Abstract:
The present disclosure provides an adapter for use with a breast pump assembly for use for securely attaching a milk storage bag thereto. Specifically, the present disclosure provides an adapter having clips thereon for securely engaging multiple different kinds of breast milk storage bags securely thereto for the receiving of expressed breast milk therein.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to an adapter for use with a breast pump assembly and with a storage bag for breast milk, and more particularly to such an adapter capable of being used with such storage bags. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    It is known to provide storage bags for breast milk that are adapted to be attached to breast pumps. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,202 to Lafond discloses a disposable sterile plastic bag for receiving and storing breast milk directly from the breast pump. The Lafond bag includes a liquid receiving chamber which can be accessed upon removal of a tear off strip. The Lafond bag also includes a closure member to close the bag once filled with milk. Once opened, the Lafond bag can be attached to an outlet port of a breast pump such that pumped milk is conveyed directly and sterilely into the bag for cold storage. The attachment mechanism disclosed in the &#39;202 patent comprises a pair of metal strips or wires and a pair of adhesive tapes disposed outwardly over the metal wires to attach the metal wires to the front and rear sheets of the bag. 
         [0003]    Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 8,357,116 to Simdon discloses a bag attachment device for breast pumps that allows for the attachment of a breast milk storage bag to a breast pump through the use of an adapter. Specifically, the &#39;116 patent discloses an adapter for use in connection with a beast pump assembly having mounting ears upon which a milk storage bag having apertures therein may be hung to suspend the bag in place below the breast pump assembly. The adapter is used to connect the milk storage bag to the breast pump assembly such that expressed milk from the breast pump horn is directly collected by the bag without need to connect a bottle to the breast pump assembly. The adapter disclosed in the &#39;116 patent includes “ears” on either side thereof and the milk storage bag is provided with apertures therein to be received by the ears thus allowing the bag to hang beneath the adapter. 
         [0004]    While the bag disclosed in the &#39;202 patent and the adapter and bag disclosed in the &#39;116 patent each have utility for their intended purposes, they do not resolve all of the issues involved with using milk storage bags in connection with otherwise standard breast pumps or breast pump assemblies. For example, while the bag disclosed in the &#39;202 patent may be useful in some circumstances, in situations where that bag is not available, a user thereof has no alternate choice (such as a standard Ziploc® bag) that may be used securely, safely and in a sanitary manner to receive the expressed milk and then transfer the bag directly to cold storage. Further, with respect to the milk storage bag disclosed in the &#39;116 patent, in situations where such a bag may not be readily available to a user thereof, the user has no alternate choice (such as a standard Ziploc® bag) that may be used securely, safely and in a sanitary manner. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, it is desired to have an adapter for use in securely holding a milk storage bag below a collection tube for a breast pump assembly that securely holds the milk storage bag and allows for minimal movement thereof. It is further desired to have an adapter for use in connection with a milk storage bag that may be used with storage bags of many different configurations including otherwise standard Ziploc®-style storage bags. It is further desired to provide an extender for such an adapter for breast pump assemblies wherein additional extension is needed in order to securely hold the milk storage bag below the collection portion of the breast pump assembly. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    The present disclosure provides an adapter for use in connection with a breast pump assembly and a milk storage bag that holds and provides support for the milk storage bag when it is in use allowing breast milk to be expressed directly into the milk storage bag. 
         [0007]    More specifically, the present provides an adapter having clips thereon for securely engaging multiple different kinds of breast milk storage bags securely thereto for the receiving of expressed breast milk therein. In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, the milk storage bags may or may not include apertures on any upper portion thereof and the clips may be resiliently biased and include teeth on a lower portion thereof to engage corresponding teeth on the adapter. Also in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure, an extension connector may be provided for extending the distance between the adapter and the breast pump assembly to provide additional clearance if necessary and/or desired. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Having thus generally described the nature of the disclosure, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration embodiments thereof, and in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of an adapter having bag storage clamps thereon for a breast pump assembly in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of the adapter of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a milk storage bag operable for use in connection with the adapter of  FIG. 1  in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of the adapter of  FIG. 1  engaged with the milk storage bag of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of the adapter of  FIG. 1  attached to a breast pump assembly showing the bag storage clamps in a closed configuration in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a side elevational view of the adapter of  FIG. 1  attached to an extension connector attached to a breast pump assembly showing the bag storage clamps in an open configuration in accordance with at least one embodiment of the disclosure 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    While an adapter for use in connection with a breast pump assembly according to this disclosure may be embodied in many forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail one or more embodiments of such an adapter, as well as related extension connector and milk storage bag, with the understanding that this disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles disclosed herein and is not intended to be limited to merely the illustrated and discussed embodiments. 
         [0016]    In this regard, and specifically with reference to accompanying drawing  FIGS. 1-6 , in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure, an adapter  100  is provided for connecting a milk storage bag  200  to a breast pump assembly  300 . The adapter  100  may comprise any desired shape and configuration operable to convey breast milk from the breast pump assembly  300  to the milk storage bag  200  as would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. The adapter  100  may be provided with at least one, but preferably two, attachment mechanisms. The attachment mechanisms may be mounted on the adapter surface on opposite sides thereof. In accordance with the embodiment of the disclosure shown in the drawings, the attachment mechanisms may specifically comprise clips  102 . 
