Milking apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a milking device, comprising a body and a mechanical arm; the body is movably connected with a milking assembly, the milking assembly has at least two milking areas which are arranged on opposite sides of the body in a longitudinal direction and are used for milking; the mechanical arm has one longitudinal driving element which is drivingly connected with the body and is used for driving the mechanical arm to move in the longitudinal direction; the execution end of the mechanical arm can be engaged with or separated from the milking assembly; the milking device is configured in such a way that the longitudinal driving element drives the mechanical arm to move to one side of the body, so that the execution end is engaged with the milking assembly of the milking area on the side, and drives the milking assembly to move to the milking position of the milking area, so that the suction nozzle of the milking assembly is adsorbed to the teat of the animal. Taking the milking of a dairy cow as an example, the milking device provided by the application can save milking time, improve milking efficiency and reduce the overall manufacturing cost of the milking device by using one mechanical arm for at least two milking areas.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of milking technology, and more specifically, to a milking apparatus. Background Technology

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

[0003] In the existing technology, milking equipment can only milk the teats of animals in one milking zone, resulting in low milking efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a milking device to solve the technical problem that existing milking devices can only milk the animal teats in one milking zone, resulting in low milking efficiency.

[0005] This invention provides a milking device, including a main body and a robotic arm;

[0006] The main body is movably connected to a milking assembly, which has at least two milking zones arranged longitudinally at intervals on opposite sides of the main body for milking operations.

[0007] The robotic arm has a longitudinal drive member connected to it, the longitudinal drive member is located on the body and is used to drive the robotic arm to reciprocate longitudinally; the end effector of the robotic arm can engage or disengage from the milking assembly.

[0008] The milking equipment is configured such that the longitudinal drive member drives the robotic arm to move to one side of the body, so that the execution end engages with the milking assembly in the milking area on that side, and drives the milking assembly to the milking position in the milking area on that side, so that the suction nozzle of the milking assembly adheres to the animal's teat.

[0009] Optionally, the body is provided with a longitudinal guide rail extending in the longitudinal direction, and a longitudinal slide block is slidably connected to the longitudinal guide rail, with the robotic arm disposed on the longitudinal slide block.

[0010] Optionally, the body is provided with a support base, and there are at least two support bases arranged longitudinally at intervals; the milking assembly is movably connected to the support base, and the support base is used to support the milking assembly.

[0011] Optionally, the support base is provided with a driving component and a longitudinal support. The longitudinal support is provided with a longitudinal slide rail extending longitudinally. A longitudinal slider is slidably connected to the longitudinal slide rail. The milking assembly is driven to the longitudinal slider. The longitudinal slider is driven to the driving component. The driving component is used to drive the longitudinal slider to move the milking assembly longitudinally.

[0012] Optionally, the driving component is a linear driving component, which is disposed on the support base and is drively connected to the longitudinal slider;

[0013] And / or, the body is fixedly provided with a cleaning component, and if the milking component moves longitudinally below the cleaning component, the cleaning component is used to clean the nozzle of the milking component.

[0014] Optionally, the support base is provided with a transverse slide rail extending laterally, and the longitudinal support is slidably connected to the transverse slide rail.

[0015] Optionally, the body is provided with a vertically extending slide rail, and the support base is slidably connected to the vertical slide rail;

[0016] The main body is provided with a vertical guide rail extending vertically, and a vertical slide block is slidably connected to the vertical guide rail. The longitudinal guide rail is disposed on the vertical slide block, and a lifting drive component is throttle connected to the vertical slide block. The lifting drive component is installed on the main body.

[0017] The vertical slide is fixed with a transverse beam extending laterally, the transverse beam being located between the two support seats and capable of engaging or disengaging from the longitudinal support.

[0018] Optionally, the vertical slide block is provided with a transverse drive member and a transverse guide rail. The transverse guide rail extends laterally and is slidably connected to the transverse slide block. The longitudinal guide rail is disposed on the transverse slide block, and the transverse slide block is throttle connected to the transverse drive member.

[0019] Optionally, one end of the robotic arm is pivotally connected to the longitudinal slide, the end effector is located at the other end of the robotic arm, and the robotic arm is connected to a first rotation drive member; the first rotation drive member is located on the longitudinal slide and is used to drive the robotic arm to rotate vertically relative to the longitudinal slide.

