Frozen object accommodation device

Abstract

The present invention objectively indicates that the frozen state of a frozen object 210 is maintained. A rack 100 comprises: an object accommodating part 110 provided with at least one accommodation space SP110 for removably accommodating the frozen object 210; and an indicator member holding part 120 that is provided corresponding to the accommodation space SP110 and that is provided with a holding space SP120 for holding an indicator member 161 visibly from the outside of a freezing container. The indicator member 161 is held in the holding space SP120 in a state where the frozen object 210 is accommodated in the accommodation space SP110, and is moved outside the holding space SP120 when the frozen object 210 accommodated in the accommodation space SP110 is moved for a prescribed distance or more along the removal direction.

Description

Storage device for frozen objects

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for storing objects to be frozen.

[0002] Some medicines, specimens, and various samples (hereinafter referred to as "frozen objects") are transported and stored in a frozen state. For example, some regenerative medicine products, such as immunosuppressants, are transported to and stored in a frozen state at medical facilities and are thawed before use at the medical facility. To transport and store frozen objects, for example, a storage device that stores multiple frozen objects so that they can be freely removed and a freezing container that maintains the frozen state of the frozen objects by storing the storage device in a storage space are used. The storage device is, for example, a metal rack. The freezing container is, for example, an insulated container that has a storage space for storing the storage devices and a refrigerant chamber that stores a refrigerant such as liquid nitrogen, and the temperature of the storage space is adjusted to an extremely low temperature by the refrigerant.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a metal container for storing frozen objects (cell cryopreservation containers). In Patent Document 1, multiple metal containers each containing an object to be frozen are stored in a storage device (metal rack). The storage device is then stored in a storage space of the freezing container, maintaining the frozen state of the object to be frozen. The metal container of Patent Document 1 includes a container body for storing the object to be frozen, a fixing part for detachably fixing the container body to the storage device, and a gripping part that is integral with the fixing part and is gripped when removing the metal container from the storage device. When removing the metal container containing the object to be frozen from the storage device, the metal container is released from the fixing part and then gripped by the gripping part to remove it.

[0004] The object to be frozen needs to remain frozen until it is used. Therefore, it is desirable to objectively indicate that the frozen state of the object to be frozen is maintained in the freezing container for unused objects to be frozen. However, the configuration of Patent Document 1 does not provide any means for objectively indicating that the frozen state of the object to be frozen is maintained. Therefore, if the metal container containing the object to be frozen is temporarily exposed to room temperature and then returned to the storage device in the freezing container, it is impossible to distinguish between the object to be frozen that has been exposed to room temperature and the object to be frozen that is maintained in a frozen state.

[0005] JP 2014-124234 A

[0006] As described above, with conventional storage devices, it has been difficult to objectively demonstrate that the frozen state of the object to be frozen is being maintained within the freezing container. The present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to objectively demonstrate that the frozen state of the object to be frozen is being maintained.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a storage device for a frozen object to be stored inside a freezing container, comprising: an object storage section having at least one storage space for storing the frozen object so that it can be freely removed; and an indicator member holding section provided corresponding to the storage space and having a holding space for holding an indicator member so that it can be seen from outside the freezing container, wherein the indicator member is held in the holding space when the frozen object is stored in the storage space, and moves out of the holding space when the frozen object stored in the storage space is moved more than a specified distance in the removal direction.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to objectively demonstrate that the frozen state of an object to be frozen is being maintained.

[0009] 1A is a cross-sectional view of a freezing container storing a rack. FIG. 1A is a plan view of the rack seen from the top opening of the freezing container, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the rack containing objects to be frozen. FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a portion of the object to be frozen has been lifted up to the freezing space, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a portion of the object to be frozen has been lifted up to the non-freezing space. FIG. 1A is a plan view of the rack seen from the top opening of the freezing container, showing a state in which a portion of the object to be frozen has been lifted up to the non-freezing space and then returned to the storage position, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the indicator member has been received in the receiving container. FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view illustrating the internal structure of the freezing container, and FIG. 1B is a plan view of the container body with the lid member removed. FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an object to be frozen, FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the holder, FIG. 1C is a perspective view of an object to be frozen held in the holder, and FIG. 1D is a side view of an object to be frozen held in the holder. FIG. 1D is a perspective view of the rack. FIG. 1E is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the front portion of the rack. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the rear portion of the rack. (a) is a partially cutaway perspective view illustrating the structure of the rear portion of the rack. (a) is a partially enlarged perspective view illustrating the storage space for the objects to be frozen, and (b) is a partially enlarged perspective view illustrating the holding space for the indicator member. (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 7. (c) is a perspective view of the rack showing the state in which the receiving container for the indicator member has been pulled out. (a) is a view illustrating the state in which the objects to be frozen and the holder are being lowered toward the object storage section of the rack, and (b) is a view illustrating the operation of storing the objects to be frozen and the holder in the storage space and then holding the indicator member. (a) is a view illustrating the state in which the rack containing the objects to be frozen is being lowered toward the storage space of the container body, and (b) is a view illustrating the state in which the lid member is being lowered toward the upper space of the container body after storing the rack in the storage space of the container body. (c) is a perspective view illustrating the rack of the second embodiment. (a) is an exploded perspective view illustrating the receiving container for the indicator member, and (b) is a view illustrating the alignment section. 10A is a plan view showing a state in which an index member is held in each of the holding spaces, and FIG. 10B is a diagram for schematically explaining the movement of the index member that has dropped into the receiving container.10A is a plan view showing the state in which the third object to be frozen from the left has been pulled up to the non-freezing space of the freezing container and then returned to the storage position, and then the fifth object to be frozen from the left has been removed from the freezing container, and FIG. 10B is a diagram illustrating the alignment of the index members in the alignment section. 10C is a diagram illustrating the rack of the third embodiment.

[0010] <Features of the rack 100> First, the features of the rack 100 (a storage device for objects to be frozen) will be described. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a freezing container 300 storing the rack 100, Fig. 2(a) is a plan view of the rack 100 as seen from the top opening 316a of the freezing container 300, and Fig. 2(b) is a cross-sectional view of the rack 100 storing objects to be frozen 210 (e.g., regenerative medicine products). Figure 3(a) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a portion of the object to be frozen 210 has been pulled up to the freezing space SP336, Figure 3(b) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a portion of the object to be frozen 210 has been pulled up to the non-freezing space SP337, Figure 4(a) is a plan view of the rack 100 as seen from the upper opening 316a of the freezing container 300, showing a state in which the object to be frozen 210 has been returned to the storage position after a portion of the object to be frozen 210 has been pulled up to the non-freezing space SP337, and Figure 4(b) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the indicator member 161 has been received in the receiving container 130.

[0011] The rack 100 is stored in the storage space SP334 of the freezing container 300 shown in FIG. 1. The storage space SP334 is maintained at an extremely low temperature by a refrigerant LQN (e.g., liquid nitrogen) stored in a refrigerant chamber SP333. As shown in FIGS. 2( a) and 2(b), the rack 100 is provided with an object storage section 110 having a storage space SP110 that stores and removably accommodates the object 210 to be frozen, and an index member holding section 120 having a holding space SP120 that holds an index member 161. A receiving container 130 that receives the index member 161 is also provided adjacent to and below the object storage section 110. The receiving container 130 is formed of a box-shaped member with an open top.

