Nursing Garment Overlapping Layers Hands-Free Pump Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pumping garments for nursing women are uncomfortable, cumbersome, and not designed for extended wear, often requiring partial disrobing for use, failing to support natural breast expansion and contraction, and not accommodating both breast pumping and direct nursing.
Innovation Solution
A garment with a front brassiere portion comprising overlapping material layers that support a breast pump funnel, allowing hands-free pumping and easy attachment/detachment, while also enabling direct nursing, constructed with straight edges to reduce fabric waste and simplify manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional pumping garments include various attachments (elastic bands, slings, hooks, buttons) to secure the funnel, then the funnel can be secured to the wearer's breast, but the garment becomes cumbersome and uncomfortable for extended wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the funnel support function directly into the brassiere cup structure by creating an opening that accommodates the funnel. This integration eliminates the need for separate attachments (elastic bands, slings, hooks, buttons) while maintaining secure funnel positioning, thereby reducing garment complexity and improving comfort for extended wear.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional pumping garments are designed to secure the funnel during pumping, then pumping function is achieved, but the garments cannot accommodate both pumping and direct nursing
Solution Approach 1:
The brassiere cup opening is designed to serve dual purposes: it accommodates the breast pump funnel during pumping and allows direct breast access during nursing. This multi-functional design enables the garment to reliably support both pumping and direct nursing activities without requiring separate garments or modifications.
3Reliability
If conventional pumping garments require additional devices or fabric pieces to be added or detached, then the funnel can be secured, but the process becomes time-consuming and requires partial disrobing
Solution Approach 1:
The funnel support structure is merged into the inherent brassiere cup design, eliminating the need for separate attachment devices or fabric pieces. The opening in the cup directly accommodates the funnel, allowing women to attach and detach the funnel quickly and easily without partial disrobing or complex manipulation of additional components.
4Shape
If conventional pumping garments are constructed from intricately shaped fabric pieces with curved edges, then the garment conforms to the shape of the nursing woman's breasts, but a substantial amount of fabric is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The brassiere cup is constructed from multiple straight-edged fabric pieces that are segmented and assembled together. This segmentation approach allows the use of simple rectangular or square fabric pieces that can be efficiently cut and joined, minimizing fabric waste while still achieving the necessary three-dimensional breast conformity through the assembly of multiple flat pieces rather than cutting complex curved shapes from single pieces.
Data Source
AI summary
Garments for a nursing woman, which garments may be configured to enable hands-free breast pumping using a breast pump, include a brassiere portion with a plurality of at least partially overlapping material layers, which may be defined, in whole or in part, by edges that are at least substantially straight. The funnel of the breast pump may be received under and behind edges of the layers, and the edges may provide support to the funnel while the breast pump is used for milk expression.