US3069044A - Plug for low temperature storage containers - Google Patents

Plug for low temperature storage containers Download PDF

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Publication number
US3069044A
US3069044A US73598A US7359860A US3069044A US 3069044 A US3069044 A US 3069044A US 73598 A US73598 A US 73598A US 7359860 A US7359860 A US 7359860A US 3069044 A US3069044 A US 3069044A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
plug
container
shaft
vanes
low temperature
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US73598A
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English (en)
Inventor
Haumann Wilfried
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Union Carbide Corp
Original Assignee
Union Carbide Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority to NL271916D priority Critical patent/NL271916A/xx
Application filed by Union Carbide Corp filed Critical Union Carbide Corp
Priority to US73598A priority patent/US3069044A/en
Priority to GB42266/61A priority patent/GB933516A/en
Priority to BE611088A priority patent/BE611088A/fr
Priority to FR880900A priority patent/FR1315102A/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3069044A publication Critical patent/US3069044A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D23/00—General constructional features
    • F25D23/02—Doors; Covers
    • F25D23/026—Doors; Covers for open-top cabinets
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01N—PRESERVATION OF BODIES OF HUMANS OR ANIMALS OR PLANTS OR PARTS THEREOF; BIOCIDES, e.g. AS DISINFECTANTS, AS PESTICIDES OR AS HERBICIDES; PEST REPELLANTS OR ATTRACTANTS; PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS
    • A01N1/00—Preservation of bodies of humans or animals, or parts thereof
    • A01N1/02—Preservation of living parts
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01N—PRESERVATION OF BODIES OF HUMANS OR ANIMALS OR PLANTS OR PARTS THEREOF; BIOCIDES, e.g. AS DISINFECTANTS, AS PESTICIDES OR AS HERBICIDES; PEST REPELLANTS OR ATTRACTANTS; PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS
    • A01N1/00—Preservation of bodies of humans or animals, or parts thereof
    • A01N1/02—Preservation of living parts
    • A01N1/0236—Mechanical aspects
    • A01N1/0263—Non-refrigerated containers specially adapted for transporting or storing living parts whilst preserving, e.g. cool boxes, blood bags or "straws" for cryopreservation
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C13/00—Details of vessels or of the filling or discharging of vessels
    • F17C13/06—Closures, e.g. cap, breakable member

