U.S. patent number 3,911,920 [Application Number 05/445,253] was granted by the patent office on 1975-10-14 for breast pump.
Invention is credited to Thommiss C. Susinn.
United States Patent |
3,911,920 |
Susinn |
October 14, 1975 |
Breast pump
Abstract
A breast pump comprises a housing formed from a transparent,
sterilizable, plastic material and defining a unitary, airtight
structure. An aperture is formed in one end of the housing to
receive and form a substantially airtight connection with a breast.
An internal rim extends around the breast receiving aperture to
prevent milk from flowing outwardly therethrough. A surface is
disposed at the opposite end of the housing from the breast
receiving aperture in the path of milk entering the housing. An
aperture is formed in the bottom of the housing and is provided
with internal threads adapted to threadedly engage and form a
substantially airtight connection with the external threads of a
conventional baby bottle. A third aperture is formed in the housing
at a point displaced from the path of milk entering the housing,
and a manually collapsible bulb is connected to the third aperture
for establishing a partial vacuum within the housing. A fitting is
provided for threaded engagement with the bottle receiving aperture
for use in connecting a flexible baby bottle to the housing.
Inventors: |
Susinn; Thommiss C. (Dallas,
TX) |
Family
ID: |
23768182 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/445,253 |
Filed: |
February 25, 1974 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
604/75 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M
1/062 (20140204); A61M 1/06 (20130101); A61M
1/82 (20210501); A61M 2205/075 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61M
1/06 (20060101); A61M 1/00 (20060101); A61M
001/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/281,280,282,299,301,300 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Medbery; Aldrich F.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Richards, Harris & Medlock
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A breast pump comprising:
a housing formed from a sterilizable material and defining a
unitary, airtight structure;
a first aperture formed in one end of the housing and extending
laterally with respect thereto for receiving a breast and forming a
substantially airtight connection therewith;
an external rim formed around the entire periphery of the first
aperture to form a substantially airtight seal with a breast
inserted therein;
an internal rim formed around at least the lower portion of the
first aperture to prevent milk from flowing outwardly
therethrough;
a wall positioned at the opposite end of the housing from the first
aperture and directly in alignment therewith whereby milk entering
the housing from the breast received in the first aperture is
deflected by the wall;
a second aperture formed in the bottom of the housing and extending
downwardly with respect thereto and comprising means for forming a
substantially airtight connection with a milk receiving
container;
the second aperture comprising internal threads adapted for direct
engagement wtih the external threads of a conventional baby bottle
thereby forming a substantially airtight seal between the housing
and the baby bottle;
a third aperture formed in the housing at a point displaced from
the path of milk entering the housing from a breast received in the
first aperture and extending upwardly relative to the housing;
and
means connected to the third aperture for establishing a partial
vacuum within the housing.
2. The breast pump according to claim 1 wherein the vacuum
establishing means comprises a manually collapsible bulb connected
directly to the third aperture of the housing.
3. The breast pump according to claim 2 wherein the housing is at
least substantially transparent.
4. The breast pump according to claim 3 wherein the housing is
formed from plastic.
5. The breast pump according to claim 1 further including an
adapter having upper external threads for threaded engagement with
the internal threads of the second aperture and a lower rim for
connecting a flexible baby bottle to the housing.
Description
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a breast pump, and more particularly to a
novel breast pump design incorporating numerous advantages over the
prior art.
Heretofore numerous breast pumps have been designed and patented.
However, notwithstanding these attempts at providing a workable
product, a number of problems have remained unsolved. For example,
prior art breast pumps have not adequately provided for the
transfer of milk to a baby bottle for subsequent feeding to an
infant. Another problem involves the fact that prior art breast
pumps have not been readily adapted to cleaning and sterilization,
particularly with respect to accumulations of milk in the apparatus
designed to establish a partial vacuum within the breast pump.
A very important difficulty which has been experienced in the use
of prior art breast pumps involves the fact that these devices are
often quite complicated in design. This factor renders many prior
art breast pumps both expensive to purchase and cumbersome, if not
difficult to use. Perhaps more importantly, many prior art breast
pumps are substantially limited as to portability. This factor
renders such devices almost useless in modern times in view of the
fact that an important need of the modern woman for a breast pump
is at work, while shopping, during travel, and on other occasions
when the woman is away from home. A related factor in this regard
involves the fact that prior art breast pumps have not provided
means to prevent drainage of milk outwardly through the breast
receiving aperture which also severely restricts use of such
devices when away from the home.
The present invention relates to a novel breast pump which
eliminates the foregoing and other disadvantages long since
associated with the prior art. In accordance with the broader
aspects of the invention, a breast pump comprises a housing having
a compact, streamlined shape so as to be readily portable. The
housing comprises a unitary, airtight structure formed from one of
the modern plastic materials and adapted for sterilization, as by
boiling. The housing is preferably at least substantially
transparent which facilitates both use and cleaning of the breast
pump.
