ELECTRICAL BREAST PUMP

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical breast pump (12) comprising a breast cover (2) having a breast funnel (3) for at least partially receiving the breast, a pumping device (7) having a motor (8) and preferably one energy accumulator (10), and a milk storage unit (4) with having a milk container (5) for receiving the pumped milk, wherein, in a standing position of the electrical breast pump (1) on a surface (10), the breast cover (2) and the pumping device (7) lie substantially within a virtual general straight cylinder, wherein the base area thereof corresponds to the area—extended by a factor of 2.5, preferably by a factor of 2.0, particularly preferably by a factor of 1.8—of the greatest largest cross-section of the milk storage unit (4) parallel to the surface (10), wherein the area centroid of the base area is identical to the area centroid of the area of the greatest largest cross-section, and the height of the virtual general straight cylinder is continuous in both directions.

Claims

1. An electrical breast pump comprising a breast cover having a breast funnel for at least partially receiving the breast, a pumping device having a motor and preferably an energy storage device and a milk storage unit having a milk container for receiving the pumped milk, wherein in a standing position of the electrical breast pump on a surface the breast cover and the pumping device lie substantially within a virtual general straight cylinder, the base area whereof corresponds to the area of the largest cross-section of the milk storage unit parallel to the surface stretched by a factor of 2.5, preferably by a factor of 2.0, particularly preferably by a factor of 1.8, wherein the area centroid of the base area is identical to the area centroid of the area of the largest cross-section and the height of the virtual general straight cylinder is infinite in both directions.

2. The electrical breast pump according to claim 1, wherein the electrical breast pump has a housing which substantially comprises all the components of the breast pump, wherein the breast funnel forms an opening in the housing.

3. The electrical breast pump according to claim 2, wherein the housing has a holding section which substantially has the shape of the lateral surface of a general cylinder or truncated cone having a substantially elliptical base area, wherein preferably an external height contour of the cylinder or truncated cone encloses an angle of less than 30°, preferably less than 15°, with a plane defined by the circumference of the breast funnel and particularly preferably is substantially parallel to this and/or a midpoint of the circumference of the breast funnel lies within a virtual general cylinder or truncated cone having infinite height, the base area whereof corresponds to the base area of the general cylinder or truncated cone stretched by a factor of 2.5, preferably by a factor of 2.0, particularly preferably by a factor of 1.5, even more preferably by a factor of 1.0, most preferably by a factor of 0.8, the lateral surface of which general cylinder or truncated cone corresponds to the shape of the holding section.

4. The electrical breast pump according to claim 2, wherein the housing is designed to be substantially flush, with the exception of the breast funnel.

5. The electrical breast pump according to claim 1, wherein the electrical breast pump and preferably the housing is designed in such a manner that the milk storage unit can be removed from the electrical breast pump.

6. The electrical breast pump according to claim 1, wherein the electrical breast pump, preferably the housing, in particular the milk storage unit, has a preferably substantially flat standing area on which the electrical breast pump can stand in the standing position.

7. The electrical breast pump according to claim 1, wherein the pumping device is arranged substantially between the breast cover and the milk storage unit.

8. The electrical breast pump according to claim 1, wherein the pumping device, in particular the motor and/or the energy storage device, is arranged in the standing position substantially below a plane which is parallel to the surface and whose height above the surface corresponds to 3.0 times, preferably 2.5 times, particularly preferably 2.0 times the maximum extension of the milk storage unit parallel to the surface.

9. The electrical breast pump according to claim 1, wherein the breast cover has a hose section via which the breast funnel is connected to the milk container, preferably detachably, wherein preferably the hose section is firmly connected to the breast funnel or is formed integrally with this.

10. The electrical breast pump according to claim 8, wherein the pumping device comprises a vacuum pump which is suitable for generating a negative pressure in the hose section, wherein the hose section preferably has a valve, preferably a duck bill valve, in the direction of the milk container after an attachment point of the vacuum pump.

11. The electrical breast pump according to claim 1, wherein the pumping device comprises a peristaltic pump, wherein preferably the peristaltic pump generates the pumping power by mechanical action on the hose section.

12. The electrical breast pump according to claim 1, wherein the pumping device comprises a vacuum pump which is suitable for generating a negative pressure in the milk container.

13. The electrical breast pump according to claim 1, wherein the pumping device is connected to a closed space which is in pressurized communication, preferably by a flexible membrane, with the breast funnel or the hose section or the milk container so that by periodically generating a negative pressure in the closed space a vacuum can be periodically generated in the breast funnel or in the hose section.