[0020] Optionally, the robotic arm includes a first arm and a second arm, one end of the first arm is pivotally connected to the longitudinal slide, and the other end is pivotally connected to one end of the second arm, with the end effector located at the other end of the second arm;

[0021] The first rotation drive is connected to the first arm and is used to drive the first arm to rotate vertically relative to the longitudinal slide block; the second arm is connected to the second rotation drive, which is disposed on the first arm and is used to drive the second arm to rotate vertically relative to the first arm.

[0022] The milking device provided by this invention has at least the following beneficial technical effects:

[0023] Taking the application of this milking equipment to dairy cow milking as an example, the milking equipment provided by this invention controls the robotic arm to move longitudinally in one milking zone and engage with the corresponding milking component of the milking zone, so as to drive the suction nozzle of the milking component of the milking zone to attach to a cow's teat for milking operation. During the milking operation of the cow in the milking zone, after the robotic arm disengages from the milking component of the milking zone, it can move longitudinally to another milking zone and engage with the milking component of the milking zone, so as to drive the suction nozzle of the milking component of the milking zone to attach to another cow's teat for milking operation. Both teats can be milked at the same time, saving milking time and improving milking efficiency. In addition, at least two milking zones share one robotic arm, which reduces the overall manufacturing cost of the milking equipment and reduces the size of the milking equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the layout structure of a milking device and a milking area provided in an embodiment of the present invention; wherein, the vertical direction is OZ, the horizontal direction is OX, and the longitudinal direction is OY.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the engagement state of a robotic arm and a milking assembly in a milking device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 for Figure 2 The middle circle shows a magnified structural diagram of part A.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a partial structural diagram of a milking device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 for Figure 4 The middle circle shows a magnified structural diagram of part B.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0030] 1. Milking equipment;

[0031] 10. Body; 101. Cleaning assembly; 110. Longitudinal guide rail; 111. Longitudinal slide; 120. Vertical guide rail; 121. Vertical slide; 122. Lifting drive component; 123. Crossbeam; 130. Transverse guide rail; 131. Transverse slide; 140. Support base; 150. Longitudinal support; 152. Linear drive component; 153. Snap-fit ​​hole; 160. Longitudinal slide rail; 161. Longitudinal slider; 162. Connecting rod; 180. Transverse slide rail; 190. Vertical slide rail;

[0032] 20. Milking assembly; 230. Support platform;

[0033] 30. Robotic arm; 310. First arm; 320. Second arm. Detailed Implementation

[0034] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the following description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Figure 1-5 Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0035] In this invention, the terms "connection" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly, for example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure.

[0036] In this invention, the terms "vertical," "lateral," "longitudinal," etc., indicate orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0037] This invention provides a milking device 1, see attached drawing. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The milking equipment 1 includes a body 10 and a robotic arm 30. The body 10 is movably connected to a milking assembly 20, which has at least two milking zones arranged longitudinally on opposite sides of the body 10 for sucking milk. The robotic arm 30 has one robotic arm and is connected to a longitudinal drive member, which is located on the body 10 and is used to drive the robotic arm 30 to reciprocate longitudinally. The end effector of the robotic arm 30 can engage or disengage from the milking assembly 20. The milking equipment 1 is configured such that the longitudinal drive member drives the robotic arm 30 to move to one side of the body 10, so that the end effector engages with the milking assembly 20 in the milking zone on that side, and drives the milking assembly 20 to the milking position in the milking zone on that side, so that the suction nozzle of the milking assembly 20 adheres to the animal's teat.

[0038] In this embodiment of the invention, the animal teat can be a cow's teat, a sheep's teat, a camel's teat, or the teat of other milk-producing animals. Taking the milking device 1 applied to cow milking as an example, compared with the prior art, where the milking device 1 can only milk cows in one milking zone and requires waiting for a cow that has already been milked to leave the milking zone before another cow that has not yet been milked enters the milking zone for milking, the milking device 1 provided in this embodiment of the invention controls the robotic arm 30 to move longitudinally in one of the milking zones and engage with the corresponding milking assembly 20 of the milking zone, so as to drive the suction nozzle of the milking assembly 20 of the milking zone to attach to a cow's teat for milking. During the milking operation of the cow in the milking zone, the machine... After the robotic arm 30 disengages from the milking assembly 20 in one milking area, it can move longitudinally to another milking area and engage with the milking assembly 20 in that milking area. This allows the suction nozzle of the milking assembly 20 in that milking area to attach to another cow's milk head for milking. In other words, it is not necessary to wait for a cow that has finished milking to leave one milking area before milking a cow in another milking area. Therefore, two cows can be milked simultaneously, saving milking time and improving milking efficiency. In addition, at least two milking areas share one robotic arm 30, which reduces the overall manufacturing cost of the milking equipment 1 and also reduces the size of the milking equipment 1.

