Self-contained controlled temperature system

Claim 1

AN INSTRUMENT PACKAGE ADAPTED WITH SELF-REGULATING TEMPERATURE MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE TEMPERATURE OF A TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE PRECISION INSTRUMENT TENDING TO LOSE ITS HEAT TO AN ENVIRONMENT COOLER THAN SAID PRECISION INSTRUMENT WHICH COMPRISES, A CONTAINER HAVING INSULATEDLY PACKED THEREIN A TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE PRECISION INSTRUMENT AND A HEAT RESERVOIR SPACIALLY RELATED THERETO AND AT A TEMPERATURE GREATER THAN THAT OF THE PRECISION INSTRUMENT, THE INSULATION IN SAID PACKAGE BEING EFFECTIVE TO RESIST VIBRATION AND BEING AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO INSULATE SAID PRECISION INSTRUMENT AND SAID HEAT RESERVOIR FROM EACH OTHER AND FROM THE ENVIRONMENT UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY ADIABATIC CONDITIONS, AN EVAPORATOR IN DIRECT HEAT-CONDUCTIVE RELATION WITH SAID HEAT RESERVOIR, A CONDENSER IN HEATCONDUCTIVE RELATION WITH SAID PRECISION INSTRUMENT, FLUIDCONDUCTING MEANS WITHIN SAID PACKAGE ADAPTED TO BE COUPLED TO SAID CONDENSER AND SAID EVAPORATOR, A HEAT TRANSFER FLUID IN SAID CONDENSER AND ADAPTED TO BE CONTROLLABLY FED TO THE EVAPORATOR OF THE HEAT RESERVOIR FOR REMOVING HEAT THEREFROM, MEANS FOR COUPLING SAID FLUID-CONDUCTING MEANS, AND TEMPERATURE SENSING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID PRECISION INSTRUMENT FOR ACTUATING SAID COUPLING MEANS FOR CONTROLLABLY FEEDING THE FLUID FROM THE CONDENSER TO THE EVAPORATOR OF THE HEAT RESERVOIR TO REMOVE HEAT THEREFROM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH IT IS DESIRED TO CONTROL SAID PRECISION INSTRUMENT.