Robot milking arm and a method of attaching milking cups

摘要

A robotic milking system suitable for use with conventional milking clusters. Clusters are withdrawn to a generally known position upon release from a cow with the cups hanging down below the bowl. The cups are then located in a confined region from where they are picked up by a robotic arm and attached to teats of a cow. The arrangement allows a single robotic arm to service multiple bales of a rotary milking parlor.

主权项

1. A robotic milking system comprising:
a milking cluster having a plurality of cups connected to a bowl; a retractor to withdraw the cluster so that the cups hang down below the bowl; a robotic arm that is not permanently attached to the milking cluster having a plurality of grippers arranged to acquire and hold the plurality of cups of the cluster as they hang below the bowl and actuators for moving the arm to facilitate the attachment of the cups to an animal; and one or more guide arms positionable with respect to the robotic arm in a first configuration to define a radially tapering opening between the robotic arm and the guide arm to assist in locating cups within the tapering opening and positionable with respect to the robotic arm in a second configuration in which the cups are brought into closer proximity to the robotic arm for capture; wherein each guide arm guides a plurality of cups.