[0039] In this embodiment of the invention, if the robotic arm 30 engages with the milking assembly 20 of one milking area and drives the suction nozzle of that milking area to attach to the animal teat of that milking area, the robotic arm 30 can disengage from the milking assembly 20 of that milking area and move longitudinally to engage with the milking assembly 20 of another milking area and drive the suction nozzle of that milking area to attach to the animal teat of that milking area. Taking two milking areas, milking area A and milking area B, sharing a single robotic arm 30 as an example, milking area A and milking area B are respectively located on opposite sides of the main body 10. Milking assembly 20A and cow A correspond to milking area A, and milking assembly 20B and cow B correspond to milking area B. The working principle of a milking device 1 provided in this embodiment of the invention is as follows: First, the robotic arm 30 is controlled to move longitudinally to engage with milking assembly 20A and drive milking assembly 20A to the milking position of milking area A, and the suction nozzle of milking assembly 20A is controlled to attach to the teat of cow A; during the milking of cow A in milking area A, the robotic arm 30 disengages from milking assembly 20A, and the robotic arm 30 is controlled to move longitudinally to engage with milking assembly 20B. The robotic arm 20B moves to the milking position in milking area B, and controls the suction nozzle of the milking assembly 20B to attach to the teat of cow B. During the milking of cow B in milking area B, the robotic arm 30 disengages from the milking assembly 20B and moves longitudinally to engage with the milking assembly 20A that has been milked. The suction nozzle of the milking assembly 20A is disengaged from the teat of cow A, and the milking assembly 20A is placed at a certain position on the main body 10. Then, the robotic arm 30 moves longitudinally again to engage with the milking assembly 20B that has been milked, disengages the suction nozzle of the milking assembly 20B from the teat of cow B, and places the milking assembly 20B at a certain position on the main body 10, and so on. Therefore, the milking device 1 provided in this embodiment of the invention utilizes a robotic arm 30 connected to a milking assembly 20A. During the milking period after the suction nozzle of the milking assembly 20A is attached to the teat of cow A in milking area A, the robotic arm 30 is controlled to move longitudinally to connect to a milking assembly 20B, and the suction nozzle of the milking assembly 20B is attached to the teat of cow B in milking area B for milking. The milking times of cow A and cow B partially overlap, thereby improving milking efficiency.

[0040] In this embodiment of the invention, the robotic arm 30 can be attached to the milking assembly 20 by vacuum adsorption, magnetic adsorption or clamping.

[0041] In this embodiment of the invention, see appendix. Figure 3The main body 10 is provided with a longitudinal guide rail 110 extending longitudinally, and a longitudinal slide block 111 is slidably connected to the longitudinal guide rail 110. The robotic arm 30 is disposed on the longitudinal slide block 111. This arrangement enables the longitudinal drive member to drive the longitudinal slide block 111 to drive the robotic arm 30 to reciprocate longitudinally, so that the robotic arm 30 can move between different milking zones to engage or disengage from the milking assembly 20 in different milking zones.

[0042] In this embodiment of the invention, the longitudinal drive component can be a motor, an electric push rod, or a cylinder. For example, when the longitudinal drive component is a motor, the motor is driven by a transmission assembly, which may include a drive wheel, a driven wheel, and a transmission belt meshing with both. The drive wheel is driven by the motor, the driven wheel is pivotally connected to the body 10, and the longitudinal slide 111 is fixed to the transmission belt. Alternatively, when the longitudinal drive component is a motor, the motor is driven by a transmission assembly, which may include a lead screw and a nut. The nut is threaded onto the lead screw and fixed to the longitudinal slide 111. The motor is driven by the lead screw, and the motor drives the lead screw to move the longitudinal slide 111 along the longitudinal guide rail 110 via the nut. Another example, when the longitudinal drive component is a motor, the motor is driven by a transmission assembly, which may include a gear and a rack. The gear is driven by the motor, and the gear is driven by the rack. The rack is parallel to the longitudinal guide rail 110 and fixed to the longitudinal slide 111. The motor drives the gear to rotate, and the gear drives the rack to move the longitudinal slide 111 longitudinally.

