Patent ID: 7326565

Claim:
A culture apparatus for culturing samples on containers inside a chamber adjusted to predetermined ambient conditions, wherein a container transport device is disposed inside the chamber centrally thereof and comprises a transport table for placing the container thereon, and a drive mechanism for driving the transport table in the direction of X-axis and the direction of Y-axis which are orthogonal on a horizontal plane, and in the direction of Z-axis orthogonal to these directions, a container accommodating rack being disposed on each of opposite sides of the transport devices, which sides are along the direction of X-axis, the accommodating rack having container accommodating portions in the direction of Y-axis and in the direction of Z-axis for accommodating therein respective containers, the container being movable into or out of the desired container accommodating portion of the desired rack by the transport device, wherein the container accommodating rack comprises a plurality of stackers arranged in the direction of Y-axis, and each of the stackers comprises container accommodating portions repeatedly provided in the direction of Z-axis, the chamber has an opening facing toward the direction of Y-axis and a door for closing the opening, and the plurality of stackers constituting the accommodating rack is mounted on a drawer installed on a base and slidable in the direction of Y-axis, the plurality of stackers being withdrawable through the opening along with the drawer, with the door opened, and the chamber has a container inlet for transporting the container into the chamber therethrough, the container inlet having a carriage mechanism connected thereto, and the chamber has attached thereto a shutter mechanism for opening and closing the container inlet, and the container carriage mechanism comprises a container carrier on which the container is mounted and moved in the direction of x-axis, the container carrier being formed with a pair of supports for supporting the container at the opposite sides in the direction of Y-axis, wherein the transport table can be moved to a position under the container supported by the supports, and the transport table can be raised between the supports, wherein the container is lifted from the container carrier by the transport table raised from the position under the container supported by the supports of the container carrier.