Device and kit for supporting a breast shield and related pump equipment

• US 5,575,768 A
• Filed: 11/08/1995
• Issued: 11/19/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medela Incorporated (Olle Larsson Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Medela Incorporated (Olle Larsson Holding AG)
• Inventors: Silver, Brian H., Weston, Richard S., Weniger, Gotthilf, Lockridge, Kathleen A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Randall L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VANOVER, PERRY
• Application Number:
  US08/555,151
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: 604/74, 604/75, 604/73, 128/890, 54/20, 54/58, 54/59, 450/36, 450/37
• US Class Current: 604/74
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/062 Pump accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/064 Suction cups
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/067 with means for hands-free operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/088 on the body

Abstract

A device is provided for supporting a breast shield of a breast pump upon a woman'"'"'s breast in a "hands-free" manner. This breast shield support includes a garment that is adapted to a woman'"'"'s torso, and a mounting element formed with or attachable to the back of the breast shield. Elastic bands tied to loops on the garment are releasably affixed to the mounting element to support the breast shield on the exposed breast. A list for retrofitting the device to a breast pump assembly is advantageously provided.

Claims

1. A breast pump assembly support device for holding a breast shield in place on a breast for expressing milk, comprising:

a garment to be worn around a woman'"'"'s torso;

a pair of loops attached to said garment in opposed spaced relation;

a band attachable to each of said loops; and

a mounting element having a plurality of posts extending from said breast shield to which said band is further attachable.

2. The breast pump support device of claim 1 wherein a band is removably attached to each of said loop.

3. The breast pump support device of claim 1 further including a third loop and another band attachable with said third loop, said third loop being releasably attachable to said garment by interengaged fasteners having elements thereof on each of said third loop and garment.

4. The breast pump support device of claim 3 wherein said band for said third loop is attachable by said another band to a hook formed on said mounting element.

5. The breast pump support device of claim 3 wherein said pair of loops are located in said garment such that they are on lower opposite sides of a breast received in said garment, and said third loop is attachable to said garment above the breast.

6. The breast pump support device of claim 1 wherein said mounting element is releasably attached to said breast pump assembly.

7. The breast pump support device of claim 6 wherein a rib is formed in said mounting element to which an additional band is attachable for connecting said additional band to a third loop, said third loop being releasably attachable to said garment of a point above a breast received in said garment.

8. A breast pump support device, wherein said breast pump includes a breast shield adapted to receive a breast therein for expressing milk, comprising:

a garment to be worn around a woman'"'"'s torso, said garment including a pair of anchoring members formed in opposed relation within a part of the garment adapted to receive a breast therein;

a mounting element removably attached to said breast shield, said mounting element having a plurality of posts extending therefrom; and

at least one band attachable to said anchoring element and said posts of said mounting element.

9. The breast pump support device of claim 8 wherein a plurality of elastic bands are respectively attached to an anchoring member.

10. The breast pump support device of claim 9 wherein said anchoring members are fabric loops to which said bands are respectively tied.

11. The breast pump support device of claim 9 wherein said mounting element includes a hook, with an additional loop being releasably attachable to a portion of said garment located above the breast in use, said releasable attachment being made by interengageable fastener elements provided on each of said garment and additional loop.

12. The breast pump support device of claim 11 wherein said additional loop is releasably attached to said garment via a hook and eye fastener.

13. The breast pump device of claim 10 wherein said mounting element, plurality of elastic bands and fabric loops are provided in a kit, said loops being sewn by a user in place within a garment.

14. The breast pump support device of claim 8 wherein said mounting element has a conical portion which is adapted to conform to a conical back of the breast shield, said conical portion having said posts formed thereon, and said mounting element has a split tubular portion which is adapted to fit around a cylindrical part of the breast pump.

15. The breast pump support device of claim 8 wherein said mounting element has a rib defined therein for connecting a band thereto, with an additional loop being provided and releasably attachable to said garment at a point located above a breast in use.

16. A device for supporting a breast shield of a breast pump assembly in place on a breast, comprising:

a garment having a breast-receiving portion adapted to receive a woman'"'"'s breast therein;

a mounting element on said breast shield, said mounting element including a plurality of posts extending therefrom;

anchoring members on said garment on opposed sides of said breast-receiving portion; and

at least one band attached to said anchoring members and said posts for fixing said breast shield within said garment against said breast.

17. The breast shield supporting device of claim 16 wherein said band is an elastic band which is stretched taut about said posts and against said anchoring members to fix said breast shield in place.

18. The breast shield supporting device of claim 16 wherein one of said anchoring members is a loop, and further including means for releasably fastening said loop to said garment at a point that is above a breast in said breast-receiving portion.

19. The breast shield supporting device of claim 16 wherein said anchoring members are a pair of fabric loops sewn in said breast receiving portion on lower and opposed sides thereof, and a third loop which has a fastener that is releasably attachable to said garment at a point that is above a breast in said breast-receiving portion, said mounting element further including a hook located in use of said mounting element at a point upward relative to the breast, and further including three elastic bands which are respectively attached to one of said loops, one of said bands furthermore connecting said third loop with said hook.

