Actuator-Driven Neck Lock for Automatic Milking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic milking systems face challenges in rapidly and reliably connecting milking cups to animals due to animal restlessness when locked by neck lock devices, which affects the efficiency and calmness of the milking process.
Innovation Solution
A system with stationary milking stations equipped with actuator-driven neck lock devices and a control system that locks animals by the neck upon assuming a feeding or drinking position, ensuring consistent application of the neck lock for all visits, regardless of milking readiness, to condition animals and facilitate calm behavior during milking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the neck lock device locks the animal at the neck during milking, then the animal is secured in the milking station, but the animal becomes restless and moves around, hindering the connection of milking cups to teats
Solution Approach 1:
The neck lock device is activated before the milking cups are connected to the teats. By securing the animal's neck in advance, the animal is prevented from moving around during the subsequent cup connection process, thereby resolving the contradiction between securing the animal and enabling easy cup connection.
2Productivity
If the neck lock device is used to secure animals during milking, then animals can be held in position, but the automatic connection of milking cups cannot be carried out rapidly and reliably
Solution Approach 1:
The neck lock device secures the animal before the milking cups are brought into position. This preliminary securing action ensures that the animal remains stationary throughout the cup connection process, enabling both rapid and reliable automatic connection without compromising productivity.
3Ease of operation
If the neck lock device locks the animal consistently on every visit, then animals become conditioned and remain calm, but animals that do not fulfill milking criteria are also locked unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The control system receives feedback about whether an animal fulfills milking criteria and uses this information to determine whether to activate the neck lock device. This feedback mechanism allows the system to differentiate between animals that need milking and those that do not, avoiding unnecessary locking while maintaining calmness for animals that require milking.
Data Source
AI summary
Described is a system for milking animals, including cows, having an accommodation space in which the animals can walk around, and several stationary milking stations placed next to each other. Each milking station at a head end thereof includes a neck lock device which can be moved by way of an actuator device between a locked state in which a milking animal in said milking station can be locked at the neck by said neck lock device, and an open state in which a milking animal in said milking station is free to move its head in and/or out of the neck lock device. Also included is an automatic milking system for the automatic milking of milking animals and a control system that is actively connected to the actuator device of each neck lock device.