EP1412256A2

EP1412256A2 - Cover for container with cylindrical opening and container for preservation of biological products and preparations

Info

Publication number: EP1412256A2
Application number: EP02701146A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Christoph Oberer; Freddy Thommen; Andreas Maier; Christoph Weibel; Martin A. BÜHLER
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-03-11
Filing date: 2002-03-11
Publication date: 2004-04-28
Also published as: AU2002234477A1; WO2002072443A3; WO2002072443A2

Abstract

The preservation technology for biological fluid preparations has practically not altered for centuries: glass vessels are used - more recently also vessels made from Plexiglas or plastic - with various closure systems. Collections of the above are subject to various risks. The aim of the invention is thus the development of a novel, industrially-produced, long-term sealing and resealable preparation glass vessel starting from the current state of the art. Further development of conventional closure systems was not successful, thus a completely new closure system had to be developed, resulting in a novel two-piece closure system. The preparation glass vessel is made from a borosilicate glass with an optimal shape and a closure made from stainless steel. The sealing compound a newly developed elastomer seals the vessel tight for decades. The preparation is nevertheless easily accessible. The vessel is available in various standardised closure sizes and heights and the individual components are exchangeable. Large long-term cost savings are made due to the reduced maintenance requirements.

Description

Lid for containers with a cylindrical opening and containers for preserving biological products and preparations

DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to a lid for containers with a cylindrical opening and a container for the preservation of biological products and preparations, namely a lid according to the preamble of claim 1 and a container according to the preamble of claim 5.

The long-term and reliable preservation of biological products, such as fruits, vegetables, all kinds of food and biological preparations, such as those used in museums, hospitals, scientific research institutes and in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, is an old well-known problem that continues to this day various means and methods, with more or less success.

An important factor for safe storage and preservation is the choice of preservative. Sugar, salt and alcohol are used as preservatives for food. Museums Hospitals and scientific research institutes use water solutions with 70 - 80 vol% methanol or 3 - 40 vol% formaldehyde. There are also other aggressive additives, such as Picric acid, mercury sublimates, brine, isopropyl alcohol, methyl ether, toluene, various esters etc.

The preservation of biological specimens in liquid ^¬ speeds, preferably alcohol, gaining both in research as importance increasingly Working in applied science. With the well-known preservation containers is - how will be explained below - long-term and safe storage of biological preparations is not without problems. There are extensive collections of biological preparations in museums, hospitals and science institutes, the maintenance of which is personnel-intensive and time-consuming and therefore causes relatively high costs.

In these well-known collections we find many containers in which the preparations are tightly sealed (e.g. with gelatin or rosin / beeswax); in this case, the preparations are difficult or impossible to access.

However, there are also containers, also called preparation jars below, in which the preparations remain accessible. However, this accessibility is bought with a loss of preservation liquid because the preparation jars are leaking. The corresponding preparations cannot then be stored without regularly checking the liquid level. The work involved in the maintenance and care of preparations is very high in this case; this is particularly true for the transfer of preparations from defective to new containers.

The main reason for the loss of preservation liquid in the known preparation jars lies primarily in the construction of the closures. These are mechanically unstable and in most cases do not allow the container to be opened and closed repeatedly. This means that the known lids will deform over time as a result of the vapor pressure in the container and, after opening for the first time, must often be replaced together with the seal used in the lid base. In addition, many of the known closures for specimen glasses are designed so that they can be screwed onto the glass container. agreed lid can be turned when closing. This over-rotation as well as the deformation of the lid caused by the vapor pressure then means that the lid does not exert the constant pressure on the seal which is necessary for, for example, an optimal sealing of the preparation glass that lasts for several years.

In addition, the sealing materials of closures used today were only developed for short storage times. They therefore become brittle after only a few years. In addition, the known seals tend to stick to the glass.

Small mistakes, such as Cracks in embrittling seals can add up. This insufficient fault tolerance forces the user to continuously monitor the aging behavior of each individual container. The glasses can therefore not be stored for long periods without maintenance. In alcohol control or topping-up, for example, the loss of preservation fluid is compensated for, seals are replaced and the preparations are serviced (replacement in other containers, replacement of the preservation fluid, etc.).