An aperture is formed in one end of the housing and is dimensioned
to receive and form a substantially airtight connection with a
breast of a woman. An inner rim extends around the breast receiving
aperture to prevent milk from draining outwardly therethrough. A
surface is disposed at the opposite ends of the housing to deflect
milk entering the breast pump from a breast received in the breast
receiving aperture.
In accordance with the present invention, milk is not stored even
temporarily in the housing. Rather, the milk flows outwardly
through an aperture formed in the bottom of the housing. This
aperture is provided with internal threads adapted to threadedly
engage and form a substantially airtight connection with the
external threads of a conventional baby bottle. The invention
further contemplates the use of a threaded adapter for use in
connecting the housing to a flexible baby bottle.
The third aperture is formed in the housing at a point
substantially displaced from the path of milk entering the housing
from a breast positioned in the breast receiving aperture. A
manually operable bulb having the usual check valves is secured to
the housing in fluid communication with the third aperture for use
in establishing a partial vacuum in the housing. The bulb is
preferably detachably connected to the housing to facilitate
cleaning of the breast pump.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A more complete understanding of the invention may be had by
reference to the following Detailed Description when taken in
conjunction with the accompanying Drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating a breast pump incorporating
the invention;
FIG. 2 is an illustration of a first alternative use of the
invention; and
Fig. 3 is an illustration of a second alternative use of the
invention in which certain parts have been broken away more clearly
to illustrate certain features of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1 thereof,
there is shown a breast pump 10 incorporating the invention. The
breast pump 10 includes a housing 12 having a compact, streamlined
shape so as to be readily portable. The housing 12 comprises a
unitary, airtight structure which is preferably fabricated by means
of modern mass production techniques, for example one of the
various molding processes. The housing 12 is preferably transparent
to facilitate both the use of the breast pump 10 and the subsequent
cleaning of the housing 12. The housing 12 may be fabricated from
one of the various modern plastic materials that are tough and yet
somewhat flexible, for example, materials such as polyethylene,
polypropolene, polycarbonate, etc. or various proprietary plastic
materials may be used in the fabrication of the housing 12. The
housing 12 may also be manufactured from glass, if desired.
An aperture 14 dimensioned to receive a breast of a woman is
provided at one end of the housing 12. An exterior rim 16 extends
around the aperture 14 to form a substantially airtight seal with a
breast received therein. An interior rim 18 also extends around the
aperture 14 to prevent milk received in the housing 12 from
draining outwardly through the aperature 14. In the embodiment of
the invention illustrated in FIG. 1, the rim 18 extends entirely
around the aperture 14. It will be understood, however, that the
interior milk retaining rim 18 may be provided around only the
lower portion of the aperture 14, if desired.
A milk deflecting surface 20 is disposed at the opposite end of the
housing 12 from the breast receiving aperture 14. The surface 20 is
shaped to deflect milk entering the housing 12 downwardly. As will
become more apparent hereinafter, this feature of the invention has
been found to be highly advantageous in facilitating cleaning of
the component parts of the breast pump 10 following use.
In the practice of the invention, milk is not retained in the
housing 12 even temporarily. Instead, milk is directed out of the
housing 12 through an aperture 22 formed in the bottom thereof. The
milk passes through the aperture 22 and into a container 24 secured
to the housing 12. The aperture 22 is provided with internal
threads 26 adapted to threadedly engage the external threads of a
conventional baby bottle, and the container 24 is provided with
external threads 28 which are identical to the threads of a
conventional baby bottle. By this means the threads 26 and 28
cooperate to form a substantially airtight seal between the housing
12 and the container 24.
The housing 12 of the breast pump 10 further comprises a third
aperture 30. The aperture 30 may be located at any convenient point
on the housing 12, but should be substantially displaced from the
path of milk entering the housing 12 from a breast positioned in
the aperture 14. A manually collapsible bulb 32 is secured to the
housing 12 in fluid communication with the aperture 30 for use in
establishing a partial vacuum within the housing 12.
The bulb 32 is conventional, and includes the usual check valves at
the inlets and outlets thereof. The bulb 32 is preferably small in
size to facilitate portability of the breast pump 10, and is also
preferably so designed that a number of actuations of the bulb are
required in order to establish a partial vacuum of relatively high
magnitude within the housing 10. This is to facilitate control over
the operation of the breast pump 10 and also to increase the
comfort of the user. The bulb 32 is preferably detachably secured
to the housing 12 to facilitate cleaning of the component parts of
the breast pump 10. This may be accomplished either by means of a
threaded connection between the bulb 32 and the housing 12, or by
means of cooperating flanges adapted to form an airtight seal
between the bulb 32 and the housing 12.
