Storage nitrogen cabinet

Abstract

The utility model provides a storage nitrogen cabinet which comprises a cabinet body, an inflation part and an exhaust part. A plurality of storage spaces used for storing articles are formed in the cabinet body, and each storage space is provided with an air inlet valve and an exhaust valve. The inflation part injects nitrogen into the multiple storage spaces through the multiple air inlet valves so as to isolate objects from air. And each air inlet valve is configured to stop nitrogen from continuously entering the corresponding storage space before the corresponding storage space is opened. The exhaust part pumps out nitrogen in the storage spaces through a plurality of exhaust valves, and each exhaust valve is configured to allow nitrogen in the corresponding storage space to be pumped out before the corresponding storage space is opened.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of storage equipment, and more specifically, to a nitrogen storage cabinet. Background Technology

[0002] Environmental factors such as oxygen, humidity, and dust have a decisive impact on the long-term stability of specific items. Oxygen-sensitive substances (such as food, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and metal products) are prone to degradation, corrosion, or failure under oxidation; humidity-sensitive devices (such as semiconductor components and precision chemicals) may experience performance degradation or short circuits due to moisture absorption in high-humidity environments; and dust particles may damage items requiring high cleanliness (such as optical lenses and biological samples) through physical abrasion, chemical contamination, or biological growth. Traditional storage technologies often rely on single protective measures, such as sealing containers to isolate oxygen, using desiccants to control humidity, or using cleanrooms to reduce dust. However, their limitations lie in the difficulty of achieving coordinated control of multiple environmental parameters. For example, statically sealed packaging cannot dynamically adjust the internal oxygen concentration, ordinary desiccants have a moisture absorption threshold limit, and air purification systems struggle to continuously maintain submicron-level dust particle concentrations in enclosed spaces. Furthermore, existing warehousing systems generally lack the ability to monitor and adjust environmental parameters in real time, leading to fluctuations in storage conditions that exceed the tolerance range of the items.

[0003] Nitrogen storage cabinets utilize the chemical inertness and low oxygen content of high-purity nitrogen (typically ≥99.999%) to achieve oxidation-proof, moisture-proof, and corrosion-proof storage, making them widely used in the preservation of electronic components, precision instruments, hazardous chemicals, and food. Traditional nitrogen storage cabinets rely on manual nitrogen filling and mechanical seals, which suffer from insufficient airtightness (leakage rate >1% volume / hour) and lagging concentration monitoring, making it difficult to meet the long-term storage needs of high-value devices (such as photoresist and lithium-ion battery electrode materials).

[0004] In related technologies, such as the utility model patent document CN214691230U, a highly airtight nitrogen cabinet is proposed. This cabinet uses a nitrogen pump and a vacuum pump to regulate the internal pressure and nitrogen concentration of the nitrogen chamber, thus meeting the storage requirements of different samples simultaneously. A sealing strip effectively ensures the nitrogen content within the main structure of the cabinet, preventing leakage and waste. However, maintaining nitrogen content in this way is energy-intensive, and different nitrogen chambers can interfere with each other during storage and retrieval, failing to meet the storage requirements of high-value devices. Furthermore, even with sealing strips, the amount of nitrogen leaked during long-term operation is still significant. Therefore, how to further optimize the nitrogen cabinet structure to better serve the storage of high-value devices has become an urgent technical problem to be solved. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a nitrogen storage cabinet that can control each storage space individually and effectively utilize the unavoidable leakage characteristics, thereby reducing energy consumption and minimizing the impact on the laboratory environment.

