Overmolded Breast Shield Support Structure to Prevent Detachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breast shields face issues of complex material structures, high manufacturing requirements, and elevated costs, along with instability and potential separation during use, especially during cleaning and sterilization.
Innovation Solution
A breast shield with support brackets made of silicone, featuring a trumpet shape and overmolding process for robust bonding, using symmetrically distributed support members embedded into the breast shield, and additional silicone sealing rings for enhanced stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If detachable connection points are used between support members and breast shield, then ease of assembly is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to easy separation during use
Solution Approach 1:
The support member and breast shield are merged into a single integrated component through overmolding. The support member is embedded directly into the breast shield material during the molding process, eliminating separate connection points and creating a unified structure that cannot separate during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member is nested within the breast shield structure during manufacturing. The support member is positioned and embedded into the breast shield material, with the breast shield material forming around and encapsulating the support member, creating a nested configuration where the support member is permanently housed within the breast shield.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple materials are used for breast shield components, then functional performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses composite material construction where a hard plastic support member is embedded within a soft silicone breast shield material. This composite structure combines the structural support properties of hard plastic with the softness and comfort of silicone, achieving both structural integrity and functional performance in a single integrated component.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple material functions are merged into a single overmolded component. The support member provides structural support while the breast shield material provides softness and sealing function, and both are combined into one integrated part through the overmolding process, reducing the number of separate components.
3Manufacturing precision
If secondary injection molding is used to bond components, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates due to high processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is pre-positioned and embedded into the breast shield material during the initial molding process. This preliminary embedding ensures precise positioning and bonding before the final breast shield structure is formed, eliminating the need for separate bonding operations and reducing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The embedding and bonding operations are merged into a single overmolding process. The support member is embedded and permanently bonded to the breast shield in one continuous manufacturing step, eliminating multiple separate processing operations and reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining bonding precision.
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 breast shield with support brackets provides superior structural stability, preventing detachment during use, cleaning, and sterilization, while reducing manufacturing complexity and costs.
Implementation Method 1
The integration of the head portion and tail portion of the support members with the breast shield adopts an overmolding process, embedding the head portion and tail portion into the overmolding regions of the head portion and tail portion of the support member of the breast shield, respectively, forming an inseparable assembly with the breast shield
Data Source
AI summary
The utility model discloses a breast shield with support brackets, belonging to the technical field of electric breast pumps. The exterior of the breast shield features several brackets of the support members, with the head portion of each support member embedded into the front end of the breast shield and the tail portion embedded into the rear end of the breast shield. The integration of the head portion and tail portion of the support members with the breast shield adopts an overmolding process, embedding the head portion and tail portion into the overmolding regions of the head portion and tail portion of the support member of the breast shield, respectively, forming an inseparable assembly with the breast shield. Compared with prior art, the breast shield offers superior structure and stability, and has lower manufacturing requirements and reduced costs. During use, it is not easy for users to experience separation, detachment, etc.