JP2013038217A - Lid and substrate container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lid capable of rotating a rotary body smoothly or stopping the rotary body at an appropriate position when locking a locking mechanism, while limiting the torque required for rotation of the rotary body, and to provide a substrate container.SOLUTION: A lid 11 includes a locking mechanism 30 interposed between the lid 11 and a cover plate and having a locking click 41 retractable by rotation of a rotary reel 31, and position control means 50 for controlling the rotational position of the rotary reel 31. The position control means 50 includes a link 51 which oscillates according to rotation of the rotary reel 31, a spring 55 coupled with the rotary reel 31 and the link 51, and a position regulation pin 57 which comes into contact with a contact groove 52 of the link 51. In the way of rotation of the rotary reel 31 from an unlocked position to a locked position, the link 51 is oscillated to change the orientation for the rotary reel 31 in the way of rotation, thus altering the direction of a biasing force acting on the rotary reel 31 to the rotation direction thereof.

Description

  The present invention relates to a lid and a substrate storage container used when a substrate made of a semiconductor wafer, mask glass, liquid crystal glass, or the like is stored or stored.

  Although not shown, a conventional substrate storage container includes a front open box type container main body for aligning and storing a plurality of semiconductor wafers, and a detachable lid for opening and closing the open front of the container main body. The body is composed of a lid body having a substantially dish-shaped cross section that is fitted to the opened front surface of the container body, and a cover plate that covers the opened surface of the lid body, and between the lid body and the cover plate. In addition, a locking mechanism that is operated from the outside by a lid opening / closing device is incorporated.

  The locking mechanism is supported on both inner sides of the lid body, and a pair of left and right rotary operation reels that are rotated by the operation keys of the lid opening / closing device penetrating the cover plate, and the upper and lower sides are interlocked with the rotation of each rotary operation reel. A plurality of forward / backward movement bars that move forward and backward in the direction and a plurality of locking claws that swing by the forward / backward movement of each forward / backward movement bar and protrude from the peripheral wall of the lid body. Close to and away from the surrounding locking hole.

  Each rotation operation reel is basically formed in a disk, and a substantially rectangular key slot on the front surface is formed in the center, and an operation key of the lid opening / closing device is inserted into this key slot to rotate. By this, it rotates at a predetermined rotation angle in the locking direction or the unlocking direction. When the locking mechanism is locked, the key slot stops at the locking position 90 ° away from the unlocking position, and when the locking mechanism is unlocked, the key slot is at the unlocking position 90 ° away from the locking position. Stop.

  In the above configuration, when the front surface of the container main body is covered and locked with a lid, the lid is fitted on the front surface of the container main body by the lid opening / closing device, and the rotary operation reel constituting the locking mechanism The operation key of the lid opening / closing device is inserted into the key slot through the cover plate, and the operation key of the lid opening / closing device is rotated 90 ° to lock the locking mechanism, and then the lid is opened from the key slot of the rotation operation reel. The operation key of the body opening / closing device is pulled out.

  By the way, in the conventional locking mechanism of the lid, the key slot of the rotary operation reel may not be stationary at an appropriate position. In this case, there is a problem that the operation key of the lid opening / closing device cannot be inserted. To explain this problem, the operation key of the lid opening / closing device is rotated 90 ° from the unlocking position, locked, and then pulled out from the key slot of the rotation operation reel. Due to backlash or the like, the key slot may be able to be pulled out even if it is rotated at an angle close to 90 °. At this time, the key slot of the rotary operation reel is displaced from the original locking position and is stationary.

  In this case, in order to unlock the lid locking mechanism in the next step, even if the operation key of the lid opening / closing device is inserted at the locking position, the key slot of the rotary operation reel is displaced from the original locking position and is stationary. As a result, the operation key of the lid opening / closing device cannot be properly inserted into the key slot, resulting in interruption of the process work.

  In order to solve such problems, conventionally, a method has been proposed in which the rotation operation reel of the locking mechanism is urged by a spring and the rotation operation reel is forcibly rotated to a position corresponding to the locking position of the lid. (See Patent Document 1).

Special Table 2005-515121

  However, in the case of the above method, when the rotary operation reel is rotated in the locking direction when the locking mechanism is locked, it is necessary to compress the spring to a predetermined rotation angle to obtain a predetermined displacement force. Therefore, a new problem arises that a large rotational torque is required.

  In addition, if the rotation angle exceeds a predetermined rotation angle, the spring extends and exerts a biasing force in the direction of rotating the rotary operation reel, but at the conversion point of the spring, the compressed spring suddenly extends to generate vibration and impact. Since it is transmitted to the rotary operation reel, there is a risk of hindering smooth rotation of the rotary operation reel. Further, if the spring is suddenly extended and vibration is generated, the parts are rubbed to cause generation of particles, which may contaminate the semiconductor wafer in the container body.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and can smoothly rotate the rotating operation body at the time of locking the locking mechanism, or stop the rotating operation body at an appropriate position, and can suppress the torque required for the rotation of the rotating operation body. An object of the present invention is to provide a cover body and a substrate storage container that can be used.

In the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a lid body having a recessed inside, a cover plate that covers the opening surface of the lid body, a locking mechanism interposed between the lid body and the cover plate, and the locking mechanism A position control means for controlling the rotational position of the rotary operation body of the mechanism,
The locking mechanism is supported by the lid body, and includes a rotary operation body that rotates in the locking direction or the unlocking direction by an operation from the outside of the cover plate, and a locking body that protrudes from and surrounds the lid body by the rotation of the rotary operation body. Including
The position control means is slidably supported at a position away from the center of the rotary operation body of the locking mechanism in the radially outward direction, and swings in response to the rotation of the rotary operation body. And an elastic biasing member connected to the link body and a position regulating member that is in contact with the link member, and is attached to the rotary operation body and the link member by the elastic biasing member. By applying a force, while rotating the rotating operation body from the unlocking position in the unlocking direction to the locking position in the locking direction, by swinging the link member and changing the direction with respect to the rotating operation body during the rotation, It is characterized in that the direction of the urging force acting on the rotary operation body is changed from the direction against the rotation direction of the rotary operation body to the rotation direction.

