Patents by Inventor Frans J. A. de Groen

Frans J. A. de Groen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6367416
    Abstract: A method of training animals that are milked in a fully automated milking system wherein they enter a milking parlor at their own volition, not to enter the milking parlor too soon after the previous milking by causing the animal that does so to experience unpleasant procedures. The circumstance that the animal is visiting a milking parlor too soon after its last visit is sensed by the milk flow from at least one of the teats or because the automatic milking machine is unable to connect the teat cups to the animal's teats. In the latter event, the animal is immediately caused to depart from the milking parlor. In the former event, either the teat cups are immediately disconnected and the animal is caused to depart or the animal is milked for a prolonged period of time which is less than pleasant to the animal and then caused to depart. The prolonged milking may be coincident with alteration of the milk vacuum level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Maasland NV
    Inventors: Olaf van der Lely, Frans J. A. de Groen, Ronald M. Pols