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to low temperature storage containers and particularly to a plug adapted to be co-operatively received in the access port of such a container.
  • Containers of the type hereindescribed may be used for storing materials at extremely low temperatures, which materials are maintained in a refrigerated state until such time as they are required for use.
  • a typical container of the type presently contemplated is used for refrigerating biologicals and bovine semen which are preferably stored at a temperature approximating that of liquid nitrogen.
  • Many such containers have been developed which embody sufiicient insulating characteristics to maintain the contained products at a reduced temperature.
  • a single port generally in the top portion, provides the only means of access to the container interior.
  • the container access opening is provided with a low thermally conductive plug in order to lessen the amount of heat leak into the cold storage area, which heat would, of course, reduce overall refrigerating capacity.
  • a plug of the type referred to is generally elongated and slideably received in the container access port in such a manner as to permit easy removal.
  • An ever present problem associated with a container having a plug of this nature is that when the plug is withdrawn from the port, pumping action will cause the refrigerant vapors contained within the container to mix with the warmer, moist, surrounding atmosphere, thus freezing the moisture to form ice which will deposit on the mouth of the container and thus provoke handling difiiculties.
  • a further object is to provide such a plug which will permit access to the container interior with a minimum amount of heat leak to the refrigerated storage area.
  • Another object is to provide a low temperature container plug which precludes the necessity of removal thereof when access to the container is desired.
  • FIG. 1 is a vertical elevation of an embodiment of the presently disclosed plug shown in partial cross-section;
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged segmentary view in cross-section of a portion of the plug shown in FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is another enlarged segmentary view in crosssection of the lower portion of the plug.
  • FIG. 4 is a top view of the plug.
  • the present invention contemplates a plug adapted'to co-operatively engage the cylindrical access opening of a low temperature container for providing a closure thereto.
  • the plug comprises essentially an elongated casing having cylindrical side walls and a base plate, including an aperture in the latter.
  • a closure plate fixed to the casing upper edge is also provided with an aperture to allow access to the container interior.
  • a rotatable shaft extending substantially axially through the cup is terminally journalled to the base plate and top closure respectively, the upper portion of said shaft extending beyond said closure to be actuated outside the container.
  • a plurality of vertically spaced baflies, disposed perpendicular to the casing central axis, are peripherally engaged with the cylindrical wall to define adjacent compartments within the cup.
  • Openings in each of said bafiies are in substantially vertical alignment with each other and with said base opening and top aperture to provide a passage through the plug.
  • Vertically spaced vanes engaging the rotatable shaft and extending across the diameter of the cup are disposed to extend between each adjacent pair of baffies, and are horizontally rotatable inthe cup in response to rotation of the shaft.
  • a portion of each vane is removed to constitute a vertical passage when the openings of said baflles and said vanes are brought into alignment.
  • a cover plate upwardly adjacent the top plate, engages the shaft to be rotated therewith, said cover plate having an opening which may be vertically aligned with the bottom closure aperture.
  • a specific embodiment of the low temperature plug is designated at 10 and includes an elongated casing or closed ended cup having cylindrical side walls defined by a tubular member 13, with a partition 14 fixed to the lower edge thereof.
  • An aperture 15 in said partition provides access to the interior of the cup.
  • the plug is normally received in the neck tube opening of a low temperature storage container such that the outer walls thereof may be disposed proximately close to the adjacent neck tube, preferably defining a slight annular space therebetween. Such space will allow refrigerant vapors to pass upwardly around the tube and mix with any incoming atmosphere, thus preventing loss of refrigeration.
  • the plug is fabricated of a material having poor thermally conductive characteristics.
  • the elongated member 13 may be a thin walled tube of Micarta or a similar thermosetting plastic material.
  • the refrigerant used in the container may be a liquefied gas such as oxygen or nitrogen
  • the material of which the plug is formed must be sufliciently resistant to embrittlement temperatures on the order of K. to properly withstand such low temperature and remain operative.
  • the top closure 16 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, consists of a thin metallic plate, positioned to the upper edge of tube 13'.
  • the peripheral edge of said plate may be turned in a downward direction as shown in order to engage and be supported by the container upper edge when the plug is properly received therein.
  • An opening 17, similar to the aperture provided in the lower panel 14, is vertically positioned such that said aperture and opening respectively are substantially aligned one above the other.
  • the shaft comprises preferably a thin-walled tube of a low thermally conductive metal such as stainless steel.
  • a machine screw 24 or similar fastening means fixedly maintains said parts in relation to the lower panel14.
  • the shaft bearing means here shown is not considered to be unique and may be replaced by any suitable combination of elements for permitting rotationof the center shaft.
  • the upper portion of shaft 18 is provided with a bearing insert 26 which may be welded into the shaft end.
  • a stepped portion 30 of the insert defines a circumferential shoulder which registers with an opening in the top closure 16 and is laterally retained by a sleeve bearing 32, thereby permitting rotative movement of the shaft about its center axis.
  • a short extension 34 protruding beyond the plug upper surface may be engaged by a handle or a similar actuating device external of the storage container for rotation of the shaft 18.
  • an elongated handle 36 may be fixed to the extension 34 by a pin 38 transversing both of said members to hold said members in fixed relationship.