         [0017]    In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, the clips  102  may be mounted on the adapter  100  by hinges  104 . The clips  102  may be comprised of levers  106  cantilevered on the hinges  104  and may include thumb portions  108  on one end thereof to facilitate operation by a user and teeth  110  on the opposite end thereof to facilitate the clamping and holding of the milk storage bag  200 . As best shown in  FIG. 6 , corresponding teeth  112  may be provided on the adapter  100  to facilitate engagement of the teeth  110  thereby aiding in more securely clamping a portion of the milk storage bag  200  therebetween. 
         [0018]    In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, the clips  102  are preferably resiliently biased against the funnel portion  101  of the adapter. In accordance therewith, springs  114  may be provided on the hinges  104  to resiliently bias the teeth  110  on the lower portion of the levers  106  against the funnel portion  101  of the adapter  100 , and more particularly, to engage the corresponding teeth  112  formed on the adapter  100 . As will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, the strength of springs  114  may be varied to provide more or less clamping force, as desired or necessary, for the levers  106 . Furthermore, while a torsion spring is shown in the drawings, alternate springs and/or resiliently biasing mechanisms (such as leaf springs) may be used in accordance herewith and are considered within the purview of the disclosure. 
         [0019]    The adapter  100  may be provided with threads  116  on an upper portion thereof for releasably connecting the adapter  100  to corresponding threads provided on the breast pump assembly  300 . In one embodiment of the disclosure, the threads  116  may be the same size and shape as standard threads generally provided on nursers. In accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure, the milk storage bag  200  may include a recloseable seal  202  and mounting apertures  204  therein. 
         [0020]    In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, as best seen in  FIG. 6 , an extension connector  120  may be provided for allowing additional clearance, if desired, between the adapter  100  and the breast pump assembly  300 . The extension connector  120  may include female threads on an interior portion thereof (not shown) to engage corresponding threads  116  on the adapter and may include threads (not shown) to engage corresponding threads (not shown) on the breast pump assembly  300 . The extension connector  120  may also have a gripping portion  122  on an outside portion thereof to facilitate gripping of the extension connector  120  by a user thereof. 
         [0021]    In accordance with the disclosure, the breast pump assembly  300  may include a funnel-shaped breast shield  302  that is sized and shaped for engagement with at least a portion of a breast as is known in the art. The funnel shape breast shield  302  may lead to a conduit  304  for providing a pathway for expressed breast milk to be directed to through the adapter  100  (and/or extension connector  120 ) to the milk storage bag  200  held by clips  102 . 
         [0022]    In accordance with the disclosure, the milk storage bag  200  receives and stores breast milk pumped from the breast pump assembly  300 . The bag may be of any desired shape and/or size may include otherwise standard zip-type storage bags. Indeed, a number of known designs exist for “male/female” zip-type closures, any and/or all of which are considered operable within aspects of the present disclosure and are included within the purview thereof. In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, the milk storage bag  200  may be provided with apertures  204  on an upper portion thereof to receive at least a portion of the teeth  110  on the levers  106  of the clips  102  therethrough to facilitate in the gripping and holding of the milk storage bag  200 . Conversely, it is completely operable and within the scope of the disclosure to utilize milk storage bags  200  that have no apertures on the upper portions thereof. In accordance with such an embodiment, the springs  114  are strong enough that the clamping force of the clips  102  on the top portion of the milk storage bag  200  is sufficient to securely hold the milk storage bag  200  even when considering the additional weight of the expressed breast milk (not shown). 
         [0023]    Milk storage bag  200  may further include a label area (not shown) located on the outer side thereof to allow for a user thereof to mark the bag with information about the contents, such as, for example, the date and/or time the breast milk was collected. Calibrated markings (not shown) as for milk volume may additionally be provided if desired. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the length of the funnel portion  101  of the adapter  100  may be selected such that it is long enough to extend into the milk storage bag  200  sufficiently past the recloseable seal  202  so as to prevent milk from splashing on the recloseable seal  202  in use. 
         [0024]    In operation, the adapter  100 , and extension connector  120  (if desired) is attached to the breast pump assembly  300  using the threaded connections. A milk storage bag  200  is then clamped by the clips  102  through actuation of the thumb portions  108  on the levers  106  securely in place. In accordance with an embodiment wherein apertures  204  are employed on the milk storage bag  200 , the user may preferably align the apertures  204  such that at least a portion of the teeth  110  on the levers  106  proceed through the apertures  204  to directly engage the corresponding teeth  112  provided on the lower portion of the adapter  100 . 
         [0025]    The many features and advantages of the disclosure are apparent from the detailed specification, and, thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the disclosure which fall within the true spirit and scope of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to that fall within the scope of the disclosure.