US3707079A - Double canister assembly for storing samples in a vacuum insulated storage container - Google Patents

Double canister assembly for storing samples in a vacuum insulated storage container Download PDF

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US3707079A
US3707079A US120181A US12018171A US3707079A US 3707079 A US3707079 A US 3707079A US 120181 A US120181 A US 120181A US 12018171 A US12018171 A US 12018171A US 3707079 A US3707079 A US 3707079A
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canister
storage container
vacuum insulated
insulated storage
assembly
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Herbert W Hawker
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Cryogenic Engineering Co
Azenta Inc
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Cryogenic Engineering Co
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    • 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
    • F17C3/00—Vessels not under pressure
    • F17C3/02—Vessels not under pressure with provision for thermal insulation
    • 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
    • F25D3/00—Devices using other cold materials; Devices using cold-storage bodies
    • F25D3/10—Devices using other cold materials; Devices using cold-storage bodies using liquefied gases, e.g. liquid air

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  • a vacuum insulated storage container including a canister assembly suitable for storing semen containing ampules therein is disclosed.
  • the canister assembly comprises a rigid elongated handle having a low thermal conductive section that separates upper and lower portions. The upper portion is designed to fit over the neck of a vacuum insulated storage container. The lower section supports two canisters in vertical alignment. The upper canister is removably at-. tached to the handle and the lower canister is fixedly attached thereto.
  • Each of the canisters includes a valve mechanism located at its bottom. The valve mechanisms allow a liquid refrigerant to flow into the canisters but prevents the refrigerant from flowing out of the canisters.
  • One of the most common canister assemblies comprises an elongated rigid handle which hangs over the top or access passage of the Dewar.
  • the canister has a screened bottom to allow liquid refrigerant to enter into it when the canister is submerged in the refrigerant contained in the Dewar while preventing semen ampules from falling out of it.
  • the semen ampules contained in the canister are cooled by direct contact with the refrigerant.
  • the canister is lifted out of the container through the access opening. As this action occurs, the refrigerant flows out of the canisters screened bottom.
  • French Straw ampules in which semen samples are often stored are small tubes approximately one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter and 5 to 6 inches long. Because of their small diameters, these ampules tend to warm up and thaw out extremely rapidly when taken out of contact with a suitable refrigerant. Many prior art canister assemblies have the additional disadvantage of being unduly deep whereby removal of semen ampules, particularly French Straw type semen ampules, is difficult and time consuming. It will be appreciated that this second disadvantage aggravates the first.
  • a vacuum insulated storage container that includes a new and improved canister assembly.
  • the canister assembly comprises a rigid elongated handle formed of upper and lower portions separated by a low thermal conductive section.
  • the upper portion is designed to fit or hang over the neck of a vacuum insulated storage container so that the lower portion of the handle hangs down into the liquid refrigerant contained in the vacuum insulated storage container.
  • the lower portion of the handle supports one or more novel canisters in vertical alignment.
  • each of the novel canisters has a valve located in its bottom which allows refrigerant to flow into the canister but which prevent refrigerant from flowing out of the canister. Hence, when the canister assembly is removed from the vacuum insulated storage container, some of the refrigerant remains in each of the canisters.
  • each of the canisters is of a depth such that semen ampules contained therein, particularly French Straw semen ampules, can be easily removed therefrom.
  • all of the canisters mounted on the rigid elongated handle, except the lowermost canister are readily removable from the handle. Thus, as an upper canister is emptied, it can be removed to provide access to lower canisters.
  • a vacuum insulated storage container including a novel canister assembly including a novel canister assembly. Because each of the canisters forming a part of the canister assembly includes a novel one-way valve mechanism, the refrigerant after entering the canisters is maintained about ampules stored therein, even during removal. Hence, the ampules are not allowed to warm up and thaw out when the canister assembly is removed from the storage container. Moreover, because the canisters are relatively shallow, when compared with prior art canisters, they allow easy access to ampules contained therein.
  • FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a vacuum insulated storage container formed in accordance with the invention having a canister assembly mounted therein;
  • FIG. 2 is a partially cross-sectional view of a canister assembly formed in accordance with the invention and having French Straw ampules in place;
  • FIG; 2A is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along line A-A of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 2B is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along line B-B of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 2C is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along line C-C of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 2D is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along line D--D of FIG. 2; and, 1
  • FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along line 33 of FIG. 2 and illustrates an alternative embodiment of a portion of the invention.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a vacuum insulated storage container 11 having mounted therein a canister assembly '13.