[0012] In this embodiment, the object 210 to be frozen is stored in a packaging box 211 (see, for example, FIG. 6( a)), and the packaging box 211 held by a holder 220 is stored in the storage space SP110. The object 210 to be frozen stored in the packaging box 211 is not removed from the packaging box 211 until immediately before use. For this reason, in the following description, the object 210 to be frozen will include the packaging box 211. A string tag 230 is attached to the holder 220 that holds the object 210 to be frozen. The string tag 230 includes a tag body 231 to which various information related to the object 210 to be frozen can be attached, and a string member 232 that has one end fixed to the holder 220 and the other end fixed to the tag body 231 and is resistant to extremely low temperatures.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1 , the middle portion of the string member 232 is routed through the gap between the container body 310 and the lid member 320 of the freezing container 300, while the other end of the string member 232 and the tag body 231 are pulled out of the freezing container 300. Therefore, a user can remove the lid member 320 from the container body 310, check the tag body 231, select the desired object 210 to be frozen, and pull the string member 232 corresponding to the selected object 210 to remove the object 210 from the storage space SP110. As shown in FIGS. 2( a) and 2(b) , an indicator member 161 is held in the holding space SP120. The indicator member 161 is a member that objectively indicates that the frozen state of the object 210 to be frozen held in the storage space SP110 is being maintained. The indicator member 161 is, for example, a steel ball, but is not limited to a steel ball as long as it is resistant to extremely low temperatures and can roll freely under its own weight.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2( a), the indicator member 161 held in the holding space SP120 can be viewed from the outside through the upper opening 316a of the container body 310 by removing the lid member 320. As shown in FIG. 2( b), the bottom surface 120a of the indicator member holding portion 120 slopes downward toward the storage space SP110. When a user removes the lid member 320 from the container body 310 and pulls the string tag 230 (string member 232) corresponding to the desired object to be frozen 210 from outside the container body 310, the object to be frozen 210 moves upward (in the direction of removal) together with the holder 220 from the storage space SP110, as shown in FIG. 3( a). Note that FIG. 3( a) shows the object to be frozen 210 moving within the freezing space SP336 in the freezing container 300, in other words, within a space at a temperature sufficient to maintain the frozen state of the object to be frozen 210.

[0015] 3(b), when the user further pulls string member 232 from the state shown in FIG. 3(a) and the upper end of object 210 to be frozen reaches non-freezing space SP337 (a space with a higher temperature than freezing space SP336) within freezing container 300, in other words, when object 210 to be frozen is moved a specified distance or more in the removal direction, contact between indicator member 161 and object 210 to be frozen (holder 220) is released. As the contact with object 210 is released, indicator member 161 rolls on bottom surface 120a of index member holding part 120, moves out of holding space SP120, and is received into receiving container 130 through storage space SP110.

[0016] For example, as shown in Figures 4(a) and (b), even though the third freezing object 210 from the left is stored in the storage space SP110, the corresponding holding space SP120 does not hold an indicator member 161, and the indicator member 161 is received in the receiving container 130, which indicates that the third freezing object 210 from the left has been pulled out to the non-freezing space SP337 and then returned to the storage space SP110.

[0017] On the other hand, the fact that the indicator members 161 continue to be held in the holding spaces SP120 for the other objects to be frozen 210 indicates that these objects to be frozen 210 have continued to be placed in a freezing temperature environment. Therefore, with the rack 100 of this embodiment, it is possible to objectively indicate that the frozen state of the objects to be frozen 210 is being maintained based on the fact that the indicator members 161 continue to be held in the holding spaces SP120.

[0018] <First Embodiment> A first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, unless otherwise specified, the components, types, combinations, shapes, relative positions thereof, and the like described in the first embodiment and other embodiments are merely illustrative examples and do not intend to limit the scope of the present invention thereto.

[0019] <Freezing Container 300> Prior to describing the rack 100 according to the first embodiment, we will describe the freezing container 300 in which the rack 100 is stored. Fig. 5(a) is a cross-sectional view illustrating the internal structure of the freezing container 300, and Fig. 5(b) is a plan view of the container body 310 with the lid member 320 removed.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 5( a) and 5(b), the freezing container 300 includes a container body 310 having an internal storage space SP334. The container body 310 has a circular cross section and a bottle-like shape with a smaller diameter at the top end than at the other portions. The container body 310 has a double-wall structure including an outer peripheral wall 311 and an inner peripheral wall 312. The space between the outer peripheral wall 311 and the inner peripheral wall 312 is sealed, forming a sealed space SP331. The sealed space SP331 is depressurized, forming an insulating structure that makes it difficult for heat to be transferred between the outer peripheral wall 311 and the inner peripheral wall 312. An inner space SP332 is formed inside the inner peripheral wall 312. A rectangular cylindrical partition wall 313 is provided in the lower half of the inner space SP332. The partition wall 313 liquid-tightly separates the lower half of the inner space SP332 into a refrigerant chamber SP333 located on the outer periphery of the partition wall 313 and a storage space SP334 located on the inner periphery of the partition wall 313. The partition wall 313 is made of a material that has high thermal conductivity and can be used even at extremely low temperatures. In this embodiment, the partition wall 313 is made of a stainless steel plate, but it may be made of other materials.

[0021] The refrigerant chamber SP333 is a space in which a refrigerant LQN such as liquid nitrogen (see FIG. 1, etc.) is stored. A wave-dissipating plate 314 extending laterally from the partition wall 313 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the partition wall 313. The wave-dissipating plate 314 is a member for suppressing rippling of the refrigerant LQN when the freezing container 300 moves, and is provided in multiple stages (e.g., three stages) spaced apart in the vertical direction. A refrigerant supply pipe 315 is disposed in the refrigerant chamber SP333 to supply the refrigerant LQN from outside the container body 310. An upper portion of the refrigerant supply pipe 315 is bent laterally, and the upper end of the refrigerant supply pipe 315 protrudes to the outside from an opening 316 provided at the upper end of the container body 310. A connecting fitting 315a is provided at the protruding portion of the refrigerant supply pipe 315, which is connected to a pipe from a refrigerant supply unit (not shown) when supplying the refrigerant LQN to the refrigerant chamber SP333. In addition, a detection unit 317a of a liquid level gauge 317 that detects the liquid level of the refrigerant LQN in the refrigerant chamber SP333 (amount of refrigerant LQN stored) is arranged in the refrigerant chamber SP333.

[0022] The storage space SP334 is a space in which the rack 100 is stored, and is cooled to an extremely low temperature by the refrigerant LQN stored in the refrigerant chamber SP333. An upper space SP335 is provided between the storage space SP334 and the mouth 316 of the container body 310. The upper space SP335 is a space into which the lid body 321 provided on the lid member 320 is fitted. The lid body 321 is made of a cylindrical insulating material, and when the lid body 321 is fitted into the upper space SP335, a temperature rise in the storage space SP334 is suppressed. The lower half of the upper space SP335 is a freezing space SP336, and the temperature is adjusted by the refrigerant LQN stored in the refrigerant chamber SP333 to a temperature that allows the frozen state of the object to be frozen 210 to be maintained. The upper half of the upper space SP335 is a non-freezing space SP337 whose temperature is higher than that of the freezing space SP336, in other words, whose temperature is not suitable for maintaining a frozen state.

