Milking system

Abstract

The invention provides a milking system which comprises a moving channel, a milking area and a mechanical arm, and the moving channel is a channel for animals to walk; a rack is arranged above the moving channel; the multiple milking areas are located on the two sides of the moving channel respectively, the milking areas located on the same side are arranged at intervals, a fence is arranged on each milking area in a surrounding mode, an inlet of the fence is communicated with the moving channel, and the included angle between the length direction of the fence and the extending direction of the moving channel is an acute angle; the mechanical arm is in transmission connection with a driving assembly, the driving assembly is arranged on the rack and used for driving the mechanical arm to move to a preset milking station in the extending direction of the moving channel, and the mechanical arm is configured to be connected with the milking assembly and drive the milking assembly to move to a to-be-milked position in the corresponding milking area. According to the milking system, the moving direction of the dairy cows is limited, so that the dairy cows can smoothly enter the milking areas on the two sides through the moving channels, and the distribution uniformity of the dairy cows in the milking areas on the two sides and the efficiency of the dairy cows entering the milking areas are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of milking, and in particular to a milking system. Background Art

[0002] With the improvement of living standards, people's demand for dairy products has increased. Milking is a very arduous task in the process of dairy animal breeding. In order to reduce labor intensity and prevent secondary pollution of milk sources caused by manual milking, automated equipment is applied to dairy animal breeding. Automated milking can not only reduce labor intensity and save labor costs, but also greatly improve production efficiency.

[0003] In the prior art, a milking device is disclosed, comprising a milking area, a first moving channel, a second moving channel and a connecting arm, wherein the milking area has a plurality of milking areas and are respectively located on both sides of the first moving channel; a frame is provided above the first moving channel, and the upper end of the connecting arm is slidably connected to the frame, and can move along the extension direction of the first moving channel to the position of the corresponding milking area so as to use the milking assembly to perform milking operations on animals in the milking area; the second moving channel has two entrances, the entrances of the two are connected to each other, which is equivalent to having the same entrance, and then is divided into two second moving channels from the entrance to both sides, The two second moving channels are respectively located on the outside of the milking area on the same side. The milking area on the same side is connected to the second moving channel on the same side, and the dairy animals enter the milking area from the outside of the milking area. It can be seen that when milking operations are required, the movement direction of the dairy animals is uncertain during the process of being introduced from the entrance to the corresponding second moving channel. From the herd effect, it can be seen that there are milking animals gathered in the second moving channel on one side, while there are fewer animals in the second moving channel on the other side, which leads to uneven distribution of animals in the milking areas on both sides and low efficiency of animals entering the milking area. Summary of the invention

[0004] The invention provides a milking system for solving the technical problem of low efficiency of animals entering a milking area in the prior art.

[0005] The present invention provides a milking system, comprising:

[0006] A moving passage, used for animals to walk; a rack is provided above the moving passage;

[0007] There are multiple milking areas, which are respectively located on both sides of the moving passage, and the milking areas on the same side are spaced apart from each other. Each of the milking areas is surrounded by a fence, and the entrance of the fence is connected to the moving passage. The angle between the length direction of the fence and the extension direction of the moving passage is an acute angle; and,

[0008] The mechanical arm is connected to a driving assembly in a transmission manner. The driving assembly is arranged on the frame and is used to drive the mechanical arm to move to a preset milking station along the extension direction of the moving channel. The mechanical arm is configured to engage with the milking assembly and drive the milking assembly to move to a corresponding position to be milked in the milking area.

[0009] Optionally, the frame is fixedly provided with a guide rail, the guide rail is located above the moving channel and extends in the same direction as the moving channel;

[0010] The driving assembly is transmission-connected with a slide seat, and the slide seat is slidably connected to the guide rail and connected to the upper end of the mechanical arm.

[0011] Optionally, the driving assembly includes a mobile driving member and a first rotating driving member; the mobile driving member is installed on the frame and is transmission-connected to a slide, and is used to drive the slide to move along the extension direction of the moving channel; the first rotating driving member is installed on the slide and is transmission-connected to the upper end of the robotic arm, and is used to drive the robotic arm to rotate relative to the slide around a first direction to the corresponding side of the moving channel.

[0012] Optionally, the slide seat is pivotally connected to a rotating seat, and the first rotating driving member is transmission-connected to the rotating seat to drive the rotating seat to rotate relative to the slide seat around the first direction;

[0013] The upper end of the mechanical arm is connected to the rotating seat.