[0043] In this embodiment of the invention, see appendix. Figure 3 The main body 10 is provided with a support base 140, which has at least two and is spaced apart along the longitudinal direction; the milking assembly 20 is movably connected to the support base 140, and the support base 140 is used to support the milking assembly 20. The support base 140 may have two, three or other numbers.

[0044] In this embodiment of the invention, the support base 140 is provided with a driving component and a longitudinal support 150. The longitudinal support 150 is provided with a longitudinal slide rail 160 extending longitudinally. A longitudinal slider 161 is slidably connected to the longitudinal slide rail 160. The milking assembly 20 is drivenly connected to the longitudinal slider 161, and the longitudinal slider 161 is drivenly connected to the driving component. The driving component is used to drive the longitudinal slider 161 to move the milking assembly 20 longitudinally. The longitudinal slider 161 being drivenly connected to the driving component means that the longitudinal slider 161 is fixed to the power output end of the driving component or indirectly drivenly connected to the power output end of the driving component. This arrangement allows the milking assembly 20 to move longitudinally, automatically extending into the milking area to engage with the robotic arm 30, or automatically retracting into the milking area to avoid collisions with the cows.

[0045] In this embodiment of the invention, see appendix. Figure 2The main body 10 is fixedly equipped with a cleaning component 101. If the milking component 20 moves longitudinally below the cleaning component 101, the cleaning component 101 is used to clean the suction nozzle of the milking component 20. This arrangement allows the milking component 20 to move longitudinally and automatically retract below the cleaning component 101, facilitating the cleaning component 101 to clean the suction nozzle of the milking component.

[0046] In embodiments of the present invention, for example, see Appendix Figure 3 The driving component can be a linear driving component 152, which is located on the support base 140 and is connected to the longitudinal slider 161. The linear driving component 152 can be an electric push rod, a cylinder, or a linear motor.

[0047] In this embodiment of the invention, the longitudinal slider 161 and the milking assembly 20 can be directly connected or indirectly connected, for example, as shown in the attached diagram. Figure 5 As shown, a connecting rod 162 connects the longitudinal slider 161 and the milking assembly 20. The connecting rod 162 extends longitudinally, and the end of the connecting rod 162 away from the longitudinal slider 161 is used to support the milking assembly 20. Alternatively, an X-shaped telescopic arm can be used for transmission connection between the longitudinal slider 161 and the milking assembly 20, as follows: The milking assembly 20 has a first groove and a first shaft. The first shaft extends vertically, and the first groove extends laterally and is spaced laterally from the first shaft. A first slider is slidably connected within the first groove. The longitudinal slider 161 and the milking assembly 20 are connected via an X-shaped telescopic arm. One of the cross pivot shafts of the X-shaped telescopic arm is located on the longitudinal slider 161, and one of the free ends of the two connecting rods at one end of the X-shaped telescopic arm is pivotally connected to the first shaft, and the other end is pivotally connected to the first slider.

[0048] The connection between the longitudinal support 150 and the X-shaped telescopic arm can be in various ways, as detailed below:

[0049] For example, the longitudinal support 150 has a second shaft extending vertically, and the free ends of the two connecting rods at the other end of the X-shaped telescopic arm are both pivotally connected to the second shaft, with the cross-pivot shaft located between the second shaft and the milking assembly 20; or, for another example, the longitudinal support 150 has a second groove extending laterally, and a second slider is slidably connected within the second groove. The second slider has two sliders, each pivotally connected to the free ends of the two connecting rods at the other end of the X-shaped telescopic arm. This arrangement reduces the size of the linear drive component 152, which is driven by the longitudinal slider 161. The displacement of the linear drive component 152 is amplified by the extension of the X-shaped telescopic arm, thus increasing the displacement of the milking assembly 20 in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the X-shaped telescopic arm is small in size when retracted, saving space.