  • the vacuum insulated storage container 11 comprises an outer wall 15 and an inner wall 17 which define an insulation space 19.
  • Located at the top of the vacuum insulated storage container 11 is an access aperture 21 through which the canister assembly 13 is inserted into and extracted from the interior of the vacuum insulated storage container 11.
  • the vacuum insulated storage container 11 houses a fluid refrigerant 14, such as liquid nitrogen, in which the canister as-' sembly 13 is partially submerged in the manner hereinafter described.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the canister assembly 13.
  • the canister assembly 13 comprises a handle 25, a support plate 26, an uppercanister 27A and a lower canister 27B.
  • the handle 25 comgenerally cylindrical in nature, passes through first and second tabs 37 that curve outwardly from the rear side of the support plate 26 adjacent the top of the support plate. That is. the tabs 37 project outwardly and curve a about the lower end of the lower portion 33 of the handle 25 to clamp that portion to the rear side of the support plate 26.
  • An alternate method of attaching the lower portion 33 of the handle 25 to the support plate 26 is to merely spot weld the two items together.
  • the support plate 26 is curved away (downwardly as viewed in FIG. 2C) from the lowerportion 33 of the handle 25 about an axis that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the handle 25.
  • the upper and lower canisters 27A and 27B are mounted in vertical alignment inside of this curvature in the manner hereinafter described.
  • Each of the canisters 27A and 278 comprises a cylindrical can 39 that is open both at the top and at the bottom.
  • a bottom 41 having a lip 43 projecting downwardly about its periphery is located at the bottom of each canister.
  • the lip 43 is attached to the inner side of the cans 39 in a suitable manner, such as by welding, for example, to maintain the bottoms 41 in the cans.
  • An aperture-45 is centrally located in each bottom.
  • Located above each aperture 45 is a somewhat clover-leaf shaped plate 47, best illustrated in FIG. 2D.
  • the clover-leaf shaped plates 47 fit over the apertures 45 but are separated therefrom by a raised ridge 49 that surrounds each aperture 45.
  • the clover-leaf shaped plates 47 fit loosely within the side walls of the cans 39 and have four semi-circular indentations 51 which allow liquid refrigerant to flow up through the apertures 45, past the annular raised ridge 49 and the indentations 51, and into the cans 39. This action occurs as the canisters are submerged in the refrigerant 14 contained in the vacuum insulated storage container 11.
  • the clover-leaf shaped plates 47 are prevented from rising out of thecanisters 27A and 273 during the initial submersion by the items held in the canisters, such as French Straw semen ampules, for example. a
  • the clover-leaf shaped plates 47 in combination with the apertures 45 act as one-way valves because when the canister assembly 13 is lifted out of the refrigerant 14 after having once been submerged, the weight of the refrigerant contained in the canisters 27A and 27B prevents the plates 47 from raising and allowing the refrigerant to flow out of the canisters. In this manner, refrigerant is allowed to enter each canister but is prevented from leaving. It will be appreciated that this one-way valve action allows the canister assembly to be removed from the vacuum insulated storage container 11 without taking the ampules located in the canisters 27A and 27B out ofcontact with the refrigerant.
  • FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and illustrates an alternative wayof attaching a bottom 41A to a can 39A.
  • the can 39A includes a pair of rolled ridges 40 and 42 that project inwardly near. the lower end of the can. The rolled ridges are separated by a distance generally equal to the thickness of the bottom 41A. .
  • the bottom 41A fits between the rolled ridges and is fixedly held therebetween (it may be pressed into position therebetween, for example). In this manner the necessity to form a bottom plate with a'lip and weld it into place is eliminated.
  • FIG. 3 also illustrates a further lip 44 that extends inwardly above the clover-leaf shaped plate 47. The further lip 44 prevents the cloverleaf shaped plate from rising above a predetermined height during submersion of the cannister assembly. Thus the weight of the ampules does not have to be entirely relied upon to perform this function.
  • the upper canister 27A is attached to the support plate 26 by an inverted loop 53 formed in the upper portion of the support plate 26 and a support lip '55 formed in the support plate 26 where the support plate meets the lower edge of the upper canister 27A. More specifically, the curvature of support plate 26 is the same as the 'extemal curvature of the canisters. The upper portion of the support member 26 is bent toward the inside of the curvature to form the inverted loop 53 (FIG. 2). In addition, the support lip 55 is formed by creating a Z-shaped cutout or deformity in the support plate 26. Preferably, the length of the inverted loop 53 is approximately twice the length of the support lip 55.