[0023] Although not shown, the container body 310 is provided with a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the storage space SP334, and the detection signal from the temperature sensor is input to a temperature monitoring unit. The temperature monitoring unit acquires and stores the temperature of the storage space SP334 in chronological order. The temperature of the storage space SP334 also changes when a rack 100 is moved in and out. For example, when a rack 100 is stored in an empty storage space SP334, if the temperature of the rack 100 before storage was higher than the temperature of the storage space SP334, the temperature of the storage space SP334 will rise when the rack 100 is stored in the empty storage space SP334.

[0024] <Object to be frozen 210 and holder 220> Next, the object to be frozen 210 and holder 220 will be described. Fig. 6(a) is a perspective view of the object to be frozen 210, Fig. 6(b) is a perspective view of the holder 220, Fig. 6(c) is a perspective view of the object to be frozen 210 held by the holder 220, and Fig. 6(d) is a side view of the object to be frozen 210 held by the holder 220.

[0025] The frozen object 210 is a drug, specimen, various samples, etc. that are transported and stored in a frozen state, and in this embodiment, a regenerative medicine product is used as an example. The frozen object 210 illustrated in FIG. 6( a) is stored in a packaging box 211. The packaging box 211 is a box-like body that has a vertically elongated rectangular shape in a side view and a narrow width in the left-right direction, and stores the regenerative medicine product inside. The regenerative medicine product stored in the packaging box 211 is not removed from the packaging box 211 until immediately before use. For this reason, the frozen object 210 in this specification includes the packaging box 211.

[0026] The object 210 to be frozen is accommodated in the rack 100 while being held in a holder 220 shown in FIG. 6( b). The holder 220 is made of a channel material resistant to cryogenic temperatures and includes a front holder portion 221 that fits over the front lower portion of the object 210 to be frozen, a bottom holder portion 222 that fits over the bottom of the object 210 to be frozen, and a rear holder portion 223 that fits over the rear portion of the packaging box 211. In this embodiment, the holder 220 is made of stainless steel plate, but it may be made of other materials as long as they have resistance to cryogenic temperatures and a predetermined strength. As shown in FIGS. 6( c) and 6(d), the vertical length of the front holder portion 221 is shorter than the vertical length of the object 210 to be frozen, the front-to-back length of the bottom holder portion 222 is approximately equal to the front-to-back length of the object 210 to be frozen, and the vertical length of the rear holder portion 223 is slightly longer than the vertical length of the object 210 to be frozen. 6(b) as long as it can hold the object to be frozen 210. For example, the vertical length of the holder front part 221 may be approximately the same as the vertical length of the holder rear part 223.

[0027] A string tag 230 is attached to the holder 220. The string tag 230 includes a tag body 231 to which various information related to the object to be frozen 210 can be attached, and a string member 232 that has one end fixed to the holder 220 and the other end fixed to the tag body 231 and is resistant to extremely low temperatures. In this embodiment, one end of the string member 232 is fixed to the upper end of the holder rear part 223, but one end of the string member 232 may also be fixed to another part of the holder 220, for example, the upper end of the holder front part 221.

[0028] <Rack 100> Next, the rack 100 (a storage device for the objects 210 to be frozen) will be described. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the rack 100. As shown in Fig. 7, the rack 100 has a vertically elongated rectangular tubular shape with an open top. The rack 100 is made of a material that is resistant to extremely low temperatures, such as a stainless steel plate. However, the rack 100 may be made of other materials as long as they have resistance to extremely low temperatures and a predetermined strength.

[0029] The upper half of the rack 100 is provided with an object storage section 110 having a plurality of storage spaces SP110 (see FIG. 12(a) and the like) for removably storing objects 210 to be frozen, and an index member holding section 120 having a plurality of holding spaces SP120 (see FIG. 12(b) and the like) for holding index members 161. A receiving container 130 is provided below the object storage section 110 adjacent to the object storage section 110 so that it can be freely inserted and removed. The receiving container 130 is provided to prevent the index members 161 that have moved from the holding spaces SP120 from leaving the rack 100. The receiving container 130 is provided above the rack bottom plate 101, and a space is provided between the receiving container 130 and the rack bottom plate 101 for receiving liquid air LQA (see FIG. 1) that has accumulated at the bottom of the storage space SP334.

[0030] The rack 100 comprises a substantially rectangular rack bottom plate 101, a rack left side plate 102 rising upward from the left edge of the rack bottom plate 101, a rack right side plate 103 rising upward from the right edge of the rack bottom plate 101, a rack back plate 104 rising upward from the rear edge of the rack bottom plate 101, and a rack front plate 105 covering the upper half of the front surface of the rack, with its left edge joined to the front edge of the rack left side plate 102 and its right edge joined to the front edge of the rack right side plate 103.

[0031] A slide handle 140 is provided on the front side of the rack front panel 105 so as to be movable up and down. The slide handle 140 is used to store the rack 100 in the storage space SP334 of the freezing container 300 or to remove the rack 100 stored in the storage space SP334 from the freezing container 300. The slide handle 140 is formed by bending a round bar made of, for example, stainless steel, and includes a left slide portion 141 extending up and down along the left edge of the rack 100, a right slide portion 142 extending up and down along the right edge of the rack 100, and a handle portion 143 provided between the upper ends of the left slide portion 141 and the right slide portion 142 and gripped by the user's hand. The lower end portion 141a of the left slide portion 141 and the lower end portion 142a of the right slide portion 142 are bent toward the center in a generally L-shape.

[0032] A pair of retaining metal fittings 144 that slidably hold the left sliding section 141 and the right sliding section 142 are attached to both the left and right sides of the upper part of the rack front panel 105. The slide handle 140 is pulled out upward when storing the rack 100 in the storage space SP334 or when removing it. When the slide handle 140 is pulled out and the lower end 141 a of the left sliding section 141 and the lower end 142 a of the right sliding section 142 are hooked onto the respective retaining metal fittings 144, the entire rack 100 can be moved while holding the slide handle 140.

[0033] <Object Storage Section 110> Next, the object storage section 110 will be described. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the front portion of the rack 100, and FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway perspective view illustrating the structure of the front portion of the rack 100. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 , the front portion of the rack 100 is provided with an object storage section 110 having a plurality of storage spaces SP110 that accommodate freely removable frozen objects 210. The object storage section 110 includes three front partition units 111 fixed at intervals in the left-right direction. The front partition unit 111 is, for example, formed by bending a single rectangular stainless steel plate into a generally U-shape in plan view, and includes a pair of front partition pieces 111a and a front connecting portion 111b between the front partition pieces 111a.

[0034] The left-right distance between the pair of front partition pieces 111a is determined based on the left-right width of the object to be frozen 210, and is determined to be slightly wider than the width of the object to be frozen 210, for example. The front-to-rear length of the front partition piece 111a is determined to be shorter than the front-to-rear length of the object to be frozen 210, and the up-to-down length of the front partition piece 111a is determined to be slightly longer than the up-to-down length of the holder 220 that holds the object to be frozen 210. With this configuration, a storage space SP110 for the object to be frozen 210 is defined between the pair of front partition pieces 111a. Both the upper and lower ends of each storage space SP110 are open.

