JP4664610B2 - Seal member - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a seal member for sealing between a fitting body and a fitting body that are fitted to each other, and in particular, for transporting, storing, etc., a thin plate that does not like the entry of dust or the like, such as a semiconductor wafer or mask glass. The present invention relates to a sealing member suitable for use in a thin plate container that needs to keep the inside clean.

  A thin plate storage container used when transporting and storing a thin plate such as a semiconductor wafer is configured to include a carrier, a container body, a lid, a pressing member, a seal member, and the like, as in Patent Document 1, for example. . The seal member is configured as shown in FIG.

The seal member 1 includes an endless portion 2, a projecting piece 3, a fitting rib 4 and a positioning projection 5. The endless portion 2 of the seal member 1 is fitted and supported in the fitting holding groove 7 of the lid 6. The projecting piece 3 extends to the container body 8 side and is supported by the endless portion 2, and the tip of the projecting piece 3 is supported by being in contact with the container body 8.
JP 2002-68364 A

  However, in the case of the sealing member 1 of Patent Document 1, the endless portion 2 is fitted in the fitting holding groove 7, and the projecting piece 3 supported by the endless portion 2 extends toward the container body 8 and comes into contact therewith. However, the elasticity of the protrusion 3 becomes a problem. When the elasticity of the projecting piece 3 is weakened due to aging, heat, or the like, there is a problem that the sealing performance is lowered.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a seal member that can efficiently suppress deterioration of sealability due to aging or heat.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems. A seal member according to the present invention is a seal member that is interposed between a fitting body and a fitting body that are fitted to each other and seals between the fitting body and the fitting body, and is provided on either the fitting body or the fitting body. An endless portion that is fitted in the fitting groove, and a projecting piece that is formed to extend from the endless portion to the other and seals the abutting portion by abutting the tip portion against the other sealing surface, A thin tip portion that is formed thin and in close contact with the seal surface; an intermediate thick portion that is formed thick and supports the thin tip portion and presses the thin tip portion against the seal surface; and A proximal elastic support portion that elastically supports the intermediate thick portion and has a portion formed thinner than the thickest portion of the intermediate thick portion, and a load applied to the proximal elastic support portion at the intermediate position. this having a proximal end protruding to concentrate The features.

With the above-described configuration, the thin intermediate portion adheres to the seal surface by supporting the thin tip portion and pressing it against the seal surface. At this time, the base thick elastic support portion elastically supports the intermediate thick portion so that the intermediate thick portion does not press the thin tip portion against the sealing surface with a very strong force. When a strong force is applied to the protruding piece, the proximal elastic support portion having a portion formed thinner than the thickest portion of the intermediate thick portion is released so that excessive force is not concentrated and the intermediate thick portion Press against the sealing surface with a certain pressure. Further, even if the projecting piece is deteriorated and the elasticity is lowered, the reduced elasticity is dispersed and absorbed by the thin tip portion, the middle thick portion, and the proximal elastic support portion. Further, when the base end protrusion is directly pressed, the intermediate portion of the base end elastic support portion is indirectly pressed and the base end elastic support portion is flexibly bent to elastically support the intermediate thick portion. be able to.

  The thin tip portion is preferably set to a thickness that can be flexibly bent and deformed following the unevenness of the seal surface.

  Thereby, the tip thin wall portion flexes flexibly along the unevenness of the seal surface and adheres closely to the seal surface, thereby improving the sealing performance.

  The distal end portion of the thin distal end portion preferably includes a cut surface that is cut at an angle of 30 to 60 degrees.

  Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the tip portion of the thin tip portion from being chipped due to friction with the seal surface, or the tip portion of the tip thin portion from being chipped due to insufficient resin filling during mold molding.

  It is desirable that the intermediate thick portion is formed with a gradually increasing thickness from the proximal end of the thin tip portion.

  Thereby, while being able to support a front-end | tip thin part horizontally on a sealing surface, it can be set as a so-called firm support member.

  The contact surface on the seal surface side from the thin tip portion to the intermediate thick portion is desirably formed as a straight flat surface having no step over the entire surface.

  Thereby, a contact surface can be stuck with respect to a sealing surface.

  As described in detail above, the thin plate container of the present invention has the following effects.

  The thin tip portion is in close contact with the seal surface, the thin tip portion is supported by the intermediate thick portion, the intermediate thick portion is elastically supported by the proximal elastic support portion, and the proximal elastic support portion is intermediate Since the proximal end protrusion is pushed and elastically bent at the position, the thin-walled portion at the tip can be in close contact with the sealing surface to seal the inside of the container body.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The seal member of the present invention is a seal member that is interposed between a fitting body and a fitted body that are fitted to each other and seals between them. In particular, it is a seal member suitable for use in a thin plate container or the like that needs to keep the inside clean. Further, the thin plate container is a container for storing a thin plate that is not susceptible to intrusion of dust and the like, such as a semiconductor wafer, a storage disk, a liquid crystal glass substrate, and a mask glass, for use in storage, transportation, and the like. Here, an example in which the seal member of the present invention is used for a thin plate container for housing a semiconductor wafer will be described.

