Appeal 2006-2786
Application 10/240,329
method and apparatus senses the transparency of the milk to electromagnetic
radiation to determine when the transition from foremilk to good quality
milk occurs (Specification 2-3). Once the transition from foremilk to good
quality milk is sensed, a controller regulates a valve to switch the milk flow
from a waste milk container for the foremilk to a collection vessel for the
good milk (Specification 3).
Claims 1, 4, 5, 9, 15, and 19 are illustrative:
1. A method of separating foremilk in an automatic milking process,
comprising controlling a means operable to divert foremilk away from a
milk line in accordance with a sensed optical property of the milk whereby
the amount of foremilk separated is dependent upon the sensed optical
property, the sensed optical property being transparency of the milk to
electromagnetic radiation.
4. A method according to claim 1, wherein separation of the foremilk
is terminated upon the sensed milk transparency rising after the milk opacity
reaches an initial peak after the start of milking.
5. A method of milking an animal wherein milk extracted from a teat
of an animal is directed along a milk path to a container, an initial portion of
the milk extracted from the teat being diverted from the milk path, an optical
property of the milk extracted from the teat is sensed, the sensed optical
property being the transparency of the milk to electromagnetic radiation, and
the diversion of the initial milk flow from the milk path leading to the
container is controlled in dependence upon the sensed optical transparency.
9. An apparatus for the automatic milking of animals comprising a
teat cup connected to a main milk line through which milk extracted from a
teat is conveyed, a device for directing milk to flow through the main milk
line or to a branch line, control means for controlling the device so that an
initial amount of milk extracted from a teat is directed into the branch line,
and an optical sensing means for sensing an optical property of the milk
upstream of the flow directing device, wherein the optical sensing means
comprises a device that senses the transparency of the milk and produces a
signal dependent on the milk transparency, and the control means receives
2
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