Segmentable container and method of segmenting substance contained in container
AssigneeShimadzu Corporation
InventorTetsuo Ohashi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided are a simple, quick, and low-processing cost method capable of reliably separating part of an accommodated substance accommodated in a vessel only by simple mechanical operation while maintaining a hermetically-sealed state without any contact with an outside atmosphere, as well as a vessel with which the method may be used. A separable vessel comprises a first vessel portion, a second vessel portion which is contiguous with the first vessel portion, a fracture-inducing portion formed between the first vessel portion and the second vessel portion, and a self-fusing material provided on an outer surface so as to cover the fracture-inducing portion; and may contain an accommodated substance therein.
Claims29
A separable vessel comprising:
- a fracture-inducing portion formed in a position where fracture should be caused to separate the vessel into a first vessel portion and a second vessel portion;
- and
- a self-fusing material provided on an outer surface so as to cover the fracture-inducing portion,
- wherein the fracture-inducing portion has a reduced wall thickness and/or a reduced material strength as compared with the rest of the vessel.
A method for separating a substance accommodated in a vessel, the vessel being a separable vessel comprising:
- a fracture-inducing portion formed in a position where fracture should be caused to separate the vessel into a first vessel portion and a second vessel portion;
- and a self-fusing material provided on an outer surface so as to cover the fracture-inducing portion, wherein the fracture-inducing portion has a reduced wall thickness and/or a reduced material strength as compared with the rest of the vessel, and the vessel contains an accommodated substance therein,
- the method comprising subjecting the vessel to the following steps:
- (i) applying an external force to the vessel to cause fracture in a position of the fracture-inducing portion so that the first vessel portion and the second vessel portion are separated from each other to form fracture openings of the respective vessel portions but are connected to each other through the self-fusing material;
- (ii) pulling the first vessel portion and the second vessel portion away from each other to extend the self-fusing material;
- (iii) fusing the extended self-fusing material together so that a space between the first vessel portion and the second vessel portion is blocked to separate the accommodated substance;
- and
- (iv) cutting a fused part of the self-fusing material to separate the vessel into a first separated structure that includes the first vessel portion whose fracture opening is closed by the self-fusing material and that contains one of the separated parts of the accommodated substance, and a second separated structure that includes the second vessel portion whose fracture opening is closed by the self-fusing material and that contains the other separated part of the accommodated substance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.