The maintenance intervals for the preparation jars are from

Museum to museum or different from institute to institute. On average, each glass in an alcohol collection must be checked 1 to 2 times a year. Experience from various museums shows, however, that despite regular maintenance, between 1 and 5% fail annually for technical reasons and must be replaced.

The replacement of preparation glasses is - as already mentioned - very labor intensive and causes high costs. Not only does the preparation have to be transferred to a new glass the glasses have to be re-labeled, the manipulations registered and updated in the file system.

Add to that the loss today. Preservative fluid is not insignificant. It can amount to several hundred liters per year and museum. In order to keep these evaporation losses within limits, the alcohol preparations are kept in energy and costly cooled storage rooms in some museums. Since many of the preservation liquids also contain highly toxic substances (e.g. formalin), the latter must also be constantly ventilated using complex ventilation systems.

There have been efforts for several years to find suitable containers, lids and sealants with which one can at least partially overcome the aforementioned disadvantages. For example, a container is proposed in European patent application 0 857 663, which has a resistant seal which consists at least in part of an aging-resistant, reversibly deformable plastic and has a water vapor permeability which is less than 100 with a layer thickness of 40 μ g / 24h • m ² .

Containers, which were produced according to the idea of this application, have the disadvantage that, although equipped with a seal made of high-quality rubber or plastic, they cannot be opened after a short time. A plastic that has all of the above-mentioned properties will stick to the container in the sealing zone or at least strongly adhere. The lids and closures available on the market have the major disadvantage that they no longer allow direct access to the seal. Also the lid proposed in the aforementioned publication shapes and seals have this crucial disadvantage. The consequence of this is that the container can no longer be opened without damage because the sealants adhere too strongly to the glass and the closure.

Another phenomenon of any reversibly deformable plastic is that it tends to either creep, that is, to adapt plastically in a new form, or at least to weaken in its elasticity, that is, in the reversible deformability. Also high quality

Rubber compounds and synthetic elastomers tend - albeit to a small extent - to lose elasticity. Elastomers also tend to stick, adhere, or stick to the sealing surface of the container over the years.

On the basis of the containers known from EP-A 0 657 663, the present invention is based on the object of creating a modern closure system for containers with a cylindrical opening of the type mentioned at the outset, which is provided by a mechanical device, regardless of the tolerances of the container and lid and regardless of the aging of the sealing compound, the force is applied to press the seal around the entire circumference onto the container opening. It should also be made visible whether the lid on the container is open or closed. In use, the positions "Open" and "Closed" must be clearly displayed to the user.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a closure system for containers with a cylindrical opening with the features of claim 1.

The invention further relates to preparation containers and sealing materials for common use with a sealant. Locking system according to claim 1, namely a preparation container according to claim 5 or 8, a sealing material according to claim 12 and interior furnishing for preparation container according to claim 16.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

Many obstacles had to be overcome on the way to today's solution. Most of the time was invested in trying to improve lids with twist locks. Although it is possible to develop tight closure concepts on this basis, they do not stand up to practical tests. For example, the applicant found that each person puts on such a lid differently. In the series of tests, some lids were hardly ever closed, while others were "turned over" and the sealing material was pressed so hard that it was later difficult to remove from the glass.

Unfortunately, it was shown that all previously known locking techniques have the same weaknesses. Although many known locking mechanisms allow a container to be sealed, there is a risk that all of them seal the sealant over time with the preparation container. In the worst case, this dreaded sticking can result in the preparation no longer being able to be removed from the glass without destroying the latter.

Since no known closure concept could guarantee the non-destructive removal of the preparation even if the sealant stuck, a completely new closure system had to be developed. It was also found that no passive aids such as air pressure or high internal pressure can be used to achieve the desired tightness of the preparation jars. According to the invention, a satisfactory density can only be achieved with the principle of a tunnel seal. In a tunnel seal, a fabric has to travel as long as possible (tunnel-like) and is thereby delayed. Glass grinding technology works according to this principle. Here, by roughening the surface between the closure and the container (glass cut), the path is extended many times, which delays the leakage of the ingredients depending on the distance traveled. The longer and finer the cut, the longer the path the ingredients have to cover on the way out.

