Patent ID: 7775391

Claim:
A container for holding a cryogenic fluid, said container comprising: (a) an inner vessel defining a cryogen space and having a horizontal axis; (b) an outer vessel surrounding said inner vessel, defining an evacuatable space between said outer vessel and said inner vessel; (c) a structure for supporting said inner vessel within said outer vessel, said structure comprising: an elongated metallic tubular support defining a passage into said cryogen space from outside of said outer vessel, wherein said elongated metallic tubular support is attached at a first point to an inner vessel support bracket associated with said inner vessel, and attached at a second point to an outer vessel support bracket for said outer vessel, said metallic tubular support supporting substantially all loads acting on said inner vessel in a direction parallel to said horizontal axis; and a plurality of non-metallic radial supports spanning between said inner vessel and said outer vessel, each one of said radial supports providing a bearing surface associated with respective opposite facing surfaces associated with said inner vessel and said outer vessel for transferring radial loads transverse to said horizontal axis from said inner vessel to said outer vessel, wherein said bearing surface allows movement in the direction parallel to said horizontal axis.