Teatcup Measuring Chamber Geometry for Stable Milk Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing milking systems suffer from unreliable sensor measurements due to wild milk flow and fluctuating flow rates, which are exacerbated by the design of traditional circularly symmetric measuring chambers, leading to inaccurate milk property determination.
Innovation Solution
The milking system incorporates a non-circularly symmetric measuring chamber with a larger diameter in one direction, allowing for increased volume without height increase, and features a smooth, differentiable peripheral wall and sensor placement at the center of gravity to minimize flow disturbances and air inclusion, enhancing measurement accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the volume of the measuring chamber is increased by increasing its height, then the measurement accuracy is improved, but the adaptability to milking animals with low udder deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from increasing volume through height (vertical dimension) to increasing volume through cross-sectional area (horizontal dimension). The measuring chamber adopts an elliptical cross-section with major axis a and minor axis b, where the larger cross-sectional area provides increased volume without increasing height, thus resolving the contradiction between measurement accuracy and adaptability to low-udder animals.
2Measurement precision
If the radius of the measuring chamber is increased, then the measurement accuracy is improved, but the teatcups push each other away when teats are close together
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by using an elliptical cross-section for the measuring chamber instead of a circular one. This asymmetric shape allows the chamber to have a larger cross-sectional area (improving measurement accuracy) while maintaining a compact profile that prevents teatcups from pushing each other away when positioned on closely spaced teats.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent redistributes the volume increase from radial expansion to cross-sectional area expansion. By elongating the elliptical cross-section in one direction while keeping the overall footprint compact, the design achieves increased measurement chamber volume without increasing the radius in all directions, thus avoiding teatcup separation issues.
3Reliability
If the volume of the measuring chamber is increased, then the measurement reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the asymmetric elliptical cross-section design to achieve increased volume through geometric optimization rather than adding complex components. The simple elliptical shape with major axis a and minor axis b provides larger volume while maintaining structural simplicity, avoiding the need for additional mechanisms or components that would increase device complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A milking system for milking a milking animal comprises a teatcup (5) for fitting on a teat (32) of the milking animal, and a measuring chamber (6) connected directly and rigidly thereto. The teatcup has a longitudinal direction, and a first milk outflow orifice (16) for milk outflow parallel to the longitudinal direction. The measuring chamber has a peripheral wall (17), a milk inlet (18) in fluid communication therewith, a second milk outflow orifice (25) to a milk tube (7), a vacuum outlet (21), and a sensor device (26) for determining a property of the milk in the measuring chamber. In a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the measuring chamber has a first inside diameter in a first direction, and a smaller second diameter in a perpendicular second direction. The volume of the measuring chamber may therefore be greater without increasing the height or width in one direction. As a result, animals with low udders or teats close together can also be milked just as reliably, whereas the larger volume of the measuring chamber means that the measurements of the sensor device can be more reliable.