  The lid body is formed with a first drop-off preventing member for preventing the elastic biasing member from dropping from the rotary operation body, and a second drop-off preventing member for preventing the elastic biasing member from dropping from the link member. And the 3rd drop-off prevention member which prevents drop-off | omission from the rotation operation body of a link member can be formed in a cover plate.

  Further, the position restricting member of the position control means is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape on the cover plate, the rotary operation body of the locking mechanism is formed in a substantially plate shape, and the unlocking position or the locking direction in the unlocking direction is at the center. A key slot that stops at the locking position is provided, and a protrusion for the link member is formed at a location away from the center portion of either one of the front and back surfaces of the rotary operation body in the radially outward direction, and the radially outward direction from the other center portion. An elastic biasing member projection can be formed at a remote location.

  Further, the link member of the position control means is formed in a substantially plate shape, and a contact groove for the position restricting member is formed at one end thereof, and the link member is slidably fitted to the link member protrusion of the rotary operation body. A round slot is provided, and the link member can be swung around the position regulating member when the rotary operation body rotates.

  Further, the elastic biasing member of the position control means is a substantially C-shaped spring, and both ends thereof are connected to the elastic biasing member projection of the rotary operation body and the link member, and the rotary operation body rotates to the locking position in the locking direction. In this case, it is possible to restore the compressed spring and apply a biasing force in the rotational direction of the rotary operation body.

  Further, a positioning elastic piece is formed near the periphery of the rotary operation body, and a meshing claw adjacent to the elastic biasing member projection is formed on the positioning elastic piece, and the elastic biasing member projection of the elastic biasing member is formed. A plurality of meshing teeth that interfere with the meshing claws of the positioning elastic piece are partially provided on the peripheral surface of the connected end, and the plurality of meshing teeth are provided at the locking position and the unlocking position of the key slot of the rotary operation body. It is also possible to correspond to.

Moreover, in order to solve the said subject in this invention, the lid | cover in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 4 is fitted to the opening surface of the container main body which accommodates a board | substrate,
A concave portion that is in contact with and separated from the locking body of the locking mechanism is formed on the inner periphery of the opening surface of the container body.

  When the container body is formed in the front open box and the lid is detachably fitted to the open front, and the rotary operation body of the locking mechanism rotates at a rotation angle of 45 ° from the locked state or the unlocked state. In addition, the link member can be swung to direct the slot in a direction substantially parallel to the horizontal direction.

  Here, the lid body and the substrate storage container in the claims can be formed to be transparent, opaque, or translucent. The locking mechanism is supported by the lid body, and is a rotating operation body that rotates in the locking direction or the unlocking direction by an operation from the outside of the cover plate, an advancing / retracting body that moves forward / backward by the rotation of the rotating operation body, It can also be comprised from the locking body which protrudes and retracts from the circumference | surroundings of a lid | cover main body by advancing / retreating.

  The rotary operation body of the locking mechanism is rotated by a dedicated device or manual operation. The rotary operation body can be formed in a plate shape, a ring shape, or the like. Moreover, a locking body can be connected with an advance / retreat body at least among a cover main body and an advance / retreat body. This locking body can be projected and retracted at the upper and lower portions, both side portions, corner portions, etc. around the lid main body.

  Examples of the elastic biasing member of the position control means include various rubbers and elastomers that exhibit a spring function, thermoplastic resins, springs (plate springs, coil springs, and the like). The elastic urging member may be singular or plural, and the substantially C shape includes a substantially U shape and similar shapes. The substrate includes various wafers made of at least silicon, metal compounds, glass, silicon carbide, and the like, specifically, semiconductor wafers, glass wafers, mask glass, liquid crystal glass, storage disks, and the like.

  The substrate storage container is used for transporting, storing, and transporting the electronic circuit on the precise substrate and in the processing step, and does not particularly ask the front open box type, the top open box type, or the bottom open box type.

  According to the present invention, when the opening surface of the container body is covered and locked with the lid, first, the lid is fitted to the opening surface of the container body. At this time, the rotary operation body of the locking mechanism is positioned at the unlocking position in the unlocking direction. Further, the link member of the position control means is brought into contact with the position restricting member by the elastic biasing member and restricts the rotation of the rotary operation body.

  When the rotary operation body rotates at a predetermined rotation angle from the unlocking position to the intermediate point of the locking position, the link member swings around the position regulating member. From the state in which the support position of the rotary operation body that supports the link member moves and the posture of the link member is directed toward the peripheral edge of the rotary operation body until the rotary operation body that has rotated from the unlocking position reaches the intermediate point. It changes to the state which turned to the substantially center part direction of the rotary operation body, and an elastic biasing member is compressed.

  When the rotary operation body rotates from the intermediate point to near the locking position, the locking body of the locking mechanism protruding from the lid body enters the container body. At this time, the link member swings around the position regulating member and is directed toward the peripheral portion of the rotary operation body, and is in a state substantially opposite to the unlocked position. The compressed elastic biasing member tries to recover, but the direction in which the elastic biasing member tries to recover approximately matches the rotation direction of the rotary operation body.

  When the rotary operation body rotates to the locking position in the locking direction, the locking body of the locking mechanism strongly interferes with the inside of the container body, and the lid body is locked. At this time, the link member is stopped and no force is applied to the elastic urging member, and the urging force is not applied to the rotary operation body. Since the urging force in the same direction as the rotational force in the locking direction acts by the elastic urging member between the rotation operation body rotating and reaching the locking position from before the locking position, the rotation operating body is the same as the conventional one. Therefore, it stops at the locking position and stops properly at the locking position.