[0050] In addition to the linear drive component mentioned above, the drive component can also be a rotary drive component, as detailed below:

[0051] For example, a rotary drive component is located on the support base 140, and a lead screw and a nut are connected to the longitudinal slider 161 for transmission. Specifically, the rotary drive component is a motor, which is located on the support base 140. The motor shaft is fixed with a lead screw, which is threaded to a nut. The nut is slidably connected to the longitudinal slide rail 160 and fixed to the longitudinal slider 161. The motor shaft drives the lead screw to rotate, and the lead screw drives the nut to move the longitudinal slider 161 in the longitudinal direction.

[0052] For example, the longitudinal slider 161 can also be connected to a multi-stage nested telescopic arm. Any existing multi-stage nested telescopic arm can be used, as long as it can achieve the telescopic function to extend the stroke; no specific limitation is made here. This configuration, through a nested multi-stage design, allows for a larger telescopic range and can also be reduced to a smaller size.

[0053] In this embodiment of the invention, see appendix. Figure 5 The milking assembly 20 includes a support platform 230 and a milk cup base. The milk cup base is movably connected to the support platform 230, which supports the milk cup base. The milk cup base is equipped with a suction nozzle. It should be noted that the way the milk cup base is movably connected to the support platform 230 is not limited; it can be connected to the support platform 230 by vacuum adsorption, magnetic adsorption, rope fixing, or clamping.

[0054] In this embodiment of the invention, when a connecting rod 162 is connected between the longitudinal slider 161 and the milking assembly 20, the end of the connecting rod 162 away from the longitudinal slider 161 is fixed to the support platform 230, and the support platform 230 is used to support the milk cup base; when an X-shaped telescopic arm is connected between the longitudinal slider 161 and the milking assembly 20, the first slide groove 231 and the first shaft are provided on the lower end face of the support platform 230.

[0055] In this embodiment of the invention, see appendix. Figure 3 The support base 140 is provided with a transverse slide rail 180 extending laterally, and the longitudinal support 150 is slidably connected to the transverse slide rail 180. This arrangement provides guidance for the lateral movement of the robotic arm 30 engaging with the milking assembly 20.

[0056] In this embodiment of the invention, see appendix. Figure 3 The body 10 is provided with a vertical slide rail 190 extending vertically, and the support seat 140 is slidably connected to the vertical slide rail 190; the body 10 is provided with a vertical guide rail 120 extending vertically, and a vertical slide block 121 is slidably connected to the vertical guide rail 120; a longitudinal guide rail 110 is provided on the vertical slide block 121; a lifting drive component 122 is drivenly connected to the vertical slide block 121; the lifting drive component 122 is installed on the body 10; a transverse beam 123 extending horizontally is fixedly provided on the vertical slide block 121; the transverse beam 123 is provided between the two support seats 140 and can be engaged or disengaged from the longitudinal support 150.

[0057] Taking two support seats 140 as an example, the support seats 140 are support seat 140A and support seat 140B. Support seat 140A is provided with a longitudinal support 150A to support the milking assembly 20A, and support seat 140B is provided with a longitudinal support 150B to support the milking assembly 20B. Support seat 140A corresponds to milking area A, and support seat 140B corresponds to milking area B. The working principle of a milking device 1 provided in this embodiment of the invention is as follows: When the longitudinal support 150A is engaged with the crossbeam 123, the lifting drive 122 drives the vertical slide 121 to move the robotic arm 30 vertically, while the crossbeam 123 drives the longitudinal support 150A to support the milking assembly 20A to move vertically, so that the execution end of the robotic arm 30 and the milking assembly 20A supported by the longitudinal support 150A are at the same height, which facilitates the engagement of the robotic arm 30 with the milking assembly 20A supported by the longitudinal support 150A; when the suction nozzle of the milking assembly 20A supported by the longitudinal support 150A is at a certain height and adsorbs onto the teat of the cow A in the milking area A, the longitudinal support 150A disengages from the crossbeam 123 and is locked to the body 10; wherein, the longitudinal support 150A is locked to the body 10 by means of a limiting pin or clamping method in the prior art. The details will not be elaborated here. At this time, the crossbeam 123 is engaged with the longitudinal support 150B. The lifting drive 122 drives the vertical slide 121 again to move the robotic arm 30 vertically. At the same time, the crossbeam 123 drives the longitudinal support 150B to support the milking assembly 20B to move vertically, so that the execution end of the robotic arm 30 and the milking assembly 20B supported by the longitudinal support 150B are at the same height, which facilitates the robotic arm 30 to engage with the milking assembly 20B supported by the longitudinal support 150B. That is, one of the two longitudinal supports 150 can be engaged with the crossbeam 123 and the other can be disengaged from the crossbeam 123, so that the two longitudinal supports 150 can move vertically along with the vertical slide 121 independently. In addition, the two longitudinal supports 150 can also be engaged with the crossbeam 123 at the same time, so that the two longitudinal supports 150 can move vertically along with the vertical slide 121 at the same time.