[0035] The front connecting portion 111b is fixed to the inner surface of the rack front panel 105. The front connecting portion 111b can be fixed to the rack front panel 105 by, for example, welding. Note that fixing methods other than welding may be used as long as they are resistant to extremely low temperatures. The left-right distance between adjacent front partition units 111 is also determined based on the left-right width of the object 210 to be frozen, and is set to be slightly wider than the width of the object 210 to be frozen, for example. This configuration also defines storage spaces SP110 for the object 210 between left-right adjacent front partition units 111. In the example of Figures 7 to 9, the object storage section 110 is formed with three front partition units 111, forming six storage spaces SP110 along the left-right direction. In Figure 12(a), the boundaries of each storage space SP110 are indicated by dotted lines. The upper end of the object storage section 110 is open so that the object 210 to be frozen can be put in and taken out freely, and the lower end of the object storage section 110 is open so that the indicator member 161 can pass through.

[0036] <Indicator Member Holding Unit 120> Next, the indicator member holding unit 120 will be described. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the rear portion of the rack 100, and Fig. 11 is a partially cutaway perspective view illustrating the structure of the rear portion of the rack 100. As shown in Figs. 7, 10, and 11, the rear portion of the rack 100 is provided with an indicator member holding unit 120 having a holding space SP120 that holds an indicator member 161, an object guide unit 121 that guides the rear portion of the object 210 to be frozen, and an object support unit 122 that supports the bottom of the object 210 from below. The indicator member holding unit 120, object guide unit 121, and object support unit 122 are each composed of a plurality of rear partition units 123 and a guide plate 124.

[0037] Similar to the front partition unit 111, the rear partition unit 123 is formed, for example, by bending a single rectangular stainless steel plate into a generally U-shape in plan view, and includes a pair of rear partition pieces 123a and a rear connecting portion 123b between the rear partition pieces 123a. The left-right distance between the pair of rear partition pieces 123a is set similarly to the front partition unit 111, and is set to be slightly wider than the width of the objects 210 to be frozen. Furthermore, the front-to-rear length of the rear partition piece 123a is shorter than the front-to-rear length of the front partition piece 111a, and the up-to-down length of the rear partition piece 123a is also shorter than the up-to-down length of the front partition piece 111a.

[0038] The rear connecting portion 123b is fixed to the upper part of the inner surface of the rack rear plate 104. The rear connecting portion 123b can be fixed to the rack rear plate 104 by, for example, welding. Note that fixing methods other than welding may be used as long as they are resistant to extremely low temperatures. The left-right distance between adjacent rear partition units 123 is also determined based on the left-right width of the object 210 to be frozen, and is set to be slightly wider than the width of the object 210 to be frozen, for example. As a result, as shown in FIG. 12(a), for example, the left-right position of each rear partition piece 123a is aligned with the left-right position of the corresponding front partition piece 111a.

[0039] 10 and 11 , the guide plate 124 includes an upper plate portion 124a that slopes downward toward the front, a main plate portion 124b that is a rectangular plate-like portion extending downward from the lower end of the upper plate portion 124a, and a bottom plate portion 124c that is a rectangular plate-like piece extending forward from the lower end of the main plate portion 124b. The upper plate portion 124a has a plurality of slits 124d spaced apart in the left-right direction, through which the rear partition pieces 123a of the rear partition unit 123 are inserted. The upper plate portion 124a, together with the rear partition unit 123, constitutes the indicator member holder 120. Specifically, the surface of the upper plate portion 124a is the bottom surface 120a of the indicator member holding portion 120, and when each partition piece 123a is inserted into each slit 124d of the upper plate portion 124a, multiple holding spaces SP120 are formed by each partition piece 123a and the upper plate portion 124a.

[0040] 7, 10, and 11, the index member holding portion 120 defines six holding spaces SP120 along the left-right direction by three rear partition units 123 and an upper plate portion 124a. In Fig. 12(b), the boundaries of each holding space SP120 are indicated by dotted lines. From Figs. 12(a) and 12(b), it can be seen that each storage space SP110 and each holding space SP120 are provided continuously and correspond one-to-one (to each other).

[0041] 11 , the upper surface of the plate upper portion 124a is the bottom surface 120a of the index member holding portion 120, and causes the index member 161 to roll toward the storage space SP110. The plate main portion 124b is an object guide portion 121 that guides the rear portion of the object to be frozen 210 (in this example, the holder rear portion 223 of the holder 220 that holds the object to be frozen 210), and the plate bottom portion 124c is an object support portion 122 that supports the bottom portion of the object to be frozen 210 (in this example, the holder bottom portion 222 of the holder 220 that holds the object to be frozen 210) from below. As shown in FIG. 13 , the distance L110 between the inner surface of the plate main portion 124b and the inner surface of the rack front panel 105 is approximately equal to the length of the holder 220 in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, when the object to be frozen 210 is stored in the storage space SP110, the front panel and the plate main portion 124b determine the range of movement of the object to be frozen 210 in the front-to-rear direction in the storage space SP110. Furthermore, the length L124c in the front-to-rear direction of the plate bottom portion 124c is set to a length that can prevent the object to be frozen 210 stored in the storage space SP110 from falling. Therefore, when the object to be frozen 210 is stored in the storage space SP110, the plate bottom portion 124c prevents the object to be frozen 210 from falling from the storage space SP110.

[0042] 2(a) and 2(b), after the object to be frozen 210 is accommodated in the accommodation space SP110, the indicator member 161 is held in the holding space SP120 corresponding to the accommodation space SP110. The indicator member 161 held in the holding space SP120 is visible from the outside through the upper opening 316a of the container body 310 when the lid member 320 is removed. The indicator member 161 held in the holding space SP120 attempts to roll toward the accommodation space SP110 due to the downward slope of the bottom surface 120a of the indicator member holding portion 120 (the upper surface of the plate upper portion 124a), but is held in the holding space SP120 by abutting against the object to be frozen 210 (the holder rear portion 223).

[0043] <Receiving Container 130> Next, the receiving container 130 will be described. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the rack 100, showing the receiving container 130 with the index member 161 pulled out. As shown in FIG. 14, the receiving container 130 is a low, open-topped box-like structure. It includes a rectangular container bottom plate 131 and a container front plate 132, a container back plate 133, and container side plates 134, which extend from the front, rear, and left and right edges of the container bottom plate 131, respectively. In this embodiment, the receiving container 130 is made of stainless steel, but it may be made of other materials as long as they have sufficient resistance to cryogenic temperatures and a predetermined strength. The left-to-right width of the receiving container 130 is aligned with the distance between the inner surfaces of the left rack plate 102 and the right rack plate 103, and the front-to-back length of the receiving container 130 is aligned with the front-to-back length of the rack 100 (the width of the left rack plate 102 and the width of the right rack plate 103).