[0006] An embodiment of this utility model provides a nitrogen storage cabinet, including a cabinet body with multiple storage spaces for storing items, each storage space being equipped with an inlet valve and an exhaust valve; an inflation section for filling the multiple storage spaces with nitrogen through the multiple inlet valves to isolate the items from air; each inlet valve is configured to prevent nitrogen from continuing to enter the corresponding storage space before it is opened; and an exhaust section for extracting nitrogen from the multiple storage spaces through the multiple exhaust valves; each exhaust valve is configured to allow nitrogen to be extracted from the corresponding storage space before it is opened.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cabinet is installed in a laboratory, and the nitrogen storage cabinet further includes a monitoring unit, which is suitable for monitoring nitrogen leakage in the storage space by measuring the indoor oxygen concentration; the inflation unit is configured to stop filling the storage space with nitrogen in response to the oxygen concentration being lower than a preset value.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the inflation part includes: a nitrogen pump, suitable for outputting nitrogen; a main pipeline connected to the output port of the nitrogen pump; a plurality of primary branches extending from the main pipeline along a first direction and spaced apart along a second direction; and a plurality of secondary branches extending from the primary branches and connected to the air intake valve.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the inflation part further includes a plurality of flow meters, which are respectively disposed on the primary branch and are suitable for monitoring the nitrogen flow rate in the primary branch.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cabinet includes: a first back panel; a plurality of side panels arranged around the periphery of the first back panel to define an accommodating space; a plurality of first partitions extending horizontally and spaced apart vertically within the accommodating space; and a plurality of second partitions extending vertically and spaced apart horizontally within the accommodating space, wherein the first back panel, the first partitions, and the second partitions define a storage space.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cabinet also includes multiple cabinet doors, which are rotatably installed on the first partition or the second partition, and are suitable for opening or closing the storage space.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the exhaust section includes: a vacuum pump, suitable for extracting nitrogen gas from the storage space and discharging it outdoors; and an exhaust duct, suitable for connecting a plurality of the exhaust valves to the vacuum pump.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cabinet further includes a second back panel, which is arranged parallel to and spaced apart from the first back panel, and defines the exhaust duct with the first back panel and the plurality of side panels.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the monitoring unit includes: an oxygen concentration sensor configured to detect the oxygen concentration in a laboratory; and a controller configured to collect oxygen concentration data from the oxygen concentration sensor and send a shutdown command to the inflation unit in response to the oxygen concentration being lower than a preset value.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the monitoring unit further includes a storage space monitoring system configured to monitor at least one of temperature, humidity and pressure in the storage space.

[0016] The nitrogen storage cabinet provided by this utility model has multiple independent storage spaces within the cabinet. Each storage space is supplied with nitrogen through an inlet valve and vented through an outlet valve. When it is necessary to retrieve an item from a target storage space, the inlet valve of the target storage space closes and the outlet valve opens, quickly venting the nitrogen from the target storage space to avoid harm to personnel without affecting the items in the other storage spaces. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following description of embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic plan view of the nitrogen storage cabinet provided in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional perspective view of the nitrogen storage cabinet provided in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the inflation section in a nitrogen storage tank provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic plan view of a nitrogen storage cabinet provided in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] In the accompanying drawings, the meanings of the reference numerals are as follows:

[0023] 1. Cabinet;

[0024] 101. Intake valve;

[0025] 102. Exhaust valve;

[0026] 11. First back panel;

[0027] 12. Side panels;

[0028] 13. First partition;

[0029] 14. Second partition;

[0030] 15. Second back panel;

[0031] 16. Cabinet doors;

[0032] 2. Inflatable part;

[0033] 21. Nitrogen pump;

[0034] 22. Main road;

[0035] 23. First-class branch road;

[0036] 24. Secondary branch road;

[0037] 25. Flow meter;

[0038] 3. Exhaust section;

[0039] 31. Vacuum pump;

[0040] 32. Exhaust duct;

[0041] 4. Monitoring Department;

[0042] 41. Oxygen concentration sensor;

[0043] 42. Controller. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding of the embodiments of the present invention for ease of explanation. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and techniques are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concept of the present invention.

[0045] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The terms “comprising,” “including,” etc., as used herein indicate the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, or components.

[0046] All terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. It should be noted that the terms used herein are to be interpreted in a manner consistent with the context of this specification, and not in an idealized or overly rigid way.

[0047] When using expressions such as "at least one of A, B and C", they should generally be interpreted in accordance with the meaning that is commonly understood by those skilled in the art (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B and C" should include, but is not limited to, a system having A alone, a system having B alone, a system having C alone, a system having A and B, a system having A and C, a system having B and C, and / or a system having A, B and C, etc.).

[0048] Figure 1 This is a schematic plan view of the nitrogen storage tank provided in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional perspective view of the nitrogen storage cabinet provided in an exemplary embodiment of this utility model. Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the inflation section in a nitrogen storage tank provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] An exemplary embodiment of this utility model provides a nitrogen storage cabinet, such as... Figures 1-3 As shown, the device includes a cabinet 1, an inflation section 2, and an exhaust section 3. The cabinet 1 contains multiple storage spaces for storing items, each equipped with an inlet valve 101 and an exhaust valve 102. The inflation section 2 fills the multiple storage spaces with nitrogen through the multiple inlet valves 101 to isolate the items from the air. Each inlet valve 101 is configured to prevent nitrogen from entering the corresponding storage space before it is opened. The exhaust section 3 extracts nitrogen from the multiple storage spaces through the multiple exhaust valves 102, each exhaust valve 102 being configured to allow nitrogen to be extracted from the corresponding storage space before it is opened.

