US 12,402,612 B2
Container for transporting and inoculating pupae
José´Ángel Martínez Escribano, Madrid (ES); Miguel Cid Fernandez, Madrid (ES); Edel Reytor Saavedra, Madrid (ES); Carmen Alvarado Fradua, Madrid (ES); and Romy Moreno Dalton, Madrid (ES)
Assigned to ALTERNATIVE GENE EXPRESSION S.L., Madrid (ES)
Appl. No. 17/632,970
Filed by ALTERNATIVE GENE EXPRESSION S.L., Madrid (ES)
PCT Filed Jul. 3, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/068777
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 4, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/023446, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 11, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 19382690 (EP), filed on Aug. 6, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0287284 A1, Sep. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. A01K 67/30 (2025.01); B65D 1/36 (2006.01); B65D 21/02 (2006.01); B65D 43/02 (2006.01); B65D 81/26 (2006.01)
CPC A01K 67/30 (2025.01) [B65D 1/36 (2013.01); B65D 21/0209 (2013.01); B65D 43/0204 (2013.01); B65D 81/263 (2013.01); B65D 2203/10 (2013.01); B65D 2543/00194 (2013.01); B65D 2543/00703 (2013.01); B65D 2543/00814 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A container for transporting and inoculating pupae, comprising:
a tray comprising a flat surface and a plurality of wells formed on the flat surface, each well of the plurality of wells configured for accommodating a pupa; and
a lid having a plurality of openings,
wherein:
the tray comprises a tray base defining the flat surface and comprising four sides, and tray lateral walls transversally projecting from the tray base and extending along the four sides of the tray base, wherein the tray lateral walls comprise a plurality of seats that can engage with a plurality of complementary feet on the lid;
the lid comprises a lid base comprising four sides, and lid lateral walls transversally projecting from the lid base and extending along the four sides of the lid base, wherein the lid lateral walls comprise the plurality of complementary feet that can engage with the plurality of seats on the tray;
the tray and the lid are configured to be coupled to each other such that:
when the tray and the lid are coupled, the tray base and the lid base overlap, and the tray lateral walls and the lid lateral walls overlap, and
when the lid is placed on the flat surface of the tray, the plurality of complementary feet on the lid are supported by the plurality of seats on the tray, and the plurality of the wells are at least partially closed;
the plurality of wells and the plurality of openings are arranged so that when the tray and the lid are coupled together, each well from the plurality of wells is accessible through one of the plurality of openings;
the tray and the lid are provided with interlocking means to mechanically retain the tray and lid engaged;
each well from the plurality of wells is elongated and has generally a frusto-pyramidal configuration with a concave bottom surface, an inclined lateral surface, and an open upper base;
each well from the plurality of wells is configured for retaining one pupa in a fixed position relative to a corresponding opening directly above the well, such that a needle can be inserted through the corresponding opening for inoculating the pupa;
the container is configured as a stackable container such that two or more containers are stackable on top of each other by inserting a top part of a first container from below at least partially in the tray of a second container, wherein in a stacked container:
an interior surface of each of the plurality of seats in the tray of the second container is supported by the flat surface of the first container such that an air chamber is formed between the first container and the second container,
a vertical height of each of the plurality of seats along the tray lateral walls of the second container is such that each of the wells of the second container are situated above the lid of the first container, and each of the wells of the second container are not in contact with a surface of the first container, and
the plurality of wells of the first container are in fluid communication with the air chamber.