[0058] Taking two longitudinal supports 150 as an example, the milking equipment 1 provided in this embodiment of the invention has the following advantages: First, by setting a crossbeam 123 on the vertical slide 121, when the crossbeam 123 is engaged with the longitudinal support 150, the longitudinal support 150 and the robotic arm 30 move synchronously along the vertical direction. That is, the support 140 and the robotic arm 30 share the lifting drive component 122, which saves costs and reduces the overall size of the milking equipment 1. Second, there are two longitudinal supports 150, which can be engaged with or disengaged from the crossbeam 123 respectively, so that the two longitudinal supports 150 can be engaged with the crossbeam 123 at the same time to move synchronously along the vertical direction, or they can be engaged with the crossbeam 123 individually, so that the two longitudinal supports 150 can independently follow the vertical slide 121 to move vertically without affecting each other.

[0059] In this embodiment of the invention, see appendix. Figure 3 One of the crossbeam 123 and the longitudinal support 150 is provided with a telescopic drive component and a locking pin, while the other is provided with a locking hole 153. The telescopic drive component is driven to the locking pin and is used to drive the locking pin to extend to engage with the locking hole 153 or retract to disengage from the locking hole 153. For example, as shown in the attached... Figure 4 As shown, the crossbeam 123 is equipped with a telescopic drive component and a locking pin, and the longitudinal support 150 is equipped with a locking hole 153; for example, the crossbeam 123 is equipped with a locking hole 153, and the longitudinal support 150 is equipped with a telescopic drive component and a locking pin. The telescopic drive component can be a cylinder or an electric push rod. This arrangement allows the crossbeam 123 and the longitudinal support 150 to engage or disengage.

[0060] In this embodiment of the invention, the number of vertical slide rails 190, horizontal slide rails 180, and longitudinal slide rails 160 is not limited; each can be one, two, or other quantities. Preferably, see Appendix. Figures 2-5 There are two vertical slide rails 190, which are spaced apart along the longitudinal direction on the main body 10; two horizontal slide rails 180, which are spaced apart along the longitudinal direction on the support base 140; and one longitudinal slide rail 160, which is spaced apart along the transverse direction on the longitudinal support 150.

[0061] In this embodiment of the invention, see appendix. Figure 3 The support base 140 includes a first vertical plate and a first horizontal plate connected to each other. The first vertical plate is slidably connected to a vertical slide rail 190, and a horizontal slide rail 180 is provided on the first horizontal plate.

[0062] In this embodiment of the invention, see appendix. Figure 3 The longitudinal support 150 includes a second vertical plate and a second horizontal plate connected to each other. The second horizontal plate is slidably connected to the transverse slide rail 180, and the second vertical plate can be engaged with or disengaged from the crossbeam 123.

[0063] In this embodiment of the invention, the lifting drive component 122 can be a motor, an electric push rod, or a cylinder. For example, when the lifting drive 122 is a motor, the motor is driven by a transmission assembly, which may include a drive wheel, a driven wheel, and a transmission belt meshing with both. The drive wheel is driven by the motor, and both the drive wheel and the driven wheel are pivotally connected to the body 10. The vertical slide 121 is fixed to the transmission belt. Alternatively, when the lifting drive 122 is a motor, the motor is driven by a transmission assembly, which may include a lead screw and a nut. The nut is threaded onto the lead screw and fixed to the vertical slide 121. The motor is driven by the lead screw, and the motor drives the lead screw to move the vertical slide 121 along the vertical guide rail 120 via the nut. Another example, when the lifting drive 122 is a motor, the motor is driven by a transmission assembly, which may include a gear and a rack. The gear is driven by the motor, and the gear is driven by the rack. The rack is parallel to the vertical guide rail 120 and fixed to the vertical slide 121. The motor drives the gear to rotate, and the gear drives the rack to move the vertical slide 121 vertically.