Known specimen glasses mostly have a screw or a clip closure. With these closure techniques, the sealing surface of the sealing material is very small and narrow. Mostly, only on a route of a few

Sealed millimeters. In order to achieve sufficient tightness with such small sealing surfaces, the sealing material must be pressed very hard. The necessary contact pressures are very difficult to implement technically. The technical effort would make these vessels unwieldy and expensive. Furthermore, there is a great risk that the sealing compounds will stick to the glass in an undetachable manner if the pressure is too high. In addition, the tunnel effect of a seal of a conventional preparation glass is low, i.e. the preservation liquid can easily escape.

The filling opening of the container according to the invention can be closed with a metal lid which is stable with respect to mechanical deformations. This cover, for example made of aluminum or sheet steel, must be sealed in this way compress strongly so that it fits snugly and absolutely tightly against the edge of the vessel and the lid and regains its original shape when the container is opened, i.e. it remains reversibly compressible. In addition, the lid must be so stable that it cannot be deformed by the internal pressure that forms in the interior of the vessel, which could render the plastic seal ineffective.

The invention is now essentially characterized in that it has a novel, high-density and reclosable, essentially two-part closure system. Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in detail in the drawing.

In the drawing shows

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a first closure system according to the invention in the tensioned state,

2 shows a cylindrical container,

3 shows a systematic section of the closure system according to FIG. 1 in the open state,

FIG. 4 shows a systematic section of the closure system in the closed state,

5 shows a section of the open cover from the front,

6 shows a section of the open cover from the side,

FIG. 7 shows a section of the closed cover from the front, 8 shows a section of the closed lid from the side,

FIG. 9 shows the upper part of a second closure system with a closure lid and closure tab,

10 shows the lower part of the closure system according to FIG. 9 with a metallic closure plate and a sealing ring which is fastened thereon and is intended to lie on the container wall,

Figure 11 shows the cam track of the sleeve inserted in the cover, and

12 to 13 show a third closure system in a perspective view, FIG. 12 the closure cover with mechanical closure part, FIG. 13 the closure flap and FIG. 14 the seal of the closure system according to FIG. 12.

Figures 1 to 9 represent a first preferred embodiment.

A standardized and uniform vessel 1 according to FIG. 2 is required for the systematic and economical storage of wet preparations. This standardized row of vessels is always the same in diameter D, but offers different volumes by varying the length L. Basically, the vessel 1 only has to be cylindrical in the area of the opening 10. Four, six or octagonal containers are also possible. Henceforth, there should be talk of round glass vessels 1 with a diameter D of 100 mm. The production of ^• Diameter D of the cylindrical opening with larger and smaller diameters than 100 mm is with the same technique and also taking into account the same design features.

The container 1 is characterized by a precisely defined cylindrical opening with a diameter D and comprising an area B. The diameter D of the sealing surface 2 is manufactured with high precision in compliance with specified tolerances. The surface of the sealing surface 2 does not have to be machined, but a precise cylindrical shape in the range of the tolerances is aimed for.

The sealing surface 2 is formed in the circumference of the diameter D over a height H, the formula:

Area = D • 3.14 • H.

The height of the sealing surface 2 must be at least 10 mm. The closure system containing a seal 10 is pressed onto this sealing surface 2, as shown in FIG.

The seal 10 has a cylindrical shape. It is flush and firmly connected to a metallic base plate 11. The base plate 11 has a diameter D 1 that is at most 2% smaller than the inside diameter D of the container 1, so that the seal 10 is exposed to the medium in the interior of the container 1 with the smallest possible area. The main surface is provided by the base plate 11, which is preferably made of stainless steel. The firm connection between base plate 11 and seal 10 can also be achieved by gluing or by mechanical clamping. In the latter case, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the specially designed seal 10 is pressed onto the base plate 11 by means of an auxiliary disk 13. The closure system also includes a closure lid designed as a cup disk 21. The cylindrical shape of the seal 10 has the effect that, when the distance between the base plate 11 and the cup wheel 21 is reduced, the seal 10 is deformed by expanding the diameter D1 to a diameter D2. This deformation causes the seal 10 to come to rest in the cylindrical region 2 of the container 1 and the container 1 is sealed. Depending on the force F, which is applied in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical seal 10 with the cup washer 21, the seal 10 is in the cylindrical region 2 with more or less portion of the height H on the glass 1. The seal 10 will always deform in a round shape and in this way touch the sealing surface 2 in area B of the glass 1 and ensure the seal with it. The decisive factor here is that the vessel is neither leaking nor is the cylindrical region 2 of the glass container 1 being subjected to excessive stress.