[0044] A container-side cutout 132a for inserting an operator's fingers is provided in the left-right center of the upper edge of the container front plate 132. A rack-side cutout 105a for inserting an operator's fingers is also provided in the left-right center of the lower edge of the rack front plate 105. In this embodiment, a substantially circular insertion opening FO (see FIG. 7) is formed by the container-side cutout 132a and the rack-side cutout 105a.

[0045] 14 , a left rail 151 formed by an L-angle is provided on the inner surface of the left rack plate 102, slightly below the center in the height direction. Similarly, a right rail 152 formed by an L-angle is provided on the inner surface of the right rack plate 103, slightly below the center in the height direction. The left rail 151 is a member that supports the left end of the bottom surface of the receiving container 130 from below, and the right rail 152 is a member that supports the right end of the bottom surface of the receiving container 130 from below.

[0046] The receiving container 130 is stored in a manner that allows it to be freely pulled out using a left rail 151 and a right rail 152. As shown in FIG. 7 , when the sliding handle 140 is lowered with the receiving container 130 stored, the left sliding portion 141 and the right sliding portion 142 of the sliding handle 140 are positioned in front of the container front panel 132. In this state, the receiving container 130 cannot be pulled out. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14 , when the sliding handle 140 is pulled up until the lower ends 141 a, 142 a of the left rail 151 and the right rail 152 are positioned above the receiving container 130, the receiving container 130 can be pulled out. In this manner, the sliding handle 140 in this embodiment functions as a locking member that allows or restricts the pulling out of the receiving container 130. As shown in FIGS. 3( a) and 3(b), the receiving container 130 accepts the indicator member 161 that has moved out of the holding space SP120. The index member 161 received in the receiving container 130 cannot be removed unless the rack 100 is removed from the freezing container 300 and then the receiving container 130 is pulled out from the rack 100 .

[0047] <Usage Procedure> Next, the usage procedure for the rack 100 will be described. Fig. 15(a) is a diagram illustrating the state in which the objects to be frozen 210 and the holder 220 are being lowered toward the object storage section 110 of the rack 100, and Fig. 15(b) is a diagram illustrating the process of storing the objects to be frozen 210 and the holder 220 in the storage space and then holding the index member 161. Fig. 16(a) is a diagram illustrating the state in which the rack 100 storing the objects to be frozen 210 is being lowered toward the storage space SP334 of the container body 310, and Fig. 16(b) is a diagram illustrating the state in which the lid member 320 is being lowered toward the upper space SP335 of the container body 310 after the rack 100 has been stored in the storage space SP334 of the container body 310.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 6( c), first, the holder 220 is attached to the object 210 to be frozen. The attachment of the holder 220 is performed at extremely low temperatures. Note that information for identifying the object 210 to be frozen (such as the product name, serial number, and lot information) is pre-affixed to the tag body 231 of the string-attached tag 230 attached to each holder 220. For example, a sheet of paper bearing the identification information is inserted into the internal space of the tag body 231, or the identification information is written on the surface of the tag body 231. Next, the object 210 to be frozen with the holder 220 attached is accommodated in the storage space SP110 of the rack 100. The accommodation of the holder 220 is also performed at extremely low temperatures. For example, as shown in FIG. 15( a), the object 210 to be frozen is lowered toward the corresponding storage space SP110. As shown in FIG. 15( b), after the object 210 to be frozen is accommodated in the storage space SP110, the indicator member 161 is held in the holding space SP120.

[0049] After all of the objects 210 to be frozen are accommodated in the storage space SP110 of the rack 100 and the index member 161 is held in the holding space SP120, the rack 100 is stored in the storage space SP334 of the freezing container 300 (container body 310). The storage operation of the holder 220 is also performed at extremely low temperatures. For example, as shown in FIG. 16( a), the rack 100 is lowered toward the storage space SP334 of the container body 310. At this time, the operator grasps the slide handle 140 and inserts the rack 100 into the storage space SP334. As shown in FIG. 16( b), after the rack 100 is stored in the storage space SP334, the lid body 321 of the lid member 320 is fitted into the upper space SP335 of the container body 310. At this time, the upper end of the string member 232 and the tag body 231 are positioned outside the container body 310, and the middle portion of the string member 232 is sandwiched in the gap between the container body 310 and the lid body 321. When the lid body 321 is fitted into the container body 310, the frozen state of the object 210 to be frozen is maintained. Then, the freezing container 300 can be moved while maintaining the frozen state of the object 210 to be frozen.

[0050] When removing the object 210 to be frozen, the lid member 320 of the freezing container 300 is removed from the container body 310. Then, as shown in FIG. 3( a), the string member 232 corresponding to the desired object 210 to be frozen is pulled from outside the container body 310 to move the object 210 upward (in the removal direction). As shown in FIG. 3( b), when the upper end of the object 210 to be frozen reaches the non-freezing space SP337 of the container body 310, i.e., when the object 210 to be frozen has been moved a specified distance or more in the removal direction, the indicator member 161 rolls along the bottom surface 120 a of the holding space SP120 toward the storage space SP110, and passes through the storage space SP110 to be received into the receiving container 130. The object 210 to be frozen is then pulled out of the container body 310 and used.

[0051] It is possible that after the object to be frozen 210 has been raised up to the non-freezing space SP337, it may be returned to the storage space SP110 for some reason, but when the object to be frozen 210 is raised up to the non-freezing space SP337, the corresponding indicator member 161 is received in the receiving container 130, and the indicator member 161 in the receiving container 130 cannot be removed unless the rack 100 is pulled out from the container body 310. For this reason, when the object to be frozen 210 is raised up to the non-freezing space SP337 and then returned to the storage space SP110, the indicator member 161 will not be held in the holding space SP120 corresponding to the object to be frozen 210 that has been raised up to the non-freezing space SP337, as shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b).

[0052] In contrast, the fact that the indicator member 161 continues to be held in the holding space SP120 indicates that the object to be frozen 210 has continued to be maintained at a freezing temperature. Therefore, with the rack 100 of this embodiment, it is possible to objectively indicate that the frozen state of the object to be frozen 210 is being maintained based on the fact that the indicator member 161 continues to be held in the holding space SP120.

[0053] Here, it is conceivable to pull out the rack 100 itself and remove the index member 161 from the receiving container 130, but as described above, the container body 310 is provided with a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the storage space SP334, and the detection signal from the temperature sensor is input to a temperature monitoring unit (both not shown). When the rack 100 is pulled out from the container body 310 and then returned to the storage space SP334, the temperature of the storage space SP334 changes as the rack 100 is taken in and out. Therefore, when the rack 100 is pulled out and the index member 161 is removed from the receiving container 130, it can be determined that the rack 100 has been pulled out based on the time-series temperature data stored in the temperature monitoring unit.

[0054] Second Embodiment The rack 100 of the first embodiment described above can objectively show that the frozen objects 210 have been maintained at a freezing temperature, but no particular consideration was given to the order in which the frozen objects 210 were removed. It may be advantageous to be able to determine the order in which the frozen objects 210 were removed. For example, if the frozen objects 210 are immunosuppressants and the order in which they were removed can be determined, the serial numbers of the immunosuppressants can be associated with the patients who used the immunosuppressants even after the fact, and unforeseen circumstances such as forgetting to record the information can be addressed. A rack 100A of a second embodiment, which allows the order in which the frozen objects 210 are removed to be determined, will be described below.

