Vacuum pump of breast pump

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a vacuum pump of a breast pump. The vacuum pump comprises a compression chamber with a compression cavity; the air inlet end and the air outlet end of the air inlet channel are communicated with a breast pumping module and a compression cavity of the breast pump respectively, and an air inlet control valve is arranged in the air inlet channel; the air inlet end of the exhaust channel is communicated with the compression cavity, and an exhaust control valve is arranged in the exhaust channel; the driving assembly is used for promoting the internal air pressure of the compression cavity to periodically fluctuate; the air inlet control valve and the exhaust control valve are alternately conducted in response to the internal air pressure periodic fluctuation to form an air inlet period and an exhaust period which are circularly and alternately conducted; the backflow channel and the air inlet control valve are arranged in parallel, and the backflow channel is used for allowing part of air in the compression cavity to flow through and flow back to the milk sucking module in the exhaust period. According to the embodiment of the invention, by arranging the backflow channel, part of air in the compression cavity flows back to the milk sucking module through the backflow channel in the exhaust period, vibration massage is carried out on the breasts, and the pain feeling of a user can be effectively relieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of breast pump technology, and more particularly to a vacuum pump for a breast pump. Background Technology

[0002] Breast pumps promote milk production by simulating the sucking rhythm of an infant, helping breastfeeding mothers to express milk efficiently. They are suitable for scenarios such as pumping milk at work, breastfeeding in public, or relieving milk stasis.

[0003] Existing breast pumps mainly use vacuum pumps to create negative pressure suction to simulate a baby's sucking action. Although they can effectively express breast milk, the relatively large and prolonged negative pressure suction can easily aggravate the user's pain, resulting in a poor user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a vacuum pump for a breast pump that can effectively relieve the user's pain.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention first provides the following technical solution: a vacuum pump for a breast pump, comprising: A compression chamber with an internal compression cavity; An air intake channel, wherein the air intake end and the air outlet end of the air intake channel are respectively connected to the breast pumping module that covers the breast to perform the sucking action and the compression chamber, and an air intake control valve is provided in the air intake channel; An exhaust passage, wherein the air inlet end of the exhaust passage is connected to the compression chamber, and an exhaust control valve is provided in the exhaust passage; A drive assembly for causing periodic fluctuations in the internal air pressure of the compression chamber, wherein the intake control valve and the exhaust control valve alternately open in response to the periodic fluctuations in internal air pressure to form alternating intake and exhaust cycles; and The return channel, which is connected in parallel with the intake control valve, is used to allow a portion of the air in the compression chamber to flow back towards the milk pumping module during the exhaust cycle.

[0006] Furthermore, during the exhaust cycle, the airflow rate of the return channel is less than the airflow rate of the exhaust channel.

[0007] Furthermore, the compression chamber includes a base extending through both ends, a cover covering one end of the base, and an elastic diaphragm made of elastic material and clamped around its periphery by the base and the cover. The space between the cover and the elastic diaphragm forms the compression cavity. The drive assembly is fixed to the elastic diaphragm and drives the elastic diaphragm to elastically expand and contract relative to the cover, causing the volume of the compression cavity to fluctuate periodically, thereby forming the periodic fluctuation of the internal air pressure.

[0008] Furthermore, the cover is provided with an air inlet nozzle located at the air inlet end of the air inlet channel, an air inlet hole corresponding to the air outlet end of the air inlet channel and the compression chamber, and a return hole corresponding to the return channel and the compression chamber. The air inlet control valve is located at the air inlet hole and controls the opening and closing of the air inlet hole.

[0009] Furthermore, the cover has an exhaust hole that communicates with the exhaust channel, and the exhaust control valve is located at the exhaust hole to control the opening and closing of the exhaust hole.

[0010] Furthermore, the cover includes an inner cover and an outer cover. The inner cover cooperates with the base to clamp the elastic diaphragm. The outer cover covers the side of the inner cover away from the base. The air intake channel and the return channel are both located between the inner cover and the outer cover. The air intake hole and the return hole are both opened on the inner cover.

