Patent ID: 8800486

Claim:
A control system for milking members in a milking parlour, comprising: a local control unit ( 23 , 26 ) in each of a plurality of milking stalls ( 3 , 4 ), each milking stall ( 3 , 4 ) comprising i) a milking member ( 14 ) attachable to an animal ( 1 ) present in the milking stall ( 3 , 4 ), the milking member ( 14 ) receiving a vacuum pressure based on a position of a vacuum valve ( 27 ), ii) a storage device ( 25 , 29 ) holding the milking member ( 14 ) in a storage position when the milking member is not in use for milking the animal, and iii) a cleaning unit ( 18 ) arranged to clean the milking member ( 14 ), wherein, when the milking member ( 14 ) is moved from the storage position for a milking operation, the local control unit ( 23 , 26 ) automatically prepares the milking member ( 14 ) for the milking operation by setting the vacuum valve ( 27 ) from a closed position to an open position to provide the vacuum pressure to the milking member ( 14 ); and a control unit ( 11 , 12 ) connected to at least two of the milking stalls ( 3 , 4 ) to set the at least two milking stalls ( 3 , 4 ) in a pre-cleaning mode while the milking operation is in progress in at least another of the milking stalls ( 3 , 4 ), wherein, when the at least two milking stalls ( 3 , 4 ) are set in the pre-cleaning mode and the milking members ( 14 ) are then moved from the storage position, the local control unit ( 23 , 26 ) of at least two milking stalls ( 3 , 4 ) automatically prepares the milking members ( 14 ) of at least two milking stalls ( 3 , 4 ) for a cleaning operation by maintaining the vacuum valves ( 27 ) in the closed position until the cleaning operation of the milking members ( 14 ) is started.