20. The breast shield supporting device of claim 16 wherein the breast shield has a conical shaped back part and a cylindrical part extending therefrom, said mounting element comprising a conical shell part which is adapted to conform to said back part of the breast shield, said shell part having a plurality of posts formed thereon along at least a portion of said shell part, and a tubular portion extending therefrom which is adapted to conform to said cylindrical part of the breast shield, said mounting element tubular portion being formed of a rigid but flexible material and split along a length for engagement of said tubular portion about said cylindrical part.

21. The breast shield supporting device of claim 16 wherein said mounting element is separate from said breast shield and includes means for releasably attaching said mounting element to the breast pump assembly.

22. A breast pump assembly which is supported in place on a breast, comprising:

a garment having a breast-receiving portion adapted to receive a woman'"'"'s breast therein;

a plurality of posts extending from a breast shield which is adapted to overlie and receive a breast therein for expression of milk;

anchoring members on said garment on opposed sides of said breast-receiving portion; and

at least one band attached to said anchoring members and said posts for fixing said breast shield within said garment against said breast.

23. The breast pump assembly of claim 22 wherein said band is an elastic band which is stretched taut about said posts and against said anchoring members to fix said breast shield in place.

24. The breast pump assembly of claim 22 wherein one of said anchoring members is a loop, and further including means for releasably fastening said loop to said garment at a point that is above a breast in said breast-receiving portion.

25. The breast pump assembly of claim 22 wherein said anchoring members are a pair of fabric loops sewn in said breast receiving portion on lower and opposed sides thereof, and a third loop which has a fastener that is releasably attachable to said garment at a point that is above a breast in said breast-receiving portion, and further including three elastic bands which are respectively attached to an associated loop.

26. A kit for supporting a breast shield of a breast pump assembly in place on a breast, comprising:

a plurality of anchoring members which are attachable to a garment on opposed sides of a portion of said garment adapted to receive a woman'"'"'s breast therein;

a mounting element including a plurality of posts extending therefrom and means for attaching said mounting element to said breast pump assembly; and

at least one band which is attachable to said anchoring members and said posts for fixing said breast shield within said garment against said breast when said mounting element is attached to said breast pump assembly.

27. A kit for supporting a breast shield of a breast pump assembly in place on a breast, comprising:

a plurality of loops which are attachable to a garment on opposed sides of a portion of said garment adapted to receive a woman'"'"'s breast therein;

a mounting element having a conical portion including a plurality of posts extending therefrom, said conical portion adapted to conform to a similarly conically-shaped back side of the breast shield, and an attachment part for releasably attaching said mounting element to the breast pump assembly;

a plurality of elastic bands each of which is respectively attachable to a loop and about one or more of said posts for fixing the breast shield within said garment against said breast when said mounting element is attached to said breast pump assembly.

28. The kit of claim 27 wherein said loops are fabric loops which are to be sewn into the cup of a bra-type garment on opposite lower sides of the cup, one loop having part of a hook and eye fastener thereon which is attachable to the other part of said hook and eye fastener carried by said bra-like garment.

29. A device for supporting a breast shield of a breast pump assembly in place on a breast, comprising:

a garment having a breast-receiving portion adapted to receive a woman'"'"'s breast therein;

a mounting element on said breast shield, said mounting element including a plurality of attachment parts thereon;

anchoring members on said garment on opposed sides of said breast-receiving portion; and

at least one band attached to said anchoring members and said attachment parts for fixing said breast shield within said garment against said breast.

30. The breast shield supporting device of claim 29 wherein said attachment parts comprise posts extending from said mounting element, said anchoring members comprise loops, and said at least one band comprises three elastic bands which are stretched taut about said posts and against a respective anchoring loop to which a respective band is attached to fix said breast shield in place.

32. The device for supporting a breast shield of claim 30 wherein said mounting element further includes a hook formed thereon which hook is oriented generally above the breast when said mounting element is in place, a band attached to said free loop being attached to said hook.

31. A device for supporting a breast shield of a breast pump assembly in place on a breast, comprising:

a bra-type garment having two breast-receiving cup portions each adapted to receive a woman'"'"'s breast therein;

a mounting element removably received on said breast pump assembly, said mounting element including a plurality of posts extending from around a conical portion of said mounting element which conical portion is adapted to conform to the back of a similarly conically-shaped breast shield, said conical portion having a cut-out segment adapted to pass over a cylindrical part of the breast pump assembly which extends from the breast shield, said mounting element further including a tubular portion which is split along its longitudinal length and adapted to embrace the cylindrical part of the breast pump assembly which is receivable therein;

anchoring fabric loops sewn into said garment on opposed lower sides of each of said cups, and a free loop which is releasably attachable to said garment at a point above said cups;

interengageable fastener elements on said free loop and said garment; and

a plurality of elastic bands each attached to a respective loop and about one or more posts for fixing said breast shield within said garment against a breast when said bands are stretched taut about said posts and against a respective loop.