[0014] Optionally, the upper end of the robotic arm is pivoted to the rotating seat about a second direction, and the rotating seat is equipped with a first flipping drive component, which is transmission-connected to the upper end of the robotic arm and is used to drive the robotic arm to flip about a second direction relative to the rotating seat, and the second direction is set at an angle to the first direction.

[0015] Optionally, the fence is provided with the milking assembly;

[0016] The driving assembly is used to drive the robotic arm to engage with or disengage from the milking assembly; if the robotic arm is engaged with one of the milking assemblies, it can drive the milking assembly to move to a preset position of the corresponding milking area; if the robotic arm is disengaged from the milking assembly, the milking assembly is relatively fixed to the fence.

[0017] Optionally, the mechanical arm comprises an upper arm and a lower arm, the upper end of the upper arm is pivotally connected to the rotating seat around the second direction, the lower end of the upper arm is pivotally connected to the upper end of the lower arm, and the lower end of the lower arm can be engaged with or disengaged from the milking assembly;

[0018] The first flipping driving member is transmission-connected to the upper end of the upper arm, and is used for driving the upper arm to flip around the second direction relative to the rotating seat; the upper arm is equipped with a rotating driving member, and the rotating driving member is transmission-connected to the lower arm, and is used for driving the lower arm to rotate relative to the upper arm.

[0019] Optionally, the rotation driving member is used to drive the lower arm to rotate relative to the upper arm along a third direction, wherein the third direction is perpendicular to the second direction and is arranged at an angle to the first direction.

[0020] Optionally, the first direction is a vertical direction, and the second direction is a horizontal direction.

[0021] Optionally, the fence is provided with a support rod, and the support rod extends along the length direction of the fence; the milking assembly can be slidably connected to the support rod and can be pivotally connected to the support rod around the length direction of the fence.

[0022] Taking the milking system applied to milking cows as an example, the milking system provided by the present invention has at least the following beneficial technical effects:

[0023] Firstly, by arranging the milking areas on both sides of the moving channel, that is, there is a moving channel for cows to walk, and cows enter the milking area through the moving channel, the moving direction of the cows is limited, so that the cows can smoothly enter the milking areas on both sides through the moving channel, thereby improving the uniformity of cow distribution in the milking areas on both sides and improving the distribution efficiency of cows entering the milking areas; secondly, the angle between the length direction of the fence and the extension direction of the moving channel is an acute angle. For a moving channel of a certain length, the number of milking area layouts is increased, and multiple cows can be milked at the same time, thereby improving the milking efficiency of cows; in addition, each milking area can share a robotic arm, thereby reducing the overall cost of the milking system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a top view of a milking device in the related art;

[0025] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a milking system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 for Figure 2 The middle circle shows a partial enlarged schematic diagram of part A;

[0027] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a top view of a structure in which a robotic arm performs milking operation on a cow in a milking area on one side in a milking system provided by an embodiment of the present invention; wherein the vertical direction is the OZ direction, the horizontal direction is the OY direction, and the extension direction of the moving channel is the OX direction;

[0028] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a top view of a structure in which a mechanical arm performs milking operation on a cow in a milking area on the other side in a milking system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a state of a robotic arm in a milking system provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Description of reference numerals:

[0031] 01. Milking area; 02. First moving channel; 03. Second moving channel; 04. Cleaning area; 05. Connecting channel; 06. Connecting arm; 07. Slide; 08. Milking assembly;

[0032] 10. Frame; 101. Moving channel; 102. Milking area; 103. Operating area; 110. Fence; 111. Support rod; 112. Sleeve; 120. Guide rail; 130. Slide seat; 140. Rotating seat; 141. Horizontal plate; 142. Side connecting plate; 20. Milking assembly; 30. Mechanical arm; 310. Upper arm; 320. Lower arm. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the following is a brief description of the present invention in conjunction with the attached drawings. Figure 2-6 The specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail.

[0034] In the present invention, the terms "connected" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure.