[0011] Furthermore, adjacent side surfaces of the inner cover and the outer cover are respectively formed with opposite grooves. When the outer cover is assembled onto the inner cover, the grooves on the inner cover and the outer cover are respectively connected by slots to form the air intake channel and the return channel.

[0012] Furthermore, the vacuum pump also includes a bottom shell fixedly connected to one end of the base away from the cover. The drive assembly is fixed to the bottom shell and clamps the elastic diaphragm with its output end cooperating with a clamp plate correspondingly disposed on the opposite side of the elastic diaphragm. The exhaust channel is formed by sequentially connecting an exhaust hole opened on the clamp plate, the inner cavity of the bottom shell, a first airflow hole opened on the base, a second airflow hole correspondingly opened on the inner cover, an exhaust groove formed on the inner cover and / or the outer cover, and an exhaust nozzle disposed on the outer cover. The exhaust control valve is disposed at the exhaust hole and controls the opening and closing of the exhaust hole. The cover also includes a sealing ring placed between the inner cover and the outer cover and correspondingly isolating the air intake channel and the exhaust channel.

[0013] Furthermore, the intake control valve is a cap corresponding to a pin located inside the compression chamber, while the exhaust control valve is a cap corresponding to a pin located outside the compression chamber.

[0014] Furthermore, the drive assembly includes: a motor whose main body is located outside the bottom shell and whose output shaft extends into the inner cavity of the bottom shell; an eccentric wheel disposed in the inner cavity of the bottom shell and fixed on the output shaft of the motor; and a connecting rod whose one end is sleeved on the eccentric wheel and whose other end serves as the output end of the drive assembly to cooperate with a clamping plate disposed on the opposite side of the elastic diaphragm to clamp and fix the elastic diaphragm.

[0015] After adopting the above technical solution, the embodiments of the present invention have at least the following beneficial effects: The vacuum pump of the breast pump provided in the embodiments of the present invention, by setting a return channel in parallel with the air intake control valve, can allow a portion of the air in the compression chamber to flow through and return to the direction of the breast pumping module during the exhaust cycle. The returned air can have a vibration and massage effect on the breast, thereby achieving the effect of pumping and massaging at the same time. This can not only effectively relieve the user's pain, but also make the mammary glands more unobstructed, thus allowing for a more smooth extraction of sufficient milk. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a disassembled state of an optional embodiment of the vacuum pump of the breast pump of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an optional embodiment of the vacuum pump of the breast pump of the present invention in a combined state.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the inner surface structure of the outer cover in an optional embodiment of the vacuum pump of the breast pump of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of an optional embodiment of the vacuum pump in the breast pump of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A magnified view of part A in the middle.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembled inner side of the cover of another optional embodiment of the vacuum pump of the breast pump of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the combined structure of the inner side of the cover of another optional embodiment of the vacuum pump of the breast pump of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the following illustrative embodiments and descriptions are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Moreover, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other unless otherwise specified.

[0024] like Figures 1-7 As shown, an optional embodiment of the present invention provides a vacuum pump for a breast pump, comprising: A compression chamber 1 with an internal compression cavity 10; The air intake channel 3 has an air intake end and an air outlet end that are respectively connected to the breast pump module (not shown in the figure) that covers the breast and performs the sucking action and the compression chamber 10. The air intake channel 3 is provided with an air intake control valve 30. An exhaust passage (not shown in the figure) has an inlet end connected to the compression chamber 10 and an exhaust control valve 50 is provided in the exhaust passage. A drive assembly 7 for causing periodic fluctuations in the internal air pressure of the compression chamber 10; the intake control valve 30 and the exhaust control valve 50 alternately open in response to the periodic fluctuations in internal air pressure to form alternating intake and exhaust cycles; and The return channel 9, which is connected in parallel with the intake control valve 30, is used to allow a portion of the air in the compression chamber 10 to flow back towards the milk pumping module during the exhaust cycle.

[0025] The vacuum pump of the breast pump provided in this embodiment of the invention has a return channel 9 connected in parallel with the air intake control valve 30. During the exhaust cycle, some of the air in the compression chamber 10 can flow back to the breast pumping module through the return channel 9. The returned air can vibrate and massage the breast, thereby achieving the effect of pumping and massaging at the same time. This can not only effectively relieve the user's pain, but also make the mammary glands more unobstructed, so as to pump out a sufficient amount of milk more smoothly.