  According to the present invention, there is an effect that the rotary operation body can be smoothly rotated or stopped at an appropriate position when the locking mechanism is locked. In addition, there is an effect that torque required for rotation of the rotary operation body can be suppressed.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the position restricting member is formed on the cover plate, the impact can be released to the cover plate, and the impact is mitigated as compared with the case where the position restricting member is formed on the lid body. be able to. Further, the rotary operation body and the link member can be easily assembled by the link member protrusion. Similarly, the rotary operating member and the elastic urging member can be easily assembled by the elastic urging member protrusion.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the contact groove is formed at one end of the link member, the link member and the position restricting member can be satisfactorily brought into contact with each other. Further, since the link member is provided with a slot, it can be expected that the link member is smoothly slid with the rotation of the rotary operation body, and the link member is prevented from falling off the rotary operation body.

  In addition, according to the invention described in claim 5 or 6, it is possible to effectively prevent a trouble that the operation key of the lid opening / closing device for handling the substrate storage container is inserted or the lid opening / closing device stops. It becomes possible. Further, since the position control means rotates the rotary operation body to the locking position almost accurately and stops it, the operation key can be appropriately inserted into the rotary operation body, and the process work is hardly interrupted. Furthermore, since it is possible to suppress the occurrence of vibrations, it is possible to eliminate the possibility that the parts in the container main body are rubbed and the substrate in the container main body becomes dirty.

It is a disassembled perspective explanatory drawing which shows typically embodiment of the cover body and board | substrate storage container which concern on this invention. It is a perspective explanatory view showing typically the lid main part in the embodiment of the lid concerning the present invention. It is a perspective explanatory view showing typically the back of a cover plate in an embodiment of a lid concerning the present invention. It is a perspective explanatory view showing typically a lid main part, a locking mechanism, and a position control means in an embodiment of a lid concerning the present invention. It is a perspective explanatory view showing typically the surface of the rotation operation reel in the embodiment of the lid concerning the present invention. It is a perspective explanatory view showing typically the back of a rotation operation reel in an embodiment of a lid concerning the present invention. It is a perspective explanatory view showing typically the link of the position control means in the embodiment of the lid concerning the present invention. It is a perspective explanatory view showing typically the spring of the position control means in the embodiment of the lid concerning the present invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view showing typically a locking mechanism and position control means in an embodiment of a lid concerning the present invention. It is front explanatory drawing which shows typically the state in which the key slot of the rotation operation reel in the embodiment of the cover body which concerns on this invention is located in a 1st position. It is front explanatory drawing which shows typically the state in which the key slot of the rotation operation reel in the embodiment of the cover body which concerns on this invention is located in a 3rd position. It is front explanatory drawing which shows typically the state in which the key slot of the rotation operation reel in embodiment of the cover body which concerns on this invention is located in a 4th position. It is front explanatory drawing which shows typically the state in which the key slot of the rotation operation reel in the embodiment of the cover body which concerns on this invention is located in a 5th position. It is a perspective explanatory view showing typically the back of a rotation operation reel in a 2nd embodiment of a lid concerning the present invention. It is a perspective explanatory view showing typically the spring in the 2nd embodiment of the lid concerning the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the state in which the key slot of the rotation operation reel in 2nd Embodiment of the cover which concerns on this invention is located in a 1st position. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the state in which the key slot of the rotation operation reel in 2nd Embodiment of the cover body which concerns on this invention is located in a 3rd position. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the state in which the key slot of the rotation operation reel in 2nd Embodiment of the cover which concerns on this invention is located in a 5th position.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 13, a substrate storage container in the present embodiment includes a container body 1 for storing a plurality of semiconductor wafers W, A detachable lid body 10 that opens and closes the front surface 2 of the container body 1 is opened, and is operated from the outside by a lid body opening / closing device between the lid body 11 and the cover plate 26 constituting the lid body 10. The locking mechanism 30 and the position control means 50 for controlling the rotational position of the rotary operation reel 31 constituting the locking mechanism 30 are incorporated.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the semiconductor wafer W is made of a large-diameter thin silicon wafer having a size of φ300 mm or 450 mm, for example, and 25 or 26 wafers are aligned and stored in the vertical direction in the container body 1. The semiconductor wafer W is processed by a semiconductor processing apparatus (not shown). The semiconductor processing apparatus is provided with a lid opening / closing device (not shown).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the container body 1 is formed into a transparent, opaque, or translucent front open box using a predetermined molding material, and is inclined so that both side walls approach each other in a stepwise manner. The area of the back wall is set to be smaller than the area of the front surface 2 that is opened horizontally by the inclination of both side walls. A pair of left and right teeth 3 for supporting the semiconductor wafer W substantially horizontally are provided on both sides inside the container main body 1, in other words, on the inner surfaces of both side walls, and the pair of teeth 3 are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the vertical direction. Each of the teeth 3 is bent and formed into an elongated flat surface having a substantially square shape or a substantially semicircular arc shape.

  A bottom plate 4 for fixing to the semiconductor processing apparatus is attached to the bottom plate of the container body 1, and the front plate and the rear center of either one of the bottom plate and the bottom plate 4 are connected to the positioning pins of the semiconductor processing apparatus. Positioning tools for positioning are respectively disposed, and each positioning tool is formed into a recessed oval shape, a substantially M-shaped cross section, a substantially V-shaped shape, a substantially Y-shaped shape, or the like. Further, the bottom plate 4 is formed in, for example, a substantially planar polygon having a predetermined size, a concave shape, a substantially Y shape, and the like, and a fixing hole for fixing is drilled in the central portion.