[0055] Fig. 17 is a perspective view illustrating the rack 100A of the second embodiment, Fig. 18(a) is an exploded perspective view illustrating the receiving container 400 for the index member 161, and Fig. 18(b) is a diagram illustrating the alignment section 430. Fig. 19(a) is a plan view showing the state in which the index member 161 is held by each of the index member holding sections 120, and Fig. 19(b) is a diagram illustrating the movement of the index member 161 that has dropped into the receiving container 400. Fig. 20(a) is a plan view showing the state in which the third object to be frozen 210 has been lifted up to the non-freezing space SP337 of the freezing container 300 and then returned to the storage position, and then the fifth object to be frozen 210 has been removed from the freezing container 300, and Fig. 20(b) is a diagram illustrating the index members 161 aligned in the alignment section.

[0056] As shown in Figure 17, the rack 100A of the second embodiment is characterized by the configuration of the receiving container 400. Since the other configuration of the rack 100A is the same as that of the rack 100 of the first embodiment described above, the same components as those of the rack 100 of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. As shown in Figure 18(a), the receiving container 400 includes a box-shaped receiving container body 410 with an open top, a guide member 420 that fits into the upper opening of the receiving container body 410, and an alignment section 430 provided inside the receiving container body 410.

[0057] The receiving container body 410 is a low, box-like body with an open top, and includes a rectangular container bottom plate 411 and a container front plate 412, a container back plate 413, and container side plates 414 that extend from the front, rear, and left and right side edges of the container bottom plate 411, respectively. In this embodiment, the receiving container body 410 is made of stainless steel, but it may be made of other materials as long as they have resistance to cryogenic temperatures and a predetermined strength. The left-to-right width of the receiving container body 410 is aligned with the distance between the inner surfaces of the rack left side plate 102 and the rack right side plate 103, and the front-to-back length of the receiving container body 410 is aligned with the front-to-back length of the rack 100A (the width of the rack left side plate 102 and the width of the rack right side plate 103).

[0058] The guide member 420 is a plate-like member that has a drop hole 421 through which the indicator member 161 falls, and has an upper surface 422 that is inclined downward toward the drop hole 421. Therefore, the upper surface 422 of the guide member 420 functions as a guide surface that receives the indicator member 161 that falls from above and rolls it toward the drop hole 421. In this embodiment, the guide member 420 is made of a stainless steel plate, but it may be made of other materials as long as they have resistance to cryogenic temperatures and a predetermined strength.

[0059] The alignment section 430 is a member that receives the indicator members 161 dropped from the drop holes 421 and aligns the received indicator members 161 in the order of receipt. The alignment section 430 illustrated in Figures 18(a) and 18(b) includes a bottom surface 431 having a band-like plate shape in a plan view, a front wall portion 432 rising upward from the front edge of the bottom surface 431, a left side wall portion 433 rising upward from the left edge of the bottom surface 431, and a right side wall portion 434 rising upward from the right edge of the bottom surface 431. The bottom surface 431 extends rearward from a position near the front of the center of the left and right of the container bottom plate 411 of the receiving container body 410 to the inner surface of the container back plate 413, and is provided with a gentle downward slope toward the rear. When the guide member 420 is fitted into the upper opening of the receiving container body 410, the drop hole 421 provided in the guide member 420 is located directly above the dashed frame marked with the symbol F in Figure 18(b) . Therefore, the indicator member 161 that falls from the drop hole 421 is received by the bottom surface portion 431 at the position of the dashed frame F, and rolls backward due to the downward inclination of the bottom surface portion 431.

[0060] Figure 19(a) is a plan view showing the state in which an indicator member 161 is held in each of the holding spaces SP120, Figure 19(b) is a diagram schematically explaining the movement of the indicator member 161 that has dropped into the receiving container 400, Figure 20(a) is a plan view showing the state in which the third object to be frozen 210 has been pulled up to the non-freezing space SP337 of the freezing container 300 and then returned to the storage position, and then the fifth object to be frozen 210 has been removed from the freezing container 300, and Figure 20(b) is a diagram explaining the indicator members 161 aligned in the alignment section 430.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 19A, in the rack 100A of the second embodiment, each of the multiple index members 161 is assigned identification information that allows them to be distinguished from one another. In the illustrated example, numbers are assigned as the identification information, and the holding space SP120 corresponding to the leftmost storage space SP110 holds an index member 161 marked with the number "1," while the holding space SP120 corresponding to the second storage space SP110 from the left holds an index member 161 marked with the number "2." The other holding spaces SP120 similarly hold index members 161 marked with the numbers "3" to "6." Note that, while numbers are assigned as the identification information in the above example, any identification information that allows them to be distinguished from one another is not limited to numbers. Colors, symbols, or letters may also be assigned.

[0062] In the rack 100A of the second embodiment, similarly to the rack 100 of the first embodiment, when the object to be frozen 210 stored in the storage space SP110 is pulled up to the non-freezing space SP337, the indicator member 161 held in the holding space SP120 moves and falls into the storage space SP110. For example, as shown in FIG. 19( b), when the leftmost object to be frozen 210 is pulled up to the non-freezing space SP337, the indicator member 161 marked with the number "1" falls. The indicator member 161 that falls from the storage space SP110 is received by the upper surface 422 (guide surface) of the guide member 420, rolls on the upper surface 422 of the guide member 420, and is thereby guided into the drop hole 421. The indicator member 161 guided into the drop hole 421 falls and is received by the bottom surface 431 of the alignment unit 430, and rolls rearward on the bottom surface 431.

[0063] The alignment section 430 aligns the received indicator members 161 in the order of reception. For example, as shown in FIG. 18( b), if an indicator member 161 marked with the number "1" is received and then an indicator member 161 marked with the number "2" is received, the indicator member 161 marked with the number "1" will be positioned at the rearmost position in the alignment section 430, and the indicator member 161 marked with the number "2" will be positioned second from the rear. In this way, the alignment section 430 aligns the indicator members 161 received earlier in the order of reception, so that the indicator members 161 are positioned at the rear.

[0064] 20(a) is a plan view showing the state in which the third object to be frozen 210 from the left has been lifted up to the non-freezing space SP337 of the freezing container 300 and then returned to the storage space SP110, and then the fifth object to be frozen 210 from the left has been removed from the freezing container 300. FIG. 20(b) is a diagram illustrating the indicator members 161 aligned in the alignment unit 430. As shown in FIG. 20(a), the third object to be frozen 210 from the left does not have an indicator member 161 held thereon, even though the object to be frozen 210 is stored therein. This indicates that the object to be frozen 210 was lifted up to the non-freezing space SP337 and then returned to the storage space SP110. The fifth object to be frozen 210 from the left has been removed from the storage space SP110 and used, and the corresponding indicator member 161 has fallen off.

[0065] 20(b), in the alignment section 430, the index member 161 marked with the number "3" is located at the rearmost position, and the index member 161 marked with the number "5" is located at the second rearmost position. From this, it can be understood that the third object to be frozen 210 from the left was pulled up to the non-freezing space SP337 and then returned to the storage space SP110, and then the fifth object to be frozen 210 from the left was removed from the storage space SP110.