The seal 10 is preferably made of a plastic or elastomer according to the document EP-A 0 857 66 AI. The sealing material must above all be elastic and resistant to aging and all media used for preservation. If possible, the sealing material should not adhere or stick to the sealing surface 2 if it is pressed under pressure over a long period of time.

The elasticity of the seal 10 will not be sufficient to compensate for the tolerance differences that arise from the manufacture of the individual parts of the container 1 and the seal 10. For this reason, three coordinated, mechanically resilient elements were provided in the construction. On the one hand, a spring clip 22 is used which, as shown in FIG. 7, can deform elastically. As it is used in construction, it forms an almost ideal, frictionless spring. One can therefore in the Use the spring constant C according to the corresponding calculation using the following formula:

c = F • f,

where f is the travel _. represents under load.

Travel f and force P are proportional. In the design, the force P was designed by the user according to the aspects of operator work. On the other hand, the force applied must be large enough to achieve a secure seal in all tolerance ranges. The other two resilient elements are the cup wheel

21 and the base plate 11. Both elements are designed in the thickness so that their spring action with that of the spring clip

22 results in the correct hardness and elasticity of the mechanically resilient parts together with the seal 10.

The design of the elements seal 10, spring clip 22, thickness of the cup wheel 21 and the paths x, y and z of the handle 20 defined in FIGS. 6 and 8 have been carried out accordingly.

The distance x from the pivot point p is chosen so that the entire system is without force, that is, the seal 10 is not under tension. In this position of the handle 20, the lid can be inserted into the region B of the cylindrical opening of the glass 1. In order to clearly indicate to everyone that the cover is not closed in this position, the handle 20 protrudes over the edge of the seal 10. A brief glance over the vessel shows the viewer, "Handle is up - lid is not closed".

The user will now move the handle 20 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 6. It must be at a distance x from the fulcrum Move the handle 20 to the cup wheel 11 over the distance y until it has reached the end position of the handle 20. Now the distance x between pivot point p and cup wheel 21 is much smaller. If the lid is not in the container, the seal 10 assumes a barrel-like, round shape, as shown in FIGS. 1, 7 and 8. However, if the lid is in the container 1, the spring clip 22, base plate 11, cup wheel 21 and seal 10 are under tension and the seal is pressed onto the sealing surface 2 under spring pressure. With the appropriate design of the paths and the spring elasticity of the mechanical elements, it is achieved that the seal 10 lies against the container wall at least over a height H of 10 mm. In order not to exert excessive pressure on the container 1 in the cylindrical region 2, the resilient mechanical elements 11, 21, 22 are matched to one another and designed.

The distance y from the pivot point p is greater than the distance z from the pivot point p. As a result, the user will feel the movement of the handle 20 as if he would go over an increase when passing the distance y and will always bring the handle 20 into the end position, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The same applies when opening, as shown in Figure 6.

The outermost diameter of the cup disk 21 must always be smaller than the selected diameter D of the cylindrical opening of the glass 1. This ensures that the seal 10 is always directly accessible in the area of the sealing surface 2. This is important if the seal 10 should stick to the sealing surface 2 after years, contrary to expectations. In this way, if the seal 10 is mechanically damaged, it is possible to open the glass 1 again even after years without the damage to the preparation. In the closed state, the cup wheel 21 and the handle 20 will always come to rest under the uppermost point 15 of the seal 10, so that several glasses 1 can be stacked on top of one another in the closed state.

Figures 9 to 11 show a second embodiment of the invention.

