Transport container, transporting method for the same, and constant temperature transport container

• US 7,954,661 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2007
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kusumoto, Hiroshi, Uchida, Mari, Matsushima, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Stashick; Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): VOLZ, ELIZABETH J
• Application Number:
  US11/733,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20070245763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• Field of Search: 623/71, 624/572, 220/592.26, 220/592.01, 220/592.2, 220/592.22
• US Class Current: 220/592.26
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0831 the liquid is disposed in the space between the walls of the container
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0843 on the side of the product
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0844 above the product
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0845 below the product
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/08 portable, i.e. adapted to be carried personally

Abstract

A transport container comprising a spherical container 1 and a heat accumulating material 2a, 2b disposed inside of the spherical container 1, wherein; the heat accumulating material 2a, 2b is provided with a space for holding a transported object therein, and the space is formed at the central part of the inside of the spherical container 1.

Claims

1. A transport container, comprising a spherical container having an upper hemispherical capsule and a lower hemispherical capsule for transporting cultured cells as a transported object, a heat accumulating material disposed inside of the spherical container, wherein the heat accumulating material is provided with a space formed at the central part of the inside of the spherical container for holding the transported object therein and is configured to be heated, before cultured cells are transported in the transport container, to a solidification point or higher for accumulating heat, and a device provided inside of the spherical container for recording information and a transport history of the transported object and for dispatching the information and the transport history to outside of the spherical container without opening the spherical container.

2. The transport container according to claim 1, further comprising cultured cells as the transported object provided in the space formed at the central part of the inside of the spherical container.

3. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the device for recording and dispatching information and a transport history of the transported object, records at least one of name, date, history, transport destination name, and dispatching source name.

4. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the device for recording and dispatching information and a transport history of the transported object, dispatches at least one of temperature and deformation amount of the heat accumulating material.

5. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the heat accumulating material has properties of accumulating heat at time of phase change from a solid to a liquid and of emitting latent heat at time of phase change from a liquid to a solid.

6. The transport container according to claim 5, wherein the heat accumulating material is configured in the spherical container such that when at least a portion of the heat accumulating material is in the liquid phase and heat leaks out of the spherical container, an interfacial boundary between the solid phase and the liquid phase of the heat accumulating material moves toward the central part almost concentrically.