  • the preferably length of the support lip 55 is such that the lower edge of the canister 27A at the lip 43 of the bottom 41 fits therein.
  • the lower canister 27B is fixedly attached to the support plate 26 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2A. More specifically, the lower canister 278 has a plurality of slits 57 formed in its can 39 generally near the upper end thereof. The slits 57 align with tabs 59 formed in the support plate 26. The tabs 59 pass through the slits 57 and are either bent upwardly (59A) or downwardly (5912) as desired, to securely attach the lower canister 273 to the support plate 26 in an irremovable manner. Alternatively, if desired, slits can be formed in both the lower canister 27B and the adjacent lower region of the support plate 26. Metal tabs are inserted through aligned slits in these items and bent to provide the desired secure attachment.
  • the depth of the canisters 27A and 27B is slightly less than the length of French Straw semen ampules 61 to be held therein. This is preferred so that the semen ampules can be easily removed from the canisters without requiring the use of a probe or other such means.
  • the canisters are slightly less than 5 inches deep. It will be appreciated that this is considerably shorter than prior art canisters which are normally about 12 inches deep. 7
  • the vacuum insulated storage container 11 is filled with the refrigerant 14 and the upper and lower canisters 27A and 27B are filled with suitable semen containing ampules 61, such as French Straws, for example.
  • the upper and lower canisters 27A and 27B are lowered through the access aperture 21 in the vacuum insulated storage container 1].
  • refrigerant flows through the apertures 45 in the bottoms 41 of the canisters 27A and 273 against the clover-leaf plates 47.
  • the canister assembly 13 When it is desired to remove one or more semen ampules 61 from the canister assembly 13, the canister assembly 13 is raised until the upper canister projects beyond the upper edge of the access aperture 21. Then, selected ampules are removed. Thereafter, the canister assembly is lowered back into the refrigerant 14. This action continues until the upper canister 27A is emptied. After the upper canister 27A has been emptied, it
  • the invention provides a canister assembly suitable for storing semen ampules, particularly semen ampules of the French Straw variety.
  • the canisters forming a part of the canister assembly not only have the capacity of prior art canister assemblies to store semen ampules, they also provide for the easy removal of the ampules without allowing the ampules to warm up during removal.
  • a rigid elongated handle having an upper portion suitable for supporting said handle in said vacuum insulated storage container and a lower portion suitable for supporting at least one canister;
  • At least one canister said canister being attached to the lower portion of said rigid elongated handle, said canister including a one-way valve assembly that allows said liquid refrigerant to enter into said at least one canister but prevents said liquid refrigerant from flowing out of said at least one canister.
  • a canister assembly as claimed in claim 2 including a second canister, said second canister also including a one-way valve assembly that allowssaid liquid refrigerant to flow into said second canister but prevents said liquid refrigerant from flowing out of said second canister, said second canister being attached to the lower portion of said rigid elongated handle in vertical alignment with said at least one canister above said at least one canister, said at least one canister being fixedly attached to the lower portion of said rigid elongated handle and said second canister being removably attached to the lower portion of said rigid elongated handle.
  • a canister assembly comprising:
  • support means for supporting said canister means in said vacuum insulated storage container, said canister means being attached to said support means so that said canister means are at least partially submerged in said liquid refrigerant when said support means supports said canister means in said vacuum insulated storage container, said support means and said canister means being suitable for withdrawal through the access opening of said vacuum insulated storage container.
  • said support means comprises an elongated handle having an upper portion that includes a hook-shapedend, said hook-shaped end adapted to support said elongated handle in said vacuum insulated storage container; and, wherein said canister means includes at least one canister, said canister having a generally cylindrical body with an open top, said one-way valve being formed in the bottom of said canister.

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Abstract

A vacuum insulated storage container including a canister assembly suitable for storing semen containing ampules therein is disclosed. The canister assembly comprises a rigid elongated handle having a low thermal conductive section that separates upper and lower portions. The upper portion is designed to fit over the neck of a vacuum insulated storage container. The lower section supports two canisters in vertical alignment. The upper canister is removably attached to the handle and the lower canister is fixedly attached thereto. Each of the canisters includes a valve mechanism located at its bottom. The valve mechanisms allow a liquid refrigerant to flow into the canisters but prevents the refrigerant from flowing out of the canisters.

Description

United States Patent Hawker 1 3,707,079 [451 Dec. 26, 1972 [54] DOUBLE CANISTER ASSEMBLY FOR STORING SAMPLES IN A VACUUM INSULATED STORAGE CONTAINER [72] Inventor:
[73] Assignee: Cryogenic Engineering Company,
Denver, Colo.