The two-part closure system, hereinafter also referred to as the closure, also consists here essentially of two parts that can be detached from one another, namely a first lower part 101 and a second upper part 102. The first is composed of a metallic closure plate 103 and an elastomer fastened to it. Sealing ring 104 formed. In contrast, the upper part 102 consists of a preferably metallic closure cover 105 with a closure tab 106 and a rotatable sleeve 107 inserted in the closure cover 105 with an external thread. According to the invention, the latter has in its wall a circumferential, inclinedly leading upward and, in FIG

Shape shown as a cam track slot 108, in which the cam 109 of a pin 110 provided on the locking plate 102 engages in the fastened state.

This second locking system has the following properties:

The container is easily resealable.

Another problem is solved with the tab 106: it inherently makes the closure secure; i.e. it shows clearly whether the container is closed or not. The

Sealing material is arranged in such a way that a loss due to an only partially closed cover is largely excluded.

The contact pressure is evenly distributed over a large, wide area (tunnel seal). By turning the see 106, the elastomer ring 104 is pressed against the inside wall of the container, a clearly noticeable resistance having to be overcome when opening and closing. This pressure is evenly distributed over the entire elastomer outer surface and on the

Closure size matched. The elastomer therefore seals the inside wall of the container over a wide area like a cut of glass and can additionally be provided with a plurality of grooves 11 on its inside of the ring in order to optimize the contact pressure.

According to the invention, the closure is closed in that the metal plate 103, on which the elastomer ring 104 is vulcanized, is pulled upward by the rotation of the tab 106. The sleeve 107 integrated in the upper closure part 102 of the closure lid 105 has an external thread, that is to say it is rotatable, and allows the closure to be fixed in the three positions “separation” (separation of cover and elastomer); “open” and “closed”. The contact pressure acts resiliently on the edge of the container. This resilient pressing can be achieved by the deformation of molecules in the elastomer mass, but also by spring tension (eg by a pot spring). The optimal contact pressure depends on the desired tightness, the elastomer mixture and the diameter of the Since this in the solution according to the invention depends on the steepness or the height of the thread and / or cam path 108 of the sleeve 107, it can be controlled relatively easily and set to a desired value between 0 and 2000 kp Time to "stick" to the glass. This sticking of the sealant to the preparation glass is very dangerous. Because these masses are not structurally accessible in all previous closure concepts, the closure must be destroyed to open them. The preparation glass is also often damaged. decision What is crucial for the new closure is that the closure compound remains accessible at all times. In the specific application example, this is done by easily removing the mechanism that presses the elastomer ring from the "elastomer base". If a closure sticks anyway, the mechanism can be removed and the elastomer pulled away from the glass edge by hand - an "emergency exit".

A third embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 12 to 14.

This closure system is very similar to the cover shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 and, like this, has two parts which can be detached from one another, namely a first lower part 201 and a second upper part 202. The former is shown in FIG. It is formed from a metallic closure plate 203 and an elastomer sealing ring 204 fastened thereon. In contrast, the upper part 202 shown in FIG. 12 consists of a preferably metallic closure cover 205 and a closure flap 206 with a clamping bolt 207. The latter is in the assembled state with its foot-side latching groove 208 in engagement with the engagement cams 209 of the sealing ring 204.

In this exemplary embodiment, the semicircular closure tab 206 rests with its edge 206a on a circumferential path 210 of the closure cover 205 rotated about the cylindrical axis of the cover.

When this closure system is attached to a preparation glass of the type mentioned at the outset, the closure plate 203 is rotated in the direction of the closure plate by rotating the closure tab 206 on the upwardly twisted path 210. Lid 205 pulled, which has the consequence that - as explained above - the seal 205 is pressed against the glass wall.

This third closure system has the same advantages as the system described above with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11, but with the additional advantage that the force to be applied for closing is even lower.

As shown in FIG. 12, the closure flap 206 also has an annular recess 211, which serves to hold a chip that can be read with a suitable device and, if necessary, can be written with all possible information about the contents of the container, which is used in museums and others Collection sites for the systematic cataloging and monitoring of existing preparations.

