Patent ID: 8215480

Claim:
A container for holding a plurality of microtubes or vials, the container comprising: a frame having a base, front and back faces, and sides; a pair of rotatable opposing lid sections, each lid section having an edge between a top portion of the lid section and a face portion of the lid section, each lid section pivotally attached to a side of the frame, the container having a movement-resistant fully open position, a movement-resistant closed position in which the lid sections cooperate with one another to provide a completely enclosed container, and a movement-resistant intermediate position between the open position and the closed position in which the lid section faces are perpendicular to the front and back faces of the frame; a rack mounted within the frame, the rack comprising a plurality of holes or collars, each hole or collar sized to receive an intermediate portion of the microtubes or vials; one or more microtubes or vials contained within respective ones of the plurality of holes or collars of the rack; and a plurality of detent mechanisms provided on at least one of the frame and the lid sections, the detent mechanisms positioned to maintain the lid sections in the movement-resistant fully open position, the movement-resistant closed position, and the movement-resistant intermediate position.