[0064] In this embodiment of the invention, see appendix. Figure 3 The vertical slide 121 is equipped with a transverse drive and a transverse guide rail 130. The transverse guide rail 130 extends laterally and is slidably connected to the transverse slide 131. The longitudinal guide rail 110 is located on the transverse slide 131, and the transverse slide 131 is driveably connected to the transverse drive. This configuration allows the transverse drive to drive the transverse slide 131, which in turn drives the longitudinal guide rail 110 to move laterally, enabling the robotic arm 30 to move laterally closer to or further away from the milking assembly 20 to engage or disengage from it. Furthermore, when the robotic arm 30 is engaged with the milking assembly 20, the position of the milking assembly 20 relative to the cow can be adjusted laterally to accommodate the length of the cow in the milking area, i.e., to accommodate the position of the cow's teats, thus improving the practicality of the milking equipment 1.

[0065] In this embodiment of the invention, the lateral drive component can be a motor, an electric push rod, or a cylinder. For example, when the lateral drive component is a motor, the motor is driven by a transmission assembly, which may include a driving wheel, a driven wheel, and a transmission belt meshing with both. The driving wheel is driven by the motor, the driven wheel is pivotally connected to the vertical slide 121, and the lateral slide 131 is fixed to the transmission belt. Alternatively, when the lateral drive component is a motor, the motor is driven by a transmission assembly, which may include a lead screw and a nut. The nut is threaded onto the lead screw and fixed to the lateral slide 131. The motor is driven by the lead screw, and the motor drives the lead screw to move the lateral slide 131 along the lateral guide rail 130 via the nut. Another example, when the lateral drive component is a motor, the motor is driven by a transmission assembly, which may include a gear and a rack. The gear is driven by the motor, and the gear is driven by the rack. The rack is parallel to the lateral guide rail 130 and fixed to the lateral slide 131. The motor drives the gear to rotate, and the gear drives the rack to move the lateral slide 131 laterally.

[0066] In this embodiment of the invention, the number of vertical guide rails 120, horizontal guide rails 130, and longitudinal guide rails 110 is not limited; each can be one, two, or other numbers. Preferably, referring to the accompanying drawings, there are two vertical guide rails 120 spaced apart longitudinally on the body 10; two horizontal guide rails 130 spaced apart longitudinally on the vertical slide block 121; and two longitudinal guide rails 110 spaced apart transversely on the horizontal slide block 131. A crossbeam 123 is located between the two vertical guide rails 120.

[0067] In this embodiment of the invention, see appendix. Figure 3 One end of the robotic arm 30 is pivotally connected to the longitudinal slide 111, and the end effector is located at the other end of the robotic arm 30. The robotic arm 30 is connected to a first rotation drive component. The first rotation drive component is located on the longitudinal slide 111 and is used to drive the robotic arm 30 to rotate vertically relative to the longitudinal slide 111. This configuration allows the robotic arm 30 to rotate and extend into the milking area to engage with the milking assembly 20, and also allows the robotic arm 30 to rotate and retract away from the milking area to avoid collisions with the cows.

[0068] In this embodiment of the invention, see appendix. Figure 3 The robotic arm 30 includes a first arm 310 and a second arm 320. One end of the first arm 310 is pivotally connected to a longitudinal slide 111, and the other end is pivotally connected to one end of the second arm 320. An end effector is located at the other end of the second arm 320. A first rotation drive is driven to the first arm 310 and is used to drive the first arm 310 to rotate vertically relative to the longitudinal slide 111. The second arm 320 is driven to a second rotation drive, which is located on the first arm 310 and is used to drive the second arm 320 to rotate vertically relative to the first arm 310. The first rotation drive includes a motor and a reducer, and the second rotation drive includes a motor and a reducer.

[0069] In this embodiment of the invention, see appendix. Figure 3 The robotic arm 30 is equipped with a vision component 330 for identifying the position of the animal's teat. This configuration guides the robotic arm 30 to attach the suction nozzle of the milking assembly to the animal's teat.