[22] Filed: March 2, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 120,181
[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,662,520 12/1953 McMahon .62/64 2,706,895 4/1955 Thompson 62/373 3,166,425 1/1965 Morrison ..62/64 Herbert W. Hawker, Golden, Colo.
3,368,361 2/1968 Rietdijk ..62/373 Primary Examiner-William J. Wye Attorney-Griffin, Branigan 8: Kindness [5 7] ABSTRACT A vacuum insulated storage container including a canister assembly suitable for storing semen containing ampules therein is disclosed. The canister assembly comprises a rigid elongated handle having a low thermal conductive section that separates upper and lower portions. The upper portion is designed to fit over the neck of a vacuum insulated storage container. The lower section supports two canisters in vertical alignment. The upper canister is removably at-. tached to the handle and the lower canister is fixedly attached thereto. Each of the canisters includes a valve mechanism located at its bottom. The valve mechanisms allow a liquid refrigerant to flow into the canisters but prevents the refrigerant from flowing out of the canisters.
7 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures DOUBLE CANISTER ASSEMBLY FOR STORING SAMPLES IN A VACUUM INSULATED STORAGE CONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In recent years it has been common to breed cattle by artificially inseminating a cow with the semen of an outstanding bull. Artificial insemination is used to eliminate the necessity of transporting either the bull or the cow in order to breed them. One of the problems attendant to artificial insemination is the necessity of keeping the semen cold during transportation. That is, if the semen is not kept at an extremely low temperature during transportation, it will perish. Hence, semen is usually transported in a vacuum insulated storage container (Dewar) that houses a low temperature refrigerant. Normally, such a container houses one or more canister assemblies which contain a plurality of semen ampules.
Various types of canister assemblies have been proposed and are in use. One of the most common canister assemblies comprises an elongated rigid handle which hangs over the top or access passage of the Dewar. The canister has a screened bottom to allow liquid refrigerant to enter into it when the canister is submerged in the refrigerant contained in the Dewar while preventing semen ampules from falling out of it. Thus, the semen ampules contained in the canister are cooled by direct contact with the refrigerant. When it is desired to remove a semen ampule from such a canister, the canister is lifted out of the container through the access opening. As this action occurs, the refrigerant flows out of the canisters screened bottom. Thus, in order to remove a single semen sample from such a canister assembly, it isnecessary to take all of the semen samples in the canister out of contact with the refrigerant. Herein lies the major disadvantage of such canister assemblies. That is, certain types of semen ampules warm up and thaw quickly. Hence, even a short out-of-refrigerant contact time canbe harmful to semen contained in such ampules.
More specifically, French Straw" ampules in which semen samples are often stored are small tubes approximately one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter and 5 to 6 inches long. Because of their small diameters, these ampules tend to warm up and thaw out extremely rapidly when taken out of contact with a suitable refrigerant. Many prior art canister assemblies have the additional disadvantage of being unduly deep whereby removal of semen ampules, particularly French Straw type semen ampules, is difficult and time consuming. It will be appreciated that this second disadvantage aggravates the first.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a vacuum insulated storage container that includes a new and improved canister assembly.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved canister assembly suitable for supporting semen samples in a vacuum insulated storage container which maintains the semen samples in contact with a refrigerant even when the canister assembly is removed from the vacuum insulated storage container.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a new and improved canister assembly suitable for supporting French Straw type semen ampules in a vacuum insulated storage container yet allowing the easy removal of the ampules from the canister assembly.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a new and improved canister suitable for use in a vacuum insulated storage container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with principles of this invention, a vacuum insulated storage container that includes a new and improved canister assembly is provided. The canister assembly comprises a rigid elongated handle formed of upper and lower portions separated by a low thermal conductive section. The upper portion is designed to fit or hang over the neck of a vacuum insulated storage container so that the lower portion of the handle hangs down into the liquid refrigerant contained in the vacuum insulated storage container. The lower portion of the handle supports one or more novel canisters in vertical alignment.
In accordance with otherprinciples of this invention each of the novel canisters has a valve located in its bottom which allows refrigerant to flow into the canister but which prevent refrigerant from flowing out of the canister. Hence, when the canister assembly is removed from the vacuum insulated storage container, some of the refrigerant remains in each of the canisters.
