Handling of teat cups
US8689735B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 19, 2009 |
| Grant date | Apr 8, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 16, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA01J5/0175
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Teat cups are fetched from a teat cup magazine by a gripper carried on a robotic arm. The gripper grips and removes teat cups from the teat cup magazine. The gripper also holds at least one teat cup during transport thereof towards an udder where an animal's teats are located. A positioning element determines position estimates representing at least one spatial characteristic of the udder. Based on the position estimates, the robotic arm and the gripper are controlled to attach the teat cups to the teats where the position estimates constitutes a basis for controlling the robotic arm and the gripper to remove teat cups from the teat cup magazine in such a manner that a teat-receiving end of the teat cup attains a horizontal level in the gripper, which horizontal level is adapted to the at least one spatial characteristic of the udder.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.