The sealing material, an elastomer, is an important component of the closure system. The selection of the sealing material is a compromise between the different material properties. For the application according to the invention, however, this must necessarily fulfill the following points: non-toxic, food-approved and sterilizable, very good resistance to both steam and dry heat

- good ozone and weather resistance

- good resistance to animal and vegetable oils and fats very low gas permeability - excellent resistance to bending stress

The following rubbers are suitable in principle as sealing materials.

- R rubbers (unsaturated chains or partially made up of diolefins): CR (choroprene rubber), SBR (Styrene-butadiene rubber), NBR (nitrile-butadiene rubber), NCR (nitrile-chloroprene rubber), IIR (butyl rubber [CHR, BIIR])

- M rubbers (saturated chains of the polymethylene type): EPM (ethylene propylene (diene) rubbers [EPDM]), AECM (ethylene

Acrylesther rubbers), CSM (chlorosulfonated PE rubber), CM (chlorinated PE rubber [CM]), (fluoro rubber [FPM and FFKM]) FKM,

- O-rubbers (chains with oxygen): epichlorohydrin homopol., Copol. And terpolym. Rubber [CO, ECO, ETER!)

- Q- (silicone) rubbers (chains with siloxane groups): MQ

(Methyl-silicone rubber), MPQ (methyl-phenyl-silicone rubber), MVQ (methyl-vinyl-silicone rubber), MPVQ (methyl-phenyl-vinyl rubber, MFQ (methyl-fluoro-silicone rubber and MVFQ (fluorosilicone rubber

- U-rubbers (chains with oxygen, nitrogen and carbon): AFMU (nitrose rubbers EU and AU) polyphoshazene (chains alternating with phosphorus and nitrogen): PNF (fluorophosphazene rubber [FZ and PZ])

According to the invention, the connections of the connection classes mentioned above can be used individually or in combination with one another to produce a seal of the type described, a combination of plastics from all six connection classes is of course also possible here.

A preferred embodiment of a sealing material for the use according to the invention in preparation containers is an elastomer made of bromobutyl rubber (BIIR), that is to say a linear, gel-free, crosslinked copolymer made from isobutylene and relatively small amounts of isoprene.

Halogenization, among other things, significantly increases the reactivity in the vulcanization process. In addition, the low permeability 'of the elastomer for air (oxygen, nitrogen and carbonic acid) or moisture' improves as well as the good resistance to heat, ozone and chemically aggressive materials. The heteroatoms are introduced into the polymer via halogenated isoprene units.

The elastomer is crosslinked without free sulfur using so-called sulfur donors. This means that the cross-linked elastomer has no possibility of attacking oxygen and is therefore extremely resistant to aging. The elastomer can be considered to be fully saturated. A lifespan of 30 years can thus be achieved without additional stabilizers.

Particular attention must always be paid to sticking the elastomer compound to the container. Depending on the starting material, one or the other surface finish must therefore be provided, for example: - Coating with fluorine-based plastics (e.g. teflonizing),

Incorporation of "non-stick mixtures" into the elastomer mixture,

Artificial aging of the elastomer surface by chemical or physical methods (e.g. plasma processes).

Thanks to its aging and alcohol resistance, the sealing material based on an IIR (butyl rubber (CHR, BIIR)) mixture is also suitable for other applications, such as watch seals. In this application, the problem is not the penetrating water, but also the alcohol and various natural substances and chemicals from perfumes, which diffuse into the watch case and attack the mechanics and lubricants there. The invention is also distinguished in the choice of the vessel.

Glass is almost ideal as a container for storing liquid preparations. Glass is translucent, odorless, dense, physically and chemically stable and has a high chemical resistance. Nevertheless: If glass is stored for a long time in musty, damp rooms, signs of weathering must be expected. A slow surface decomposition takes place. The moisture creates a water film on the glass that creates a homogeneous swelling layer; Alkali diffuses out of the glass into this layer and is then excreted. Jars with a semolina value below 1000 cannot be stored.

Many of the partly old preparation containers are made of soda-lime glass, which is not very resistant and very sensitive to aging. The walls of these glasses are often only insufficiently thick: the wall thicknesses fluctuate considerably. In addition, many preparation containers are under tension, i.e. the glass can burst with the slightest vibrations.

