Breast Pump Linear Suction Control via Deformable Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional breast pumps face difficulties in fine-tuning negative pressure during milk expression, resulting in steep pressure gradients and poor reproducibility of suctioning pressure adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A breast pump design featuring a conical milk expressing section with a deformable member and pressure adjustment means, including a stopper that adjusts the deformation of the deformable member by rotating an adjustment dial, allowing for linear control of suctioning pressure without steep gradients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the diameter of the opening in the pressure adjustment means is altered to adjust air leakage volume, then the negative pressure can be adjusted, but the suctioning pressure increases or decreases suddenly with a steep gradient making fine adjustment difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the parameter being adjusted from opening diameter (which causes steep pressure gradients) to the volume of the sealed space formed by the deformable member. By altering the volume parameter through deformation rather than opening size, the pressure adjustment becomes linear and predictable, eliminating the sudden pressure changes that made fine adjustment difficult.
Solution Approach 2:
The deformable member acts as an intermediary between the user's adjustment operation and the actual air leakage opening. Instead of directly changing the opening diameter, the user deforms the member, which indirectly adjusts the sealed space volume and thereby the negative pressure in a controlled, linear manner.
2Stress or pressure
If the opening surface area is reduced to decrease air leakage volume, then higher negative pressure is achieved, but the pressure change becomes unpredictable and reproducible adjustments are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes from adjusting opening surface area (unpredictable pressure effect) to adjusting sealed space volume (predictable pressure effect). This parameter substitution ensures that each adjustment produces a reliable and reproducible negative pressure level, as volume changes have a direct, predictable relationship with pressure in a sealed system.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of controlling pressure by restricting the exit (opening diameter), the invention controls pressure by expanding or contracting the sealed space volume. This inverted approach—controlling the source volume rather than the exit aperture—provides more predictable and reproducible pressure adjustments.
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
Enables precise and linear adjustment of suctioning pressure during milk expression, improving user control and reproducibility of the negative pressure setting.
Implementation Method 1
a deformable member, which is provided so as liquid-tightly separate a sealed space formed by abutment of the milk expressing section against the user's breast or a space connected to the sealed space, from the pressure changing means, and which is capable of deforming in order to adjust the negative pressure state of the milk expressing section by transmission of the pressure that is changed by the pressure changing means
Implementation Method 2
pressure changing means connected to the milk expressing section for alternately generating a negative pressure state and at least an atmospheric pressure state as a pressure higher than the negative pressure state
Implementation Method 3
pressure changing means connected to the milk expressing section for alternately generating a negative pressure state and at least an atmospheric pressure state
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a breast pump in which, by means of an operation performed by a user, the negative pressure (suctioning pressure) can be adjusted in accordance with the amount of the operation in a linear fashion without the occurrence of a steep gradient, and the negative pressure can be readily adjusted even during the expression of milk. The breast pump comprises: pressure changing means (41,45), connected to a milk expressing section (22), for alternately generating a negative pressure state and at least an atmospheric pressure state as a pressure higher than the negative pressure state; a deformable member (145) which is provided so as to liquid-tightly separate a sealed space formed by abutment of the milk expressing section against the user's breast during the expression of milk, or a space connected to the sealed space, from the pressure changing means, and which is capable of deforming elastically in order to adjust the negative pressure state of the milk expressing section by transmission of the pressure that is changed by the pressure changing means; and pressure adjustment means (44) for adjusting the negative pressure by adjusting the amount of deformation of the deformable member.