Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a new and improved
construction of a suction hood for a device for sucking off
breast milk, comprising a hood body or member, a connecting
stud or connection for a vacuum line or conduit and a
connection stud or connection for a receiving container or
receptaclç~
Suction hoods of this general type are known to
the art and constitute an essential component of suction
equipment or devices for sucking off breast milk. Of course,
such devices contain a suction pump which, as a rule, inter-
mittingly generates a vacuum or negative pressure. Apart from
the purely hygienic requirements for such equipment there
also exist technical probl~ms which are at least partly
insufficiently solved with the prior art cons-tructions.
Thus, it repeatedly happens that the ~ilk reaches
the vacuum line or even the pump. This is counteracted by
axranging so-called safety volumes between the hood and the
pump which, however, is associated with a fairl~ great
technical expenditure. Additionally, new problems are
created, for example, with refexence to the system or the
actual operation, since varying degrees of vacuum or negative
pressure can occur.
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SUMMAF~Y OF TI~E INVENTION
Therefore, it is a primary object of the present
invention to provide a new and improved construction of a
suction hood which is not associated with the aforementioned
drawbacks and limitations of the prior art.
Another and more specific object o the present
invention is directed to devising a ne~ and improved
construction of suction hood for equipment for sucking off
breast milk, which suction hood is relatively slmple in
construction and design, economical to manufacture, extremely
reliable in operation, not readily subject to breakdown or
malEunction, requires a minimum of maintenance and servicing,
and is effective in positively sucking off breast milk without
fauling the equipment.
Now in order to implement these and still further
objects of the invention, which will become more readily
apparent as the description proceeds, the suction hood of
the present development is manifested by the features that
following the hood body or member there is arranged a
collecting or catch chamber, at the outlet of which there is
provided a valve. This valvs closes a throughpassage or
passage leading from a collecting or catch chamber to the
receiving container when there is applied a vacuum or negative
pressure, but opens such throughpassage or passage during the
remainder of the operation.
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Owing to the provision of the collecting or catch
chamber which is equipped with a valve, milk can be pumped, for
instance, to a receiving container which i5 in the form of
a plastic bag or sack, since the vacuum or negative pressure
no longer affects the receiving container. Moreover, an
overflow can be avoided, since the valve opens promptly and the
sucked-off milk can flow off into the receiving container.
The novel embodiment of suction hood according to
the invention solves leakage or sealing problems and makes
it possible to employ smaller pumps, since the volume of the
vacuum or negative pressure which is necessary for intermittent
operation can be considerabl~ smaller in comparison to known
solutions;i~is unnecessary to create a vacuum for either the
volume of the receiving container because of the valve or for
the safety volume because of the non-existence of any such
safety volume~
A particularly important advantage of the present
invention resides in the fact that there can be applied a
constant negative pressure or vacuum, since no variable volumes
are present in the system. Heretofore the volume of the
receiving container changed during the filling thereof.
Finally, it should be here mentioned that the new hood
is exceedingly simple in its construction and design.
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The collecting or catch chamber is removably attached,
preferably together with the valve arranged therein, to the
rest of the hood, by means of a suitable sna~ closure or
threaded ox rotatable closure element.
Advantageously, the valve is formed by providing
a bore in the floor or base of the collecting chamber and
thrgugh the provision of a closing body or closure element
which is arranged beneath such bore. Such closing body or
closure element can be ormed of a light material and construc-
ted in the form of a cage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The invention will be better understood and objects
other than those set forth above will become apparent when
consideration is given to the Following detailed description
thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed single
drawiny which depicts a vertical sectional view of an exemplaxy
embodiment of a suction hood according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
. . _ . .
Turning now to the single Fiyure of the drawing, the
therein illustrated suction hood or suction hood arrangement
will be seen to comprise an actual hood body or hood member 1,
a connection stud or connection 2 which flow communicates with
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the internal space la thereof and leads to a not particularly
illus~rated vacuwm suction line or conduit, and a further
connection stud or connection 3 for a container or receptacle
4 which is indica~ed by broken or phantom lines. The container
or receptacle 4 may be formed of plastic and is constructed
as one piece.
Inside the connection 3 there is additionally provided
a collecting or catch chamber 5, at the lower end or base
region 5' of which there is arranyed a valve 6. This valve 6
is composed of a bore 8 formed in the floor or base 5" of
the collecting chamber 5 and a valve body 9. The valve body
9 can be formed, for instance, as a ball consisting of any
suitable light materialandcanhearranged in a cage or cage-like
housing 10.
The collecting or catch chamber 5 is desirably
removably attached to the rest of the hood body 1 by means of
a suitable releasable closure or attachment means 7, which may
be for instance a standard snap closure or a rotatable or
threaded closure or locking means. Thus, the entire device
can be cleaned relatively effortlessly.
When the hood body 1 is held against the breast of
the user and a vacuum or negative pressure is formed, the valve
body 9 is lifted to the position 91, which has been
indicated by broken lines, and thus closes -the bore 8 and
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therewi-th the collecting or catch chamber 5. As soon as the
negative pressure or vacuum is di.scontinued, the valve body 9
drops into the lower position g shown in ull lines and the
milk which has been collected in collecting chamber 5 can flow
off downwardly through the cage-like housing 10 into the
receiving container 4.
Of course, the valve body 9 which is here constructed,
by way of example and not limitation, as a ball in the embodiment
under discussion, ~lso could be replaced by a valve body of a
different design, such as, for instance, a semi-spherical cup
equipped with a guide which extends through the bore 8. Other
valve or flap means which can be activated hy negative pressure
or vacuum are also conceivable.
While there are shown and described preferred
embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood
that the invention is not limited thereto but may variously
be embodied and practiced within the scope o the following
claims. ACCORDINGLY,