  In the central part of the ceiling of the container body 1, a robotic flange 5 having a substantially rectangular plane to be transported is mounted, and this robotic flange 5 is gripped by an automatic transporter called OHT (overhead transfer). The substrate storage container is automatically conveyed in the process. Further, a rim 6 for fitting a lid that is bent outward and extends outward is provided around the periphery of the front surface 2 of the container body 1, and locking is provided on both the upper and lower sides of the inner peripheral surface of the rim 6. The locking holes 7 for the mechanism 30 are each drilled in a rectangular shape.

  Thick transport handles 8 that are gripped by an operator are detachably attached to the central portions of the outer surfaces of both side walls of the container body 1. The side rails 9 for conveyance extending in the front-rear direction are selectively attached to the lower portions of the outer surfaces of the side walls.

  The container body 1, the teeth 3, the bottom plate 4, the positioning tool, the robotic flange 5, the transport handle 8, and the side rails 9 are, for example, molding materials containing polycarbonate, polyether imide, polyether ether ketone, cyclic olefin resin, or the like. Is formed by. These molding materials are appropriately provided with a conductivity-imparting agent such as carbon.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the lid body 10 has a substantially tray-shaped lid body 11 that is press-fitted into the rim 6 of the container body 1, and a screw on the open surface of the lid body 11. And a cover plate 26 that is covered with a tool, and is attached to and detached from the container body 1 while being vacuum-sucked by the lid opening / closing device.

  The lid body 11 is formed in a substantially horizontally long rectangle with a peripheral wall 13 around the periphery of the base plate 12 corresponding to the front surface 2 of the container body 1, and the four corners are rounded and chamfered. The base plate 12 of the lid main body 11 has a central portion 14 on the surface projecting into a vertically long rectangle on the surface side, and recessed installation spaces 15 for the locking mechanism 30 are formed on the left and right sides, respectively. A plurality of radiating ribs 16 are extended in a substantially fan shape, and a mounting boss 17 for the cover plate 26 is integrally formed in a cylindrical shape at the tip of each radiating rib 16.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a cylindrical support boss 18 that rotatably supports the rotation operation reel 31 of the locking mechanism 30 is integrally formed near the center of each installation space 15. Are respectively provided with a first cam rail 19 for the locking mechanism 30 and a plurality of cylindrical guide bosses 20, on the side of the support boss 18 near the central portion 14 for the position control means 50. First and second drop-off prevention rails 21 and 22 are arranged side by side at intervals.

  The first cam rail 19 is formed by a pair of left and right rails that are opposed to each other at an interval, and the surface of each rail is formed on the cam surface for the locking mechanism 30. Further, the first dropout prevention rail 21 is curved and formed in a substantially semicircular arc shape close to the support boss 18. The second drop-off prevention rail 22 is curved and formed in a long semicircular arc shape separated from the support boss 18, and a central portion is formed in a semicircular arc shape in the direction of the support boss 18.

  A vertically long front retainer 23 is detachably attached to the back surface of the lid main body 11, in other words, the center portion of the back surface of the base plate 12, and a plurality of elastic pieces 24 extending from both sides of the frame body of the front retainer 23 are semiconductors. The front peripheral edge of the wafer W is elastically clamped to prevent damage. In addition, the peripheral wall 13 of the lid body 11 is formed in a substantially L-shaped cross section to ensure rigidity, and the upper and lower sides and the lower side both have an intrusion hole 25 for the locking mechanism 30 that faces the locking hole 7 of the container body 1. Are each drilled into a rectangle. A frame-shaped fitting groove is formed in the back surface side of the peripheral wall 13, and an elastically deformable seal gasket is tightly fitted into the fitting groove so as to be pressed into the rim 6 of the container body 1.

  Although not shown, the seal gasket includes an endless frame-shaped base material that is fitted into the fitting groove. The seal-shaped base material is deformed and pressed into the rim 6 of the container main body 1 while being inclined and tapered. A generally tongue-shaped bent piece and a plurality of ribs that press against the wall surface of the fitting groove are disposed. Such a seal gasket is formed using, for example, silicone rubber, fluororubber, thermoplastic polyester elastomer, thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer, and the like, and when a pressure difference occurs between the inside and outside of the substrate storage container, This prevents the gas from flowing in from the outside to the inside and functions as a one-way seal that discharges the gas from the inside of the substrate storage container to the outside.

  As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the cover plate 26 is formed in a front horizontally long flat plate that is vacuum-adsorbed to the lid opening / closing device, and a plurality of screw holes are formed in the vicinity of the peripheral edge at predetermined intervals. A screw tool penetrating the hole is screwed to the mounting boss 17 of the lid body 11. Near the center of the left and right sides of the cover plate 26, operation ports 27 are respectively drilled into vertically long rectangles, and operation keys that can rotate the lid opening / closing device are inserted into the operation ports 27 from the outside.

  A plurality of second cam rails 28 are formed on the left and right sides of the back surface of the cover plate 26 facing the lid body 11. The second cam rails 28 are formed in the vertical direction of the operation port 27. By facing each cam rail 19 with a gap, a three-dimensional cam rail for the locking mechanism 30 is defined.

  Like the first cam rail 19, the second cam rail 28 is formed by a pair of left and right rails that are opposed to each other at an interval, and the surface of each rail is formed on the cam surface for the locking mechanism 30. Further, third drop-off prevention rails 29 for the position control means 50 are respectively formed on the left and right side portions of the back surface of the cover plate 26, and each third drop-off prevention rail 29 is located on the side of the operation port 27. Curved in an arc shape.

  The lid body 11 and the cover plate 26 of the lid body 10 are molded from a molding material containing, for example, polycarbonate, fluorine-containing polycarbonate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyether ether ketone, polyether imide, polyacetal or the like.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, 9 to 13, the locking mechanism 30 includes a pair of left and right rotation operation reels 31 that rotate by an operation from the outside of the cover plate 26 of the lid 10, and each rotation operation reel 31. A plurality of advance / retreat bars 37 that linearly advance / retreat in conjunction with the rotation of the front and rear, and a plurality of locking claws that swing by the advance / retreat movement of each advance / retreat bar 37 and appear / exit from the entrance / exit hole 25 of the lid body 11. 41 and is installed in a pair of installation spaces 15 of the lid body 10, and a plurality of locking claws 41 come in contact with and away from the locking holes 7 of the container body 1.