[0050] In this implementation, the multiple storage spaces within cabinet 1 are not interconnected. Each storage space receives nitrogen through an inlet valve 101 and exhausts nitrogen through an exhaust valve 102. When an item needs to be retrieved from a target storage space, the inlet valve 101 of that target space closes first, preventing nitrogen from entering the target space from the inflation section 2, while the remaining storage spaces continue to receive nitrogen. Immediately afterwards, the exhaust valve 102 of the target storage space opens, and the exhaust section 3 extracts the nitrogen from the target space, while the exhaust valves 102 of the remaining storage spaces remain closed, ensuring their nitrogen levels are unaffected. This allows each storage space in the nitrogen storage cabinet to be controlled independently, without affecting the others. Furthermore, the coordinated operation of the inlet valve 101 and exhaust valve 102 prevents a sudden release of large amounts of nitrogen during item retrieval, thus avoiding potential harm to personnel.

[0051] Figure 4 This is a schematic plan view of a nitrogen storage cabinet provided in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] In one exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, cabinet 1 is installed in the laboratory. The nitrogen storage cabinet also includes a monitoring unit 4, which is suitable for monitoring nitrogen leakage in the storage space by measuring the oxygen concentration in the laboratory. The inflation unit 2 is configured to stop filling the storage space with nitrogen in response to the oxygen concentration falling below a preset value.

[0053] In this implementation, when items are stored in the storage space, the inlet valve 101 is opened and the exhaust valve 102 is closed, allowing the inflation unit 2 to continuously fill the storage space with nitrogen. Except in ideal conditions, nitrogen in the storage space will leak into the laboratory at a certain rate. On one hand, the monitoring unit 4 monitors the oxygen concentration in the laboratory, thereby adjusting the inflation rate of the inflation unit 2 to ensure that the inflation rate and the leakage rate of nitrogen in the storage space are approximately equal, maintaining a slight overflow in the storage space. This ensures the storage effectiveness of the storage space while preventing the oxygen concentration in the laboratory from continuously decreasing and endangering the safety of personnel. On the other hand, the monitoring of oxygen concentration by the monitoring unit 4 and the response of the inflation unit 2 also prevent large-scale and rapid leakage of nitrogen from the nitrogen storage cabinet due to sealing failure or malfunction that prevents the storage space from closing, thus stopping the damage and preventing more serious consequences.

[0054] In one exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the inflation unit 2 includes a nitrogen pump 21, a main pipeline 22, multiple primary branches 23, and multiple secondary branches 24. The nitrogen pump 21 is used to output nitrogen. The main pipeline 22 is connected to the output port of the nitrogen pump 21. The multiple primary branches 23 extend from the main pipeline 22 in a first direction and are spaced apart in a second direction. The multiple secondary branches 24 extend from the primary branches 23 and are connected to the intake valve 101.

[0055] In such an implementation, such as Figure 3 As shown, multiple storage spaces are arranged in an array. The first direction, the height direction of cabinet 1, has five rows of storage spaces spaced at intervals along its height. The second direction, the length direction of cabinet 1, has four columns of storage spaces spaced along its length. Correspondingly, the main pipeline 22 extends along the second direction, its inlet connected to the output port of the nitrogen pump 21. Multiple primary branch pipelines 23 extend from the main pipeline 22, each corresponding to a column of storage spaces. Multiple secondary branch pipelines 24 extend from each primary branch pipeline 23, each corresponding to a row of storage spaces.

[0056] For example, the main pipeline 22, the primary branch pipeline 23 and the secondary branch pipeline 24 are all stainless steel pipelines with a diameter of Ø8, and are connected using quick-connect interfaces.

[0057] According to embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 3 As shown, the inflation section 2 also includes multiple flow meters 25, which are respectively installed on the primary branch 23 and are suitable for monitoring the nitrogen flow rate in the primary branch 23.

[0058] In this implementation, placing the flow meter 25 on the primary branch 23 can shorten the troubleshooting time and simplify the layout to a certain extent, avoiding the waste of costs caused by installing the flow meter 25 on each secondary branch 24.

[0059] In one exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the cabinet 1 includes a first back panel 11, multiple side panels 12, multiple first partitions 13, and multiple second partitions 14. The multiple side panels 12 are arranged around the periphery of the first back panel 11 to define a storage space. The multiple first partitions 13 extend horizontally and are spaced apart vertically within the storage space. The multiple second partitions 14 extend vertically and are spaced apart horizontally within the storage space. The first back panel 11, the first partitions 13, and the second partitions 14 define the storage space.

