Cooling of a Dewar vessel with ice free coolant and for short sample access

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10066788-B2
Application number	US-201314417174-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2013
Priority date	Jul 27, 2012
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pump ( 15 ) for pumping a coolant ( 9 ) within a Dewar vessel ( 1 ) and to a corresponding Dewar vessel ( 1 ) for storing samples in a coolant ( 9 ). The Dewar vessel ( 1 ) comprises a thermally insulated reservoir ( 3 ) for the coolant ( 9 ) and a sample vessel ( 11 ) provided separately and arranged in the thermally insulated reservoir ( 3 ). The reservoir ( 3 ) is connected to the sample vessel ( 11 ) in such a way that the level of coolant ( 9 ) is constant in the sample vessel ( 11 ). Pump ( 15 ) may help in keeping the level of coolant ( 9 ) in the sample vessel ( 11 ) constant. For this purpose the pump ( 15 ) comprises a chamber ( 17 ) with an inlet ( 19 ) and an outlet ( 21 ), a closing element ( 23 ) and a pressure increasing device ( 25 ). Therein, the inlet ( 19 ) is connectable to the reservoir ( 3 ) and the outlet ( 21 ) is connectable to a sample vessel ( 11 ) of the Dewar vessel ( 1 ). The chamber ( 17 ) is adapted to fill with coolant ( 9 ) through the inlet ( 19 ) by gravity and the closing element ( 23 ) is adapted to automatically close the chamber ( 17 ) when it is full of coolant ( 9 ). The pressure increasing device ( 25 ) is adapted to increase the pressure within the chamber ( 17 ), after the chamber ( 17 ) is closed, until the coolant ( 9 ) is released through the outlet ( 21 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Dewar vessel for storing samples in a coolant, the Dewar vessel comprising
a pump for pumping the coolant within the Dewar vessel, the pump comprising:
a chamber with an inlet and an outlet;
a closing element;
a pressure increasing device;
wherein the inlet of the chamber is connected to a reservoir of the Dewar vessel;
wherein the chamber is adapted to fill with coolant through the inlet such that the coolant flows downward by gravity into the chamber;
wherein the closing element is adapted to automatically close the chamber by floating when chamber is filled by the coolant;
wherein the pressure increasing device is adapted to increase a pressure within the chamber, after the chamber is filled with coolant, until the coolant is released through the outlet;

a thermally insulated reservoir for the coolant;
a sample vessel arranged in the thermally insulated reservoir;
wherein the reservoir is provided separately from the sample vessel;
wherein the reservoir is connected with the sample vessel in such a way that the level of coolant is constant in the sample vessel;
wherein the pump is arranged in the reservoir; and
wherein the pump is adapted to continuously, in a pulsed regime, convey coolant from the reservoir into the sample vessel.

2. Dewar vessel according to claim 1 , further comprising
an opening for accessing the sample vessel;
wherein the sample vessel is arranged in the vicinity of the opening.

3. Dewar vessel according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pump is immersed in the coolant in the reservoir;
wherein the outlet of the pump is connected via a line to the sample vessel.

4. Dewar vessel according to claim 1 , further comprising
a particle filter for filtering ice;
wherein the filter is arranged at the inlet of the pump.

5. Dewar vessel according to claim 1 , further comprising
an ice draining port;
wherein the ice draining port is provided at a bottom of the sample vessel;
wherein the ice draining port is adapted to release ice accumulated at the bottom of the sample vessel into the reservoir.

6. Dewar vessel according to claim 5 ,
wherein a one way valve is arranged at the ice draining port;
wherein the one way valve is adapted to open when a predetermined amount of ice is accumulated at the bottom of the sample vessel; and/or
wherein the one way valve is adapted to open after a predetermined amount of time.

7. Method for producing a Dewar vessel, the method comprising the following steps:
providing a thermally insulated reservoir for a coolant;
providing a sample vessel separately from the thermally insulated reservoir;
providing a pump for pumping the coolant within the Dewar vessel, the pump comprising:
a chamber with an inlet and an outlet;
a closing element;
a pressure increasing device:
wherein the inlet of the chamber is connectable to a reservoir of the Dewar vessel;
wherein the chamber is adapted to fill with coolant through the inlet such that the coolant flows downward by gravity into the chamber;
wherein the closing element is adapted to automatically close the chamber by floating when chamber is filled by the coolant;
wherein the pressure increasing device is adapted to increase a pressure within the chamber, after the chamber is filled with coolant, until the coolant is released through the outlet:

arranging the sample vessel within the thermally insulated reservoir;
arranging the pump in the reservoir;
connecting the reservoir with the sample vessel in such a way that the level of coolant is kept constant in the sample vessel.

Assignees

• European Molecular Biology Laboratory

Inventors

• Cipriani Florent
• Felisaz Franck

Classifications

• F25D3/10

  using liquefied gases, e.g. liquid air {(for cooling semiconductor devices H10W40/305)} · CPC title

• F17C13/10

  Arrangements for preventing freezing · CPC title

• F25D3/102

  Stationary cabinets · CPC title

• F25D2500/02

  Geometry problems · CPC title

• F25D21/065

  by mechanical means · CPC title