  Each rotation operation reel 31 is basically formed in a disc, and a pair of guide grooves 32 are cut out at an interval of 180 ° between the central portion and the peripheral portion thereof, thereby supporting the lid body 11. It is fitted and supported by the boss 18 and rotates around one axis. Each guide groove 32 is curved and formed in a semicircular arc shape along the circumferential direction of the rotary operation reel 31, and is formed at a position where one end is bent so that the radius is smaller than the other end.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a key slot 33 that stops at the unlocking position in the unlocking direction or the locking position in the locking direction is drilled in a substantially rectangular front surface on the surface of the rotary operation reel 31. An operation key of the lid opening / closing device penetrating the operation port 27 is detachably inserted. A link projection 34 that contributes to the control of the position control means 50 is formed in a cylindrical shape near the peripheral edge away from the center of the surface of the rotary operation reel 31 in the radially outward direction, and this link projection 34 is formed in the rotary operation reel. It rotates while drawing an arc when 31 rotates.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the back surface of the rotary operation reel 31 is integrally formed with a cylindrical portion 35 that fits from the outside to the support boss 18 of the lid body 11 around the center portion. A spring protrusion 36 that contributes to the control of the position control means 50 is formed in a cylindrical shape near the peripheral edge away from the center of the back surface of the rotation operation reel 31 in the radially outward direction, and this spring protrusion 36 is rotated by the rotation of the rotation operation reel 31. Sometimes rotate while drawing an arc.

  Such a rotation operation reel 31 is rotated in the locking direction that is counterclockwise or the unlocking direction that is clockwise by the operation key of the lid opening / closing device inserted in the key slot 33. During this rotation operation, when the locking mechanism 30 is locked, the key slot 33 stops at a locking position 90 ° away from the unlocking position and makes its long side orthogonal to the horizontal direction so that the locking mechanism 30 When unlocked, it stops at the unlocked position 90 ° away from the locked position, and its long side is parallel to the horizontal direction.

  Each advancing / retracting bar 37 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate having a width sandwiched between the first and second cam rails 19 and 28, and the center line in the longitudinal direction coincides with the axis of the rotary operation reel 31. The first cam rail 19 is slidably disposed. The forward / backward movement bar 37 has longitudinal holes 38 that are loosely fitted in the guide bosses 20 of the lid 10 on the center line in the longitudinal direction, and the first and second cam rails on both sides. A plurality of pins 39 are slidably formed on the cam surfaces 19 and 28 so as to be guided.

  A locking claw 41 is swingably connected to the tip of the advance / retreat bar 37, and a cylindrical engagement pin 40 protrudes from the end of the advance / retreat bar 37. Is slidably fitted in the guide groove 32 of the rotary operation reel 31. Such a forward / backward movement bar 37 moves forward in the direction of the peripheral wall 13 while tilting in the thickness direction of the lid 10 when the rotary operation reel 31 rotates in the locking direction, and rotates in the unlocking direction. , Retreat while tilting from the advance position to the original position.

  Each locking claw 41 is bent, for example, in a substantially L-shaped cross section, and a rotating roller for preventing dust generation is selectively supported on the tip of the locking claw 41, and the central portion is in the vicinity of the in / out hole 25 of the lid 10. The connecting shaft is supported so as to be swingable, and the end portion is supported on the tip of the advance / retreat bar 37 so as to be swingable via a pin. When such a locking claw 41 rotates in the locking direction and the advance / retreat bar 37 advances, the locking claw 41 protrudes from the retracting hole 25 of the lid body 10 and extends to the locking hole 7 of the container body 1. Is engaged and locked, and when the rotary operation reel 31 rotates in the unlocking direction and the advance / retreat bar 37 moves backward, the tip part is separated from the locking hole 7 of the container body 1 and the retracting hole 25 of the lid body 10 is removed. Retreat to.

  The rotation operation reel 31, the advance / retreat bar 37, and the locking claw 41 of the locking mechanism 30 are formed of a molding material containing, for example, polycarbonate, fluorine-containing polycarbonate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyether ether ketone, polyether imide, polyacetal, or the like. The

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 13, the position control means 50 is connected to a plurality of links 51 that swing in the vertical direction according to the rotation of each rotation operation reel 31, and to each rotation operation reel 31 and link 51. A plurality of springs 55 to be mounted and a plurality of position restricting pins 57 provided on the cover plate 26 to come into contact with the end portions of the respective links 51, and the rotation operation reel 31 from the unlocking position in the unlocking direction to the locking direction When rotating to the locked position, the direction of the urging force acting on the rotary operation reel 31 is changed by rotating the link 51 and changing the direction with respect to the rotary operation reel 31 during the rotation. Change from the direction against the rotation to the rotation direction.

  As shown in FIG. 7 and the like, each link 51 is formed, for example, in an elongated and substantially Y shape, partially overlapped with the rotary operation reel 31, and supported by the third dropout prevention rail 29 so as to be separated from the rotary operation reel 31. Dropping is prevented. The tip of the link 51 branches left and right and projects outward to form a contact groove 52 that always contacts the position restricting pin 57. The contact groove 52 is partitioned into a wide-angle V-shape, for example, from the viewpoint of preventing the position control pin 57 from falling off, and shallowly contacts the peripheral surface of the position control pin 57 according to the rotation of the rotary operation reel 31 in the locking direction. After that, it makes a deep fitting contact and then makes a shallow contact again.

