Nipple correction tool

Abstract

The objective of the present invention is to provide a nipple correction device that can be tailored to the user's nipple diameter by allowing the user to select any ring adapter from a plurality of ring adapters with different inner diameters. [Solution] The device includes a suction pump 20 with a roughly hemispherical tip 21 that is elastic, and multiple ring adapters 30 with different inner diameters. Each ring adapter has an engaging projection 34 on its outer side, and a locking portion 24 on the inner edge side of the lower end of the opening of the suction pump. The engaging projection of the ring adapter fits into the engaging groove 25 of the locking portion. When the nipple is placed in the nipple corrector 10 and pressure is applied to the tip 21, a restoring force is generated at the tip, creating negative pressure inside the suction pump. A suction force acts on the user's nipple, directed towards the internal space of the suction pump, and the nipple is pulled out. The user can select one of the multiple ring adapters with different inner diameters to use a nipple corrector that matches their nipple diameter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a nipple corrector for correcting sunken nipples and flat nipples.

Background Art

[0002] As an invention related to a conventional nipple corrector, for example, a sunken / flat nipple corrector described in Patent Document 1 is known. The sunken / flat nipple corrector described in Patent Document 1 is a device capable of correcting sunken / flat nipples by simply pressing a cup against the breast several times. The sunken / flat nipple corrector described in Patent Document 1 consists of a cup and a pad that covers the mouth of the cup, and a through-hole for the nipple is formed at approximately the center of the pad.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the sunken / flat nipple corrector described in Patent Document 1, the inner diameter of the through-hole for the nipple can be increased by excising the thin part formed around the through-hole for the nipple. However, there is a problem in that a process of excising the thin part is required in order to change the inner diameter of the through-hole for the nipple according to the size of the user's nipple diameter.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a nipple corrector adapted to the user's nipple diameter by enabling selection of an arbitrary ring adapter from a plurality of ring adapters having different inner diameters.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] <00The nipple corrector according to claim 1 comprises a substantially hemispherical tip made of elasticity and a cylindrical body formed in connection with the tip, and has a suction pump capable of housing the nipple from the open end side of the lower end of the body, and when the pressed tip returns to its original position, the negative pressure generated inside the suction pump sucks out the inverted or flattened nipple, thereby pulling out the nipple, wherein the nipple corrector is provided with a plurality of ring adapters with different inner diameters, each ring adapter has a locking portion for locking to the suction pump, and a locking portion into which the ring adapter is locked is provided on the inner circumferential wall surface of the body, and the locking portion of one of the plurality of ring adapters, which matches the size of the nipple diameter, is locked to the locking portion of the suction pump, thereby attaching the ring adapter to the suction pump.

[0007] The nipple corrector according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 1, the locking portion has an engaging projection that encircles the ring adapter, the locked portion has an engaging groove near the open end of the suction pump into which the engaging projection fits, and the locked portion has an edge guard portion on the inner edge side of the open end of the suction pump that covers the ring adapter.

[0008] The nipple correction device according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 1, the suction pump has a flange portion on the outer edge side of the opening end of the suction pump, such that when the suction pump is viewed in a longitudinal cross-section, the thickness of the body portion gradually decreases from the inner circumferential wall surface side outward.

[0009] The nipple corrector according to claim 4 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 1, a restricting portion is provided that separates the tip portion and the body portion, and the upper peripheral edge portion of the ring adapter abuts against the restricting portion.

[0010] The nipple correction device according to claim 5 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 1, the suction pump is made of a flexible silicone resin.

[0011] The nipple corrector according to claim 6 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 1, the ring adapter is made of a synthetic resin material that is harder than the suction pump. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, a nipple correction device is provided with a suction pump that can be detachably attached to it, and one ring adapter selected according to the size of the nipple diameter is attached to the suction pump. This provides a nipple correction device in which the user can select any ring adapter from a plurality of ring adapters with different inner diameters. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the suction pump 20 and the ring adapter 30. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section of the suction pump 20 and a longitudinal section of the ring adapter 30. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the nipple correction device 10 attached to an inverted nipple. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the nipple corrector 10 in a state where a user is wearing it. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Below, a nipple correction device 10, which is one embodiment of the present invention, will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the suction pump 20 and the ring adapter 30. Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the suction pump 20 and a longitudinal section of the ring adapter 30. Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the nipple correction device 10 attached to an inverted nipple. Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the nipple correction device 10 attached by a user.

