HK1084899B - Portable breast pump - Google Patents

Description

Technical field

The invention relates to a portable breast pump and a suction unit for use with this portable breast pump as defined in claims 1 and 2 respectively.

State of the art

The advantages of portable breast pumps are that they allow a mother to take them with her everywhere and thus maintain a certain degree of independence even during breastfeeding. However, it is not always easy to find a suitable room in which the mother can pump the milk undisturbed.

US-A-6'379'327 reveals a breast pump system in which the mother can carry all the elements of the breast pump on her body. This system includes a bra holder with an integrated breast cap and a wide band worn around the abdomen with a first pocket for a suction unit and a second pocket for a milk intake container. The suction unit and the milk intake container are each connected to the breast cap via a separate line. The entire system is worn under the clothing. This has the disadvantage that the mother must carry the breast pump around constantly, which is also perceived as inconvenient and hinders the mother in her breastfeeding activity. The suction unit also shows a significantly unbalanced weight, so that they are not easily hidden on the breast pump and the mother's breast is not needed for a longer period of time.

A similar breast pump is also shown in US-A-6'440'100, but the arrangement of the suction unit is not explained here.

GB-A-2'366'732 describes a portable breast pump that is worn over the shoulder on a bracket, with the bracket adjustable in length. The suction unit is located at the lower front end of the bracket. The breast cap and the milk intake container are attached to the suction unit via a coupling. This system can be worn over clothing and therefore only needs to be attached when needed.

Description of the invention

The invention is therefore intended to create a portable breast pump of the type described above which will eliminate the above disadvantages.

This task solves a breast pump and a suction unit for use with this breast pump with the characteristics of claim 1 and 2 respectively.

The breast pump according to the invention has a suction unit and a suction unit connected by a flexible suction line. The suction unit has a housing which is fitted with at least one fastener. The fastener is used to attach the housing to a supporting element which can be fixed to the mother's body.

Preferably the connection between the support and the fastener is dissolvable, preferably the housing can be fixed to a pant or dress belt of the mother or worn around the neck.

This breast pump with its suction unit allows the mother to move freely even while pumping the milk, and the mother can choose where and how she wants to wear the suction unit.

The flat design of the case increases the comfort of the mother, and prevents her from getting stuck with the case. The advantage is that the case can be designed relatively freely in its shape, so that it can be worn as a fashion accessory without being recognized at first glance as a suction unit of a breast pump. It can also be designed to be sufficiently comfortable to carry.

The suction unit is open-facing and therefore any control buttons are easily accessible, preferably in the front of the housing.

Other advantageous embodiments are shown by the dependent claims.

Brief description of the drawing

The following is an explanation of the subject matter of the invention by means of a preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing. Figure 1a portable breast pump of the invention with a suction unit in a first load-bearing variant;Figure 2the breast pump of Figure 1 in a second load-bearing variant andFigure 3the suction unit of Figure 1 in a rear view.

Ways of carrying out the invention

The following illustration shows a portable breast pump according to the invention: the breast pump has a suction unit A and a suction unit 1 connected to it by a suction line 5.

In this preferred example, the capture unit A consists of a breast cap 2, a coupling element 3 and a milk intake tank 4. The coupling element 3 connects the breast cap 2 to the milk intake tank 4 to form a rigid unit that can be attached to the breast and held in the hand while sucking the milk. However, it is also possible to flexibly connect the connection between the milk intake tank 4 and the breast cap 2 and connect them with another connection tube. Thus, the breast cap 2 can be attached to the breast or integrated into a breast container. In this variant, the container 4 can be fitted with a fastener to hold it, for example, a belt, or a hand-held mobility device. However, the capture solution can also be held in a rigid position and mobility is preferred.

Suction unit 1 comprises the elements known to the art for producing a pressure sufficient to pump the milk into the breastplate hood 2. These elements include a suction pump not shown, a control electronics and an electrical storage device, such as a battery. All these elements are located in a common housing 10. This is preferably made of plastic and is rigidly formed. It has either connecting holes for a plug to connect to an electrical charger for the storage device or it can be opened at least in the battery area to replace the battery.

The housing 10 is flat, with a front 11 and a back 12 and a connecting cover 13. The cross-section of the housing 10 can be chosen at will. On the housing 10, for example in the cover 13, there is a 13' opening to accommodate one end of the intake line 5. This intake line 5 is preferably soluble and can be inserted into this 13' opening.

The housing 10 shall have at least one suction pump actuator 14 in this example, which are buttons inserted in the front 11 of the housing 10.

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The suction unit 1 of the invention can be easily attached to a G belt by means of the 15' bracket, which does not have to be a special belt but may be a belt individually selected by the mother.

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However, suction unit 1 can also be worn in other ways, such as by hanging it on the arm or around the shoulder.

The breast pump according to the invention is easy to operate, allows suctioning of milk even in confined spaces without storage areas and does not hinder the mother's mobility even during the pumping.

List of reference marks

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Claims (7)

1. A portable breast pump which comprises a suction unit (1), a collecting unit (A) and a suction line (5), the suction line (5) connecting the collecting unit (A) to the suction unit (1), the collecting unit (A) having a breast shield (2), a milk-receiving container (4) and a coupling element (3), which connects the breast shield (2) to the milk-receiving container (4), and the suction unit (1) having a housing (10), wherein the housing (10) is provided with a fastening means (15) for fastening the housing (10) on a carrying means (G, S), which can be fastened on a mother's body, wherein the housing (10) comprises a front side (11), a rear side (12) as well as a lateral surface (13) which connects the two sides (11, 12) and wherein the housing (10) is of flat design, in the sense, that the front side (11) and the rear side (12) are of broader design than the lateral surface (13), characterized in that a recess (13') is provided in the lateral surface (13) for the purpose of accommodating one end of the suction line (5) and in that at least one operating means (14) for operating the suction pump is provided and in that the at least one operating means (14) are operating buttons, which are embedded in the front side (11) of the housing (10).
2. A suction unit (1) for use in a portable breast pump as claimed in claim 1, the breast pump having a collecting unit (A) with a breast shield (2), a milk-receiving container (4) and a coupling element (3), which connects the breast shield (2) to the milk-receiving container (4), the breast pump also having a flexible suction line (5), by means of which the collecting unit (A) can be connected to the suction unit (1), and the suction unit (1) having a housing (10), wherein the housing (10) is provided with a fastening means (15) for fastening the housing (10) on a carrying means (G, S), which can be fastened on a mother's body, wherein the housing (10) comprises a front side (11), a rear side (12) as well as a lateral surface (13) which connects the two sides (11, 12) and wherein the housing (10) is of flat design, in the sense, that the front side (11) and the rear side (12) are of broader design than the lateral surface (13), characterized in that a recess (13') is provided in the lateral surface (13) for the purpose of accommodating one end of the suction line (5) and in that at least one operating means (14) for operating the suction pump is provided and in that the at least one operating means (14) are operating buttons, which are embedded in the front side (11) of the housing (10).
3. The suction unit according to claim 2, characterized in that the fastening means (15) is designed for fastening on a belt (G) or on a carrying loop (S).
4. The suction unit according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the fastening means (15) is designed as a releasable means.
5. The suction unit according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the housing (10) comprises a rear side (12) and in that the fastening means (15) is arranged on that rear side (12).
6. The suction unit according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the fastening means (15) is a resilient clip (15') and/or a plug-in closure part (15").
7. The suction unit according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the housing (10) is of rigid design.