US 4,857,051 AGranted

Breastpump

AssigneeIsg/AG

InventorKarl O. A. H. Larsson

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Abstract

A breastpump is provided with a valve mechanism that closes a collection chamber when a vacuum is applied to a hood member and opens the collection chamber when the vacuum is removed. The valve mechanism is removably attached to the collection chamber for ready cleaning. A baffle in the hood member protects the vacuum line from milk flow. One embodiment of the invention has a connecting sleeve for connecting either a manually driven pneumatic pump or a motor driven pneumatic pump to the hood body to create an intermittent vacuum. A connector is further provided for use with a pair of breastpumps operated simultaneously by a motor driven pneumatic pump. An adjustment piece for decreasing the cross-sectional area of a funnel-shaped hood member is also disclosed for use of the breastpumps with smaller breasts. One type of manually driven piston pump useful with the invention has apertures formed through the pump cylinder wall that are selectively opened and closed for adjustment of the piston pump vacuum.

Claims5

Dependent claims

A breastpump comprising:

a hood body for placement over a breast, said hood body having a main funnel-shaped portion within which the breast is received and a tubular extension extending downstream from said main funnel portion;
means for connecting said tubular extension of said hood body with a vacuum line to periodically withdraw air from said hood body in a manner that draws the breast into said main funnel portion and thereby express milk from the breast into said tubular extension;
a wall formed interiorally of said tubular extension separating said vacuum line connecting means from the breastmilk flow, said wall depending from an upper interior side wall of said tubular extension with said vacuum line connecting means having a connection with said tubular extension above the bottom of said wall, said wall forming a baffle preventing milk from entering said vacuum line;
a catch chamber for expressed milk connected with said tubular extension, said catch chamber being located downstream from said tubular extension and having an inlet and an outlet;
a valve mechanism located at said catch chamber outlet, said valve mechanism having a valve member which closes said catch chamber outlet when a vacuum is applied to said hood body and opens said catch chamber outlet when said vacuum is removed;
said valve mechanism comprising a tubular valve housing having a circumferential slot formed therethrough dividing said housing into an upper portion and a lower portion, a solid disk-shaped valve member sized larger than said collecting chamber outlet and adapted to seat against a lip defining said outlet when a vacuum is applied to said hood body to thereby close said outlet, said disk-shaped valve member having radially extended nibs which engage an edge formed on the bottom of said upper valve housing portion when said valve mechanism is not attached to said hood body, with ribs extended between said upper and lower valve housing portions joining said upper and lower housing portions without substantially obstructing said slot, said ribs preventing lateral movement of said disk-shaped valve member out of said circumferential slot, and stand-off bosses formed on said lower housing portion on which said disk-shaped valve member rests in the absence of vacuum;
means for removably attaching said valve mechanism to said hood body adjacent said catch chamber such that said hood mechanism can be readily removed for cleaning;
and
a container communicating with said catch chamber and valve mechanism to receive and hold milk released through said catch chamber outlet.

6 more elements

A breastpump comprising:

a hood body for placement over a breast, said hood body having a main funnel-shaped portion within which the breast is received and a tubular extension extending downstream from said main funnel portion;
means for connecting said tubular extension of said hood body with a vacuum line to periodically withdraw air from said hood body in a manner that draws the breast into said main funnel portion and thereby express milk from the breast into said tubular extension;
a wall formed interiorally of said tubular extension separating said vacuum line connecting means from the breastmilk flow, said wall depending from an upper interior side wall of said tubular extension with said vacuum line connecting means having a connection with said tubular extension above the bottom of said wall, said wall forming a baffle preventing milk from entering said vacuum line;
a catch chamber for expressed milk connected with said tubular extension, said catch chamber being located downstream from said tubular extension and having an inlet and an outlet;
a valve mechanism located at said catch chamber outlet, said valve mechanism having a valve member which closes said catch chamber outlet when a vacuum is applied to said hood body and opens said catch chamber outlet when said vacuum is removed;
means for removably attaching said valve mechanism to said hood body adjacent said catch chamber such that said hood mechanism can be readily removed for cleaning;
a container communicating with said catch chamber and valve mechanism to receive and hold milk released through said catch chamber outlet;
and
an adjusting piece insertable into said main funnel portion to reduce the interior cross-sectional area of the base of said main funnel portion adjacent said main funnel tubular extension, said funnel-shaped adjusting piece having a funnel portion and a cylindrical extension that is insertable into said main funnel tubular extension, said extension of said adjusting piece being sufficiently long to receive a nipple therein without said nipple extending beyond the downstream end of said adjusting piece extension, distance pieces formed on said extension of said adjusting piece spacing and locating said adjusting piece extension relative to said main funnel tubular extension, a generating angle of an outer surface of said adjusting piece funnel portion corresponding to a generating angle of an inner surface of said main funnel portion, an inner surface of said adjusting piece funnel having a larger generating angle than the generating angle of the outer surface thereof, with a sharp edge being formed about the upstream end of said adjusting piece funnel which sharp edge lies ridgelessly on said inner surface of said main funnel portion.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/053,055Filed 22 May 1987 · continuation in part
Priority: CH 6706/805 Sep 1980
Granted: 15 Aug 1989
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

A61M 1/066
Suction cups: inserts therefor
A61M 1/06
Suction or pumping devices for medical purposes; Devices for carrying-off, for treatment of, or for carrying-over, body-liquids; Drainage systems:…
A61M 1/782
Means for preventing overflow or contamination of the pumping systems: using valves with freely moving parts, e.g. float valves
A61M 1/81
Suction pumps: piston pumps, e.g. syringes