In accordance with further principles of this invention, each of the canisters is of a depth such that semen ampules contained therein, particularly French Straw semen ampules, can be easily removed therefrom. In addition, in accordance with yet other principles of this invention, all of the canisters mounted on the rigid elongated handle, except the lowermost canister, are readily removable from the handle. Thus, as an upper canister is emptied, it can be removed to provide access to lower canisters.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing brief summary of the invention that a vacuum insulated storage container including a novel canister assembly is provided. Because each of the canisters forming a part of the canister assembly includes a novel one-way valve mechanism, the refrigerant after entering the canisters is maintained about ampules stored therein, even during removal. Hence, the ampules are not allowed to warm up and thaw out when the canister assembly is removed from the storage container. Moreover, because the canisters are relatively shallow, when compared with prior art canisters, they allow easy access to ampules contained therein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent from the following more particular description of a preferredembodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention in a clear manner.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a vacuum insulated storage container formed in accordance with the invention having a canister assembly mounted therein;
FIG. 2 is a partially cross-sectional view of a canister assembly formed in accordance with the invention and having French Straw ampules in place;
FIG; 2A is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along line A-A of FIG. 2;
FIG. 2B is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along line B-B of FIG. 2;
FIG. 2C is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along line C-C of FIG. 2;
FIG. 2D is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along line D--D of FIG. 2; and, 1
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along line 33 of FIG. 2 and illustrates an alternative embodiment of a portion of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 illustrates a vacuum insulated storage container 11 having mounted therein a canister assembly '13. For purposes of clarity only one canister assembly 13 is illustrated in FIG. 2, however, it is to be understood that a plurality of such assemblies will normally be mounted in the vacuum insulated storage container 11. The vacuum insulated storage container 11 comprises an outer wall 15 and an inner wall 17 which define an insulation space 19. Located at the top of the vacuum insulated storage container 11 is an access aperture 21 through which the canister assembly 13 is inserted into and extracted from the interior of the vacuum insulated storage container 11. The vacuum insulated storage container 11 houses a fluid refrigerant 14, such as liquid nitrogen, in which the canister as-' sembly 13 is partially submerged in the manner hereinafter described.
FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the canister assembly 13. The canister assembly 13 comprises a handle 25, a support plate 26, an uppercanister 27A and a lower canister 27B. The handle 25 comgenerally cylindrical in nature, passes through first and second tabs 37 that curve outwardly from the rear side of the support plate 26 adjacent the top of the support plate. That is. the tabs 37 project outwardly and curve a about the lower end of the lower portion 33 of the handle 25 to clamp that portion to the rear side of the support plate 26. An alternate method of attaching the lower portion 33 of the handle 25 to the support plate 26 is to merely spot weld the two items together.
It should be noted that the support plate 26 is curved away (downwardly as viewed in FIG. 2C) from the lowerportion 33 of the handle 25 about an axis that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the handle 25. The upper and lower canisters 27A and 27B are mounted in vertical alignment inside of this curvature in the manner hereinafter described.
Each of the canisters 27A and 278 comprises a cylindrical can 39 that is open both at the top and at the bottom. A bottom 41 having a lip 43 projecting downwardly about its periphery is located at the bottom of each canister. The lip 43 is attached to the inner side of the cans 39 in a suitable manner, such as by welding, for example, to maintain the bottoms 41 in the cans. An aperture-45 is centrally located in each bottom. Located above each aperture 45 is a somewhat clover-leaf shaped plate 47, best illustrated in FIG. 2D. The clover-leaf shaped plates 47 fit over the apertures 45 but are separated therefrom by a raised ridge 49 that surrounds each aperture 45.
The clover-leaf shaped plates 47 fit loosely within the side walls of the cans 39 and have four semi-circular indentations 51 which allow liquid refrigerant to flow up through the apertures 45, past the annular raised ridge 49 and the indentations 51, and into the cans 39. This action occurs as the canisters are submerged in the refrigerant 14 contained in the vacuum insulated storage container 11. The clover-leaf shaped plates 47 are prevented from rising out of thecanisters 27A and 273 during the initial submersion by the items held in the canisters, such as French Straw semen ampules, for example. a
The clover-leaf shaped plates 47 in combination with the apertures 45 act as one-way valves because when the canister assembly 13 is lifted out of the refrigerant 14 after having once been submerged, the weight of the refrigerant contained in the canisters 27A and 27B prevents the plates 47 from raising and allowing the refrigerant to flow out of the canisters. In this manner, refrigerant is allowed to enter each canister but is prevented from leaving. It will be appreciated that this one-way valve action allows the canister assembly to be removed from the vacuum insulated storage container 11 without taking the ampules located in the canisters 27A and 27B out ofcontact with the refrigerant.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and illustrates an alternative wayof attaching a bottom 41A to a can 39A. More specifically, the can 39A includes a pair of rolled ridges 40 and 42 that project inwardly near. the lower end of the can. The rolled ridges are separated by a distance generally equal to the thickness of the bottom 41A. .The bottom 41A fits between the rolled ridges and is fixedly held therebetween (it may be pressed into position therebetween, for example). In this manner the necessity to form a bottom plate with a'lip and weld it into place is eliminated. FIG. 3 also illustrates a further lip 44 that extends inwardly above the clover-leaf shaped plate 47. The further lip 44 prevents the cloverleaf shaped plate from rising above a predetermined height during submersion of the cannister assembly. Thus the weight of the ampules does not have to be entirely relied upon to perform this function.
