Sliding drawer storage rack for cold storage units

Abstract

A sliding drawer storage rack for cold storage units includes a rack body and a plurality of shelves operatively coupled to the rack body. A drawer defines a storage cavity and is configured to be supported for sliding movement by at least one of the plurality of shelves. A plurality of divider lips extends upwardly from the drawer to divide the storage cavity into a plurality of box receptacles sized to receive a storage box. At least some of the plurality of shelves are defined by opposing first and second L-shaped supports laterally spaced from each other and coupled to the rack body, thereby reducing material use and weight of the storage rack.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]The present application is a Continuing application of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 488,622, filed on Jun. 5, 2012, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates generally to storage racks and, more particularly, to sliding drawer storage racks used with cold storage units such as upright freezers.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Cold storage units such as freezers and dewars are used for various purposes, including the storage of biological samples over short and long periods of time. For example, biological materials for transplantation such as blood, tissue, or plasma may require storage for short periods of time before use. In another example, biological cells such as DNA samples may be stored for longer periods of time. Conventional cold storage units may be cooled by mechanical refrigeration circuits or by other methods, i...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention provides a sliding drawer storage rack for holding a plurality of storage boxes in cold storage. The rack includes a rack body, shelves, and a drawer that can slide on the shelves. The drawer has a drawer bottom and sidewalls and is designed to hold storage boxes without sliding them along its length. The rack also includes divider lips that divide the storage cavity to prevent the boxes from sliding. To reduce friction between the drawer and the shelf, the drawer bottom has projections called " supports." The use of L-shaped supports on the shelves also reduces material usage. The cold storage unit includes a housing with an interior volume that can be accessed via a door, and the sliding drawer storage racks are easily accessible.

Problems solved by technology

Furthermore, the frictional engagement of the drawers on the corresponding shelves can be difficult to overcome should the drawers freeze to one or more of the shelves during storage in the cryogenic temperatures of the cold storage unit.

This uncontrolled sliding movement may make it more difficult to retrieve storage boxes that slide to the rear end of the storage rack and may also jostle the samples or materials held within the storage boxes.

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