The new preparation container is therefore made of resistant borosilicate glass without a rim and has a wide and flat base so that the container does not tip over. The container sizes are also standardized.

In addition to these properties, the container according to the invention has the following additional properties: - Thanks to a control mark, the liquid level can be checked quickly and precisely. - A replaceable foot prevents high specimen glasses from tipping over.

The glass can be stacked, which makes storage easier. The invention further relates to the interior design of preparation containers and the provision of accessories for placing and stacking such.

Specimen containers have an interior that must be “furnished” depending on the type of use, for example by means of specimen tubes or inner wall linings for individual small animals or the like.

The problem with such “interior furniture” is that it must have a “very high” resistance to aging. This is particularly important because the transfer of preparations into new containers is very labor-intensive.

Since plastics age too quickly, they cannot be used. To provide interior furnishings of the type mentioned, materials such as rustproof metals or alloys (e.g. rustproof steel), cotton or cellulose mixtures (paper or cardboard) are therefore proposed.

Because of their excellent aging resistance, these substances meet the requirements, but they also have to meet the following additional requirements:

The metal alloys must not contain copper (destruction of the elastomer mixtures). - Any glue that is present must be absolutely aging-resistant and waterproof.

The sizing must not release any formalin into the preservation liquids, and therefore preferably contain no formalin. Despite the choice of wide and flat standing surfaces, preparation containers tend to tip from a certain height. This can be prevented with a simple foot or "shoe". These accessories must withstand high loads throughout the entire storage period. In musty and damp rooms, it is particularly at risk of fungal decay and insect pests. Since no plastic known today meets these requirements (also fluorine-based plastics such as Teflon are not suitable, since they cannot be disposed of harmlessly), a container base made from natural wood is proposed according to the invention, for example from robinia wood (Robinia ps ^' eudoacacia L.). The latter is particularly suitable in the present application A method for the production of non-rotting wooden feet, because robinia wood has the following properties:

Natural durability against wood-destroying fungi: very durable.

Natural durability against Hylotrupes baj ulus, Anobium puncta tum, Lyctus brunneus and Hesperophanes cine- reus: permanent.

Natural durability against termites: permanent Natural durability against wood pests in seawater: permanent - Impregnation: very difficult to impregnate - good processability (e.g. dripping ability)

Claims

1. Lid for container (1) with a cylindrical opening that allows repeated opening and closing and the seal (10, 104, 204) of which consists at least in part of a reversibly deformable plastic or rubber that can withstand temperatures up to _. 130 ° C is heat-resistant and has a water vapor permeability, which is less than 100 g / 24h m ² at a layer thickness of 40 μ, characterized in that the seal (10, 104, 204) on the wall of the cylindrical opening (B ) of _. The container (1) abuts and has a sealing height H of at least 10 mm, the seal (10, 104, 204) being pressed against the wall of the cylindrical opening (B) of the container (1) by mechanical means.

2. Lid according to claim 1, characterized in that it is essentially formed from a two-part closure system, the first part of which is a base plate (11) made of rustproof metal, which in turn is vulcanized or glued to the seal (10), and the second part of which consists of a cup washer (21) which is positively connected to the base plate (111) and a locking flap (20) by means of a spring clip (22).

3. Lid according to claim 1, characterized in that the spring constants of the base plate (11), the spring clip

(22) and the cup washer (21) are matched to each other by design.

4. Lid according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the outer diameter of the cup wheel (21) is at least 10 mm smaller than the inner diameter D of the container (1) in the cylindrical region (B).

5. For the storage of a biological preparation in a liquid medium serving container with a lid and a sealing material according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a high-density and reclosable, two-part closure system, the first part (101) of one metallic closure plate (103) and a sealing ring (104), for example vulcanized on it, and its second part (102), the closure cover (105) with a closure flap (106) and a central one in the closure cover (105) , rotatable sleeve (107), the latter having in its wall a circumferential slot (108) which leads at an incline upwards and in the fastened state the cam (109) of a pin (110) provided on the closure plate (102) engages, and wherein the two parts (101, 102) are designed and dimensioned such that by rotating the locking tab (106) di e The metal plate (103) is pulled upwards and the sealing ring (104) is pressed against the adjacent container wall.