[0026] In the specific operation of the vacuum pump of the present invention, when the internal air pressure of the compression chamber 10 is low (lower than the external atmospheric pressure), the intake control valve 30 is turned on and the exhaust control valve 50 is turned off, which corresponds to the intake cycle. When the internal air pressure of the compression chamber 10 is high (higher than the external atmospheric pressure), the intake control valve 30 is turned off and the exhaust control valve 50 is turned on, which corresponds to the exhaust cycle.

[0027] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, during the exhaust cycle, the airflow of the return channel 9 is less than that of the exhaust channel. This embodiment limits the airflow of the return channel 9 to be less than that of the exhaust channel, ensuring that only a small portion of the air flows back, thus not affecting the suction power of the breast pump while still providing a suitable vibration massage effect on the breast. In specific implementations, the airflow of the return channel 9 can be limited by rationally designing the diameter of the connection between the return channel 9 and the compression chamber 10 (i.e., the return hole 90 mentioned later).

[0028] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the compression chamber 1 includes a base 12 extending through both ends, a cover 14 covering one end of the base 12, and an elastic diaphragm 16 made of elastic material and clamped around its periphery by the base 12 and the cover 14. The space between the cover 14 and the elastic diaphragm 16 forms the compression cavity 10. The drive assembly 7 is fixed to the elastic diaphragm 16 and drives the elastic diaphragm 16 to elastically expand and contract relative to the cover 14, causing the volume of the compression cavity 10 to fluctuate periodically, thereby forming the periodic fluctuation of the internal air pressure.

[0029] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the cover 14 is provided with an air inlet nozzle 32 located at the air inlet end of the air inlet channel 3, an air inlet hole 34 corresponding to the air outlet end of the air inlet channel 3 and the compression chamber 10, and a return hole 90 corresponding to the return channel 9 and the compression chamber 10. The air inlet control valve 30 is disposed at the air inlet hole 34 to control the opening and closing of the air inlet hole 34. In specific implementation, the air inlet hole 34 can be multiple densely arranged through holes to increase the air intake. This embodiment, by providing an air inlet nozzle 32, an air inlet hole 34 and a return hole 90 on the cover 14 respectively, and placing the air inlet control valve 30 at the air inlet hole 34, has a relatively compact structure, which is beneficial to the miniaturization design of the overall vacuum pump. In specific implementation, the return hole 90 can be set with an appropriate distance from the air inlet hole 34 (e.g., Figure 1 , Figures 3 to 5 (As shown), it can also be located adjacent to the air inlet 34 (e.g. Figure 6 and Figure 7 (As shown) and a through hole 300 or a notch is provided on the intake control valve 30 that covers the intake hole 34, corresponding to the return hole 90, without affecting the return of air through the return hole 90; the number of intake holes 34 can be flexibly set according to the required intake efficiency.

[0030] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the cover 14 has an exhaust hole 52 that communicates with the exhaust channel. The exhaust control valve 50 is located at the exhaust hole 52 and controls the opening and closing of the exhaust hole. In specific implementations, the exhaust hole 52 can be multiple densely arranged through holes to increase the exhaust volume. This embodiment, by providing exhaust holes 52 on the cover 14 and placing the exhaust control valve 50 at the exhaust hole 52, has a relatively compact structure, which also facilitates the miniaturization design of the overall vacuum pump. The number of exhaust holes 52 can also be flexibly set according to the required exhaust efficiency.

[0031] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, such as Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the cover 14 includes an inner cover 140 and an outer cover 142. The inner cover 140 cooperates with the base 12 to clamp the elastic diaphragm 16. The outer cover 142 covers the side of the inner cover 140 away from the base 12. The air inlet channel 3 and the return channel 9 are both located between the inner cover 140 and the outer cover 142. The air inlet hole 34 and the return hole 90 are both formed on the inner cover 140. In this embodiment, by further designing the cover 14 as a combination of the inner cover 140 and the outer cover 142, the air inlet channel 3 and the return channel 9 can be designed between the inner cover 140 and the outer cover 142. The structure is relatively compact and also conducive to the miniaturization design of the overall vacuum pump.