  Near the central portion of the link 51, a spring projection 53 is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to be in sliding contact with the second drop-off prevention rail 22, and extends from a portion adjacent to the spring projection 53 to the vicinity of a semicircular curved end portion. A slot 54 is pierced in the link projection 34 of the rotary operation reel 31 so as to be slidable and swingable.

  As shown in FIG. 8 and the like, each spring 55 is curved and formed in a substantially bendable, substantially C shape, for example, and applies an urging force to the rotary operation reel 31 and the link 51. The springs 55 are integrally formed with attachment rings 56 at both ends thereof, and the pair of attachment rings 56 are fitted and connected to the spring protrusions 36 of the rotary operation reel 31 and the spring protrusions 53 of the link 51. The falling off from the rotary operation reel 31 is prevented by the first dropout prevention rail 21 and the dropout from the link 51 is regulated by the second dropout prevention rail 22.

  Such a spring 55 is compressed according to the swing of the link 51, the compression is relaxed, or the spring 55 is extended and widened. Specifically, the rotation operation reel 31 is compressed when it rotates in the locking direction from the unlocking position, and it expands when the rotation operation reel 31 further rotates in the unlocking direction that is clockwise from the unlocking position. And spread. In either case, a restoring force that returns to the original state is applied, and the rotational position of the rotary operation reel 31 is restricted.

  As shown in FIGS. 3, 10 to 13, etc., each position regulating pin 57 is formed, for example, on the back surface of the cover plate 26 in a cylindrical shape having a generally convex cross section or a general cylindrical shape. Located near the center of the third drop-off prevention rail 29 and close to the center of the second drop-off prevention rail 22 with a gap therebetween, the biasing action of the spring 55 It is slidably contacted with the contact groove 52. The position restricting pin 57 operates the link 51 as the swing center of the link 51 when the rotary operation reel 31 rotates.

  When the key slot 33 of the rotation operation reel 31 stops at the unlocking position or the locking position, the link 51 having the position restricting pin 57 as the center of swinging is inclined toward the peripheral edge of the rotation operation reel 31 and the key When the slot 33 stops at an intermediate point between the unlocking position and the locking position, the slot 33 is directed toward the center of the rotary operation reel 31.

  Of these links 51, springs 55, and position restricting pins 57 of the position control means 50, at least the links 51 and the position restricting pins 57 are wear-resistant molding materials with good sliding properties, such as polyacetal, polyamide, polytetrafluoro. Molded with an ethylene-containing molding material.

  In the above configuration, when assembling the position control means 50, first, the slot 54 of the link 51 is loosely fitted to the link protrusion 34 of each rotary operation reel 31 of the assembled locking mechanism 30, and the spring of the rotary operation reel 31 is assembled. Both ends of the spring 55 are connected to the projection 36 and the spring projection 53 of the link 51, respectively, and the locking mechanism 30, the link 51, and the spring 55 are installed in the installation space 15 of the lid body 11. If the cover plate 26 is screwed onto the opened surface and the contact groove 52 of the link 51 is brought into contact with the peripheral surface of the position restricting pin 57, the position control means 50 can be assembled.

  Next, specific operations of the locking mechanism 30 and the position control means 50 when the front surface 2 of the container main body 1 is covered with the lid 10 and locked will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13. For convenience of explanation, the right side of FIGS. 10 to 13 shows the position control means 50 on the back surface of the rotary operation reel 31 and the left side shows the position control means 50 on the front surface of the rotary operation reel 31.

  First, the lid body 10 is shallowly fitted to the open front surface 2 of the container body 1 while being vacuum-adsorbed to the lid body opening / closing device, and then the operation key of the lid body opening / closing device penetrates the operation port 27 of the cover plate 26. Then, it is inserted into the key slot 33 of the rotary operation reel 31 constituting the locking mechanism 30.

  At this time, in the rotary operation reel 31, as shown in FIG. 10, the key slot 33 is positioned at the unlocking position (first position) in the unlocking direction, and the long side of the key slot 33 is oriented in the horizontal direction. The engaging pin 40 of the advance / retreat bar 37 is positioned in one end of the guide groove 32. In the link 51, one end portion of the slot 54 contacts the link projection 34 of the rotary operation reel 31, and the tip end portion of the contact groove 52 contacts the position restriction pin 57 by the spring 55, and is in an inclined stopped state. The rotation of the rotary operation reel 31 is restricted.

  When the operation key rotates, the rotation operation reel 31 rotates at a rotation angle of 7.5 ° in the locking direction, and when the long side of the key slot 33 reaches the second position, the operation slot 31 moves forward and backward in the guide groove 32 of the rotation operation reel 31. The engaging pin 40 of the moving bar 37 is guided, the advancing / retracting bar 37 advances in the direction of the peripheral wall 13 of the lid body 10, and the locking claw 41 is slightly exposed from the retracting hole 25 of the lid body 11. At this time, the contact groove 52 of the link 51 is in deep fitting contact with the position restricting pin 57 that has been in shallow contact, and the innermost valley portion is in contact with the position restricting pin 57.

  Next, when the rotary operation reel 31 rotates at a rotation angle of 45 ° from the first position and reaches the third position where the long side of the key slot 33 is an intermediate point (see FIG. 11), the rotation operation reel 31 The link projection 34 is oriented in a direction parallel to the horizontal direction, the inclined link 51 is swung to direct the slot 54 in a direction parallel to the horizontal direction, and the second drop prevention rail 22 is recessed. The spring projection 53 of the link 51 is fitted in the center, and the spring 55 is compressed.

  The link protrusion 34 of the rotation operation reel 31 slides from one end portion to the other end portion of the slot 54 of the link 51 until the rotation operation reel 31 rotates to reach the third position from the second position. Then, the direction of the link 51 is gradually changed from the inclined state to the horizontal state in the horizontal direction, and the spring 55 is compressed.