In the use of the breast pump 10, the bulb 32 is engaged with the
housing 12 in fluid communication with the aperture 30, and a
container is secured to the housing 12 in fluid communication with
the aperture 22 by means of the threads 26. Thereafter, a breast of
a woman is received in the aperture 14 and the rim 16 is engaged
with the breast so as to form a substantially airtight seal.
At this point in time the bulb 32 is actuated to establish a
partial vacuum within the housing 12. The effect of the partial
vacuum is to draw milk out of the breast positioned in the aperture
14 and into the housing 12. The surface 20 of the housing 12
functions to deflect milk entering the housing downwardly through
the aperture 22 and into the container secured thereto, and to
prevent milk entering the housing from entering the bulk 32. This
has been found to be highly advantageous in facilitating the
subsequent cleaning of the component parts of the breast pump 10.
Thus, by preventing milk from entering the bulb 32, the surface 20
of the housing 12 eliminates a troublesome cleaning problem which
has been experienced in prior art breast pumps.
As has been indicated previously, the housing 12 is preferably at
least substantially transparent. This has been found to be highly
advantageous in that it facilitates observation of the breast pump
in drawing milk out of the breast positioned in the aperture 14.
This fact in combination with the use of a bulb 32 requiring
repeated actuation to establish a partial vacuum of relatively high
magnitude within the housing 12 facilitate not only the operation
of the breast pump 10 but also the comfort of the user.
The breast pump 10 is utilized to withdraw milk from each breast of
the woman. It will be noted in this regard that following each use
the interior rim 18 of the aperture 14 prevents milk from draining
out of the housing 12 through the aperture 14. This is highly
advantageous in that milk is prevented from draining onto the
woman's clothing, etc. Following the use of the the breast pump 10
the container is disengaged from the aperture 22 and the housing 12
is cleaned. The transparent construction of the housing 12 is also
highly advantageous in facilitating the cleaning of the
housing.
The container 24 illustrated in FIG. 1 is primarily intended for
use when the breast pump 10 is utilized to relieve pressure from
the breasts. To this end the container 24 may have a relatively
small capacity, i.e., between about 21/2 ounces and about 3 ounces.
The small size of the container 24 is also advantageous in that it
permits the component parts of the breast pump 10 to be carried in
a woman's purse, etc. Following use of the breast pump 10 to
relieve pressure, the milk is typically discarded from the
container 24 and the container is cleaned. It will be understood,
however, that the milk may be retained, if desired.
Referring now to FIG. 2, the breast pump 10 may also be utilized in
conjunction with a conventional baby bottle 34. For example, in the
event that a woman will be out for the evening, etc., the breast
pump 10 may be utilized to accumulate milk in the baby bottle 34
for subsequent feeding to an infant. This is advantageous in that
it substantially eliminates the need of repeatedly switching the
infant back and forth between mother's milk and a formula. To the
contrary, by means of the present invention it is typically
possible to accumulate milk in baby bottles to such an extent that
the necessity of feeding the infant with formula is completely
eliminated.
In FIG. 3, the breast pump 10 is shown utilized in connection with
a conventional flexible baby bottle. In such instances an adapter
36 is provided. The adapter 36 comprises upper threads 38 which are
identical to the threads of a conventional baby bottle and a lower
flange 40.
In the use of the invention illustrated in FIG. 3, a conventional
flexible baby bottle 42 is received in a conventional holder 44.
Such a device is typically provided with an upper flange 46. The
lower flange of the adapter 36 receives the flange 46 with the
flexible baby bottle positioned therebetween, thereby forming a
connection between the adapter 36 and the holder 44 and the
flexible baby bottle 42 mounted therein. By this means milk
received in the housing 12 of the breast pump 10 is directed into
the flexible baby bottle 42. The flexible baby bottle 42 and the
holder 44 may then be utilized to feed the milk to an infant.
From the foregoing it will be understood that the present invention
comprises a breast pump incorporating numerous advantages over the
prior art. Thus, breast pumps constructed in accordance with the
invention are both readily portable and very convenient to use. In
this regard the inner flange surrounding the breast receiving
aperture is advantageous in preventing milk from flowing outwardly
therethrough. Another advantage involves the milk deflecting
surface and the transparent construction of the housing which
cooperate to facilitate cleaning of the component parts of the
breast pump following use. A very important advantage relates to
the fact that breast pumps constructed in accordance with the
invention are adapted for direct connection to a conventional baby
bottle. By this means the breast pump may be utilized to provide
mother's milk for subsequent feeding to an infant.
Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been
illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the
foregoing Detailed Description, it will be understood that the
invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is
capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and
substitutions of parts and elements without departing from the
spirit of the invention.
* * * * *