[0070] While the present invention has been disclosed above, it is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention; therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A milking apparatus, characterized in that, Includes the main body (10) and the robotic arm (30); The main body (10) is movably connected to a milking assembly (20), the milking assembly (20) having at least two milking zones arranged longitudinally at intervals on opposite sides of the main body (10) for performing milking operations; The main body (10) is provided with a longitudinal guide rail (110) extending longitudinally, and a longitudinal slide block (111) is slidably connected to the longitudinal guide rail (110). The robotic arm (30) is located on the longitudinal slide block (111). The robotic arm (30) has a longitudinal drive member connected to it. The longitudinal drive member is located on the body (10) and is used to drive the longitudinal slide (111) to drive the robotic arm (30) to reciprocate along the longitudinal direction. The robotic arm (30) includes a first arm (310) and a second arm (320). One end of the first arm (310) is pivotally connected to the longitudinal slide (111), and the other end is pivotally connected to one end of the second arm (320). The end of the robotic arm (30) is located at the other end of the second arm (320). The end of the robotic arm (30) can engage or disengage from the milking assembly (20). The milking equipment is configured such that the longitudinal drive drives the robotic arm (30) to move to one side of the body (10), so that the execution end engages with the milking assembly (20) in the milking area on that side, and drives the milking assembly (20) to the milking position in the milking area on that side, so that the suction nozzle of the milking assembly (20) adheres to the animal's teat.

2. The milking equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main body (10) is provided with a support base (140), and there are at least two support bases (140) arranged at intervals along the longitudinal direction; the milking assembly (20) is movably connected to the support base (140), and the support base (140) is used to support the milking assembly (20).

3. The milking equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The support base (140) is provided with a driving component and a longitudinal support (150). The longitudinal support (150) is provided with a longitudinal slide rail (160) extending longitudinally. The longitudinal slide rail (160) is slidably connected to a longitudinal slider (161). The milking assembly (20) is driven to the longitudinal slider (161). The longitudinal slider (161) is driven to the driving component. The driving component is used to drive the longitudinal slider (161) to drive the milking assembly (20) to move longitudinally.

4. The milking equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The driving component is a linear driving component (152), which is located on the support base (140) and is connected to the longitudinal slider (161). And / or, the body (10) is fixedly provided with a cleaning component (101), and if the milking component (20) moves longitudinally below the cleaning component (101), the cleaning component (101) is used to clean the nozzle of the milking component (20).

5. The milking equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The support base (140) is provided with a transverse slide rail (180) extending laterally, and the longitudinal support (150) is slidably connected to the transverse slide rail (180).

6. The milking equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The body (10) is provided with a vertical slide rail (190) extending vertically, and the support base (140) is slidably connected to the vertical slide rail (190). The main body (10) is provided with a vertical guide rail (120) extending vertically, the vertical guide rail (120) is slidably connected to a vertical slide block (121), the longitudinal guide rail (110) is provided on the vertical slide block (121), the vertical slide block (121) is drivenly connected to a lifting drive component (122), and the lifting drive component (122) is installed on the main body (10). The vertical slide (121) is fixed with a transverse beam (123) extending in the transverse direction. The transverse beam (123) is located between the two support seats (140) and can engage or disengage from the longitudinal support (150).

7. The milking equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The vertical slide (121) is provided with a horizontal drive member and a horizontal guide rail (130). The horizontal guide rail (130) extends horizontally and is slidably connected to the horizontal slide (131). The longitudinal guide rail (110) is provided on the horizontal slide (131). The horizontal slide (131) is throttle connected to the horizontal drive member.

8. The milking equipment according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, One end of the robotic arm (30) is pivotally connected to the longitudinal slide (111), and the execution end is located at the other end of the robotic arm (30). The robotic arm (30) is connected to a first rotation drive member. The first rotation drive member is located on the longitudinal slide (111) and is used to drive the robotic arm (30) to rotate vertically relative to the longitudinal slide (111).

9. The milking equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first rotation drive is connected to the first arm (310) and is used to drive the first arm (310) to rotate vertically relative to the longitudinal slide (111); the second arm (320) is connected to the second rotation drive, which is disposed on the first arm (310) and is used to drive the second arm (320) to rotate vertically relative to the first arm (310).

Images