Wearable Breast Pump Diaphragm Segmentation for Alignment-Free Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breast pumps wearable in a bra require complex alignment and maintenance procedures, particularly due to the diaphragm's fixation and the frequent disassembly of the breastshield for cleaning.
Innovation Solution
The breast pump design includes a breastshield with a diaphragm installation chamber, a chamber cover, and integrated vacuum chambers, allowing for independent fixation and alignment-free mounting to the main body, along with a simplified air path connection and easy cleaning mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the diaphragm is fixed by both the breastshield and the breast pump housing, then the vacuum chamber formation is stable, but the alignment operation becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the vacuum chamber formation into two independent segments: the milk-side vacuum chamber formed by the diaphragm and breastshield, and the air-side vacuum chamber formed by the diaphragm and housing. This segmentation allows each chamber to be formed independently without requiring complex alignment between multiple components, thus simplifying the assembly operation while maintaining vacuum chamber stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the diaphragm fixation requirement from the housing and concentrates it entirely on the breastshield. The breastshield alone provides the fixation structure for the diaphragm through its flange and recess features, eliminating the need for coordinated fixation by both the breastshield and housing. This extraction simplifies the alignment operation to a single-component fixation process while maintaining the stability needed for vacuum chamber formation
2Reliability
If the breastshield is disassembled frequently for cleaning, then the milk channel hygiene is maintained, but the maintenance operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the breastshield into separable components including the shield body, flange, and diaphragm assembly. This segmentation allows the milk-contacting portions to be easily detached and cleaned separately from the motor housing, maintaining hygiene while simplifying the cleaning operation to basic component separation rather than complex disassembly procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the milk channel and related components as a separate, easily removable assembly from the main housing. The breastshield with its integrated milk channel can be completely detached from the motor housing in one operation, allowing users to clean the milk channel components separately without needing to disassemble the entire pump mechanism, thus reducing maintenance operation complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design simplifies the installation and maintenance of the breastshield, enhances user convenience, and reduces the complexity of cleaning and alignment procedures.
Implementation Method 1
the air pump drives the diaphragm to create a negative pressure inside the breastshield to simulate the suction generated when a nursing woman is feeding a child
Data Source
AI summary
A breast pump wearable in a bra includes a main body containing battery, air pump, circuit control device and diaphragm. The breastshield includes a breast accommodating chamber, a nipple accommodating chamber and a diaphragm installation chamber. A mouth of the diaphragm installation chamber has a chamber cover having a first pipe joint communicating with an air-side vacuum chamber. The diaphragm is sealingly combined with the mouth of the diaphragm installation chamber. A milk-side vacuum chamber is formed between the diaphragm and the diaphragm installation chamber. The air-side vacuum chamber is formed between the diaphragm and the chamber cover. The diaphragm installation chamber has an air hole communicating with the milk-side vacuum chamber and the nipple accommodating chamber. The breastshield installation chamber has a second pipe joint connected with an air path of the air pump. The second pipe joint is detachably connected to the first pipe joint.