[0032] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 , Figures 3 to 5 As shown, adjacent side surfaces of the inner cover 140 and the outer cover 142 are respectively formed with opposite grooves. When the outer cover 142 is assembled onto the inner cover 140, the grooves on the inner cover 140 and the outer cover 142 are respectively connected by slots to form the air intake channel 3 and the return channel 9.

[0033] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the vacuum pump also includes a bottom shell 8 fixedly connected to one end of the base 12 away from the cover 14. The drive assembly 7 is fixed to the bottom shell 8 and clamps the elastic diaphragm 16 with its output end 71 in cooperation with a clamping plate 73 correspondingly disposed on the opposite side of the elastic diaphragm 16. The exhaust channel is formed by the sequential connection of an exhaust hole 52 opened on the clamping plate 71, the inner cavity 80 of the bottom shell 8, a first airflow hole 53 opened on the base 12, a second airflow hole 54 correspondingly opened on the inner cover 140, an exhaust groove 56 formed on the inner cover and / or the outer cover, and an exhaust nozzle 58 disposed on the outer cover 142. The exhaust control valve 50 is disposed at the exhaust hole 52 and controls the opening and closing of the exhaust hole 52. The cover 14 also includes a sealing ring 144 placed between the inner cover 140 and the outer cover 142 and correspondingly isolating the air intake channel 3 and the exhaust channel. This embodiment further facilitates the assembly of the drive assembly 7 by modifying the bottom shell 8. It also optimizes the exhaust channel routing by incorporating the exhaust nozzle 58 onto the outer cover 142, allowing it to be positioned alongside the intake nozzle 32 for easy connection of corresponding pipes during assembly. The sealing ring 144 effectively improves airtightness, preventing leakage between the intake and exhaust channels. In practice, the first airflow hole 53 and the second airflow hole 54 are respectively distributed at the corners of the base 12 and the inner cover 140, thus avoiding the central elastic diaphragm 16. Corresponding guide grooves can also be provided in the inner cavity 80 of the bottom shell 8 to guide air to the corners of the bottom shell 8 for smooth entry into the first airflow hole 53. The exhaust hole 52 is mounted on the rigid clamping plate 73, preventing deformation due to the elastic expansion and contraction of the elastic diaphragm 16, ensuring stable and smooth airflow during exhaust. In a specific implementation, the elastic diaphragm 16 has a central hole, and the clamping plate 73 and the output end 71 of the drive assembly 7 clamp the edge of the central hole.

[0034] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the intake control valve 30 is a cap corresponding to a pin located inside the compression chamber 10, while the exhaust control valve 50 is a cap corresponding to a pin located outside the compression chamber 10. This embodiment uses pins as the corresponding intake control valve 30 and exhaust control valve 50, resulting in low cost and ease of assembly.

[0035] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the drive assembly 7 includes: a motor 70 whose main body is located outside the bottom shell 8 and whose output shaft 700 extends into the inner cavity 80 of the bottom shell 8; an eccentric wheel 72 disposed in the inner cavity 80 of the bottom shell 8 and fixed to the output shaft 700 of the motor 70; and a connecting rod 74 whose one end is sleeved on the eccentric wheel 72 and whose other end serves as the output end 71 of the drive assembly 7, and which cooperates with a clamping plate 73 disposed on the opposite side of the elastic diaphragm 16 to clamp and fix the elastic diaphragm 16. In this embodiment, by driving the eccentric wheel 72 with the motor 70, thereby driving the connecting rod 74 to periodically push and pull the elastic diaphragm 16, the periodic fluctuation of the internal air pressure of the compression chamber 10 can be well realized. In specific implementation, both the eccentric wheel 72 and the connecting rod 74 can be positioned on the output shaft 700 by the locking fasteners 76 assembled on the end of the output shaft of the motor 70.

