Dairy animal milking preparation system and methods

Abstract

The present invention relates to preparing dairy animal teats for being milked, and more particularly to teat preparation, rinsing, and milking that all take place in a milking machine teat cup liner. Such a method includes: applying a teat sanitizer to the teat; injecting air into the liner to force the teat sanitizer toward a waste milk line connected to the liner; pulsating the liner at a first pulsation rate; drawing a rinsing milk from the teat; directing the teat sanitizer, the air, and the rinsing fluid to the waste milk line; pulsating the liner at a second pulsation rate to draw additional milk from the teat; and directing the additional milk to a good milk line.

1 . A method for preparing for and initiating a milking process on a dairy animal teat that is disposed in a teat cup and liner, the method comprising:
 closing the milk liner off from a good milk line;   applying a teat sanitizer to the teat;   directing air into the liner to force at least some of the teat sanitizer toward a first milk line connected to the liner;   pulsating the liner at a first pulsation rate;   directing a rinsing fluid into the first milk line;   directing the teat sanitizer, the air, and the rinsing fluid through the first milk line to a waste milk line;   pulsating the liner at a second pulsation rate to draw good milk from the teat;   closing the liner off from the waste line;   opening the liner to the good milk line; and   directing the good milk to a good milk line.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of pulsating the liner at a first pulsation rate, comprises the step of:
 stimulating the teat to begin drawing milk into the teat.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first pulsation rate is at a higher frequency than the second pulsation rate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising the step of:
 pulsating the liner at a first pulsation rate until the rinsing fluid is determined to meet a predetermined characteristic.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of pulsating the liner at a second pulsation rate begins when the rinsing fluid meets a predetermined characteristic. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of pulsating the liner at a second pulsation rate begins after the teat cup and liner have been attached to the teat for a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of pulsating the liner at a second pulsation rate begins after a teat cup and liner have been attached to a second teat of the dairy animal for a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of pulsating the liner at a second pulsation rate begins after the teat cup and liner have been attached for a predetermined period of time and the rinsing fluid has reached a predetermined characteristic. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of pulsating the liner at a first pulsation rate comprises the step of:
 pulsating the liner at a teat stimulation rate.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of directing a rinsing fluid into the first milk line includes the step of:
 drawing a rinsing milk from the teat.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of directing a rinsing fluid into the first milk line includes the step of:
 directing a rinsing fluid into a rinsing fluid connection in the first milk line.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rinsing fluid includes milk drawn from the teat. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rinsing fluid includes teat sanitizer and air. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rinsing fluid includes good milk. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rinsing fluid includes foremilk. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rinsing fluid includes foremilk and good milk. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rinsing fluid includes:
 teat sanitizer, foremilk, and good milk.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rinsing fluid includes a milk line rinsing fluid. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rinsing fluid includes water. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rinsing fluid consists essentially of:
 milk; foremilk; good milk; water; air; sanitizer; and a first milk line rinsing fluid; and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of pulsating the liner at a second pulsation rate begins after the step of:
 calculating in the controller, a pulsation rate change variable selected from the list comprising:
 the rinsing milk quantity, 
 a time period beginning when the teat cup and liner are attached to the teat, 
 a time period beginning when a teat cup and liner are attached to a second teat of the dairy animal, 
 a predetermined quality of the rinsing milk, 
 a predetermined health characteristic of the dairy animal, 
 a milking characteristic unique to the dairy animal, 
 ambient conditions, 
 an unsuccessful attempt to attach a teat cup and liner to a second teat of the dairy animal, and 
 combinations thereof. 
   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of pulsating at a second pulsation rate begins after a predetermined time is reached. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of pulsating at a second pulsation rate begins when activated by an operator. 
     
     
         24 . Apparatus for preparing a dairy animal teat for being milked while the teat is in a milking unit teat cup liner, the apparatus comprising:
 a teat cup;   a liner disposed at least partially inside the teat cup liner to at least partially define a pulsation chamber therebetween;   a first sanitizer valve in fluid communication with the liner;   a first milk line in fluid communication with a downstream end of the liner;   a waste milk line in fluid communication with the first milk line;   a good milk line in fluid communication with the first milk line;   a pulsator in communication with the pulsation chamber between the teat cup and the liner;   a vacuum source in communication with the liner; and   a controller for:
 activating a valve to close off the milk liner from the good milk line; 
 activating the first sanitizer valve to direct a teat sanitizer to the liner; 
 activating the first sanitizer valve to direct air into the liner to force at least some of the teat sanitizer toward the first milk line; 
 activating the pulsator to apply a first pulsation rate to the pulsation chamber; 
 operating the vacuum source to direct the teat sanitizer and the air toward the waste milk line; 
 operating the pulsator at a second pulsation rate to draw milk from the teat; 
 activating a valve to close the liner off from the waste line; 
 activating a valve to open the liner to the good milk line; and 
 drawing milk to a good milk line. 
   
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , and further comprising:
 a rinsing fluid valve in fluid communication with the first milk line; and wherein the controller further controls the rinsing fluid valve to direct rinsing fluid to the first milk line after the sanitizer has been applied to the teat.   
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the rinsing fluid valve is in fluid communication with a rinsing fluid connection in the first milk line. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , and further comprising:
 a sensor for sensing fluid in the first milk line and transmitting corresponding data to the controller, whereby the controller determines whether to operate the pulsator at the first pulsation rate or the second pulsation rate.   
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , and further comprising:
 a sensor for sensing fluid in the first milk line and transmitting corresponding data to the controller, whereby the controller determines whether to operate the pulsator at the first pulsation rate or the second pulsation rate.