14. The electrical breast pump according to claim 1, wherein the breast cover and preferably a part of the housing surrounding the breast cover and/or a part of the housing surrounding the hose section or a portion of the hose section and/or a part of the housing surrounding the milk container and/or the milk storage unit and/or the milk container and/or the hose section or a portion of the hose section comprises a transparent material so that a milk flow is visible for a user of the electrical breast pump and/or the electrical breast pump comprises a light source to illuminate the breast cover and/or the pumping device comprises a control circuit and preferably a user interface so that a user can operate the pumping device and/or the energy storage device comprises a lithium ion battery and/or the pumping device is accommodated in a watertight manner, wherein preferably the housing is watertight and/or the milk container is designed as a flexible storage bag and/or the milk storage unit has a fixed and rigid shell into which preferably the flexible storage bag is received and/or a bottle body of a baby milk bottle is provided as milk container of the milk storage unit (4).

15. The electrical breast pump according to claim 1, wherein a circumference of the breast funnel lies substantially in one plane, wherein in the standing position of the electrical breast pump on the surface, the plane on the side on which the breast funnel is located encloses an angle between 60° and 110°, particularly preferably between 75° and 105°, with the surface.

Description

[0037] The invention will be illustrated hereinafter with reference to figures which show preferred embodiments and should not be interpreted as limiting for the scope of protection. The figures show in detail:

[0038] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the electrical breast pump with a peristaltic pump obliquely from the front;

[0039] FIG. 2 shows the same embodiment as FIG. 1 from the side;

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of the electrical breast pump with a peristaltic pump obliquely from the front;

[0041] FIG. 4 shows the same embodiment as FIG. 3 from the side;

[0042] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the electrical breast pump wherein the vacuum pump is connected to the milk container, obliquely from the front

[0043] FIG. 6 shows the same embodiment as FIG. 5 from the side;

[0044] FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the electrical breast pump wherein a vacuum pump is in pressurized communication with the breast funnel via a membrane, obliquely from the front;

[0045] FIG. 8 shows the same embodiment as FIG. 7 from the side;

[0046] FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of the electrical breast pump wherein a vacuum pump is connected to the hose section or the milk container via a three-way connection, obliquely from the front;

[0047] FIG. 10 shows the same embodiment as FIG. 9 from the side;

[0048] FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of the electrical breast pump with peristaltic pump, wherein the milk storage unit can be removed, from the side;

[0049] FIG. 12 shows the same embodiment as FIG. 11 obliquely from the side and with the milk storage unit removed;

[0050] FIG. 13 shows the same embodiment as FIG. 11 from the side and with the milk storage unit removed;

[0051] FIG. 14 shows an embodiment of the electrical breast pump with peristaltic pump, wherein the milk storage unit is executed as the bottle body of a baby milk bottle, obliquely from the side;

[0052] FIG. 15 shows the same embodiment as FIG. 14 from the side;

[0053] FIG. 16 shows the same embodiment as FIG. 14 with the milk storage unit removed, obliquely from the side;

[0054] FIG. 17 shows the same embodiment as FIG. 14 from the side and with the milk storage unit removed.

[0055] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the electrical breast pump 1 obliquely from the front, FIG. 2 shows the same embodiment in cross-section from the side. The breast pump 1 has a breast cover 2 with a breast funnel 3 for at least partially receiving the breast. Furthermore, said breast pump has a milk storage unit 4 with a milk container 5 for receiving the pumped milk. The breast cover 2 has a hose section 6 via which the breast funnel 3 is detachably connected to the milk container 5. Furthermore, the breast pump 1 comprises a pumping device 7 with a motor 8, a peristaltic pump 9, an energy storage device 10 and a control circuit 11. In this embodiment the motor 4 lies outside the peristaltic pump 9. The peristaltic pump 9 which is driven by the motor 8 acts on the hose section 6 and deforms it periodically mechanically so that in the operating mode milk/air is periodically pumped from the breast funnel 3 to the milk container 5. FIG. 2 shows the breast pump in the standing position on the surface 12.

[0056] The breast cover 2 and the pumping device 7 lie inside a general straight cylinder whose base area corresponds to the area of the largest cross-section of the milk storage unit 4 parallel to the surface 12 stretched by the factor 1.8, wherein the area centroid of the base area is identical to the area centroid of the largest cross-section and the height of the cylinder is infinite in both directions. In the standing position of the breast pump 1 on the surface 12 in relation to the direction normal to the surface 12 the pumping device 7 is arranged between a midpoint of the breast funnel 3 and an uppermost point of the milk container 5. In the standing position, the motor 8 and the energy storage device 10 are arranged substantially underneath a plane which is parallel to the surface 12 and the height of which above the surface 12 corresponds to 2.5 time the maximum extension of the milk storage unit 4 parallel to the surface 12. As a result of all these special arrangements, in particular the vertical stability of the breast pump 1 in the standing position can be improved.

[0057] The electrical breast pump 1 has a housing 13 which encompasses all the components of the breast pump 1, wherein the breast funnel 3 forms an opening in the housing 13. In this case, the housing 13 is designed to be substantially (with the exception of the breast funnel 3) flush. The housing 13 has a holding section 20 which substantially has the shape of the lateral surface of a general truncated cone with a substantially elliptical base area, wherein a height contour h of the truncated cone encloses an angle of about 15° with the plane b defined by the circumference 15 of the breast funnel 3. The height contour h is parallel to that generatrix of the truncated cone which can be seen on the right in FIG. 2 and thus lies on the side of the housing 13 facing away from the breast funnel 3.