[0036] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many variations under the guidance of the present invention without departing from the inventive spirit and scope of protection of the claims. These variations are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vacuum pump for a breast pump, comprising: A compression chamber with an internal compression cavity; An air intake channel, wherein the air intake end and the air outlet end of the air intake channel are respectively connected to the breast pumping module that covers the breast to perform the sucking action and the compression chamber, and an air intake control valve is provided in the air intake channel; An exhaust passage, wherein the inlet end of the exhaust passage is connected to the compression chamber, and an exhaust control valve is provided in the exhaust passage; and A drive assembly for causing periodic fluctuations in the internal air pressure of the compression chamber, wherein the intake control valve and the exhaust control valve alternately open in response to the periodic fluctuations in the internal air pressure to form a cyclical alternation of intake and exhaust cycles; The vacuum pump is characterized in that it further includes a return channel arranged in parallel with the intake control valve, which is used to allow a portion of the air in the compression chamber to flow through and return to the direction of the milk suction module during the exhaust cycle.

2. The vacuum pump of the breast pump as described in claim 1, characterized in that, During the exhaust cycle, the airflow in the return channel is less than the airflow in the exhaust channel.

3. The vacuum pump of the breast pump as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The compression chamber includes a base extending through both ends, a cover covering one end of the base, and an elastic diaphragm made of elastic material and clamped around its periphery by the base and the cover. The space between the cover and the elastic diaphragm forms the compression cavity. The drive assembly is fixed to the elastic diaphragm and drives the elastic diaphragm to elastically expand and contract relative to the cover, causing the volume of the compression cavity to fluctuate periodically, thereby forming the periodic fluctuation of the internal air pressure.

4. The vacuum pump of the breast pump as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The cover is provided with an air inlet nozzle located at the air inlet end of the air inlet channel, an air inlet hole corresponding to the air outlet end of the air inlet channel and the compression chamber, and a return hole corresponding to the return channel and the compression chamber. The air inlet control valve is located at the air inlet hole and controls the opening and closing of the air inlet hole.

5. The vacuum pump of the breast pump as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The cover has an exhaust hole that communicates with the exhaust channel, and the exhaust control valve is located at the exhaust hole to control the opening and closing of the exhaust hole.

6. The vacuum pump of the breast pump as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The cover includes an inner cover and an outer cover. The inner cover and the base cooperate to clamp the elastic diaphragm. The outer cover covers the side of the inner cover away from the base. The air intake channel and the return channel are both located between the inner cover and the outer cover. The air intake hole and the return hole are both opened on the inner cover.

7. The vacuum pump of the breast pump as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The inner and outer covers have adjacent side surfaces with opposite grooves. When the outer cover is assembled onto the inner cover, the grooves on the inner and outer covers are respectively joined together to form the air intake channel and the return channel.

8. The vacuum pump of the breast pump as described in claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The vacuum pump also includes a bottom shell that is fixed to the end of the base away from the cover. The drive assembly is fixed to the bottom shell and clamps the elastic diaphragm with its output end cooperating with a clamp plate correspondingly disposed on the opposite side of the elastic diaphragm. The exhaust channel is formed by the sequential connection of an exhaust hole opened on the clamp plate, the inner cavity of the bottom shell, a first airflow hole opened on the base, a second airflow hole correspondingly opened on the inner cover, an exhaust groove formed on the inner cover and / or the outer cover, and an exhaust nozzle disposed on the outer cover. The exhaust control valve is disposed at the exhaust hole and controls the opening and closing of the exhaust hole. The cover also includes a sealing ring placed between the inner cover and the outer cover and correspondingly isolating the air intake channel and the exhaust channel.

9. The vacuum pump of the breast pump as described in claim 1, 4, or 5, characterized in that, The intake control valve is a cap corresponding to a pin located inside the compression chamber, while the exhaust control valve is a cap corresponding to a pin located outside the compression chamber.

10. The vacuum pump of the breast pump as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes: a motor whose main body is located outside the bottom shell and whose output shaft extends into the inner cavity of the bottom shell; an eccentric wheel located in the inner cavity of the bottom shell and fixed to the output shaft of the motor; and a connecting rod whose one end is sleeved on the eccentric wheel and whose other end serves as the output end of the drive assembly to cooperate with a clamping plate correspondingly located on the opposite side of the elastic diaphragm to clamp and fix the elastic diaphragm.

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