[0035] In the present invention, terms such as "vertical", "horizontal", "up", "down", "left", "right", and "front" indicating directions or positional relationships are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they should not be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0036] Please refer to the attached Figure 1The milking equipment of the related art includes a milking area 01, a first movable channel 02, a second movable channel 03, a cleaning area 04, a connecting channel 05 and a connecting arm 06, wherein the milking area 01 has multiple and are respectively located on the left and right sides of the first movable channel 02, the length direction of the milking area 01 is parallel to the extension direction of the first movable channel 02, and the entrance of the milking area 01 is located on the side away from the first movable channel 02; the second movable channel 03 has two, which are respectively parallel to the first movable channel 02 and located on the entrance side of the milking area 01; the connecting channel 05 is located at the front side of the first movable channel 02 and is respectively connected to the two second movable channels 03, the cleaning area 04 is located at the front side of the connecting channel 05 and is connected to the connecting channel 05, and the cleaning area 04 is used to clean the animal's teats; a slide 07 is provided above the first movable channel 02, and the connecting arm 06 is slidably connected to the slide 07, and can move along the extension direction of the first movable channel 02 to the corresponding milking area 01 position to use the milking assembly 08 to milk the animals in the milking area 01. Taking the application of the milking equipment for milking cows as an example, the milking equipment in the related art still has the following deficiencies: the cows to be milked enter the connecting channel 05 after cleaning their teats in the cleaning area 04, and then enter the second moving channel 03, that is, the two first moving channels 03 share the same connecting channel 05. Due to the herd effect, the cows may all walk from the connecting channel 05 to the second moving channel 03 on one side, and then enter the milking area 01 on that side, resulting in fewer cows in the second moving channel 03 on the other side, that is, the cows in the milking areas 01 on both sides are unevenly distributed, and the cows need to be driven or guided manually to move, and the distribution efficiency of cows entering the milking area 01 is low.

[0037] In order to improve the distribution efficiency of animals entering the milking area, an embodiment of the present invention provides a milking system, see Figure 2 The milking system includes a moving passage 101, a milking area 102 and a robot arm 30. The moving passage 101 is used for animals to walk. A frame 10 is provided above the moving passage 101. There are multiple milking areas 102, which are respectively located on both sides of the moving passage 101. The milking areas 102 located on the same side are spaced apart from each other. Each milking area 102 is surrounded by a fence 110. The entrance of the fence 110 is connected to the moving passage 101. The angle between the length direction of the fence 110 and the extension direction of the moving passage 101 is an acute angle. In addition, the robot arm 30 is transmission-connected with a driving component, which is provided on the frame 10 and is used to drive the robot arm 30 to move to a preset milking station along the extension direction of the moving passage 101. The robot arm 30 is configured to engage with the milking component 20 and drive the milking component 20 to move to the corresponding milking area 102. The position to be milked.

[0038] In the embodiment of the present invention, the animal teat may be a teat of a cow, a teat of a sheep, a teat of a camel or a teat of other milk-producing animals. Taking the application of the milking system to milking cows as an example, an embodiment of the present invention provides a milking system. On the one hand, by arranging the milking areas 102 on both sides of the moving channel 101, the cows enter the milking area 102 through the moving channel 101, and the moving direction of the cows is limited, so that the cows can smoothly enter the milking areas 102 on both sides through the moving channel 101, thereby improving the uniformity of the distribution of cows in the milking areas 102 on both sides and improving the efficiency of cows entering the milking area 102; on the other hand, the angle between the length direction of the fence 110 and the extension direction of the moving channel 101 is an acute angle, that is, the milking areas 102 are tilted on both sides of the moving channel 101. For a certain length of the moving channel 101, the number of layouts of the milking areas 102 is increased, and multiple cows can be milked at the same time, thereby improving the milking efficiency of the cows; in addition, the robotic arm 30 can move to a preset milking station along the extension direction of the moving channel 101, that is, each milking area 102 can share the robotic arm 30, thereby reducing the overall cost of the milking system.

[0039] In the embodiment of the present invention, the angle θ between the length direction of the fence 110 and the extension direction of the movable channel 101 ranges from 15° to 75°. For example, the angle θ between the two may be 30°, 45°, 60° or other angles.

[0040] In the embodiment of the present invention, the milking area 102 is symmetrically arranged relative to the moving channel 101 .

[0041] In the embodiment of the present invention, see the attached Figure 2 The frame 10 is fixed with a guide rail 120, which is located above the moving channel 101 and extends in the same direction as the moving channel 101; the driving assembly is transmission-connected with a slide 130, which is slidably connected to the guide rail 120 and connected to the upper end of the mechanical arm 30. In this way, the guide rail 120 provides support and guidance for the movement of the mechanical arm 30 along the extension direction of the moving channel.