[0015] The following explains the terminology. First, we will describe the nipple that the nipple correction device 10 according to this embodiment corrects. The human nipple is the part that an infant latches onto with its lips and tongue when breastfeeding. As shown in Figure 3, the nipple N is the part of the breast that includes the nipple at the tip of the breast. Nipple diameter R refers to the diameter of nipple N. The size of nipple diameter R varies from person to person.

[0016] Inverted nipples, as shown in Figure 3, refer to nipples that are recessed into the breast and do not protrude. Flat nipples, on the other hand, refer to nipples that do not protrude and are at the same height as the surrounding skin or within 0.5 mm. When nipples are inverted from the breast or flat at the same height as the breast skin, it becomes difficult for infants to latch onto the nipple with their lips and tongue for breastfeeding. Therefore, it is desirable for nipples to protrude from the surface of the breast skin. The nipple correction device 10 described below corrects inverted and flat nipples so that they protrude from the surface of the breast skin.

[0017] (Embodiment) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the nipple correction device 10 consists of a suction pump 20 and a plurality of ring adapters 30, 30a, and 30b that can be fitted onto and detached from the suction pump 20.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, the suction pump 20 consists of a substantially hemispherical tip portion 21 and a body portion 22 connected to the tip portion 21. As shown in Figure 2, the suction pump 20 is formed in a substantially inverted U-shape with an open lower end when viewed in a vertical cross-section. The inside of the suction pump 20 is provided with an inner circumferential wall surface 23 formed by the tip portion 21 and the body portion 22. By integrally molding the tip portion 21 and the body portion 22 of the suction pump 20, the manufacturing cost of the suction pump 20 can be reduced.

[0019] The tip portion 21 is made of a synthetic resin material having elasticity. In this embodiment, the tip portion 21 is made of a silicon-based resin with a durometer hardness of 30 to 70 degrees. If the hardness is below 30 degrees, the flexibility becomes too high and there is a risk that the restoring force of the tip portion 21 will not occur. If the hardness is 70 degrees or more, it is hard and difficult to dent, so there is a risk that it will be difficult for the user to apply the force to press the tip portion 21. Note that the material of the tip portion 21 is not limited to the silicon-based resin, and any synthetic resin material or natural rubber material having elasticity that can be compressed downward from the top of the tip portion 21 may be used.

[0020] The body portion 22 has a locked portion 24 to which the ring adapter 30 is locked on the inner peripheral wall surface 23. The body portion 22 is composed of a member having the same elasticity as the tip portion 21, but the material may be changed to be formed harder than the tip portion 21.

[0021] The locked portion 24 has an engaging concave groove 25 and an edge guard portion 26. The engaging concave groove 25 is formed so as to go around the inner edge side of the opening end of the suction pump 20 near the lower end of the body portion 22. The edge guard portion 26 is formed by being connected to the lower edge portion of the engaging concave groove 25. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the edge guard portion 26 is configured to be thinner toward the inside of the body portion 22. Thereby, when the ring adapter 30 is fitted to the locked portion 24, the ring adapter 30 is fixed to the engaging concave groove 25, and the ring adapter 30 is covered by the edge guard portion 26, so that the corners of the hard ring adapter 30 can be prevented from directly hitting the skin near the nipple.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, at the upper end of the locked portion 24, there is a stepped regulating portion 28 that separates the body portion 22 and the tip portion 21 at the boundary with the tip portion 21.

[0023] The body portion 22 has a flange portion 27 on its outer peripheral wall side. As shown in Figure 2, the flange portion 27 is configured to become thinner from the base end to the tip on the body portion 21 side, and the tip of the flange portion 27 points downward from the base end. As a result, when the suction pump 20 is brought into contact with the breast with the nipple as the center, the flange portion 27 comes into close contact with the breast, allowing the suction pump 20 to come into closer contact with the skin.