The upper canister 27A is attached to the support plate 26 by an inverted loop 53 formed in the upper portion of the support plate 26 and a support lip '55 formed in the support plate 26 where the support plate meets the lower edge of the upper canister 27A. More specifically, the curvature of support plate 26 is the same as the 'extemal curvature of the canisters. The upper portion of the support member 26 is bent toward the inside of the curvature to form the inverted loop 53 (FIG. 2). In addition, the support lip 55 is formed by creating a Z-shaped cutout or deformity in the support plate 26. Preferably, the length of the inverted loop 53 is approximately twice the length of the support lip 55. Moreover, the preferably length of the support lip 55 is such that the lower edge of the canister 27A at the lip 43 of the bottom 41 fits therein. With this arrangement, the upper canister 27A is attached to the support plate 26 by first moving the canister 27A upwardly inside of the inverted loop 53 and then dropping the canister 27A down until it is supported by the support lip 55. The upper canister is removed by reversing this procedure, i.e., the upper canister is raised to disengage its bottom from the support lip 55 and then lowered until it drops from beneath the inverted loop 53.
The lower canister 27B is fixedly attached to the support plate 26 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2A. More specifically, the lower canister 278 has a plurality of slits 57 formed in its can 39 generally near the upper end thereof. The slits 57 align with tabs 59 formed in the support plate 26. The tabs 59 pass through the slits 57 and are either bent upwardly (59A) or downwardly (5912) as desired, to securely attach the lower canister 273 to the support plate 26 in an irremovable manner. Alternatively, if desired, slits can be formed in both the lower canister 27B and the adjacent lower region of the support plate 26. Metal tabs are inserted through aligned slits in these items and bent to provide the desired secure attachment.
In order to provide ease of access, preferably, the depth of the canisters 27A and 27B is slightly less than the length of French Straw semen ampules 61 to be held therein. This is preferred so that the semen ampules can be easily removed from the canisters without requiring the use of a probe or other such means. In other words, for French Straw ampules which are normally 5 to 6 inches long, the canisters are slightly less than 5 inches deep. It will be appreciated that this is considerably shorter than prior art canisters which are normally about 12 inches deep. 7
In operation, the vacuum insulated storage container 11 is filled with the refrigerant 14 and the upper and lower canisters 27A and 27B are filled with suitable semen containing ampules 61, such as French Straws, for example. The upper and lower canisters 27A and 27B are lowered through the access aperture 21 in the vacuum insulated storage container 1]. As the canisters are lowered into the refrigerant 14, refrigerant flows through the apertures 45 in the bottoms 41 of the canisters 27A and 273 against the clover-leaf plates 47. This refrigerant flow slightly raises the clover-leaf plates 47 against the weight of the ampules 61 thereby allowing the refrigerant to flow past the raised ridge 49, and the identations 51 into the canisters 27A and 27B.
When the canister assembly 13 has been entirely lowered into the vacuum insulated storage container 11, its hook shaped upper end 31 is hung over the neck portion of the container. The containers neck is then suitably plugged so that it is ready for transportation.
When it is desired to remove one or more semen ampules 61 from the canister assembly 13, the canister assembly 13 is raised until the upper canister projects beyond the upper edge of the access aperture 21. Then, selected ampules are removed. Thereafter, the canister assembly is lowered back into the refrigerant 14. This action continues until the upper canister 27A is emptied. After the upper canister 27A has been emptied, it
is removed in the manner previously indicated and the ampules in the lower canister 27B are selectively removed. As previously stated, during removal, refrigerant remains in the canisters 27A and 27B so that the ampules are kept refrigerated during removal.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing description of preferred embodiments of the invention that the invention provides a canister assembly suitable for storing semen ampules, particularly semen ampules of the French Straw variety. The canisters forming a part of the canister assembly not only have the capacity of prior art canister assemblies to store semen ampules, they also provide for the easy removal of the ampules without allowing the ampules to warm up during removal.
