Breastpump with compliant feature

#The present invention relates to breastmilk pumps, and particularly relates to a breastpump that includes elements having a compliant material placed on the pump.

#Pumps used to extract or express milk are well known. Breastmilk pumps are adapted to apply a vacuum to the breast in order to express it of its contents of milk, such as for storage in a container for later use by an infant.

#Breastmilk pumps generally include a breastshield (also known as a hood) that typically includes a funnel-shaped surface sized and shaped to fit over the breast; a vacuum source connected to the breastshield for generating an intermittent reduced pressure, i.e., a vacuum, within the breastshield; and, a housed conduit structure for communicating milk from the breastshield to a container for the expressed milk, as well as for communicating pressure variations (such as the foregoing vacuum) to the breastshield. An example of this type of pump is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,899. Some breastpumps are designed to be operated with either one hand or two hands by using a lever. An example of this type of pump is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,140. As a result of the pressure changes produced and transferred therethrough and other reasons, the housing, conduit and breastshield portions of the breastpump tend to be made of a relatively rigid material.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a manual breastpump according to the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a handle for a manual breastpump according to the present invention; and

#FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of a handle for a manual breastpump according to the present invention.

#As shown in FIG. 1, and in broad overview, an embodiment of the breastpump assembly 10 according to the present invention comprises a housing 24, with a hood member 12, a pump member 14 and a container 16, each of which is attachable to or formed integrally with the housing. The housing 24 generally includes sleeve mount 22, collection chamber 26, container mount 28 and pump mount 30. The hood member 12 includes a funnel-shaped shield end 18 and an integral tubular sleeve end 20 opposite the funnel-shaped shield end. Integral tubular sleeve end 20 may attach to sleeve mount 22 of the housing 24, for example, in an interference fit. For purposes of the present invention, the shape of the hood assembly and its connection to the housing 24 of the breastpump assembly 10 are incidental; the particular arrangement and details of these elements is in no way limiting. In one embodiment, the hood member 12 and housing 24 including the container mount 28 and pump mount 30 are formed integrally or, in another words, formed as a one-piece unit. It will be understood that, in the alternate, separate, connectable members may used to construct the breastpump assembly 10.

#The breastpump assembly illustrated herein may include a manually or otherwise operated breastpump, which is shown set up for manual operation in FIG. 1. The breastpump assembly 10 may include a hand-driven pump 32, for example, a diaphragm pump, activated by a handle 34, which operates in a manner that will be described in more detail hereafter. The pump 32 may be releasably attached to the housing portion 24 at a back portion thereof, or in a pump housing 30 portion of the housing 24 opposite the hood assembly 12. Generally, the pump 32 may include an outer cylindrical portion and a diaphragm (not shown) positioned within the outer cylindrical portion. A handle 34, which may be in the form of a lever, extension or the like, may be provided for manual or motor activation of the pump. Details of breastpump functioning can be further gleaned from U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,110,140; 5,007,899 and 4,929,229. In the alternate, the breastpump assembly 10 may also be operated by a motor drive unit, (not shown), as is known in the art, either with or without pump 32.

#Breastpump assembly 10 is made of a rigid material, such as, for example, polypropylene or polycarbonate plastic. The rigid material of the pump assembly 10 can be used to make up the housing 24, hood assembly 12, pump member 14, container 16, mounts 22, 28 and 30. It will be understood that the exterior of the rigid material provides an exterior surface on all elements made therefrom having a texture and composition for receiving a compliant material, generally indicated at 40. The compliant material 40 may be provided to some or all of the exterior surfaces of the breastpump assembly 10. It may be provided in a thickness of about 0.3 mm to 10 mm. The compliant material may be provided as a continuous piece as indicated at 42 on housing 24 or as ribs 44 on pump housing 30 or other compliant patterns, such as, for example, dots, checks, cross-hatch, and straight or curved lines, and so on. In other embodiments, the compliant material 40 may be positioned on all or any of the outer surfaces of the hood member 12 at 46 and 48. It may be advantageous to position compliant material 40 on exterior surfaces 50, 52 of the pump housing 30 and handle 34 as well as exterior surfaces 54 of the container 16. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, compliant material 40 may be provided to the housing 24.