[0042] In the embodiment of the present invention, see the attached Figure 3 The driving assembly includes a mobile driving member (not shown in the figure) and a first rotating driving member (not shown in the figure); the mobile driving member is installed on the frame 10 and is in driving connection with the slide 130, and is used to drive the slide 130 to move along the extension direction of the moving channel 101; the first rotating driving member is installed on the slide 130 and is in driving connection with the upper end of the mechanical arm 30, and is used to drive the mechanical arm 30 to rotate relative to the slide 130 around the first direction to the corresponding side of the moving channel 101. Figure 4As shown, the first direction takes the OZ direction as an example, and the robot arm 30 can rotate around the OZ direction relative to the slide 130 to the left or right side of the moving channel 101; in this way, the mobile driving member drives the slide 130 to drive the robot arm 30 to reciprocate along the extension direction of the moving channel 101 to the preset milking station, engage with the milking assembly 20 and drive the milking assembly 20 to move to the waiting position for milking in the corresponding milking area 102; since there is a preset angle between the length direction of the fence 110 of the milking area 102 and the extension direction of the moving channel 101, the first rotating driving member is set to drive the robot arm 30 to rotate relative to the slide 130, so that the robot arm 30 rotates to the side of the cow, so that the robot arm 30 engages with the milking assembly 20 and moves to the bottom of the teat of the animal in the milking area 102 for milking.

[0043] In the embodiment of the present invention, the mobile driving member can be a motor, an electric push rod or a cylinder. For example, when the mobile driving member is a motor, the motor is connected to a transmission assembly, and the transmission assembly can include a driving wheel, a driven wheel and a transmission belt meshed with both, the driving wheel is connected to the motor, the driving wheel and the driven wheel are both pivoted to the frame 10, and the slide 130 is fixed to the transmission belt; for another example, when the mobile driving member is a motor, the motor is connected to a transmission assembly, and the transmission assembly can include a screw and a nut, the nut is threadedly connected to the screw and fixed to the slide 130, the motor is connected to the screw, the motor drives the screw to rotate, and then drives the slide 130 to move along the guide rail 120 through the nut; for another example, when the mobile driving member is a motor, the motor is connected to a transmission assembly, and the transmission assembly can include a gear and a rack, the gear is connected to the motor, the gear is connected to the rack, the rack is parallel to the guide rail 120 and fixed to the slide 130, the motor drives the gear to rotate, and the gear drives the rack to drive the slide 130 to move along the guide rail 120.

[0044] In the embodiment of the present invention, the robot arm 30 can move within the milking area 102, or between any adjacent milking areas 102. Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, there is an operating area 103 between any adjacent milking areas 102, the operating area 103 is connected to the milking area 102, and the entrance end of the operating area 103 is connected to the moving channel 101, the moving drive member is used to drive the slide 130 to move along the extension direction of the moving channel 101 to the area near the entrance end of the operating area, and the first rotating drive member drives the robot arm 30 to rotate relative to the slide 130 around the first direction to the operating area 103, wherein the operating area 103 is a preset milking station.

[0045] See attached Figure 1, the milking equipment in the related art, the milking assembly 08 is provided with a milking area 01 and can move under the teats between the hind legs of the animal to be milked, the milking assembly 08 has a plurality of milking cups; the connecting arm 06 can move along the extension direction of the first moving channel 02 to the corresponding milking area 01 to engage or disengage from the milking cup; if the connecting arm 06 is engaged with one of the milking cups, it can drive the milking cup to move under the teats between the hind legs of the animal to be milked to attach to the teats of the animal; specifically, the connecting arm 06 includes a first arm and a second arm, the first end of the first arm is pivotally connected to the slide frame around the vertical direction, the first end of the second arm is pivotally connected to the second end of the first arm around the vertical direction, the second end of the second arm is pivotally connected to a clamp, and the clamp is used to clamp the milking cup. By the attachment Figure 1 It can be seen that both the first arm and the second arm extend into the milking area 01, and the second arm drives the milking cup to rotate vertically between the hind legs of the animal to be milked. The related technology also has the following shortcomings: the connecting arm 06 rotates vertically, that is, rotates in the horizontal plane, and there is a risk of collision with the hind legs of the cow.

[0046] Therefore, compared with the milking equipment in the related art, a milking system provided in an embodiment of the present invention moves the robotic arm 30 along the extension direction of the moving channel 101 to the area near the entrance end of the operating area 103, and then drives the robotic arm 30 to rotate around the first direction relative to the slide 130 to the operating area 103 through the first rotating drive member, so that the robotic arm 103 extends obliquely from top to bottom, and the end of the robotic arm 103 enters the milking area 102 through the operating area 103, that is, the end of the robotic arm 103 enters the milking area 102 from the side of the cow, rather than entering horizontally between the cow's hind legs, thereby avoiding collision between the robotic arm 103 and the cow's hind legs.

