collecting the milking cups from a milking rack and subsequently place them on the teats of a cow for collecting milk. 
         [0005]    In the prior art the cow stands still in a so called milking box in which the movements of the cow are limited by fences. In such a position it is relatively easy to place the milking cups on the teats. The production rate of this known system is, however, relatively low in view of the fact that it is only possible to milk one cow at a time. 
         [0006]    In order to increase the production rate it is also known to employ milking robots which are capable of dealing with the partly simultaneous milking of fifty to sixty cows. 
         [0007]    Another prior art system that is known employs a rotor on which the cows are placed and on which the cows are milked in a preselected time frame. In this known system a disadvantage is, however, that the milking cups are placed manually. Due thereto in this system with a cow&#39;s rotor, the milking of cows is still quite laborious. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is an object of the invention to provide a robot for milking cows which is particularly suited for use in conjunction with a cow&#39;s rotor, albeit that it is also an object of the invention to provide such a robot which may be used in any situation in which automated milking of cows is intended. 
         [0009]    In a first aspect of the invention in which the robot is used in conjunction with a cow&#39;s rotor, the rotor is provided with a position indicator and the robot is connected or connectable to said position indicator and is arranged for moving at the cow-rotor&#39;s circumference so as to maintain for a time-period that depends on the rotational speed of the cow-rotor, a stationary position relative to a preselected part of the moving cow-rotor. 
         [0010]    A practical way of implementing such a robot is that it is provided with a frame that is movable along a guide track at the cow rotor&#39;s circumference. This latter aspect makes the robot of the invention particularly suitable to implement a method for automatically milking cows, wherein the robot handles the milking cups between a first resting position and a second operational position in which the milking cups connect to the cow&#39;s teats for collecting milk, and in which movement of the milking cups between the first position and the second position is done through an area located between the cows hind-legs. Accordingly the robot of the invention can be applied in conjunction with various types of cow rotors, without having any appreciable design restrictions as to the type of rotor that is used for moving the cows. The only requirement is that the robot is designed so as to be able to move the milking cups between the hind-legs of the cow and place them on the corresponding teats of the cow, and likewise to remove the milking cups after the milking operation from the teats of the cow and place them back into the receptacles of the milking cups. 
         [0011]    In order to meet the different practical objectives that the robot preferably has to meet, it is advantageously de-signed in accordance with one or more of the appended claims  1 - 12 . 
         [0000]    One of the further aspects of the robot of the invention is that it comprises a frame, which frame supports a movable arm that has a free extremity at which it is provided with a gripper or grippers for the milking cup or cups. Each of the grippers can thus individually deal with the handling of a milking cup which has certain benefits which will become apparent hereinafter. 
         [0012]    In accordance therewith it is preferable that the robot comprises four grippers that are individually controllable for selective operation of each of the grippers. The robot of the invention is suitably embodied such that it is arranged for cooperation with a cow-rotor that is equipped to receive multiple cows, and which cow-rotor has for each cow it receives a rack for keeping milking cups in their first resting position. Thus every time that a cow on the rotor comes in front of the robot, the robot deals with this cow by getting the milking cups from the rack close to the concerning cow and place them on said cow&#39;s teats. 
         [0013]    In order to secure a reliable operation of the robot of the invention it is desirable that the movable arm has at its free extremity one or more sensors for detecting the teat or teats of a cow, and that a controller is provided to which the sensor or sensors and the gripper or grippers are connected so as to have the gripper or grippers respond to the presence of the teat or teats as measured by the sensor or sensors. 
         [0014]    A further desirable feature is that the gripper or grippers are mounted on a support at the movable free extremity, and that said gripper or grippers are extendible from the support in the arm&#39;s longitudinal direction. This allows that the grippers can be moved from behind the cow and through the area located between the cow&#39;s hind-legs in the direction of the teats of the cow. This saves on space at the side of the cow, which is the usual location from which the placement of the milking cups on the teats of the cow is carried out. 
         [0015]    It is further preferred to support the ease of placement of the milking cups on the cow&#39;s teats by having the gripper or grippers swivably mounted on a support at the movable arm&#39;s free extremity, so as to be able to swivel each gripper between a first position parallel to the arm&#39;s longitudinal direction and a second position at which the gripper extends sideways in a horizontal plane obliquely away from the arm&#39;s longitudinal direction. This feature secures that once the grippers are moved through the area between the cow&#39;s hind-legs, said grippers can move the milking cups further sideways in the direction of the cow&#39;s teats and place them thereon. 
         [0016]    A very beneficial feature of the robot of the invention is that each gripper comprises cooperating fingers for gripping a milking cup, and clamping means for pinching off and holding a milking hose that connects to the milking cup. This embodiment secures that once the gripper or grippers catch the milking cups, the corresponding milking hoses of the milking cups are pinched off simultaneously. 
         [0017]    This results in an effective vacuum condition in the milking hose immediately below the milking cup to which the concerning milking hose connects, due to the low-pressure in said hose which is needed for the milking operation. 
         [0018]    It is then further preferred that the cooperating fingers and the clamping means when activated operate simultaneously or concurrently. This provides that when in the second position of the milking cup or cups the grippers release said milking cups, the clamping means also release the milking hose or hoses connected to these milking cup or cups thus securing an immediate and tight connection with the cow&#39;s teats. 
