Milking Arrangement Sequence Gate Bulge Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Milking arrangements with non-overlapping sequence gates face the issue of 'short-loading' where cows can easily open gates and enter stalls too early, leading to empty stalls and reduced milk production.
Innovation Solution
The design features sequence gates with a lower edge bulge that extends below the level of neighboring gates, a central nose portion and recess, and a significant upper and lower edge extension to prevent cows from opening the gates, combined with a drive device that moves gates to an elevated position to encourage animals to exit through the front side.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If non-overlapping sequence gates are used, then the milking arrangement structure is simplified and gate alignment is improved, but cows can easily open gates and enter stalls too early causing short-loading
Solution Approach 1:
The sequence gate is equipped with a lower edge bulge that creates a localized downward extension below the main gate level. This local structural modification prevents cows from finding gaps between gates and entering stalls too early, while maintaining the overall simplicity of the non-overlapping gate structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower edge bulge acts as a preliminary barrier that stops cows before they can attempt to open the main gate. By addressing the potential short-loading issue at the lower edge level first, the system prevents the problem before it can escalate to gate opening and premature stall entry.
2Shape
If sequence gates are positioned at the same level, then alignment is achieved, but gaps between gates can be found by cows entering with heads down
Solution Approach 1:
While maintaining overall gate alignment at the same level, each gate is given a local quality difference through the lower edge bulge. This bulge extends downward from the main gate level, creating a localized barrier that prevents cows from sliding under between aligned gates.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower edge bulge creates an asymmetric profile on each sequence gate, with the front end having a downward extension that the rear end lacks. This asymmetry disrupts the uniform gap pattern that cows might exploit, even when gates are aligned at the same overall level.
Data Source
AI summary
A milking arrangement includes plural milking places, each milking place having a primary end and an opposite secondary end, an entrance at the primary end, a front side and a rear side, which both extend in parallel with the longitudinal axis, a plurality of sequence gates arranged between the front side and the rear side, each of the sequence gates being pivotable between a closed position and an open position, each sequence gate being only pivotable from its closed position to its open position in a pivotation direction in which the front end is pivoted into a milking place towards the front side of the milking arrangement, main extension planes of the sequence gates being aligned when the sequence gates are in their closed position, with a lower edge of each sequence gate defining a bulge that extends downwards.