[0047] In the embodiment of the present invention, see the attached Figure 3 The slide 130 is pivotally connected to the rotating seat 140, and the first rotating driving member is connected to the rotating seat 140 for driving the rotating seat 140 to rotate relative to the slide 130 around the first direction; the upper end of the mechanical arm 30 is connected to the rotating seat 140. The first rotating driving member may include a motor and a reducer, both of which are mounted on the slide 130, the power input end of the reducer is connected to the motor shaft of the motor, and the power output end of the reducer is connected to the rotating seat 140. The rotating seat 140 is arranged in this way to facilitate the rotation connection of the mechanical arm 30 relative to the slide 130.

[0048] In the embodiment of the present invention, see the attached Figure 3, the upper end of the mechanical arm 30 is pivotally connected to the rotating seat 140 about the second direction, and the rotating seat 140 is equipped with a first flip driving member (not shown in the figure), which is transmission-connected to the upper end of the mechanical arm 30 and is used to drive the mechanical arm 30 to flip relative to the rotating seat 140 about the second direction, and the second direction is set at an angle to the first direction. For example, the first direction is a vertical direction, such as Figure 4 The second direction is the horizontal direction, such as Figure 4 With such arrangement, the mechanical arm 30 is turned over relative to the rotating seat 140, so that the height of the end of the mechanical arm 30 can be adjusted, which facilitates the attachment of the teat cup set of the milking assembly 20 to the teat of the cow.

[0049] In the embodiment of the present invention, see the attached Figure 3 The rotating seat 140 includes a horizontal plate 141 and a side connecting plate 142 . The horizontal plate 141 is transmission-connected to the first rotating driving member; the side connecting plate 142 is vertically connected to the horizontal plate 141 , and the first flipping driving member is installed on the side connecting plate 142 .

[0050] In an embodiment of the present invention, the first rotating driving component may include a motor and a reducer, both of which are installed on the slide 130, the power input end of the reducer is transmission-connected to the motor shaft of the motor, and the power output end of the reducer is fixed to the horizontal plate 141; the first flipping driving component may include a motor and a reducer, both of which are installed on the side connecting plate 142, the power input end of the reducer is transmission-connected to the motor shaft of the motor, and the power output end of the reducer is transmission-connected to the upper end of the robotic arm 30.

[0051] In the embodiment of the present invention, the milking assembly 20 can be arranged on the frame 10 or on the fence 110. Figure 3As shown, the fence 110 is provided with a milking assembly 20; the driving assembly is used to drive the mechanical arm 30 to engage with or disengage from the milking assembly 20; if the mechanical arm 30 is engaged with one of the milking assemblies 20, it can drive the milking assembly 20 to move to a preset position of the corresponding milking area 102; if the mechanical arm 30 is disengaged from the milking assembly 20, the milking assembly 20 is relatively fixed to the fence 110. In this way, the robot arm 30 moves to the preset milking station along the extension direction of the moving channel 101, and engages with the milking assembly 20 of the milking area 102 corresponding to the preset milking station to drive the milking cup group of the milking assembly 20 of the milking area 102 to be attached to the teat of the cow in the milking area 102 for milking. In the process of milking the cow in the milking area 102, the robot arm 102 can move to another preset milking station along the extension direction of the moving channel 101, and engages with the milking assembly 20 of the milking area 102 corresponding to the preset milking station to drive the milking assembly 20 of the milking area 102 to be attached to the teat of another cow for milking, that is, multiple cows can be milked at the same time, saving milking time and improving milking efficiency.

[0052] In the embodiment of the present invention, see the attached Figure 3 The robot arm 30 includes an upper arm 310 and a lower arm 320. The upper end of the upper arm 310 is pivotally connected to the rotating seat 140 around the second direction. For example, the second direction is a horizontal direction. Figure 4 In the OY direction shown, the lower end of the upper arm 310 is pivotally connected to the upper end of the lower arm 320, and the lower end of the lower arm 320 can be engaged with or disengaged from the milking assembly 20; the first flip driving member is transmission-connected to the upper end of the upper arm 310, and is used to drive the upper arm 310 to flip around the second direction relative to the rotating seat 140; the upper arm 310 is equipped with a rotating driving member, and the rotating driving member is transmission-connected to the lower arm 320, and is used to drive the lower arm 320 to rotate relative to the upper arm 310. In this way, the first flip driving member drives the upper arm 310 to flip around the second direction to adjust the posture of the lower end of the upper arm 310, that is, to make the upper arm 310 extend obliquely from top to bottom, and the rotating driving member drives the lower arm 320 to rotate around the upper arm 310 to adjust the posture of the lower end of the lower arm 320, that is, to make the lower arm 320 extend obliquely toward the side close to the milking assembly 20, so as to approach the milking assembly 20 and engage with the milking assembly 20.

