Manual breast pump

Abstract

A manually actuated breast pump is provided. The breast pump has a breast cup, pump mechanism and a container. The components of the breast pump are easily assembled and disassembled to facilitate use, cleaning, manufacture and transport. The breast pump can apply a negative pressure, a positive pressure or both to a user's breast. The breast pump provides fluid isolation between the pressure source and the expressed milk.

1 . A manually operated breast pump, comprising:
 a flexible insert for engaging a breast of a user, said flexible insert having a funnel-type shape;   a housing sealingly engaging said flexible insert;   a holder sealingly engaging said housing and said flexible insert, said holder providing an air volume in fluid isolation from breast milk passing through said flexible insert; and   a pump mechanism sealingly engaging said holder, said pump mechanism having a handle and a chamber, said chamber being in fluid communication with the air volume of said holder,   wherein said handle can move so that an alternating negative pressure and positive pressure are created on said flexible insert and thereby on the user's breast.   
     
     
         2 . The manual breast pump of  claim 1 , wherein said handle is a pair of handles movable with respect to each other to generate said alternating negative pressure and positive pressure. 
     
     
         3 . The manual breast pump of  claim 1 , wherein said handle is a first handle, wherein said pump mechanism comprises another second handle, and wherein said first handle and said second handle are moved toward one another to create said negative pressure. 
     
     
         4 . The manual breast pump of  claim 1 , wherein said holder has a holder wall with an aperture therethrough that is surrounded by a flange protruding from said holder wall, and wherein said flexible insert has an end with a pair of edges that each engage said flange to sealingly engage said holder. 
     
     
         5 . The manual breast pump of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible insert has a planar sealing member connected to said funnel-type shape, and wherein said planar sealing member is sealingly engageable between said holder and said housing, 
     
     
         6 . The manual breast pump of  claim 5 , wherein said flexible insert has an extension protruding from said sealing member to surround an aperture therethrough, and wherein said holder has a holder wall with a holder opening therethrough so that said extension extends through said holder opening and receives said breast milk therethrough. 
     
     
         7 . The manual breast pump of  claim 1 , wherein said housing and said holder are a single component, 
     
     
         8 . The manual breast pump of  claim 7 , wherein said housing has a funnel-type shaped portion that is a complementary to said flexible insert. 
     
     
         9 . The manual breast pump of  claim 8 , wherein said housing has an outer end that is larger than an inner end, and a back plate positioned within said inner end, wherein said back plate has an inner surface and a back plate flange protruding from said inner surface, and wherein said inner surface is connected to an inner dispenser that has a dispenser flange protruding from said inner surface, and wherein said flexible insert has a first end that is connectable to said outer end of said housing and a second end connectable to said inner end of said housing between said dispenser flange and said back plate. 
     
     
         10 . The manual breast pump of  claim 1 , wherein said housing and said holder are a single component, 
     
     
         11 . The manual breast pump of  claim 10 , wherein said housing has a portion that is a funnel-type shape complementary to said flexible insert with an outer end that is larger than an inner end, 
     
     
         12 . The manual breast pump of  claim 11 , wherein said housing has a back plate connected to said inner end and a securing notch on an inner surface of said back plate, wherein said flexible insert has a first end connectable to said outer end and a second end connected to a sealing cap, and wherein said sealing cap engages said securing notch. 
     
     
         13 . A manually operated breast pump, comprising:
 a flexible insert for engaging a breast of a user, said flexible insert having a funnel-type shape;   a housing sealingly engaging said flexible insert;   a holder sealingly engaging said housing and said flexible insert, said holder providing an air volume in fluid isolation from breast milk passing through said flexible insert; and   a pump mechanism sealingly engaging said holder, said pump mechanism having a handle extending in an upward direction from said holder and a vacuum chamber, said vacuum chamber being in fluid communication with the air volume of said holder, said handle having a grip above a pivot point and a lower end below a pivot point,   wherein said handle moves by exerting a pressure on said grip to move said grip toward said housing and the breast of the user to create a negative pressure communicated to said flexible insert and thereby on the user's breast and said handle moves said grip away from said housing to create a positive pressure communicated to said flexible insert and thereby on the user's breast.   
     
     
         14 . The manual breast pump of  claim 13 , wherein said pump mechanism has an internal chamber wall that is circumferentially surrounded by an external chamber wall forming an external chamber, and a chamber liner connected between said external chamber wall and said internal chamber wall, wherein said external chamber wall, said internal chamber wall and said chamber liner are connected to form said vacuum chamber in fluid communication with said air volume and in fluid isolation from breast milk passing through said flexible insert, and wherein when said handle moves by exerting a pressure on said grip to move said grip toward said housing, a portion of said external chamber wall opposite said pivot point moves away from said junction producing a negative pressure in said vacuum chamber and said air volume that is communicated to said flexible insert. 
     
     
         15 . The manual breast pump of  claim 13 , wherein said housing has a pump orifice that allows for sealed attachment of a pump diaphragm of a pump mechanism covering said pump orifice, and wherein when said handle moves by exerting a pressure on said grip to move said grip toward said housing, said handle moves said pump diaphragm away from said housing to generate said negative pressure in said inner volume. 
     
     
         16 . The manual breast pump of  claim 13 , wherein said pump mechanism has a pouch enclosing an interior volume with a neck, wherein said housing is connected to said neck so that said interior volume of said pouch is in fluid communication with said air volume and in fluid isolation from breast milk passing through said flexible insert, and wherein when said handle moves by exerting a pressure on said grip to move said grip toward said housing, said lower end of said handle expands said pouch to generate said negative pressure in said inner volume. 
     
     
         17 . The manual breast pump of  claim 13 , wherein said housing has a gripping surface that is on said base below said funnel-type shape of said flexible insert so that said second gripping surface is engageable by a user's thumb while exerting pressure on said handle. 
     
     
         18 . A breast pump assembly for pumping of a breast, the assembly comprising:
 a funnel having a size and shape that allows for receiving of the breast;   a flexible insert sealingly engageable with said funnel to define an air volume in fluid isolation from the breast, wherein said air volume is evacuated thereby causing a vacuum to be applied to the breast;   a holder having a handle for different holding angles, said holder being connected to said funnel, said handle having a gripping surface on at least a portion thereof, said gripping surface being made from a material that facilitates gripping thereof, said gripping surface being a first gripping surface on at least a portion of said handle, said holder having a base in proximity to said container;   a container releasably connected to said holder and being in fluid communication with said holder and said funnel; and   a pressure source in fluid communication with said funnel for supplying a vacuum to said funnel for pumping of the breast, said pressure source being separate from said handle.   
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 18 , wherein said gripping surface has a plurality of gripping projections extending therefrom, and wherein said plurality of gripping projections are equi-distantly spaced apart along said handle. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly of  claim 18 , wherein said holder has a second gripping surface that is on a diametrically opposite side of said holder from said handle, and wherein said second gripping surface is made from said material that facilitates gripping thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The assembly of  claim 20 , wherein said holder has a third gripping surface that is on said base, and wherein said third gripping surface is made from said material that facilitates gripping thereof. 
     
     
         22 . The assembly of  claim 18 , wherein said pressure source is a manual pump that is connected to the assembly.