  • a cover plate 40 upwardly spaced from the top closure 16 is associated with shaft 18 to be responsive to rotative actuation by the handle 36.
  • An opening 41 formed in said plate is positioned vertically opposite that of openings 17, and the aperture 15 in panel 14, so that rotation of the shaft will bring all three openings into vertical alignment.
  • the plug interior is compartmented by a plurality of vertically disposed stationary bafiies 39, 42, 44, 46 and 48 having the peripheral edges thereof engaged to the inner wall of tube 13.
  • An opening in each of said baffles is disposed in vertical alignment with the opening in the lower panel 14.
  • the bafifes may be further supported by slideably registering in accomodating slots formed into center shaft 18.
  • each adjacent pair of stationary baffies there is interposed a flat, horizcntally rotatable vane, i.e., 50, 52, 54', 56 and 58, transversing substantially the plug diameter and being engaged to the shaft 18 to be rotated therewith.
  • a part of each of said vanes is removed corresponding to the openings in the stationary bafiie plates such that upon proper alignment, a longitudinal passage is defined to permit access to the container interior while the plug remains positioned in the container access opening.
  • Sealing means 60 and 60a such as an elongated strip, extend diametrically through shaft 18 and across the tube 13. Sealing means 69 prevents the passage of refrigerant vapors up through the cup between the adjacent baffies, while sealing means 60a prevents the prevents the passage of atmospheric air.
  • the respective baffles and vanes may be fabricated of a thin gage material such as copper or aluminum, which, if provided with a polished surface, are found to have a high degree of surface emissivity which will reduce heat leak through radiation. It may be seen that the space between each pair of adjacent bafiies and vanes constitutes a barrier to the uninterrupted passage of heat into the refrigerated container interior. These tiered compartments effectively limit the free flow of air and consequently the passage of heat through the plug. While according to FIG. 1, the baffles and vanes are shown as being rather equally spaced, this is not an essential requirement since optimum spacing would have to be determined for a given temperature gradient within the container neck tube for the desired suppression of convection currents between the baflies and vanes.
  • the openings in the baffies and the removed portion of the vanes are such that the baffies and vanes will assume a generally semi-circular configuration.
  • Such a construction will provide an access passage to the container storage area which is about 'half the size of the container access opening.
  • the plug is fully inserted into a storage container neck tube and supportably retained therein against the laterally protruding down curved edge of the top closure.
  • the respective baffies and vanes may be displaced from alignment to define a plurality of vertically spaced, parallel compartments along the axis of the plug.
  • the cover plate 49 is aligned so as to prevent air flow into the plug interior and thus minimize heat flow thereto.
  • the shaft may be sufficiently rotated to align the opening 41 of cover 40, and the vertically spaced openings or cut-out segments of the bafiies and the vanes, with the aperture 15 of panel 14 and aperture 17 of closure 16 thereby providing the access opening to the container interior through which said materials may be transferred.
  • a plug supportably received in said top opening providing a low thermally conductive closure thereto, said plug comprising: an elongated cylindrical casing having the outer wall thereof disposed adjacent the wall of said top opening, a plate fixed to each end of said casin g defining a chamber therein, a rotatable shaft axially transversing said casing and being terminally journalled at each of said end plates, a portion of said shaft extending beyond the upper of said plates to be rotatably actuated external to the container, longitudinally spaced battles disposed substantially perpendicular to the casing axis and fixedly secured to said casing inner wall to define a plurality of compartments, vertically spaced vanes fixedly secured to said shaft to be rotated thereby into said respective compartments, said baffles and vanes adapted to be aligned upon rotation of said shaft to define a vertical passage providing access to the storage area, said passage being closed by further rotation of the
  • a neck plug substantially as described in claim 1 in which the respective baffles and vanes constitute a substantially semi-circular plate, said vanes being spaced along said shaft so that at least one thereof is rotated into each of said compartments upon rotation of the shaft.
  • a plug axially received in said opening providing a low thermally conductive closure thereto, said plug comprising: an elongated cylindrical casing slideably received in said opening, a plate fixed to each end of said casing defining a chamber therein, a plurality of axially spaced bafifes disposed in said casing substantially perpendicular to the central axis of said casing, said baffies peripherally fixed to the casing inner wall to define a plurality of adjacent compartments therebetween, a rotatable shaft extending substantially coaxial with the casing axis, said shaft being journalled in said respective end plates, an upper portion of said shaft protruding from the top surface of said plug to be actuated thereby external to the container, and spaced vanes fixed to said shaft to be rotatable in a plane substantially perpendicular to said axis, at least one of said vanes disposed intermediate each adjacent pair of said baffles
  • a low temperature storage container having an upright elongated neck tube in the top portion thereof communicating with the storage area, a low thermally conductive plug supportably received in said neck tube providing a closure thereto and adapted to permit access to said storage area with said plug so received, said plug comprising: an elongated casing having opposed upper and lower ends, said casing disposed substantially coaxial with said neck tube and in slideable relation therewith, a base plate fixed to the casing lower end providing a closure thereto, an aperture in said base plate, a second plate fixed to the casing upper end, having an opening therethrough in substantial alignment with the aperture in said base plate, a rotatable shaft extending coaxial of said casing, said shaft being terminally journalled to said base plate and second plate respectively, a portion of said shaft transversing said second plate to be rotatably actuated external to the container, a plurality of longitudinally spaced bafiles positioned substantially perpendicular to the casing axis and peripherally engaging the inner wall thereof to define a compartment intermediate