[0053] In the embodiment of the present invention, the rotary drive member drives the lower arm 320 to rotate around the upper arm 310, and the degree of freedom of the rotation may be rotation around one direction, rotation around two directions, or rotation around three directions. The details are as follows:

[0054] For example, the rotating driving member is installed at the lower end of the upper arm 310 and is transmission-connected to the upper end of the lower arm 320, and is used to drive the lower arm 320 to rotate relative to the upper arm 310 along a third direction, wherein the third direction is perpendicular to the second direction and is set at an angle to the first direction; taking the first direction as the vertical direction and the second direction as the horizontal direction as an example, as shown in the attached Figure 4 As shown, the first direction is the OZ direction, the second direction is the OY direction, and the third direction is perpendicular to the OY direction and is set at an angle to the OZ direction. For example, the third direction is perpendicular to the upper end surface of the upper arm 310; specifically, the rotating drive member includes a motor and a reducer, and the motor and the reducer are both installed on the upper arm 310, the power input end of the reducer is transmission-connected to the motor shaft of the motor, and the power output end of the reducer is transmission-connected to the upper end of the lower arm 320.

[0055] For another example, the lower end of the upper arm 310 is pivotally connected to the rotating seat 140, and the upper end of the lower arm 320 is pivotally connected to the rotating seat 140; the rotating driving member includes a second rotating driving member and a second rotary driving member, the second rotating driving member is installed on the upper arm 310 and is transmission-connected to the rotating seat 140, and is used to drive the rotating seat 140 to rotate relative to the upper arm 310 around a third direction; the second rotary driving member is installed on the rotating seat 140 and is transmission-connected to the upper end of the lower arm 320, and is used to drive the lower arm 320 to rotate relative to the rotating seat 140 around a fourth direction, wherein the third direction is perpendicular to the upper arm 310. 10, the fourth direction is along the extension direction of the lower arm 320, and the fourth direction is perpendicular to the third direction; specifically, the second rotating drive member includes a motor and a reducer, both of which are installed on the upper arm 310, the power input end of the reducer is transmission-connected to the motor shaft of the motor, and the power output end of the reducer is connected to the rotating seat 140; the second rotary driving member includes a motor and a reducer, both of which are installed on the rotating seat 140, the power input end of the reducer is transmission-connected to the motor shaft of the motor, and the power output end of the reducer is transmission-connected to the upper end of the lower arm 320.

[0056] For another example, a ball joint is provided between the upper arm 310 and the lower arm 320, and a rotating drive member is installed on the upper arm 310 and is transmission-connected to the lower arm 320, so as to drive the lower arm 320 to rotate in three directions relative to the upper arm 310; the driving method in the prior art can be adopted to realize the rotation of the lower arm 320 in three directions relative to the upper arm 310, which will not be repeated here.

[0057] In the embodiment of the present invention, the upper arm 310 and the lower arm 320 can be fixed arms or telescopic arms. In one embodiment, at least one of the upper arm 310 and the lower arm 320 is a telescopic arm. For example, the upper arm 310 is a telescopic arm, and the lower arm 320 is a fixed arm; for another example, the upper arm 310 is a fixed arm, and the lower arm 320 is a telescopic arm; for another example, the upper arm 310 and the lower arm 320 are both telescopic arms. With such a configuration, the robot arm 30 can adjust the operating radius by telescoping to adapt to the heights of different cows; by telescoping, the size of the robot arm 30 can be reduced to avoid collision between the robot arm 30 and certain parts of the cow or the rack in the moving channel 101.

[0058] In the embodiment of the present invention, see the attached Figure 3 The fence 110 is provided with a support rod 111, and the support rod 111 extends along the length direction of the fence 110; the milking assembly 20 can be slidably connected to the support rod 111 and can be pivoted to the support rod 111 around the length direction of the fence 110. In this way, if the end of the mechanical arm 30 is engaged with the milking assembly 20, the milking assembly 20 can follow the mechanical arm 30 to move along the support rod 111 and can rotate around the length direction of the support rod 111, so that the milking assembly 20 is close to the teat of the cow, so that the milking cup set of the milking assembly 20 is attached to the teat of the cow.