6. A container according to claim 5, characterized in that the sleeve (107) integrated in the closure lid (105) allows the closure to be "separated" in the three positions.

(Separation of cover and sealing ring); To fix "Open" and "To".

7. A container according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the contact pressure acting in the closed state on the sealing ring (104) and the container wall by varying the slope and / or height of the external thread and / or the slot (108) of the sleeve ( 107) can be set.

8. Use a container to store a biological preparation in a liquid medium A cover and a sealing material according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a high-density and reclosable, two-part closure system, the first part (201) of which consists of a metallic closure plate (203) and a, for example vulcanized, fastened thereon, Sealing ring (204) is formed, and its second part (202), the closure cover (205) with a closure tab (206), the closure tab (206) having a clamping bolt (207) which in the assembled state of the Closure system with its foot-side locking groove (208) in engagement with engagement cams (209) of the sealing ring (204), and that the semicircular locking tab (206) with at least part of its edge on a circumferential to the cylindrical axis of the closure cover (205) rotates upwardly turned web (210).

9. A container according to claim 8, characterized in that the contact pressure acting in the closed state on the sealing ring (204) and the container wall can be adjusted by varying the slope and / or the height of the upwardly turned path (210) of the closure cover (205) ,

10. Container according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that it consists of resistant borosilicate glass.

11. A container according to claim 10, characterized in that it has a wide and flat base and is stackable.

12. Sealing material, in particular for producing a sealing ring (4) according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that it is an elastomer with the following properties: - non-toxic, food-safe and sterilizable

- Resistance to both steam and dry heat

- Ozone and weather resistance

- resistant to animal and vegetable oils and fats - very low gas permeability

Resistance to bending stress

13. Sealing material according to claim 12, characterized in that it consists of at least one rubber selected from one of the following groups:

- R rubbers (unsaturated chains or partially made up of diolefins): CR (choroprene rubber), SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber), NBR (nitrile-butadiene rubber), NCR

(Nitrile chloroprene rubber), IIR (butyl rubber [CHR, BIIR])

M rubbers (saturated chains of the polymethylene type): EPM (ethylene propylene (diene) rubbers [EPDM]), AECM (ethylene acrylic ester rubbers), CSM (chlorosulfonated PE rubber), CM (chlorinated PE - rubber [CM]), (fluorine rubber [FPM and FFKM]) FKM,

O-rubbers (chains with oxygen): epichlorohydrin homopol., Copol. And terpolym. Rubber [CO, ECO, ETER!)

- Q- (silicone) rubbers (chains with siloxane groups): MQ

(Methyl silicone rubber), MPQ (methyl phenyl silicone rubber), MVQ (methyl vinyl silicone rubber), MPVQ

(Methyl-phenyl.Vinil rubber, MFQ (methyl-fluorosilicone rubber and MVFQ (fluorosilicone rubber

- U-rubbers (chains with oxygen, nitrogen and carbon): AFMU (nitrous rubbers EU and AU) - Polyphoshazene (chains alternating with phosphorus and

Nitrogen): PNF (fluorophosphazene rubber [FZ and PZ])

14. Sealing material according to claim 13, characterized in that it • an elastomer made of bromobutyl rubber (BIIR) is a linear, gel-free, cross-linked copolymer of isobutylene and relatively small amounts of isoprene.

15. Sealing material according to one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that it according to one of the following

Process is surface treated:

Coating with fluorine-based plastics (e.g. TefIonisierung)

- Incorporation of "non-stick mixtures" into the elastomer mixture

- Artificial pre-aging of the elastomer surface by chemical or physical methods (e.g. plasma processes)

16. Interior furnishing, in particular for a container according to one of claims 7 to 11, characterized in that it consists of a non-rusting metal or a non-rusting alloy, or of cotton or of a cellulose mixture, wherein it also fulfills the following requirements in the application : - The metal alloy must not contain copper.

Any glue that is present must be absolutely aging-resistant and waterproof.

The sizing must not release any formalin into the preservation liquids, ie it should preferably not contain any formalin.