[0066] In this way, with the rack 100A of the second embodiment, it is possible to objectively indicate the order in which the objects to be frozen 210 that were raised up to the non-freezing space SP337 and then returned to the storage space SP110, and the order in which the objects to be frozen 210 were removed from the storage space SP110, were raised up or removed. Note that the exemplified alignment unit 430 is only an example, and other configurations may be employed as long as they can receive the index members 161 that have dropped from the drop holes 421 and align the received index members 161 in the order in which they were received.

[0067] <Third embodiment> In the above-described embodiments, the storage spaces SP110 and the holding spaces SP120 are provided contiguously, but they do not have to be provided contiguously as long as there is a one-to-one correspondence between the storage spaces SP110 and the holding spaces SP120. Below, a rack 100B of a third embodiment will be described in which the storage spaces SP110B and the holding spaces SP120B are not provided contiguously. Figures 21(a) to 21(c) are diagrams illustrating the rack 100B of the third embodiment.

[0068] 21(a), in the rack 100B of the third embodiment, each storage space SP110B provided in the object storage unit 110B and each holding space SP120B provided in the index member holding unit 120B are separated by a partition wall 125. The partition wall 125 includes a rectangular partition wall main body 125a extending in the vertical and horizontal directions, and a partition wall bottom 125b formed by a rectangular plate-like piece extending forward from the lower end of the partition wall main body 125a. The partition wall main body 125a is an object guide portion 121 that guides the rear of the object 210 to be frozen, and the partition wall bottom 125b is an object support portion 122 that supports the bottom of the object 210 to be frozen from below.

[0069] The partition wall main body 125a is provided with a plurality of openings 125c corresponding to each of the holding spaces SP120B, and a stopper 126 that is generally L-shaped in side view is rotatably attached to each opening 125c. The stopper 126 includes a holding piece 126a and a contact piece 126b, and a rotation shaft 126c is provided at the boundary between the holding piece 126a and the contact piece 126b. The rotation shaft 126c is rotatably attached to the partition wall main body 125a. The holding piece 126a is a plate-like piece that holds the indicator member 161 in the holding space SP120B, and the contact piece 126b is a plate-like piece that contacts the object 210 to be frozen in the storage space SP110B. The holding piece 126a is configured to be heavier than the contact piece 126b. Therefore, when no object 210 to be frozen is contained in the storage space SP110B, the stopper 126 rotates around the rotation axis 126c, the retaining piece 126a is positioned downward, and the contact piece 126b protrudes into the storage space SP110B.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 21( b), when an object to be frozen 210 is accommodated in the accommodation space SP110B, the contact piece 126b comes into contact with the object to be frozen 210. Accordingly, the stopper 126 rotates about the rotation axis 126c, and the contact piece 126b becomes flush with the partition wall main body 125a. In this state, the holding piece 126a protrudes into the holding space SP120B. When the indicator member 161 is held in the holding space SP120B from which the holding piece 126a protrudes, a downward force is applied to the holding piece 126a due to the weight of the indicator member 161. However, because the contact piece 126b is in contact with the object to be frozen 210, the stopper 126 does not rotate. Therefore, the indicator member 161 is placed on the holding piece 126a and held within the holding space SP120B.

[0071] 21(c), when the object to be frozen 210 is pulled out of the storage space SP110B, the contact state of the contact piece 126b with the object to be frozen 210 is released. Accordingly, the weight of the indicator member 161 causes the stopper 126 to rotate about the rotation axis 126c, and the holding piece 126a moves toward the partition wall main body 125a. As a result, the indicator member 161 is released from the contact state with the holding piece 126a and falls, and is received in the receiving container 130. Thus, the configuration of the third embodiment also provides the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above.

[0072] <Modifications> In the above-described embodiments, the object accommodation unit 110 includes six accommodation spaces SP110, SP110B, and the index member holding unit 120 also includes six holding spaces SP120, SP120B, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The object accommodation unit 110 only needs to include at least one accommodation space SP110, and the index member holding unit 120 only needs to include a number of holding spaces SP120 corresponding to the number of accommodation spaces SP110.

[0073] In the above-described embodiments, each rack 100, 100A, 100B has a configuration in which the indicator member 161 moves from the holding spaces SP120, SP120B when the upper end of the object to be frozen 210 is pulled up to the non-freezing space SP337, but this configuration is not limited to this. For example, the indicator member 161 may be configured to move from the holding spaces SP120, SP120B when the upper half of the object to be frozen 210 is moved to the non-freezing space SP337, or the indicator member 161 may be configured to move from the holding spaces SP120, SP120B when the entire object to be frozen 210 is moved to the non-freezing space SP337. Furthermore, the indicator member 161 may be configured to move from the holding spaces SP120, SP120B when the object to be frozen 210 is moved a specified distance within the freezing space SP336.

[0074] Although the rack 100 in the above-described embodiments has been illustrated as having a vertically elongated rectangular cylindrical shape, the rack 100 is not limited to a vertically elongated rectangular cylindrical shape. For example, the rack 100 may be configured in a cylindrical shape. Furthermore, the object to be frozen 210 is not limited to a box-like body that has a vertically elongated rectangular shape in side view and a narrow width in the left-right direction. The shapes of the storage space SP110 and the holding space SP120 can be changed to match the shapes of the rack 100 and the object to be frozen 210.

[0075] In the above-described embodiments, the indicator member 161 is a stainless steel ball, but it may have another configuration as long as it can move by its own weight. For example, the indicator member 161 may be cylindrical, or may be a polyhedron such as a regular icosahedron.

[0076] In the above-described embodiments, the racks 100, 100A, and 100B are each provided with a receiving container 130 or 400, but this configuration is not limiting. For example, the index member 161 may be dropped onto the rack bottom plate 101 without providing the receiving container 130 or 400. In this configuration, it is preferable to provide a rib (not shown) on the outer edge of the rack bottom plate 101 to prevent the index member 161 from moving outside the rack 100.

[0077] In each of the above-described embodiments, the freezing container 300 has a configuration in which the object to be frozen 210 is removed by moving it upward, but this configuration is not limited to this. For example, the freezing container may have an opening on the side for loading and unloading the object to be frozen 210. Alternatively, the freezing container may cool the storage space SP334 by absorbing the refrigerant LQN supplied to the storage space SP334 into a refrigerant absorbent material provided in the refrigerant chamber SP333.

[0078] [Summary of Examples of Embodiments of the Present Invention and Their Actions and Effects] <First Embodiment> This embodiment is a rack 100, 100A, 100B (storage device) for objects to be frozen 210 stored inside a freezing container 300, and is equipped with an object storage section 110 having at least one storage space SP110, SP110B that stores the objects to be frozen 210 in a manner that allows them to be freely removed, and an indicator member holding section 120 that is provided corresponding to the storage space SP110 and has a holding space SP120 that holds an indicator member 161 so that it is visible from outside the freezing container 300, and is characterized in that the indicator member 161 is held in the holding space SP120 when the object to be frozen 210 is stored in the storage space SP110, and moves out of the holding space SP120 when the object to be frozen 210 stored in the storage space SP110 is moved a specified distance or more in the removal direction. In the rack 100 according to this embodiment, the fact that the object to be frozen 210 is stored in the storage space SP110 but the index member 161 is not held in the holding space SP120 means that the object to be frozen 210 has been moved a specified distance or more and then returned to the storage space SP110. On the other hand, the fact that the index member 161 continues to be held in the holding space SP120 means that the object to be frozen 210 has not been moved a specified distance or more. Therefore, according to the rack 100 of this embodiment, it is possible to objectively indicate that the frozen state of the object to be frozen 210 is being maintained based on the fact that the index member 161 continues to be held in the holding space SP120.