[0059] In the embodiment of the present invention, the milking assembly 20 can slide along the length direction of the support rod 111 and can rotate around the length direction of the support rod 111, wherein the milking assembly 20 can be directly pivoted to the support rod 111 or indirectly pivoted to the support rod 111; for example, see the attached Figure 3 The support rod 111 is a cylindrical rod, and the upper end of the milking assembly 20 is connected with a sleeve 112, which is sleeved on the cylindrical rod. The sleeve 112 can slide along the length direction of the cylindrical rod and can rotate around the length direction of the cylindrical rod. For another example, the support rod 111 is slidably connected with a slider, and the milking assembly 20 is pivotally connected to the slider around the length direction of the support rod 111. With such a configuration, the position of the milking assembly 20 can be adjusted to adapt to the position of the teats of the cows in the milking area; if the milking cup group of the milking assembly 20 is attached to the teats of the cows, the mechanical arm 30 is detached from the milking assembly 20, and the support rod 111 can support the milking assembly 20 to prevent pulling damage to the teats of the cows.

[0060] In the embodiment of the present invention, a milking area 102A1 and a milking area 102A2 are provided on one side of the moving channel 101, and a milking area 102B1 and a milking area 102B2 are provided on the other side. Figure 4-Figure 6 , the working principle of a milking system provided by an embodiment of the present invention:

[0061] The robot arm 30 slides to one end away from the entrance of the moving channel 101; Figure 6As shown, the position of the robot arm 30;

[0062] The cows enter the milking area 102A1, the milking area 102A2, the milking area 102B1 and the milking area 102B21 respectively through the moving passage 101;

[0063] The first rotary drive member drives the rotary seat 140 to rotate relative to the slide seat 130 about the OZ direction, for example, as shown in the attached Figure 4 As shown, the side wall surface of the upper arm 310 is roughly parallel or substantially parallel to the length direction of the fence 110 on one side;

[0064] The slide 130 drives the robot arm 30 to move along the guide rail 120 to the operation area 103 corresponding to the milking area 102A1 on one side of the moving channel 101, as shown in the attached figure. Figure 4 As shown, the first flip driving member drives the upper arm 310 to rotate relative to the rotating seat 140 around the OY direction to adjust the posture of the upper arm 310, so that the upper arm 310 extends obliquely from top to bottom to the side of the milking area 102A1; and the rotating driving member drives the lower arm 320 to rotate relative to the upper arm 310 around the third direction, for example, rotates around the direction perpendicular to the upper end surface of the upper arm 310, so as to adjust the posture of the lower arm 320, so that the lower arm 320 extends obliquely toward the side close to the milking assembly 20, engages with the milking assembly 20 and drives the milking assembly 20 to slide along the support rod 111 and rotate around the support rod 111, so as to attach the milk cup set of the milking assembly 20 to the teat of the milking area 102A1;

[0065] The first flip driving member and the rotation driving member drive the upper arm 310 and the lower arm 320 to retract into the moving channel 101 respectively;

[0066] The slide 130 drives the robot arm 30 to move along the guide rail 120 to the operation area 103 corresponding to the milking area 102A2 on one side of the moving channel; repeat the above steps to perform milking operation on the teat of the milking area 102A2;

[0067] The first flip driving member and the rotation driving member drive the upper arm 310 and the lower arm 320 to retract into the moving channel 101 respectively; the first rotation driving member drives the rotating seat 140 to rotate around the OZ direction relative to the sliding seat 130, for example, as shown in the attached Figure 5 As shown, the arm 310 is rotated to be substantially parallel to the length direction of the fence 110 on the other side;

[0068] The slide 130 drives the robot arm 30 to move along the guide rail 120 to the operation area 103 corresponding to the milking area 102B2 on the other side of the moving channel 101, as shown in the attached Figure 5As shown, the first flip driving member drives the upper arm 310 to rotate relative to the rotating seat 140 around the OY direction to adjust the posture of the upper arm 310, so that the upper arm 310 extends obliquely from top to bottom to the side of the milking area 102B2; and the rotating driving member drives the lower arm 320 to rotate relative to the upper arm 310 around the third direction, for example, rotates around the direction perpendicular to the upper end surface of the upper arm 310, so as to adjust the posture of the lower arm 320, so that the lower arm 320 extends obliquely toward the side close to the milking assembly 20, engages with the milking assembly 20 and drives the milking assembly 20 to slide along the support rod 111 and rotate around the support rod 111, so as to attach the milk cup set of the milking assembly 20 to the teat of the milking area 102B2;

[0069] The first flipping driving member and the rotating driving member respectively drive the upper arm 310 and the lower arm 320 to retract into the moving channel 101; the slide 130 drives the robot arm 30 to move along the guide rail 120 to the operation area 103 corresponding to the milking area 102B1 on the other side of the moving channel; repeat the above steps to perform milking operations on the teats in the milking area 102B1.