[0058] It can be seen in FIG. 2 that the hose section 6 is detachable from the milk container 5. The milk storage unit 4 has a fixed and rigid shell which is part of the flush housing 13. In this embodiment in particular the milk container 5 can be a flexible storage bag (wherein it is shown here with its maximum volume). The hose section 6 is formed integrally with the breast funnel 3.

[0059] The breast pump 1 has a substantially flat standing area 14 on which it stands in the standing position. A circumference 15 of the breast funnel 3 lies in a plane which, in the standing position of the breast pump 1 on the surface 12, encloses an angle of around 80° with the surface 12.

[0060] As a result of the use of a peristaltic pump 9, the pumping device 7 can advantageously not come in contact with milk. The housing itself 13 is preferably also designed to be watertight.

[0061] FIG. 3 shows a similar embodiment of the breast pump 1 as in FIGS. 1 and 2 obliquely from the front; FIG. 4 shows the same embodiment as FIG. 3 in cross-section from the side. Unlike the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the motor 8 of the pumping device 7 is arranged inside the rollers of the peristaltic pump 9.

[0062] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the electrical breast pump 1 obliquely from the front, FIG. 6 shows the same embodiment in cross-section from the side. In this case, the pumping device 7 comprises a vacuum pump 16 which is connected to the milk container 5. In this case, the milk container 5 is advantageously rigid and firm. FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the electrical breast pump 1 obliquely from the front, FIG. 8 shows the same embodiment in cross-section from the side. In this embodiment the pumping device 7 comprises a vacuum pump 16 which is connected to a closed space 17 which is in pressurized communication with the breast funnel 3 via a flexible membrane 18, a pot membrane. Thus, by periodically generating a negative pressure in the closed space 17 by the vacuum pump 16, the flexible membrane 18 can be moved periodically and thus a negative pressure in the breast funnel 3 can be generated periodically. In this embodiment as in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 4 it is also advantageous that the pumping device 7 cannot come in contact with the milk. Furthermore, the breast pump 1 has a duck bill valve 19 via which the milk container 5 is connected to the hose section 6. Thus, during pumping a negative pressure is built up in the breast cover 3 including the hose section 6 so that milk collects on the duck bill valve 19. As soon as a sufficient quantity of milk has been collected or as a result of the periodic removal of the vacuum, the duck bill valve 19 opens and the collected milk runs into the milk container 5. The milk container 5 can be a flexible storage container.

[0063] FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of the electrical breast pump 1 obliquely from the front, FIG. 10 shows the same embodiment in cross-section from the side. In this embodiment, the pumping device 7 comprises a vacuum pump 8. The vacuum pump 8 is connected to a three-way connection which in turn is connected to the hose section 6 and via a duck bill valve 19 to the milk container 5.

[0064] FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of the electrical breast pump 1 with removable milk storage unit 4 in a cross-section from the side; FIG. 12 shows the same embodiment as FIG. 11 obliquely from the side and with the milk storage unit 4 removed and FIG. 13 shows the same view as FIG. 11 with the milk storage unit 4 removed. This embodiment is similar to that of FIGS. 3 and 4 wherein in contrast to that embodiment, in this embodiment the milk storage unit 4 with the milk container 5 are removable from the rest of the breast pump 1. In FIG. 11 the milk storage unit 4 is connected to the rest of the breast pump 1. The housing 13 is flush in the fastened state of the milk storage unit 4. As can be seen, the milk storage unit 4 is connected to the rest of the housing 13. The milk container 5 is also detachably connected to the hose section 3. In FIGS. 12 and 13 the milk storage unit 4 is removed from the rest of the housing 13. Furthermore, the milk container 5 is also removed from the milk storage unit 4.

[0065] FIG. 14 shows an embodiment of the electrical breast pump 1 with the bottle body of a baby milk bottle as a removable storage unit 4 obliquely from the side; FIG. 15 shows the same embodiment in a cross-section from the side; FIGS. 15 and 17 show similar views as in FIGS. 14 and 15 with the milk storage unit 4 removed. This embodiment is similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 and also provides a peristaltic pump 9. In contrast to that however, a removable bottle body of a baby milk body is provided here as milk storage unit 4. The hose section 3 is detachably connected to an opening of the bottle body. In this embodiment the bottle body is in two parts, wherein an upper portion of the bottle body which also comprises the lid of the bottle body has a snap-in device for snapping in with the remaining housing 13. Furthermore, this upper portion has an internal thread into which an external thread of a lower portion of the bottle body can be screwed. In this embodiment, the bottle body has the standing area 14. It is also possible that the bottle body is formed in such a manner that the housing 13 is flush in the fastened state of the bottle body, wherein in the fastened state the bottle body forms a part of the housing 13.