         [0019]    The invention will hereinafter be further elucidated with reference to a preferred embodiment of the robot and its use in connection with a cow&#39;s rotor, and with reference to the drawing. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]    For a more complete understanding of the present invention and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate like features and wherein: 
           [0021]      FIG. 1  shows the robot of the invention used in conjunction with a cow&#39;s rotor; 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  shows the robot of the invention in a detail of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  shows a part of the robot of the invention close to a milking rack in which the milking cups have their resting position; 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  shows a detail of the robot with the milking cups shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  shows the grippers of the robot with the milking cups; 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  shows a detail of the robot having the grippers for the milking cups in a sideways extending position, and 
           [0027]      FIG. 7  shows a single gripper of the robot of the invention holding a milking cup. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0028]    Wherever in the figures the same reference numerals are applied these numerals refer to the same parts. 
         [0029]    With reference first to  FIG. 1  schematically a cow&#39;s rotor  1  is shown carrying some cows  2 ,  3 ,  4 . 
         [0030]    The rotor  1  can carry a series of cows  2 ,  3 ,  4  at multiple circumferentially provided positions, whereby with each position there is also a milking rack  5  at which the milking cups may occupy their first resting position. The robot  6  is arranged to take the milking cups from the milking rack and move them in a second operational position in which the milking cups are connected to the teats of a cow  2 ,  3 ,  4  which has to be milked. 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  shows the robot  6  in more detail in a situation in which it has moved the milking cups  7  already from their first resting position, and prior to having the milking cups  7  placed in the second position. 
         [0032]      FIG. 2  further shows that the robot  6  is movable along a guide track  8  which is at the circumference of the rotatable cow rotor  1  such that it can move concurrent with the movement of the cow rotor  1 . In that way the robot  6  can for a certain time period corresponding with the length of the guide track  8  and that depends on the rotational speed of the cow rotor, maintain a stationary position relative to a preselected part of the moving cow rotor  1 . This is particularly relevant for the part where the cow  2 ,  3 ,  4  is located which has to be connected to the milking cups  7  that are taken from the rack close to the concerning cow. 
         [0033]      FIG. 2  shows that the robot  6  comprises a frame  9  which supports a movable arm  10  which has at its free extremity  11  four grippers for handling the milking cups  7 . Each of said grippers  7  is individually controllable for selectively operating on the concerning milking cups  7  and for the individual handling of each of said milking cups  7 . 
         [0034]    In  FIG. 3  a detailed view is offered of the free extremity  11  of the robot arm  10  as well as of the milking cups  7  that are taken from the milking rack  5  and are held by the grippers  12  of the robot immediately prior to placing them on the teats of a cow  4 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 4  shows even a further detailed view of the free extremity  11  of the robot arm  10  as well as the milking cups  7  as held by the grippers  12 . 
         [0036]    It is to be noted that the movable arm  10  has at its free extremity  11  one or more sensors for detecting the teat of teats of a cow and that a controller is provided to which the sensor or sensors and the gripper of grippers  12  are connected such so as to have the gripper or grippers  12  respond to the position of the teat or teats as measured by the sensors. The manner in which this can be implemented is clear for the person skilled in the art, so a further discussion and detailed view in the figures with a corresponding description can be dispensed with. 
         [0037]    In  FIG. 5  it is more clearly shown that the gripper or grippers  12  are mounted on a support  13  at the movable arm&#39;s  10  free extremity  11  (see also  FIG. 4 ) and that said gripper or grippers  12  are extendable from the support  13  in the longitudinal direction of the arm  10 . 
         [0038]    Further  FIG. 5  and more even so  FIG. 6  show that the grippers  12  are swivably mounted on the support  13  that is placed at the free extremity  11  of the movable arm  10 . By this feature it is possible to swivel each gripper  12  between a first position that is parallel to the arm&#39;s longitudinal direction and which facilitates the movement of the grippers  12  with the milking cups  7  through the area in between the cow&#39;s hind-legs, and a second position as shown in  FIG. 6  at which the grippers  12  extend sideways in a horizontal plane obliquely away from the arm&#39;s longitudinal direction. This latter position best suits the placement of the milking cups  7  on the teats of the cow. 
         [0039]      FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  further show that each gripper  12  comprises cooperating fingers  14  for gripping a milking cup  7 , as well as clamping means  15  (as best seen in  FIG. 6 ) that serve for pinching off the hoses  16 , as well as for holding said milking hoses  16  that connect to the milking cups  7 . Thus the clamping means  15  serve a dual purpose, the first being to have an immediately available vacuum pressure available in the milking cup  7  once the clamping means  15  release the milking hoses  16 . This facilitates a quick and effective connecting of the milking cups  7  to the teats of the cow. A further purpose is that during the holding of the milking hoses  16  by the clamping means  15 , the milking cups  7  are effectively prevented from slipping from their position as held by the cooperating fingers  14  of the grippers  12 , when the milking cups  7  are not yet connected to the teats of the cow. 
         [0040]    In order to attain the just mentioned advantage of a quick and effective placement of the milking cup  7  to the teats of the cow it is further preferred that in the second position of the milking cups, when they are placed on the teats of the cow, the grippers  12  release the milking cups  7  and the clamping means  15  concurrently release the milking hoses  16  connected to said milking cups  7 . 
         [0041]    It is expressly remarked that with the above given description with reference to the figures of the drawing, a preferred embodiment of the robot of the invention and several of its aspects are offered without intention, however, to limit the scope of protection of the appended claims to merely the discussed embodiment. The example with reference to this preferred embodiment only serves to elucidate the terms of the claims, however, the invention and the scope of protection that it merits is only determined by the appended claims.