Patent ID: 7789865

Claim:
A breast interface flange for a breast pump comprising: a pliable breast interface portion configured to engage and form an air tight seal between the flange and a human breast; a flange top positioned away from the breast interface portion; at least one sidewall faired into the breast interface portion; a flexible connection extending between the flange top and the sidewall forming a bellows structure that allows the flange top to move relative to the side wall; the flange top, sidewall and flexible connection defining a vacuum chamber having an interior volume configured for communication with the breast when the breast is engaged with the breast interface portion, wherein movement of the flange top with respect to the breast interface portion is configured to alter the interior volume of the vacuum chamber; an outlet through the vacuum chamber; a one-way valve coupled to the outlet and operable for allowing milk to pass through the outlet when the flange top is moved in a first direction relative to the sidewall to reduce the interior volume of the vacuum chamber and thereby create positive pressure within the vacuum chamber, and further operable for sealing the flange when the flange top is moved in a second direction relative to the sidewall to increase the interior volume of the vacuum chamber and thereby create negative pressure within the vacuum chamber; wherein repeated movement of the flange top in the first and second directions is configured to reciprocally increase and decrease the interior volume of the vacuum chamber and reciprocally create negative and positive pressure within the vacuum chamber to cause a milking action for expressing milk from a breast engaged with the breast interface portion of the flange.