  Next, when the rotary operation reel 31 rotates at a rotation angle of 82.5 ° from the first position and the long side of the key slot 33 reaches the fourth position (see FIG. 12), the advance / retreat bar 37 is moved to the lid. 10 further advances in the direction of the peripheral wall 13, and the locking claw 41 slightly exposed from the in / out hole 25 of the lid body 11 enters the locking hole 7 of the container body 1, and the distal end of the locking claw 41 enters the wall surface of the locking hole 7. Contact.

  At this time, the link 51 swings with the position regulating pin 57 of the cover plate 26 as the rotation axis, and is in a tilted state that is approximately 70 ° opposite to the tilted state of the first position. The compressed spring 55 is to be restored, but the direction to be restored substantially coincides with the rotation direction of the rotary operation reel 31.

  Next, when the rotary operation reel 31 rotates at a rotation angle of 90 ° from the first position and the long side of the key slot 33 reaches the locking position (fifth position) in the locking direction (see FIG. 13), the forward / backward movement is performed. The bar 37 is most advanced in the direction of the peripheral wall 13 of the lid body 10, the locking claw 41 is strongly fitted and locked in the locking hole 7 of the container body 1, and the lid body 10 is drawn into the container body 1 and sealed by a seal gasket. Is formed, and the lid 10 is appropriately locked.

  At this time, the link 51 comes to a state where one end of the slot 54 comes into contact with the link projection 34 of the rotation operation reel 31 again and stops in an inclined state, and no force is applied to the spring 55, and the link 51 is attached to the rotation operation reel 31. The power will not work. Since the urging force in the same direction as the rotation force in the locking direction by the operation key is applied by the spring 55 until the rotation operation reel 31 rotates and reaches the fifth position from the fourth position, the rotation operation reel 31 is operated. However, it does not stop before the locking position as in the prior art, and stops appropriately at the locking position.

  The rotation operation reel 31 is restricted from rotating in the forward / reverse direction by the position control means 50. However, when the rotation operation reel 31 slightly passes through the fifth position, the connected spring 55 is unfolded to restore the original state. Therefore, it will return to the fifth position. Further, when the rotation operation reel 31 tries to rotate in the original unlocking direction from the fifth position, the spring 55 is compressed, but the reaction force of the spring 55 returns the rotation operation reel 31 to the fifth position. Since the urging force to be generated is generated, the rotary operation reel 31 rotates in the locking direction and returns to the fifth position.

  According to the above configuration, since the rotational position of the rotary operation reel 31 is controlled by the position control means 50, the locked rotary operation reel 31 is rotated in the unlocking direction and unlocked, or the key slot 33 is positioned. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent troubles such as shifting and hindering insertion of the operation key of the lid opening / closing device or stopping the lid opening / closing device.

  Even if the rotary operation reel 31 does not rotate accurately and stops before the locking position, and the operation key is pulled out from the key slot 33 of the rotary operation reel 31 stopped before this, the position control means 50 does not move the key. Since the slot 33 is accurately rotated to the locking position and stopped, the operation key of the lid opening / closing device can be properly inserted into the key slot 33, and the process work is not interrupted at all. Further, since the rotary operation reel 31, the link 51, and the spring 55 are engaged with each other, the position control means 50 can be assembled easily and easily.

  Further, since the slot 54 of the link 51 is slidably and rotatably fitted in the link projection 34 of the rotation operation reel 31, the spring 55 is attached to the spring 55 when the key slot 33 of the rotation operation reel 31 stops at the locking position. The acting load can be reduced. By reducing the load acting on the spring 55, it is possible to suppress an error from occurring at the stop position of the key slot 33 and to prevent an error from occurring when the operation key of the lid opening / closing device is inserted again. .

  Further, since the position restricting pin 57 is formed on the back surface of the cover plate 26, it is possible to allow the cover plate 26 to release the impact and vibration associated with the contact between the link 51 and the position restricting pin 57, and to the cover main body 11 with the position restricting pin. Compared with the case of forming 57, the impact can be greatly reduced. Further, since the vibration can be suppressed by the relaxation of the impact, the parts are not rubbed to cause generation of particles, and the possibility of contaminating the semiconductor wafer W in the container body 1 is effectively eliminated. Is possible.

  Next, FIG. 14 to FIG. 18 show a second embodiment of the present invention. In this case, a long and narrow posterior object adjacent to the vicinity of the end of the guide groove 32 is located near the peripheral edge of the back surface of the rotary operation reel 31. A flexible positioning elastic piece 60 is formed along the circumferential direction, and a meshing claw 61 adjacent to the spring protrusion 36 is bent at the tip of the positioning elastic piece 60 and is fitted into the spring protrusion 36 of the spring 55. A plurality of meshing teeth 62 that interfere with the meshing claws 61 of the positioning elastic piece 60 are partially disposed on the mounting ring 56.

As shown in FIG. 15 and the like, the plurality of meshing teeth 62 are engraved at intervals on the outer peripheral surface of one mounting ring 56 so as to correspond to the locking position and the unlocking position of the key slot 33 of the locking mechanism 30. Only when the key slot 33 is located at the first or fifth position, it engages with the engaging claw 61 (see FIGS. 16 to 18).
In the present embodiment, the link 51 is formed in an elongated plate shape, and the contact groove 52 is cut out in a V shape at the tip thereof, but the link 51 may be formed in a substantially Y shape. The other parts are the same as those in the above embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In this embodiment, the same effect as that of the above embodiment can be expected, and the engagement claw 61 and the engagement teeth 62 are engaged with each other at the locked position and the unlocked position of the key slot 33. It is possible to effectively prevent the function of the position control means 50 from deteriorating due to the displacement of the link 51 and the like from the normal position due to the impact. Specifically, when an impact or the like is applied to the position control means 50, the contact groove 52 of the link 51 and the position restricting pin 57 are displaced and become in a non-contact relationship. It is possible to prevent the position control effect of the control means 50 from being reduced.