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Dentistry (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Zoology (AREA)
  • Hematology (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Packages (AREA)
  • Closures For Containers (AREA)
US73598A 1960-12-05 1960-12-05 Plug for low temperature storage containers Expired - Lifetime US3069044A (en)

Priority Applications (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL271916D NL271916A (xx) 1960-12-05
US73598A US3069044A (en) 1960-12-05 1960-12-05 Plug for low temperature storage containers
GB42266/61A GB933516A (en) 1960-12-05 1961-11-27 Improvements in and relating to container closures
BE611088A BE611088A (fr) 1960-12-05 1961-12-04 Bouchon pour récipient de conservation à basse température
FR880900A FR1315102A (fr) 1960-12-05 1961-12-04 Bouchon pour récipient de conservation à basse température

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US73598A US3069044A (en) 1960-12-05 1960-12-05 Plug for low temperature storage containers

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3069044A true US3069044A (en) 1962-12-18

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ID=22114654

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US73598A Expired - Lifetime US3069044A (en) 1960-12-05 1960-12-05 Plug for low temperature storage containers

Country Status (4)

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US (1) US3069044A (xx)
BE (1) BE611088A (xx)
GB (1) GB933516A (xx)
NL (1) NL271916A (xx)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4411138A (en) * 1982-08-17 1983-10-25 Union Carbide Corporation Neck tube closure assembly for cryogenic containers
US20130000919A1 (en) * 2011-06-28 2013-01-03 Rowan University Oil well control system
US11268889B2 (en) * 2018-12-20 2022-03-08 Ta Instruments-Waters Llc Thermogravimetric analysis components

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US432474A (en) * 1890-07-15 Cover for buckets
US923895A (en) * 1909-01-23 1909-06-08 Emmett P Ryburg Closure for receptacles.
FR470229A (fr) * 1914-03-30 1914-08-28 Charles Combe Poubelle à couvercle rotatif combé

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US432474A (en) * 1890-07-15 Cover for buckets
US923895A (en) * 1909-01-23 1909-06-08 Emmett P Ryburg Closure for receptacles.
FR470229A (fr) * 1914-03-30 1914-08-28 Charles Combe Poubelle à couvercle rotatif combé

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4411138A (en) * 1982-08-17 1983-10-25 Union Carbide Corporation Neck tube closure assembly for cryogenic containers
US20130000919A1 (en) * 2011-06-28 2013-01-03 Rowan University Oil well control system
US8910715B2 (en) * 2011-06-28 2014-12-16 Rowan University Oil well control system
US11268889B2 (en) * 2018-12-20 2022-03-08 Ta Instruments-Waters Llc Thermogravimetric analysis components

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE611088A (fr) 1962-03-30
GB933516A (en) 1963-08-08
NL271916A (xx)

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