Silicone Breast Pump Cover with Integrated Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breast pumps, both manual and electric, face issues such as discomfort due to hard plastic materials, complex structures leading to poor sealing and assembly difficulties, lack of milk collecting functionality, and increased risk of bacterial growth, along with size and weight issues in silicone pumps, making them inefficient and inconvenient for breast pumping and milk collection.
Innovation Solution
A wearable milk suction and collection device made of silicone with a dual function, featuring a hollow main body with a milk storage chamber, a breast protecting film, and a milk pouring port, which can be selectively blocked, allowing for both breast pumping and milk collecting without the need for assembly, and is designed to fit various breast shapes and sizes, reducing weight and size while preventing air leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hard plastic breast pump cover is used to ensure proper connection to the three-way connector, then the structural integrity and connection reliability are improved, but the user comfort deteriorates due to direct skin contact and the inability to adapt to different breast shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The breast pump cover is made of soft silicone material that can deform and adapt to different breast shapes and sizes, providing both comfort and reliable connection. The flexible material allows the cover to conform to the breast contour while maintaining the vacuum seal necessary for effective pumping.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses silicone as the primary material for the breast pump cover, which combines the flexibility and comfort of a soft material with the durability and sealing capability needed for reliable connection. This composite approach replaces the traditional hard plastic with a material that offers both comfort and functional performance.
2Reliability
If a three-way connector and squeezing handle are added to enable proper breast pumping function, then the pumping effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The breast pump cover is designed as an integrated structure that combines the functions of the cover, connector, and pumping mechanism into a single unified component. This eliminates the need for separate three-way connectors and squeezing handles, reducing assembly complexity while maintaining pumping effectiveness through the integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The breast pump cover serves multiple functions simultaneously: it creates the vacuum seal, connects to the milk collection container, and provides the pumping mechanism through its squeezable design. This multi-functional integration reduces the number of separate components needed while maintaining all necessary pumping functions.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the breast pump cover is made of non-deformable hard plastic to maintain structural stability, then the connection stability is improved, but the adaptability to different breast shapes deteriorates leading to poor sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The breast pump cover is designed to be dynamically adaptable, changing its shape to fit different breast contours while maintaining a stable vacuum seal. The soft silicone material allows the cover to deform and conform to various breast shapes, ensuring both adaptability and connection stability simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible silicone material enables the breast pump cover to adapt to different breast shapes and sizes while maintaining structural integrity and vacuum seal stability. The flexibility allows the cover to conform to various contours without compromising the connection stability needed for effective pumping.
4Reliability
If multiple components and accessories are used to achieve proper breast pumping function, then the functionality is improved, but the cleaning time and maintenance effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The breast pump cover is designed as a single integrated component that combines multiple functions into one piece, eliminating the need for separate three-way connectors, valves, and other accessories. This integration significantly reduces the number of parts that need to be cleaned and maintained, saving time and effort while maintaining full breast pumping functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated breast pump cover performs multiple functions simultaneously - creating vacuum, connecting to containers, and providing the pumping mechanism - all in one component. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of parts that require cleaning and maintenance compared to traditional multi-component systems.
5Ease of operation
If a silicone breast pump with integrated milk collection is used to simplify the structure, then the ease of operation is improved, but the size and weight increase making it difficult to conceal and causing suction force reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The breast pump system is divided into separate components: a lightweight breast pump cover and a separate milk collection container. This segmentation allows the breast pump cover to remain small and lightweight for easy concealment, while the milk collection function is provided by a separate container that does not add weight to the pumping mechanism itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The breast pump cover is designed to be dynamically squeezable by hand, providing the pumping action without requiring a heavy motor or power source. This manual pumping mechanism keeps the device lightweight and portable while maintaining ease of operation through natural hand motion.
6Strength
If the breast pump cover is made of hard PP material to ensure durability, then the strength is improved, but the user comfort and adaptability deteriorate causing impact feel and air leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The breast pump cover is made of soft silicone material that provides both comfort and durability. The flexible material adapts to breast shapes without causing impact or discomfort, while maintaining the structural integrity needed for durable, repeated use. This replaces the hard PP material with a softer, more comfortable alternative that does not sacrifice strength.
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 device achieves efficient breast pumping and milk collection with a simple, lightweight design that fits various breast shapes, reducing the risk of air leakage and falling off, and can be used discreetly, addressing the inefficiencies and discomfort of existing breast pumps.
Implementation Method 1
a hollow main body 1 to define a milk storage chamber
Implementation Method 2
a breast protecting film 2 provided on a side in a thickness direction of the main body 1
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Disclosed is a milk suction and collection device integrally manufactured and formed by silicone. The milk suction and collection device includes a main body (1) which is hollow inside to define a milk storage chamber and is further provided with a milk pouring port (11) operative to be selectively blocked. A breast protecting film (2) is provided on a side in a thickness direction of the main body (1) and is configured to be fitted with an outer periphery of a breast, and is further provided with a milk collecting port (21) communicating with the milk storage chamber. The side of the main body (1) of the milk suction and collection device provided with the breast protecting film (2) is operative to be fitted with the breast because the milk suction and collection device is integrally manufactured and formed by silicone. When the milk pouring port is closed, a breast pumping function is achieved by squeezing the main body. When the milk pouring port (11) is opened, a milk collecting function is achieved..