Hands-Free Pumping Garment with Elastic Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breast pump systems require nursing women to manually hold the breast shield in place, limiting their ability to perform other tasks due to inadequate securing mechanisms in existing brassieres and bustiers.
Innovation Solution
A nursing garment system with connectors that allow selective connection to hands-free breast pumping devices, nursing covers, and breast cups, featuring clips and elastic edges to securely hold breast shields, enabling hands-free operation and accommodating various breast shield sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a nursing woman manually holds the breast shield in place during breast pumping, then the breast shield can be securely positioned, but the woman's hands are occupied and she cannot perform other tasks
Solution Approach 1:
The garment system provides self-service by using the woman's own body (torso, breasts) as the support structure for the breast shields. The elastic material and connector mechanism enable the garment to automatically hold and position the breast shields without requiring manual intervention, thus freeing the woman's hands while maintaining secure positioning.
2Ease of operation
If existing brassieres and bustiers are used to hold the breast shield in place, then hand freedom is partially achieved, but the breast shield cannot be adequately secured and requires frequent adjusting
Solution Approach 1:
The garment is segmented into distinct functional components: an elastic material forming the main body, connectors for attaching breast shields, and fastening mechanisms for securing the garment. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally, with connectors providing reliable attachment points and elastic material providing flexible support.
Solution Approach 2:
The garment is designed to conform to the curved surfaces of the woman's torso and breasts. The elastic material and connector placement are optimized to follow the natural contours of the body, ensuring that breast shields are held securely against the curved breast surface without requiring rigid structures that would compromise comfort or hand freedom.
3Ease of operation
If a garment system with connectors and elastic material is used to achieve hands-free pumping, then hand freedom and secure positioning are both improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The garment system is designed with multi-functionality to justify its complexity. The same elastic material and connector mechanism serve multiple purposes: supporting breast shields during pumping, providing a comfortable fit around the torso, and enabling easy donning and doffing. The connectors can accommodate different breast shield sizes and configurations, making the system universally applicable.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of elastic material as the primary structural component provides both support and flexibility with minimal complexity. The thin, flexible nature of the elastic material allows it to conform to body contours while maintaining structural integrity, eliminating the need for rigid frames, bones, or complex mechanical structures that would increase device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A nursing garment system to facilitate selective nursing and hands-free breastpumping having at least one connector configured to selectively connect a nursing bra to at least one of a hands-free breastpumping device, a nursing cover, and a breast cup of the system is disclosed. The at least one connector may include a closing device partially attached to each of the at least one of the hands-free breastpumping device, the nursing cover, and the breast cup of the system, the closing device configured to connect to a nursing bra closing device. The system may include a pumping garment having a partial figure 8 edge.