Cryosphere

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11879595-B2
Application number	US-202217685915-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2022
Priority date	Jan 9, 2018
Publication date	Jan 23, 2024
Grant date	Jan 23, 2024

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and device, for a cryogenic storage system that stores and/or transports a liquid or gas at a temperature below ambient temperature. The cryogenic storage system has an enclosure and a cavity. The cryogenic storage system has a dewar that is positioned within the cavity of the enclosure. The dewar has a payload area that is configured to hold a liquid below ambient temperature. The dewar is configured to hold a liquid below ambient temperature and passively stabilize in an upright position. The dewar is formed with an inner wall and an outer wall and has an opening that allows access to the payload area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A storage system for storing a substance at a temperature below an ambient temperature, comprising:
an enclosure having a cavity;
a container that is positioned within the cavity of the enclosure and configured to passively stabilize in an upright position, the container defining a payload area inside the container to hold the substance at the temperature below the ambient temperature, the container comprising:
a top portion;
a bottom portion that weighs more than the top portion and is configured to stabilize the container in an upright position when an enclosure enclosing the container is tilted, angled or rotated;
an inner wall that forms the payload area;
an outer wall, the outer wall and the inner wall having an opening that allows access to the substance in the payload area; and
a plug having a neck that is inserted into the opening,

wherein the plug includes a locking device that locks the plug in place and maintains a gap between the neck and the inner wall that allows gas to escape,
wherein the locking device includes one or more magnets embedded within an outer periphery of the neck, wherein the one or more magnets embedded within the outer periphery of the neck interlock with one or more other magnets within the container,
wherein the one or more magnets embedded within the outer periphery of the neck of the plug and the one or more other magnets within the container are configured to maintain the gap between the neck of the plug and the inner wall with the plug in a first position, and
wherein the one or more magnets embedded within the outer periphery of the neck of the plug and the one or more other magnets within the container are configured to maintain the plug in a location at least partially out of the container with the plug in a second position different from the first position.

2. The storage system of claim 1 , wherein the container comprises a spherical dewar.

3. The storage system of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is a cube, wherein the enclosure has a plurality of sides and an opening to provide access to the container when the container is placed inside the cubicle enclosure.

4. The storage system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a corrugated neck tube providing the opening and connecting the inner wall and the outer wall, wherein the corrugated neck tube has a serpentine path configured to reduce an amount of heat conducted into the container.

5. The cryogenic storage system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a ball transfer device that is connected to and interfaces between the container and the enclosure, the ball transfer device configured to minimize friction between the container and the enclosure.

6. A container for storing a liquid at a temperature below an ambient temperature, comprising:
a wall that forms a payload area configured to hold the liquid at the temperature below the ambient temperature;
the wall having an opening that allows access to the liquid in the payload area;
a plug having a neck that is inserted into the opening and a locking device that locks the plug in place, prevents the plug from falling out when the container is oriented or rotated in different directions, and maintains a gap between the neck and the wall that allows gas to escape when the liquid evaporates; and
wherein the locking device includes one or more magnets embedded within an outer periphery of the neck, wherein the one or more magnets embedded within the outer periphery of the neck interlock with one or more other magnets within the wall of the container,
wherein the one or more magnets embedded within the outer periphery of the neck of the plug and the one or more other magnets within the wall of the container are configured to maintain the gap between the neck of the plug and the wall with the vapor plug in a first rotational position, and
wherein the one or more magnets embedded within the outer periphery of the neck of the plug and the one or more other magnets within the wall of the container are configured to maintain the vapor plug in a location at least partially out of the container with the plug in a second rotational position different from the first rotational position.

7. The container of claim 6 , further comprising a top portion and a bottom portion that weighs more than the top portion and that is configured to stabilize the container in an upright position when the container is tilted, angled, or rotated within an enclosure regardless of an orientation of the enclosure.

8. The container of claim 6 , further comprising an outer wall and a vacuum port that is configured to produce a vacuum insulation between the wall and the outer wall.

9. The container of claim 6 , wherein the container is a spherical dewar.

10. The container of claim 6 , wherein the one or more magnets embedded within the outer periphery of the neck of the plug and the one or more other magnets within the wall of the container have opposing polarities, wherein the opposing polarities are configured to lock the plug in the first rotational position within the container and are configured to maintain the plug in the location at least partially out of the container with the plug in the second rotational position.

11. The container of claim 6 , wherein the container has a center of gravity or mass within a bottom portion of the container.

12. A container for storing a substance at a temperature below an ambient temperature, comprising:
an inner wall that forms a payload area configured to hold the substance at the temperature below the ambient temperature;
an outer wall;
a neck tube that connects the outer wall and the inner wall and provides an opening through the outer wall and the inner wall that allows access to the substance in the payload area; and
a plug having a neck that is inserted into the opening,
wherein the plug includes a locking device that locks the plug in place and maintains a gap between the neck and the inner wall that allows gas to escape,
wherein the locking device includes one or more magnets embedded within an outer periphery of the neck, wherein the one or more magnets embedded within the outer periphery of the neck interlock with one or more other magnets within the container,
wherein the one or more magnets embedded within the outer periphery of the neck of the plug and the one or more other magnets within the container are configured to maintain the gap between the neck of the plug and the inner wall with the plug in a first position, and
wherein the one or more magnets embedded within the outer periphery of the neck of the plug and the one or more other magnets within the container are configured to maintain the plug in a location at least partially out of the container with the plug in a second position different from the first position.

13. The container of claim 12 , wherein the neck tube is corrugated and includes a serpentine path that connects the inner wall with the outer wall.

14. The container of claim 12 , wherein the plug is removable from the opening.

15. The container of claim 12 , wherein the plug further comprises a locking device that locks the plug in place, prevents the plug from falling out when the container is oriented or rotated in different directions, and maintains a gap between the neck and the inner wall that allows gas to escape when the liquid evaporates.

16. The container of claim 12 , further comprising an electronic thermocouple embedded within the neck of the plug.

17. The container of claim 12 , further comprising:
a top portion;
a bottom portion that weighs mo

Assignees

• Cryoport Inc

Inventors

• Bollinger Bret
• Melikyan Hovhannes

Classifications

• F17C13/006 Primary

  for Dewar vessels or cryostats · CPC title

• F17C13/06

  Closures, e.g. cap, breakable member ({for autoclaves B01J3/03}; closures for {large} containers in general B65D {B65D90/54}; {for pressure vessels in general F16J13/00}) · CPC title

• F17C13/086

  for Dewar vessels or cryostats · CPC title

• F17C13/005

  for medium-size and small storage vessels not under pressure (F17C13/008 and F17C13/02 - F17C13/12 take precedence) · CPC title

• F17C2201/0128

  spherical or elliptical · CPC title