[0060] In such an implementation, such as Figure 1 As shown, the horizontal direction is the first direction in the above embodiment, and the vertical direction is the second direction in the above embodiment. The first back panel 11 is constructed into a rectangle, and there are four side panels 12 arranged around the four sides of the first back panel 11 to enclose a rectangular storage space. The first partition 13 and the second partition 14 are perpendicular to each other, and the multiple first partitions 13 and the multiple second partitions 14 form a grid-like structure, thereby defining the storage space with the first back panel 11.

[0061] According to further embodiments of this disclosure, the cabinet 1 also includes a plurality of cabinet doors 16, which are rotatably mounted on the first partition 13 or the second partition 14, and are suitable for opening or closing the storage space.

[0062] In such an implementation, such as Figure 1 As shown, the cabinet door 16 is hinged to the second partition 14. A magnetic sealing strip is installed on the inner surface of the cabinet door 16 to close the storage space under magnetic force and minimize nitrogen leakage in the storage space.

[0063] In some other embodiments, a tempered glass window, approximately 5mm thick, is installed on the cabinet door 16. The nitrogen storage cabinet is equipped with a card-swipe opening and closing system, where an authorized card is used to open the cabinet door 16 via a card reader. For example, after the authorized card is detected by the card reader, the intake valve 101 of the corresponding storage space closes, and the exhaust valve 102 opens. After approximately 3-5 seconds, the cabinet door 16 of the corresponding storage space opens, allowing staff to retrieve items. After items are retrieved, if there is no need for storage, the exhaust valve 102 closes, the intake valve 101 remains closed, and the staff manually closes the cabinet door 16, canceling the authorization of the authorized card through the card-swipe opening and closing system. If storage is needed, after placing items inside, the staff closes the cabinet door 16, the intake valve 101 reopens, and the exhaust valve 102 closes. Furthermore, the card-swipe opening and closing system can record the storage or retrieval time and display the opening and closing status on a computer.

[0064] In one exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the exhaust section 3 includes a vacuum pump 31 and an exhaust duct 32. The vacuum pump 31 is used to extract nitrogen gas from the storage space and discharge it to the outside. The exhaust duct 32 is used to connect a plurality of exhaust valves 102 to the vacuum pump 31.

[0065] In this implementation, the nitrogen extracted by the vacuum pump 31 can also be sent to the nitrogen storage tank, and after being pressurized or purified, it can be sent back to the nitrogen pump 21, ensuring the safety of the laboratory environment while reducing the operating cost of the nitrogen storage cabinet.

[0066] According to embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 3 As shown, the cabinet 1 also includes a second back panel 15, which is arranged parallel to and spaced apart from the first back panel 11, and defines an exhaust duct 32 with the first back panel 11 and multiple side panels 12.

[0067] In this embodiment, the rectangular space defined by the first back plate 11, multiple side plates 12, and the second back plate 15 is used as the exhaust duct 32. This simplifies the piping layout inside the nitrogen storage cabinet, avoids interference with the piping in the filling section 2, reduces space occupation, and lowers maintenance difficulty.

[0068] In one exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, the monitoring unit 4 includes an oxygen concentration sensor 41 and a controller 42. The oxygen concentration sensor 41 is configured to detect the oxygen concentration in the laboratory. The controller 42 is configured to acquire the oxygen concentration data from the oxygen concentration sensor 41 and send a shutdown command to the inflation unit 2 in response to the oxygen concentration falling below a preset value.

[0069] In this implementation, the oxygen concentration in the air is approximately 20.9%, and for example, the preset value can be set to 18%. The controller 42 collects the oxygen concentration data measured by the oxygen concentration sensor 41 in real time. When the oxygen concentration in the laboratory is lower than 18%, the controller 42 directly sends a command to the gas filling unit 2, causing the nitrogen pump 21 to immediately stop outputting nitrogen.

[0070] In some other embodiments, multiple oxygen concentration sensors 41 can be set to determine whether nitrogen output needs to be stopped by combining oxygen concentrations measured at multiple locations in the laboratory. For the logic of sending commands, an additional warning value can be set, such as 19.5%. When the oxygen concentration is below 19.5%, the controller 42 sends a warning signal to an audible and visual alarm to indicate the risk.

[0071] For example, the oxygen concentration sensor 41 is preferably an electrochemical or laser sensor with a response time T90 < 30 seconds.

[0072] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the monitoring unit 4 further includes a storage space detection system configured to detect at least one of temperature, humidity, and pressure in the storage space.