While the invention has been particularly described with respect to the storage of semen ampules, it will be appreciated that it can be utilized to store other types of samples in a vacuum insulated storage container. Hence, the invention can be utilized in areas other than that particularly described herein.
It will also be appreciated that while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof various changes can be made therein without departing from its spirit and scope. For example, it may be desirable in some environments to support more than two canister assemblies on a single handle. Hence, the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A canister assembly suitable for storing ampules in a vacuum insulated storage container that houses a liquid refrigerant, said canister assembly comprising:
a rigid elongated handle having an upper portion suitable for supporting said handle in said vacuum insulated storage container and a lower portion suitable for supporting at least one canister; and,
at least one canister, said canister being attached to the lower portion of said rigid elongated handle, said canister including a one-way valve assembly that allows said liquid refrigerant to enter into said at least one canister but prevents said liquid refrigerant from flowing out of said at least one canister.
2. A canister assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said upper portion of said rigid elongated handle is separated from said lower portion by a low thermal conductive section.
3. A canister assembly as claimed in claim 2 including a second canister, said second canister also including a one-way valve assembly that allowssaid liquid refrigerant to flow into said second canister but prevents said liquid refrigerant from flowing out of said second canister, said second canister being attached to the lower portion of said rigid elongated handle in vertical alignment with said at least one canister above said at least one canister, said at least one canister being fixedly attached to the lower portion of said rigid elongated handle and said second canister being removably attached to the lower portion of said rigid elongated handle.
4. A canister assembly aszlaimed in claim 3 wherein said canisters are open topped and include bottoms, said valve assemblies comprising centrally aligned apertures formed in the bottoms of said canisters surrounded by raised ridges and raisable plates lying atop said raised ridges, said raisable plates having identations formed about their outer peripheries.
5. A canister assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein said upper portion of said rigid elongated handle is separated from said lower portion by a low thermal conductive section.
6. In combination with a vacuum insulated storage container having a large volume interior for housing a liquid refrigerant and an access opening formed in the top of said container, a canister assembly comprising:
support means for supporting said canister means in said vacuum insulated storage container, said canister means being attached to said support means so that said canister means are at least partially submerged in said liquid refrigerant when said support means supports said canister means in said vacuum insulated storage container, said support means and said canister means being suitable for withdrawal through the access opening of said vacuum insulated storage container.
7. The combination claimed in claim 6 wherein said support means comprises an elongated handle having an upper portion that includes a hook-shapedend, said hook-shaped end adapted to support said elongated handle in said vacuum insulated storage container; and, wherein said canister means includes at least one canister, said canister having a generally cylindrical body with an open top, said one-way valve being formed in the bottom of said canister.

Claims (7)

1. A canister assembly suitable for storing ampules in a vacuum insulated storage container that houses a liquid refrigerant, said canister assembly comprising: a rigid elongated handle having an upper portion suitable for supporting said handle in said vacuum insulated storage contaiNer and a lower portion suitable for supporting at least one canister; and, at least one canister, said canister being attached to the lower portion of said rigid elongated handle, said canister including a one-way valve assembly that allows said liquid refrigerant to enter into said at least one canister but prevents said liquid refrigerant from flowing out of said at least one canister.
2. A canister assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said upper portion of said rigid elongated handle is separated from said lower portion by a low thermal conductive section.
3. A canister assembly as claimed in claim 2 including a second canister, said second canister also including a one-way valve assembly that allows said liquid refrigerant to flow into said second canister but prevents said liquid refrigerant from flowing out of said second canister, said second canister being attached to the lower portion of said rigid elongated handle in vertical alignment with said at least one canister above said at least one canister, said at least one canister being fixedly attached to the lower portion of said rigid elongated handle and said second canister being removably attached to the lower portion of said rigid elongated handle.
4. A canister assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein said canisters are open topped and include bottoms, said valve assemblies comprising centrally aligned apertures formed in the bottoms of said canisters surrounded by raised ridges and raisable plates lying atop said raised ridges, said raisable plates having identations formed about their outer peripheries.
5. A canister assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein said upper portion of said rigid elongated handle is separated from said lower portion by a low thermal conductive section.