[0079] <Second Embodiment> In this embodiment, the freezing container 300 includes a freezing space SP336 located outward of the storage spaces SP110, 110B in the removal direction and having a temperature that allows the frozen state of the object to be frozen 210 to be maintained, and a non-freezing space SP337 located outward of the freezing space SP336 in the removal direction and having a temperature higher than that of the freezing space SP336. The specified distance is the distance at which a portion of the object to be frozen 210 reaches the non-freezing space SP337. With the rack 100 according to this embodiment, the indicator member 161 continues to be held in the holding space SP120 even if the object to be frozen 210 is moved within the freezing space SP336, thereby preventing the inconvenience of erroneously determining that the object to be frozen 210 has moved to the non-freezing space SP337 when the frozen state of the object to be frozen 210 is maintained.

[0080] <Third embodiment> In this embodiment, the holding space SP120 is provided continuous with the storage space SP110, the bottom surface 120a of the indicator member holding part 120 is provided sloping downwards towards the storage space SP110, the indicator member 161 abuts against the object to be frozen 210 and is held in the holding space SP120 when the object to be frozen 210 is stored in the storage space SP110, and when the object to be frozen 210 in the stored state is moved more than a specified distance, the abutment state with the object to be frozen 210 is released and the indicator member 161 rolls along the bottom surface 120a of the indicator member holding part 120 and moves into the storage space SP110. According to the rack 100 of this embodiment, when the object to be frozen 210 is moved more than the specified distance, the indicator member 161 is released from contact with the object to be frozen 210 and moves to the storage space SP110, thereby preventing the inconvenience of the indicator member 161 remaining in the holding space SP120 even though the object to be frozen 210 has been moved more than the specified distance.

[0081] <Fourth embodiment> In this embodiment, the bottom of the object storage unit 110 is open to allow the index member 161 to pass through, and a receiving container 130, 400 is provided below the object storage unit 110 to receive the index member 161 that has passed through the object storage unit 110. The rack 100 according to this embodiment can prevent the index member 161 from being scattered after moving from the holding space SP120.

[0082] <Fifth embodiment> In this embodiment, the object storage unit 110 includes a plurality of storage spaces SP110, the index member holding unit 120 includes a plurality of holding spaces SP120 corresponding to the plurality of storage spaces SP110, the plurality of index members 161 are each provided with identification information that enables them to be identified from one another, and the receiving container 400 is provided with an alignment unit 430 that aligns the plurality of index members 161 in the order in which they are received. The rack 100 according to this embodiment can also objectively indicate the order in which the frozen objects 210 are to be removed.

[0083] 100, 100A, 100B... Rack (storage device for frozen objects); 101... Rack bottom plate; 102... Rack left side plate; 103... Rack right side plate; 104... Rack back plate; 105... Rack front plate; 105a... Rack side cutout; 110, 110B... Object storage section; 111... Front partition unit; 111a... Front partition piece; 111b... Front connecting section; 120... Index member holding section; 120a... Bottom surface of index member holding section; 121... Object guide section; 122... Object support section; 123... Rear partition unit; 123a... Rear partition piece; 123b... Rear connecting section; 1 24... guide plate; 124a... upper part of plate; 124b... main part of plate; 124c... bottom part of plate; 124d... slit; 125... partition wall; 125a... partition wall main body; 125b... bottom part of partition wall; 125c... opening; 126... stopper; 126a... holding piece; 126b... contact piece; 126c... pivot shaft; 130... receiving container; 131... container bottom plate; 132... container front plate; 132a... container side notch; 133... container back plate; 134... container side plate; 140... slide handle; 141... left slide portion; 141a... lower end part of left slide portion; 142... right slide Guide portion; 142a...lower end portion of right slide portion; 143...handle portion; 161...indicator member; 210...object to be frozen; 211...packaging box; 220...holder; 221...front portion of holder; 222...bottom portion of holder; 223...rear portion of holder; 230...tag with string; 231...tag body; 232...string member; 300...freezing container; 310...container body; 311...outer peripheral wall; 312...inner peripheral wall; 313...partition wall; 314...wave dissipating plate; 315...refrigerant supply pipe; 316...mouth portion; 316a...upper opening; 320...lid member; 321...lid body; 400...receiving container of second embodiment; 410...receiving Container body; 411...rectangular container bottom plate; 412...container front plate; 413...container back plate; 414...container side plate; 420...guide member; 421...drop hole; 422...upper surface of guide member; 430...alignment portion; 431...bottom portion; 432...front wall portion; 433...left side wall portion; 434...right side wall portion; SP110...storage space; SP120...holding space; SP331...sealed space; SP332...inner space; SP333...refrigerant chamber; SP334...storage space; SP335...upper space; SP336...freezing space; SP337...non-freezing space; LQN...refrigerant; LQA...liquid air; FO...insertion opening

Claims

1. A storage device for a frozen object to be stored inside a freezing container, comprising: an object storage section having at least one storage space for storing the frozen object so that it can be freely removed; and an indicator member holding section provided corresponding to the storage space and having a holding space for holding an indicator member so that it can be seen from outside the freezing container, wherein the indicator member is held in the holding space when the frozen object is stored in the storage space, and moves out of the holding space when the frozen object stored in the storage space is moved in the removal direction by more than a specified distance.

2. The freezing container has a freezing space outside the storage space in the removal direction, the temperature of which can maintain the frozen state of the object to be frozen, and a non-freezing space outside the freezing space in the removal direction, the temperature of which is higher than that of the freezing space, and the specified distance is the distance at which a part of the object to be frozen reaches the non-freezing space, as described in claim 1.

3. The device for storing frozen objects as described in claim 1, characterized in that the holding space is continuous with the storage space, the bottom surface of the indicator member holding portion is sloped downward toward the storage space, the indicator member abuts against the frozen object and is held in the holding space when the frozen object is stored in the storage space, and when the stored frozen object is moved more than the specified distance, the indicator member releases its abutment against the frozen object and rolls along the bottom surface of the indicator member holding portion, moving into the storage space.

4. A device for storing frozen objects as described in claim 3, characterized in that the bottom of the object storage section is open so that the indicator member can pass through, and a receiving container is provided below the object storage section to receive the indicator member that has passed through the object storage section.

5. A storage device for frozen objects as described in claim 4, characterized in that the object storage section has a plurality of the storage spaces, the indicator member holding section has a plurality of the holding spaces corresponding to the plurality of the storage spaces, each of the plurality of indicator members is given identification information that allows them to be distinguished from one another, and the receiving container is provided with an alignment section that aligns the plurality of indicator members in the order in which they are received.

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