[0024] The ring adapters 30, 30a, and 30b differ only in their inner diameters; their basic structure is identical. Ring adapter 30a has a smaller inner diameter than ring adapter 30, and ring adapter 30b has a larger inner diameter than ring adapter 30. In this embodiment, the inner diameter of ring adapter 30 is 22 mm, the inner diameter of ring adapter 30a is 18 mm, and the inner diameter of ring adapter 30b is 26 mm. Note that the inner diameter of the ring adapters is not limited to the above sizes; for example, with the cooperation of a physician, the size may be determined by optimizing discrete values ​​by increasing the number of samples. In this way, since nipple diameters vary from person to person, by providing multiple ring adapters 30, 30a, and 30b, the optimal ring adapter can be selected to match the size of each individual's nipple diameter. Furthermore, by making one suction pump 20 and multiple ring adapters 30 a set, the suction pump 20 can be standardized, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the nipple correction device 10. In this embodiment, three ring adapters are used as an example, but the invention is not limited to this, and more than three ring adapters may be used to provide a wider range of sizes. The following explanation will use ring adapter 30 as an example.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the cylindrical ring adapter 30 has a locking portion 32 on its outer surface that locks onto the locking portion 24 of the suction pump 20. The ring adapter 30 is made of a material that is harder than the material of the suction pump 20. The material of the ring adapter 30 can be, for example, synthetic resin, silicone rubber, or natural rubber.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the locking portion 32 has an engaging projection 34 near its lower end that encircles the locking portion 34 and protrudes toward the outer surface of the ring adapter 30. As shown in Figure 2, the engaging projection 34 is formed to protrude in a substantially semicircular shape when viewed in a longitudinal cross-section. The outer diameter of the engaging projection 34 should be the same as or slightly larger than the inner diameter of the engaging groove 25. This allows the engaging projection 34 to be fitted into the engaging groove 25 of the suction pump 20. As shown in Figure 2, the lower end of the locking portion 32 connected to the engaging projection 34 is chamfered in an arc shape when viewed in a longitudinal cross-section. This prevents the corners of the ring adapter 30 from digging into the skin and causing irritation when the suction pump 20 is brought into close contact with the nipple.

[0027] The upper end of the locking portion 32 is configured to abut against the restricting portion 28 of the suction pump 20. This prevents the ring adapter 30 from going beyond the body portion 22 and into the tip portion 22 when the ring adapter 30 is attached to the suction pump 20. In addition, since the ring adapter 30 can be held in the correct position, the user can easily press the tip portion 21.

[0028] The nipple correction device 10 having the above configuration will now be described in accordance with the attached diagrams. Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the nipple correction device 10 attached to an inverted nipple. Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the nipple correction device 10 attached by a user.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, in cases of inverted or flat nipples, the user may not know the size of their nipple diameter R at the initial stage. Therefore, the user selects one of the ring adapters 30, 30a, or 30b. In this embodiment, the user is assumed to have selected ring adapter 30, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0030] The ring adapter 30 is fitted into the suction pump 20 from the open end toward the tip 21. At this time, the locking portion 32 of the ring adapter 30 and the locked portion 24 of the suction pump 20 face each other, the locking portion 32 is locked to the locked portion 24, and the upper end of the locking portion 32 of the ring adapter 30 comes into contact with the restricting portion 28 of the suction pump 20. This allows the ring adapter 30 to be locked to the suction pump 20. In addition, the restricting portion 28 restricts the upper end of the locking portion 32 and can secure the ring adapter 30 to the inner circumferential wall surface 23 of the body, so that the ring adapter 30 does not slide toward the tip 21. Then, the engaging projection 34 fits into the engaging recess 25, and the ring adapter 30 is fixed to the suction pump 20. This prevents the ring adapter 30 from falling off the suction pump 20 while the user is using the nipple corrector 10. Next, the edge guard portion 26, which is connected to the engagement groove 25, covers the lower end of the ring adapter 30. This prevents the ring adapter 30 from directly touching the skin near the nipple.

[0031] As described above, after fixing the ring adapter 30 to the suction pump 20, the user applies the nipple corrector 10 to the nipple position of the inverted or flattened nipple, or places the nipple N into the nipple corrector 10, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. At this time, the flange portion 27 comes into close contact with the skin surface around the nipple N. This improves the adhesion of the suction pump 20 to the skin.

[0032] When the tip 21 of the suction pump 20 is pressed toward the nipple N, the tip 21 is crushed, and the air inside the suction pump 20 is pushed out and flows out through the opening. When the pressing force is reduced, a restoring force is generated in the tip 21, and it returns to its original approximately hemispherical shape. At this time, the air pressure inside the suction pump 20 becomes lower than atmospheric pressure, so negative pressure is generated inside the suction pump 20. As a result, a suction force is exerted on the nipple N, directed toward the internal space of the suction pump 20, which can draw out inverted or flat nipples from within the breast.