6. In combination with a vacuum insulated storage container having a large volume interior for housing a liquid refrigerant and an access opening formed in the top of said container, a canister assembly comprising: canister means for housing sample containing ampules, said canister means including a one-way valve formed so as to allow said liquid refrigerant to enter into said canister means while preventing said liquid refrigerant from leaving said canister means after entry into said canister means; and, support means for supporting said canister means in said vacuum insulated storage container, said canister means being attached to said support means so that said canister means are at least partially submerged in said liquid refrigerant when said support means supports said canister means in said vacuum insulated storage container, said support means and said canister means being suitable for withdrawal through the access opening of said vacuum insulated storage container.
7. The combination claimed in claim 6 wherein said support means comprises an elongated handle having an upper portion that includes a hook-shaped end, said hook-shaped end adapted to support said elongated handle in said vacuum insulated storage container; and, wherein said canister means includes at least one canister, said canister having a generally cylindrical body with an open top, said one-way valve being formed in the bottom of said canister.
US120181A 1971-03-02 1971-03-02 Double canister assembly for storing samples in a vacuum insulated storage container Expired - Lifetime US3707079A (en)

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Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0026691A1 (en) * 1979-09-28 1981-04-08 L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude Storage device for products such as semen or the like, comprising a cryobiological reservoir
US5321955A (en) * 1992-12-22 1994-06-21 Leonard Rex D Cryogenic shipping system
US5392943A (en) * 1992-12-22 1995-02-28 L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude Canister for specimen holders
US5419143A (en) * 1992-12-22 1995-05-30 International Cryogenics, Inc. Cryogenic apparatus for sample protection in a dewar
WO1996002801A1 (en) * 1994-07-16 1996-02-01 Secretary Of State For Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs Cooling assembly for cryopreservation
US5894733A (en) * 1998-01-07 1999-04-20 Brodner; John R. Cryogenic specimen container and labeled sleeve combination and method of using same
US20100275636A1 (en) * 2008-01-18 2010-11-04 Shigehiro Yoshimura Cryopreservation device
AU2021314257B2 (en) * 2020-07-23 2023-09-14 Coopersurgical, Inc. Canister caps for cryopreservation applications

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US2662520A (en) * 1951-02-06 1953-12-15 Little Inc A Preservation and storage of biological materials
US2706895A (en) * 1954-06-16 1955-04-26 Meredith H Thompson Portable cooler
US3166425A (en) * 1960-04-22 1965-01-19 Liquefreeze Company Inc Method for freezing cooked foods
US3368361A (en) * 1965-07-22 1968-02-13 Philips Corp Device for maintaining objects at a low temperature of the kind comprising a container for boiling liquids, having a heat-insulating wall

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2662520A (en) * 1951-02-06 1953-12-15 Little Inc A Preservation and storage of biological materials
US2706895A (en) * 1954-06-16 1955-04-26 Meredith H Thompson Portable cooler
US3166425A (en) * 1960-04-22 1965-01-19 Liquefreeze Company Inc Method for freezing cooked foods
US3368361A (en) * 1965-07-22 1968-02-13 Philips Corp Device for maintaining objects at a low temperature of the kind comprising a container for boiling liquids, having a heat-insulating wall

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0026691A1 (en) * 1979-09-28 1981-04-08 L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude Storage device for products such as semen or the like, comprising a cryobiological reservoir
FR2466405A1 (en) * 1979-09-28 1981-04-10 Air Liquide DEVICE FOR STORING PRODUCTS SUCH AS SEEDS OR THE LIKE COMPRISING A CRYOBIOLOGICAL RESERVOIR
US4314450A (en) * 1979-09-28 1982-02-09 L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude Cryogenic storage devices
US5321955A (en) * 1992-12-22 1994-06-21 Leonard Rex D Cryogenic shipping system
US5392943A (en) * 1992-12-22 1995-02-28 L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude Canister for specimen holders
US5419143A (en) * 1992-12-22 1995-05-30 International Cryogenics, Inc. Cryogenic apparatus for sample protection in a dewar
WO1996002801A1 (en) * 1994-07-16 1996-02-01 Secretary Of State For Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs Cooling assembly for cryopreservation
US5894733A (en) * 1998-01-07 1999-04-20 Brodner; John R. Cryogenic specimen container and labeled sleeve combination and method of using same
US20100275636A1 (en) * 2008-01-18 2010-11-04 Shigehiro Yoshimura Cryopreservation device
US8770907B2 (en) * 2008-01-18 2014-07-08 Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation Cryopreservation device
AU2021314257B2 (en) * 2020-07-23 2023-09-14 Coopersurgical, Inc. Canister caps for cryopreservation applications
US12038133B2 (en) 2020-07-23 2024-07-16 Coopersurgical, Inc. Canister caps for cryopreservation applications

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