US 12,457,989 B2
Milking arrangement comprising a cleaning arrangement
Marek Dadej, Tumba (SE); and Sebastian Zmarzly, Tumba (SE)
Assigned to DeLaval Holding AB, Tumba (SE)
Appl. No. 17/924,632
Filed by DELAVAL HOLDING AB, Tumba (SE)
PCT Filed May 11, 2021, PCT No. PCT/SE2021/050449
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 10, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/230798, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 18, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2050560-8 (SE), filed on May 13, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0172152 A1, Jun. 8, 2023
Int. Cl. A01J 7/02 (2006.01); A01J 5/007 (2006.01); A01J 5/04 (2006.01)
CPC A01J 5/007 (2013.01) [A01J 5/044 (2013.01); A01J 5/048 (2013.01); A01J 7/022 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A milking arrangement, comprising:
a milk transport line (1);
a plurality of milk stations (2) connected to the milk transport line (1);
a receiver (3) connected to the milk transport line (1) and configured to receive milk transported from the milk stations (2) to the receiver (3) via the milk transport line (1);
a vacuum system (4) configured to supply a vacuum in the milk transport line (1) via the receiver (3);
a cleaning liquid source (9) connected to the milk transport line (1);
a controllable injector (10) configured to introduce an amount of gas into the milk transport line (1) that produces a pressure increase in the milk transport line (1) that causes a slug of a cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid source (9) to be formed and forwarded through the milk transport line (1); and
a control system (19) configured to control an operation of the injector (10),
wherein the control system is configured to, during a cleaning sequence, control slug characteristics by controlling a vacuum level supplied by the vacuum system (4) and/or the amount of gas introduced via the injector (10), the slug characteristics comprising at least one of a slug velocity of an individual slug, and a length of an individual slug,
wherein the control system (19) is configured to operate in a first control mode dedicated to a first cleaning sequence, and in a second control mode dedicated to a second cleaning sequence, and
wherein in the first control mode the characteristics of the generated slug differ from the characteristics of the slug generated in the second control mode.