Patent Number: 
Section: description

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a perspective view of a device for storing radioactive material, and an exploded view of a radioactive material container and a radioactive material container outer shield of the storage device according to the present invention are illustrated, respectively. The radioactive material container 10 can be installed in and move out from the radioactive material container outer shield 20 of the storage device 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the radioactive material container 10 includes a lower cup portion 11 and an upper cup portion 12 which can be securely engaged to the lower cup portion 11. Both the lower cup portion 11 and the upper cup portion 12 are preferably constructed of tungsten, but any radiation-resistant material such as lead maybe used. A chamber 13, as shown in FIG. 5, is formed inside the container 10 for storing radioactive material. In the preferred embodiment, the chamber 13 includes an upper and a lower internal cavities 13a and 13b formed in the upper cup portion 12 and the lower cup portion 11, respectively, which is formed while the radioactive material container 10 is assembled by connecting the upper cup portion 12 to the lower cup portion 11. The chamber 13 is syringe-like to receive a syringe holding the radioactive material. Please refer to FIGS. 3 and 5 again. The lower cup portion 11 has a threaded area 14b on the external surface of the open end of the lower cavity 13b. On the other hand, the upper cup portion 12 has a threads 14a on the internal surface of the open end of the upper cavity 13a configured to engage the threads of the threaded area 14b of the lower cavity 13b on the lower cup portion 11. Moreover, an O-ring 14 fits between the lower cup portion 11 and the upper cup portion 12 to provide an air and fluid tight seal. As such, the radioactive material container 10 provides a first shielding structure for storing the radioactive material. Meanwhile, there are cushion members 15a and 15b mounted in both ends of the chamber 13, respectively, that is, the cushion member 15a is mounted in the closed end of the upper cavity 13a, and a cushion member 15b is mounted in the closed end of the lower cavity 13b. The cushion member 15a and 15b can be a sponge to reduce the shock and collision when the storage device 1 is transported. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, in order to conveniently grasp and combine the upper cup portion 12 and the lower cup potion 11, a roughened surface 16a and 16b, such as made of polymer such as ABS or other equivalent material, are formed on a surface thereof, respectively. Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 4, the radioactive material container outer shield 20 includes a base portion 21 and a lid 22 which can be securely covered on the base portion 21. Both the base portion 1 and the lid 12 are also preferably constructed of tungsten, but any radiation-resistant material such as lead maybe used. The outer shield 20 is used as a second shielding structure for receiving the radioactive material container 10. In the preferred embodiment, the base portion 21 has a room 23 to accommodate the radioactive material container 10. It is preferably the radioactive material container 10 precisely fits to the room 23 to prevent from shaking. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a buckle member 25 is pivotedly mounted on an outer surface of the open end of the base portion 21, and the lid 22 is pivotedly mounted to the base portion 21 opposite to the buckle member 25. Moreover, the lid 22 has a resilient snap 26 to snap on the buckle member 25 after the lid 22 is covered on the base portion 21, and buckled by the buckle member 25. Similarly, an O-ring 24 is used to provide a seal between the open end of the base portion 21 and the lid 22. Such that, the room 23 in the radioactive material outer shield 20 can be sealed to provide second shielding protection with the radioactive material container 10 nested therein. Referring now to FIGS. 2, 5 and 6, the storage device 1 of the present invention further includes a ring member 17 pivotedly connected to the top end of the radioactive material container 10. The ring member 17 can stand out of the base portion 21 when the lid 22 is opened. Therefore, a tool 30, such as a container hook, can be used to hook the ring member 17 to pull out of the container 10 from the outer shield 20. As such, it reduces the chances for the operating personnel to contact the container 10. Please refer back to FIGS. 4 and 5 again, in this preferred embodiment, a magnetic mechanism is used to raise the ring member 17. A magnetic member 27 is mounted on the bottom surface of the lid 22 while the ring member 17 is made by the material which is attracted by the magnetic member 27. When the radioactive material container 10 is put in the outer shield 20, the ring member 17 is rested on the top surface of the upper cup portion 12. Meanwhile, when the lid 22 is covered on the base 21, the magnetic member 27 is faced closely to the ring member 17. As shown in FIG. 6, when the lid is opened, due to the magnetism, the ring member 17 is attracted by the magnetic member 27 to stand out of the base portion 21. Referring to FIG. 7, a tool 30 is used to hook the ring member 17 to pull out of the radioactive material container 10. As such, a proper solution is provided to prevent the operating personnel from contacting the container 10. Furthermore, an elastic mechanism can also be used to raise the ring member 17. An elastic member (not shown) may be furnished between the upper cup portion 12 and the ring member 17. Therefore, when the lid 21 is opened, the ring member 17 is raised by the elastic member. Thereby, the device for storing radioactive material with secure seal and firmly lock is obtained according the above-mentioned description. Finally, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, for example, different kind of shipping apparatuses 2 are provided to transport the storage device 1. As shown in FIG. 8, the shipping apparatus 2 is a radioactive material shipping bag with radiation-resistant ability. The shipping apparatus 2 includes a bag body 40, a retractable handle 50 extended upwardly from the bag body 40 for the operating personnel keeping away from the storage device 1 to safely move the bag body 40. There are a plurality of wheels 60 mounted under the bag body 40 for convenient conveyance. Moreover, the bag body 40 includes a protective foam 41 made of polymer such as EVA foam or the equivalent material, surrounding a hollow space 42 inside the bag body 40 for holding the storage device 1. Therefore, the storage device 1 of the present invention can be transported more safely. Instead, as shown in FIG. 9, the shipping apparatus 2 includes only a bag body 40xe2x80x2 and two handles 50xe2x80x2 fixedly furnished on the bag body 40xe2x80x2 can also provide the same function to transport the storage device 1. This disclosure provides exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The scope of this disclosure is not limited by these exemplary embodiments. Numerous variations, whether explicitly provided for by the specification or implied by the specification, such as variations in shape, structure, dimension, type of material or manufacturing process may be implemented by one of skill in the art in view of this disclosure.