Stepper-Driven Breast Pump for Compact Suction Pressure Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional breast pumps require a large main body unit and a chamber with a large capacity to generate sufficient negative pressure, resulting in an overall device size that is inconvenient for portability and use outside of fixed installations.
Innovation Solution
A breast pump design featuring a variable pressure generating unit with a stepping motor that can rotate both normally and in reverse, coupled with a negative pressure forming unit using an elastic body, allowing for compact construction and adjustable suction pressure and cycle periods without the need for additional components like buffers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a large main body unit and large capacity chamber are used to generate sufficient negative pressure, then the required suction pressure and negative pressure amount are achieved, but the overall device size increases making it inconvenient for portability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a diaphragm that dynamically changes the volume of the negative pressure chamber during operation. The diaphragm moves between retracted and extended positions, creating volume changes that generate negative pressure without requiring a large fixed chamber. This dynamic volume adjustment allows compact device design while achieving sufficient suction pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and position parameters of the diaphragm to control negative pressure generation. By adjusting the diaphragm's position (retracted vs. extended) and the corresponding chamber volume, the system achieves variable negative pressure levels. The control unit modulates these parameters to maintain effective suction pressure in a compact configuration.
2Volume of moving object
If the device is made compact for portability, then device size is reduced, but it becomes difficult to obtain sufficient power for expressing operation
Solution Approach 1:
The diaphragm's reciprocating motion creates dynamic volume changes in the negative pressure chamber. During the retraction phase, volume increases creating negative pressure; during extension, volume decreases releasing pressure. This dynamic mechanism generates sufficient pressure variation for milk expression without requiring a large chamber, enabling compact device design.
Solution Approach 2:
The breast pump operates through periodic cycles of diaphragm retraction and extension. The control unit regulates the timing and duration of each cycle phase, creating rhythmic negative pressure that mimics natural breastfeeding. This periodic action allows the compact device to accumulate sufficient expressive power over each complete cycle.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a buffer is added between the mechanism unit and expression unit to maintain negative pressure, then pressure stability is improved, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The diaphragm serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the negative pressure generation element, the volume adjustment mechanism, and the pressure regulation component. By integrating these functions into a single moving element rather than adding separate buffers, the system maintains negative pressure stability without increasing device size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the pressure generation and pressure regulation functions into the diaphragm-chamber system. The diaphragm's movement directly controls chamber volume and pressure levels, eliminating the need for separate buffer components. This integration achieves pressure stability while maintaining compact dimensions.
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
The design enables a compact breast pump that can achieve desired suction pressures and cycle periods, improving portability and user convenience while maintaining continuous operation without losing step, and allows for easy cleaning and user-specific settings.
Implementation Method 1
a power driving unit including a stepping motor that is capable of rotating both normally and in reverse
Implementation Method 2
a negative pressure forming unit that creates the negative pressure state by causing an elastic body to deform in accordance with a cycle period formed by the power driving unit
Data Source
AI summary
A breast pump according to the present invention includes a variable pressure generating unit, the variable pressure generating unit including a power driving unit including a stepping motor that is capable of rotating both normally and in reverse, and a negative pressure forming unit that creates a negative pressure state periodically by causing an elastic body to deform in accordance with a cycle period formed by the power driving unit, wherein the negative pressure forming unit is coupled to the expressing unit, and the stepping motor is capable of modifying an amplitude of the cycle period and the cycle period during negative pressure formation as desired. Hence, a suction pressure and a pressure increase/decrease cycle can both be set as desired, and moreover, a breast pump that uses electric power can be constructed compactly.