[0070] Although the present invention is disclosed as above, the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the scope defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A milking system, characterized in that: include: A moving passage (101) is used for animals to walk; a frame (10) is provided above the moving passage (101); There are a plurality of milking areas (102) respectively located on both sides of the moving passage (101), the milking areas (102) located on the same side are arranged at intervals from each other, each of the milking areas (102) is surrounded by a fence (110), the entrance of the fence (110) is connected to the moving passage (101), and the angle between the length direction of the fence (110) and the extension direction of the moving passage (101) is an acute angle; as well as, A mechanical arm (30) is transmission-connected to a driving assembly, the driving assembly being arranged on the frame (10) and being used for driving the mechanical arm (30) to move to a preset milking station along an extension direction of the moving channel (101), the mechanical arm (30) being configured to engage with a milking assembly (20) and drive the milking assembly (20) to move to a corresponding position to be milked in the milking area (102).

2. The milking system according to claim 1, characterized in that The frame (10) is fixedly provided with a guide rail (120), wherein the guide rail (120) is located above the moving channel (101) and extends in the same direction as the moving channel (101); The driving assembly is drivingly connected to a slide seat (130), and the slide seat (130) is slidably connected to the guide rail (120) and connected to the upper end of the mechanical arm (30).

3. The milking system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The driving assembly comprises a mobile driving member and a first rotating driving member; the mobile driving member is mounted on the frame (10) and is transmission-connected to a slide seat (130), and is used to drive the slide seat (130) to move along the extension direction of the moving channel (101); the first rotating driving member is mounted on the slide seat (130) and is transmission-connected to the upper end of the mechanical arm (30), and is used to drive the mechanical arm (30) to rotate relative to the slide seat (130) around a first direction to the corresponding side of the moving channel (101).

4. The milking system according to claim 3, characterized in that The sliding seat (130) is pivotally connected to a rotating seat (140), and the first rotating driving member is transmission-connected to the rotating seat (140) and is used to drive the rotating seat (140) to rotate relative to the sliding seat (130) around the first direction; The upper end of the mechanical arm (30) is connected to the rotating seat (140).

5. The milking system according to claim 4, characterized in that The upper end of the mechanical arm (30) is pivotally connected to the rotating seat (140) around a second direction, and the rotating seat (140) is equipped with a first flipping driving member, which is transmission-connected to the upper end of the mechanical arm (30) and is used to drive the mechanical arm (30) to flip around a second direction relative to the rotating seat (140), and the second direction is set at an angle to the first direction.

6. The milking system according to claim 5, characterized in that The fence (110) is provided with the milking assembly (20); The driving assembly is used for driving the mechanical arm (30) to engage with or disengage from the milking assembly (20); if the mechanical arm (30) is engaged with one of the milking assemblies (20), it can drive the milking assembly (20) to move to a preset position of the corresponding milking area (102); if the mechanical arm (30) is disengaged from the milking assembly (20), the milking assembly (20) is relatively fixed to the fence (110).

7. The milking system according to claim 6, characterized in that The mechanical arm (30) comprises an upper arm (310) and a lower arm (320), the upper end of the upper arm (310) is pivotally connected to the rotating seat (140) around the second direction, the lower end of the upper arm (310) is pivotally connected to the upper end of the lower arm (320), and the lower end of the lower arm (320) can be engaged with or disengaged from the milking assembly (20); The first flipping driving member is transmission-connected to the upper end of the upper arm (310) and is used for driving the upper arm (310) to flip around the second direction relative to the rotating seat (140); the upper arm (310) is equipped with a rotating driving member, which is transmission-connected to the lower arm (320) and is used for driving the lower arm (320) to rotate relative to the upper arm (310).

8. The milking system according to claim 7, characterized in that The rotary drive member is used to drive the lower arm (320) to rotate relative to the upper arm (310) along a third direction, wherein the third direction is perpendicular to the second direction and is arranged at an angle to the first direction.

9. The milking system according to claim 8, characterized in that The first direction is a vertical direction, and the second direction is a horizontal direction.

10. The milking system according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that: The fence (110) is provided with a support rod (111), and the support rod (111) extends along the length direction of the fence (110); the milking assembly (20) can be slidably connected to the support rod (111) and can be pivotally connected to the support rod (111) around the length direction of the fence (110).

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