Curved Path Milking Gate for Low Ceiling Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The construction of milking parlors with limited space, particularly those with low ceilings, poses challenges due to the difficulty in housing milking modules with vertically movable gate assemblies, which require more height and complex assembly processes.
Innovation Solution
A milking module design featuring a front gate assembly that moves along a curved path guided by a bar, allowing for a compact layout where the gate remains within the module's boundaries, enabling installation in low-ceilinged buildings, and includes a drive arrangement to control the movement of gate assemblies independently, ensuring efficient animal flow and milking operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a vertically movable front gate assembly is used, then the gate can effectively control animal flow, but the required ceiling height increases and the assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The front gate assembly is transformed from vertical movement to curved path movement through guide bars. The gate follows a predetermined curved trajectory that combines vertical lifting with horizontal retraction, allowing the gate to clear animals' heads without requiring the full vertical clearance needed for purely vertical gates. This dimensional transformation resolves the contradiction between gate control effectiveness and ceiling height requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide bars define a curved path for the front gate assembly, replacing straight vertical movement with a curved trajectory. This curvature allows the gate to move along an arc that clears animals while maintaining a compact vertical profile, effectively reducing the ceiling height requirement while preserving the gate's ability to control animal flow.
2Reliability
If a vertically movable front gate assembly is used, then the gate can effectively control animal flow, but the assembly and construction difficulty increases in limited space
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the gate's movement from vertical to curved horizontal-vertical combined motion, the support structure can be integrated into the existing platform framework more easily. The guide bars can be mounted on side walls or platform edges, distributing structural requirements across multiple dimensions and simplifying assembly in confined spaces compared to requiring a single high vertical support column.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide bars serve multiple functions: they define the curved movement path, provide structural support for the gate assembly, and can be integrated with the platform's existing framework. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying both manufacture and assembly while maintaining reliable gate control.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the front gate assembly moves vertically, then the gate remains in position, but the gate projects from the module and requires more space
Solution Approach 1:
The gate's movement is changed from purely vertical to a curved path that includes horizontal retraction toward the module center. As the gate lifts, it simultaneously moves inward, keeping the gate within the module's footprint boundaries. This prevents the gate from projecting outward and occupying additional space, while the curved motion maintains stable control over animal flow throughout the movement cycle.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A milking module, a milking arrangement and a method for milking a group of animals is disclosed. The milking module (1) comprises five milking places for receiving a respective animal to be milked. The milking module extends along a longitudinal axis from a primary end to a secondary end. A front side and a rear side extend in parallel with the longitudinal axis. A front gate assembly (20) is movable between a lower position, closing the front side to prevent the animals from leaving, and an upper position, permitting the animals to leave. A further gate assembly (30) is movable between a lower position and an upper position above the animals. The front gate assembly comprises a front gate (21) which by means of guide bars (27) is movable along a curved path when the front gate assembly is moved between its lower and upper positions.