  Note that a light-transmissive observation window for the semiconductor wafer W may be provided on the ceiling, back wall, or side wall of the container body 1 of the above embodiment. In the above embodiment, a plurality of teeth 3 are provided on the inner surfaces of both side walls of the container body 1. However, a plurality of teeth 3 may be integrally formed on the inner surfaces of both side walls of the container body 1. May be detachably mounted. Further, each tooth 3 may be divided into a plurality of pieces and spaced apart in the front-rear direction of the container body 1. Further, the operation key may be a type that is automatically rotated by the lid opening / closing device, or may be a type that is manually rotated.

  A rotating roller for preventing dust generation can be fitted to the guide boss 20 of the lid 10, each pin of each advance / retreat bar 37, and the engagement pin 40. Further, the link protrusion 34 and the spring protrusion 36 may be directly formed on the rotary operation reel 31, or may be indirectly formed through another member. Moreover, if the part of the front-end | tip part of the locking nail | claw 41 is inclined in the thickness direction and the contact area with respect to the locking hole 7 of the container main body 1 is decreased, the resistance reduction at the time of locking can be anticipated.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, from the viewpoint of making the contact groove | channel 52 of the link 51 and the position control pin 57 contact reliably, the link 51 was formed in the substantially Y shape, However, The link 51 is formed in the elongate general plate shape. It is also possible to cut out the contact groove 52 at the tip thereof into a substantially mortar shape or a substantially U-shaped cross section. Further, although the spring protrusion 36 is formed to protrude from the rotation operation reel 31, it is also possible to form a through hole or recess for the spring in the rotation operation reel 31 and to form a protrusion for the rotation operation reel at the end of the spring 55. is there. Further, although the spring protrusion 53 is formed to protrude from the link 51, a spring through hole or recess may be formed in the link 51, and the link protrusion 34 may be formed at the end of the spring 55.

  The lid and the substrate storage container according to the present invention can be used in the field of manufacturing liquid crystal displays and semiconductors.

1 Container body 2 Front (opening surface)
6 Rim 7 Locking hole (recess)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cover body 11 Cover body 13 Perimeter wall 15 Installation space 18 Support boss 21 1st drop-off prevention rail 22 2nd drop-off prevention rail 25 Intrusion hole 26 Cover plate 27 Operation port 29 3rd drop-off prevention rail 30 Locking mechanism 31 Rotation operation Reel (rotating operation body)
33 Key slot 34 Protrusion for link (protrusion for link member)
36 Spring protrusion (protrusion for elastic biasing member)
37 Advance / Retreat Bar 41 Locking Claw (Locking Body)
50 Position control means 51 Link (link member)
52 Contact groove 53 Spring projection 54 Groove hole 55 Spring (elastic biasing member)
56 Mounting ring 57 Position restriction pin (position restriction member)
60 positioning elastic piece 61 meshing claw 62 meshing tooth W semiconductor wafer (substrate)

Claims (6)

Controls the rotational position of the rotating operation body of the locking mechanism, the cover body covering the opening surface of the lid body, the cover plate covering the opening surface of the lid body, the locking mechanism interposed between the lid body and the cover plate. A lid provided with position control means,
The locking mechanism is supported by the lid body, and includes a rotary operation body that rotates in the locking direction or the unlocking direction by an operation from the outside of the cover plate, and a locking body that protrudes from and surrounds the lid body by the rotation of the rotary operation body. Including
The position control means is slidably supported at a position away from the center of the rotary operation body of the locking mechanism in the radially outward direction, and swings in response to the rotation of the rotary operation body. And an elastic biasing member connected to the link body and a position regulating member that is in contact with the link member, and is attached to the rotary operation body and the link member by the elastic biasing member. By applying a force, while rotating the rotating operation body from the unlocking position in the unlocking direction to the locking position in the locking direction, by swinging the link member and changing the direction with respect to the rotating operation body during the rotation, A lid body that changes a direction of an urging force acting on a rotary operation body from a direction against the rotation direction of the rotary operation body to a rotation direction.   The position restricting member of the position control means is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape on the cover plate, the rotary operation body of the locking mechanism is formed in a substantially plate shape, and the unlocking position in the unlocking direction or the locking in the locking direction is at the center. A key slot that stops at a position is provided, and a protrusion for a link member is formed at a location away from the center portion of either one of the front and back of the rotary operation body in the radially outward direction, and away from the other center portion in the radially outward direction. The lid according to claim 1, wherein an elastic biasing member projection is formed at a location.   The link member of the position control means is formed in a substantially plate shape, and a contact groove for the position regulating member is formed at one end of the link member, and the groove that fits slidably on the link member protrusion of the rotary operation body. The lid according to claim 2, wherein a hole is provided so that the link member can swing around the position regulating member when the rotary operation body rotates.   When the elastic biasing member of the position control means is a substantially C-shaped spring and both ends thereof are connected to the elastic biasing member protrusion and the link member of the rotary operation body, and the rotary operation body rotates to the locking position in the locking direction. The lid according to claim 2, wherein the compressed spring is restored to apply an urging force in the rotation direction of the rotary operation body. A substrate storage container for fitting the lid according to any one of claims 1 to 4 to an opening surface of a container body for storing a substrate,
A substrate storage container characterized in that a recess that is brought into and out of contact with the locking body of the locking mechanism is formed on the inner periphery of the opening surface of the container body.   When the container body is formed in the front open box and the lid is detachably fitted to the opened front surface, and the rotary operation body of the locking mechanism rotates at a rotation angle of 45 ° from the locked state or the unlocked state, 6. The substrate storage container according to claim 5, wherein the link member is swung so that the slot is directed in a direction substantially parallel to the horizontal direction.