US 12,471,560 B2
Milking system and a method of controlling a milking system
Lukasz Bosek, Tumba (SE)
Assigned to DeLaval Holding AB, Tumba (SE)
Appl. No. 17/780,913
Filed by DELAVAL HOLDING AB, Tumba (SE)
PCT Filed Nov. 26, 2020, PCT No. PCT/SE2020/051135
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 27, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/107852, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 3, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 1951362-1 (SE), filed on Nov. 28, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0408681 A1, Dec. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. A01J 9/04 (2006.01); A01J 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC A01J 9/04 (2013.01) [A01J 7/005 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A milking system configured to milk animals, said system comprising:
at least one milking station;
a first milk tank;
a first cooling arrangement configured to cool the temperature of the milk in the first milk tank;
a second milk tank;
a milk transport conduit extending from the at least one milking station towards the first and second milk tanks and having a first branch extending to the first tank and a second branch extending to the second tank;
a controllable valve arrangement configured to open or close the first branch and to open or close the second branch to control to which of the first milk tank and the second milk tank a milk flow is transported through one of said first and second branches;
a controller configured to control the controllable valve arrangement; and
at least one sensor located within the first milk tank or the first cooling arrangement and configured to sense a milk property of milk present in the first milk tank, or configured to sense a property of the first cooling arrangement, said at least one sensor being connected to the controller, the controller being configured to control the controllable valve arrangement in response to information from said at least one sensor to redirect the milk flow, ending the transport of the milk via the first branch to the first milk tank and redirecting the transport of the milk via second branch to the second milk tank, by the controller being configured to close the first branch and open the second branch as a response to the information from said at least one sensor indicating a deviation of the sensed property from a predetermined range.