[0073] In this implementation, the storage space monitoring system includes a thermometer and a hygrometer, and a pressure gauge. The thermometer and hygrometer are installed inside the storage space, and the pressure gauge is installed on the pipeline of the inflation section 2, preferably on the primary branch 23. In addition, the nitrogen storage cabinet is also equipped with an LED display screen, on which the measurement results of the thermometer, hygrometer, and pressure gauge are displayed. At the same time, the measurement results are also uploaded to the laboratory GMS system (Gas Management System) for remote monitoring by staff.

[0074] Those skilled in the art will understand that the features described in the various embodiments of this utility model can be combined and / or combined in various ways, even if such combinations or combinations are not explicitly described in this utility model. In particular, the features described in the various embodiments of this utility model can be combined and / or combined in various ways without departing from the spirit and teachings of this utility model. All such combinations and / or combinations fall within the scope of this utility model.

[0075] The embodiments of this utility model have been described above. However, these embodiments are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Although various embodiments have been described above, this does not mean that the measures in the various embodiments cannot be used advantageously in combination. Without departing from the scope of this utility model, those skilled in the art can make various substitutions and modifications, all of which should fall within the scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A nitrogen storage cabinet, characterized in that, include: Cabinet (1), wherein multiple storage spaces for storing items are formed inside the cabinet (1), and each storage space is equipped with an air inlet valve (101) and an air outlet valve (102). The inflation section (2) fills multiple storage spaces with nitrogen through multiple air inlet valves (101) to isolate the items from the air; each air inlet valve (101) is configured to prevent nitrogen from continuing to enter the corresponding storage space before the corresponding storage space is opened; The exhaust section (3) extracts nitrogen from multiple storage spaces through multiple exhaust valves (102); each exhaust valve (102) is configured to allow nitrogen to be extracted from the corresponding storage space in response to the opening of the corresponding storage space.

2. The nitrogen storage cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cabinet (1) is located in the laboratory. The nitrogen storage cabinet also includes a monitoring unit (4) which is suitable for monitoring nitrogen leakage in the storage space by measuring the indoor oxygen concentration. The inflation unit (2) is configured to stop filling the storage space with nitrogen in response to the oxygen concentration being lower than a preset value.

3. The nitrogen storage cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inflation part (2) includes: Nitrogen pump (21), suitable for outputting nitrogen; The main pipeline (22) is connected to the output port of the nitrogen pump (21); Multiple primary branch roads (23) extend from the main road (22) along a first direction and are spaced apart along a second direction; Multiple secondary branches (24) extend from the primary branch (23) and connect to the intake valve (101).

4. The nitrogen storage cabinet according to claim 3, characterized in that, The inflation section (2) also includes multiple flow meters (25), which are respectively installed on the primary branch (23) and are suitable for monitoring the nitrogen flow rate in the primary branch (23).

5. The nitrogen storage cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cabinet (1) includes: First backplate (11); Multiple side panels (12) are arranged around the periphery of the first back panel (11) to define the accommodating space; Multiple first partitions (13) extend horizontally and are spaced apart vertically within the accommodating space; Multiple second partitions (14) extend vertically and are spaced horizontally within the accommodating space, and the first back panel (11), the first partition (13) and the second partitions (14) define the storage space.

6. The nitrogen storage cabinet according to claim 5, characterized in that, The cabinet (1) also includes multiple cabinet doors (16), which are rotatably mounted on the first partition (13) or the second partition (14) and are suitable for opening or closing the storage space.

7. The nitrogen storage cabinet according to claim 5, characterized in that, The exhaust section (3) includes: Vacuum pump (31) is suitable for extracting nitrogen gas from storage space and discharging it outdoors; The exhaust duct (32) is adapted to connect a plurality of the exhaust valves (102) to the vacuum pump (31).

8. The nitrogen storage cabinet according to claim 7, characterized in that, The cabinet (1) also includes a second back panel (15), which is arranged parallel to and spaced apart from the first back panel (11), and defines the exhaust duct (32) with the first back panel (11) and the plurality of side panels (12).

9. The nitrogen storage cabinet according to claim 2, characterized in that, The monitoring unit (4) includes: An oxygen concentration sensor (41) is configured to detect the oxygen concentration in a laboratory. The controller (42) is configured to collect oxygen concentration data from the oxygen concentration sensor (41) and send a shutdown command to the inflation unit (2) in response to the oxygen concentration being lower than a preset value.

10. The nitrogen storage cabinet according to claim 9, characterized in that, The monitoring unit (4) also includes a storage space monitoring system configured to monitor at least one of temperature, humidity and pressure in the storage space.

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