[0033] According to the nipple correction device 10 of this embodiment, the user can select the optimal ring adapter from among multiple ring adapters 30, 30a, and 30b to match their own nipple diameter. This allows for optimal suction force to be applied to the nipple, thereby enhancing the effect of drawing inverted or flat nipples out of the breast.

[0034] According to the nipple correction device 10 of this embodiment, the user can arbitrarily change the ring adapters depending on the degree of nipple correction, for example, by using ring adapter 30b after using ring adapter 30a, or by using ring adapter 30a after using ring adapter 30b, thereby enhancing the nipple correction effect.

[0035] In cases of inverted or flat nipples, it is difficult for users to determine the size of their own nipple diameter R. With the nipple corrector 10 according to this embodiment, after the nipple N is pulled out by the nipple corrector 10, the user can actually try on the ring adapter 30, ring adapter 30a, and ring adapter 30b according to the size of their nipple diameter R and select a size that is satisfactory to them. Furthermore, since the nipple corrector 10 is equipped with multiple sizes of ring adapters, the user does not have to tolerate using a ring adapter that does not fit the size of their nipple diameter R. In addition, the user does not have to buy a different nipple corrector with a different size to match the size of their nipple diameter R.

[0036] In this embodiment of the nipple correction device 10, a ring adapter 30, which is harder than the suction pump 20, is fitted to the soft suction pump 20 to maintain the shape of the body 21 of the suction pump 20. As a result, when the top of the tip 21 is pressed downwards, the entire suction pump 20 does not collapse, and only the tip 21 is pressed to create suction.

[0037] Furthermore, by fitting a ring adapter 30 that is harder than the suction pump 20, when the top of the tip portion 21 is pressed downwards, it becomes possible to press while maintaining a roughly circular shape around the opening periphery of the suction pump 20. This prevents uneven application of suction force to the nipple N.

[0038] Furthermore, by fitting a ring adapter 30 that is harder than the suction pump 20, it is possible to prevent the nipple N housed in the internal space of the suction pump 20, or the inverted or flattened nipple drawn into the internal space of the suction pump, from coming into contact with the inner surface of the suction pump 20, thereby protecting the sensitive nipple and preventing contamination of the nipple.

[0039] Furthermore, with the nipple correction device 10 according to this embodiment, the suction pump 20 is integrally molded, which reduces manufacturing costs. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 10 Nipple corrector 20 Suction pumps 21 Tip 22 Torso 23 Inner circumferential wall surface 24 Locked part 25 Engaging groove 26 Edge guard section 27 Flange section 28 Regulatory Department 30, 30a, 30b Ring Adapters (Medium M size, Small S size, Large L size) 32 Locking part 34 Engaging protrusions

Claims

1. It consists of a roughly hemispherical tip made of elastic material and a cylindrical body formed in connection with the tip, and has a suction pump that can house the nipple from the open end side of the lower end of the body. A nipple correction device that, when the pressed tip returns to its original position, uses the negative pressure generated inside the suction pump to suck out the inverted or flattened nipple, thereby pulling out the nipple, The nipple correction device is equipped with multiple ring adapters with different inner diameters. The ring adapter has a locking portion that engages with the suction pump, The locking portion into which the ring adapter is locked is provided on the inner circumferential wall surface of the body portion, Of the multiple ring adapters, the locking portion of one ring adapter, which matches the size of the nipple diameter, is locked to the locking portion of the suction pump. A nipple correction device characterized by having the ring adapter attached to the suction pump.

2. The locking portion has an engaging projection that encircles the ring adapter, The locking portion has an engaging groove near the open end of the suction pump into which the engaging projection fits, The nipple correction device according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking portion has an edge guard portion that covers the ring adapter on the inner edge side of the open end of the suction pump.

3. The nipple correction device according to claim 1, characterized in that the suction pump has a flange portion on the outer edge side of the open end, such that when the suction pump is viewed in a longitudinal cross-section, the thickness gradually decreases from the inner circumferential wall surface side of the body outward.

4. The nipple correction device according to claim 1, characterized in that a restricting portion is provided to separate the tip portion and the body portion, and the upper peripheral edge portion of the ring adapter abuts against the restricting portion.

5. The nipple correction device according to claim 1, characterized in that the suction pump is made of a flexible silicone resin or synthetic resin.

6. The nipple correction device according to claim 1, characterized in that the ring adapter is made of a synthetic resin material that is harder than the suction pump.

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