First, a thin plate container using the sealing member of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The thin plate container 21 of the present embodiment is mainly configured to include a groove plate 22, a container body 23, a lid body 24, and a seal member 25.

  The groove plate 22 is a member for supporting the semiconductor wafer accommodated in the container body 23 from both sides. The groove plates 22 are respectively provided on opposite side walls in the container body 23. A number of semiconductor wafers are supported in parallel with the groove plate 22.

  The container body 23 is a container for storing a plurality of semiconductor wafers. The inside of the container body 23 is sealed in a state where a plurality of semiconductor wafers are accommodated, and entry of dust and the like from the outside is prevented. That is, two groove plates 22 are attached in the container main body 23, and the inside is sealed while a plurality of semiconductor wafers are supported between the two groove plates 22 and stored in the container main body 23. Intrusion of dust and the like is prevented.

  A lid body receiving portion 27 for fitting the lid body 24 is provided at the upper end portion (left end portion in FIG. 3) of the container main body 23. The lid receiving portion 27 is formed by expanding the upper end portion of the container body 23 to the size of the lid 24. Accordingly, the lid body 24 is fitted to the lid body receiving portion 27 by fitting inside the vertical plate portion 27A of the lid body receiving portion 27 and coming into contact with the horizontal plate portion 27B. The horizontal flat plate portion 27 </ b> B serves as a sealing surface for sealing the inside of the thin plate container 21 with the seal member 25 attached to the lid body 24 coming into contact therewith.

  The lid 24 is a member for closing the container body 23. The lid 24 closes the container body 23 and seals the inside thereof in a state where the semiconductor wafer is stored in the container body 23. A simple attachment / detachment mechanism (not shown) for fixing the lid 24 to the container body 23 is provided in the lid 24. This simple attachment / detachment mechanism includes a lid engaging upper claw (not shown) protruding from the peripheral edge of the lid 24. A pressing member (not shown) for supporting the semiconductor wafer supported in the two groove plates 22 in the container main body 23 from the cover body side is provided on the inner side surface (surface on the container main body 23 side) of the lid 24. Is provided.

  An annular fitting groove 29 (see FIG. 5) is provided at the end of the lid 24 on the container body 23 side over the entire circumference. The annular groove 29 is provided on the lower end edge of the lid body 24 over the entire circumference. A flange portion 29A (see FIG. 5) is provided at the end of the annular groove 29. The flange portion 29A is formed so as to project from the lid body 24 in parallel to the horizontal plate portion 27B of the lid body receiving portion 27, and serves as a member that presses the proximal ridge 37 of the seal member 25 described later.

  The seal member 25 is a member for sealing the inside of the container main body 23 by interposing between the container main body 23 and the lid body 24 and sealing between them. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the seal member 25 includes an endless portion 31 fitted in an annular fitting groove 29 on the lid body 24 side, and the endless portion 31 to the other (the lid body on the container body 23 side). And a projecting piece 32 that seals the abutting portion of the receiving portion 27 that extends to the sealing surface (the horizontal plate portion 27B of the receiving portion 27) and abuts the tip portion of the receiving portion 27 against the sealing surface. The seal member 25 is made of an elastic member such as synthetic resin, and the whole can be flexibly bent.

  The endless portion 31 is configured as a belt-like member that is fitted into the annular fitting groove 29 on the lid body 24 side. On the back side of the endless portion 31 (the back side of the fitting groove 29), a bulging portion 31A is formed. The bulging portion 31 </ b> A is a portion that is press-fitted into the fitting groove 29 and stably supports the endless portion 31 in the fitting groove 29.

  The projecting piece 32 is a member that comes into contact with the sealing surface (horizontal plate portion 27 </ b> B) of the container body 23 and seals between the container body 23 and the seal member 25. The projecting piece 32 is formed to extend from the endless portion 31 to the other (the horizontal plate portion 27B on the container main body 23 side), and its tip portion comes into contact with the sealing surface to seal the contact portion. Yes. The projecting piece 32 is a part of the seal member 25, and as described above, the projecting piece 32 is made of an elastic member and can be flexed flexibly as a whole. Specifically, the projecting piece 32 includes a distal end thin portion 34, an intermediate thick portion 35, a proximal end elastic support portion 36, and a proximal end protrusion 37.

  The thin distal end portion 34 is a portion that is in close contact with the sealing surface (horizontal plate portion 27B) of the lid receiving portion 27 that is a contact portion. The thin tip portion 34 is formed with a thinner thickness than other portions. Specifically, the thin tip 34 is set to a thickness that can be flexibly bent and deformed following the unevenness of the seal surface. Since the flexibility differs depending on the material used for the seal member 25, the thickness is set according to the material used. The entire distal thin portion 34 has substantially the same thickness and is slightly tapered so as to become slightly thinner toward the distal end. In addition, you may make it the same thickness as a whole, without providing a taper. By being configured in this way, even if the seal surface has irregularities, the thin tip portion 34 flexes flexibly and deforms along the irregularities so that the irregularities are absorbed and come into close contact with the seal surface. Yes. The distal end portion of the distal thin portion 34 is a cut surface 34A that is cut at an angle of about 45 degrees. This cut surface 34A is for preventing the tip end portion of the tip thin portion 34 from becoming too thin. If the cross-sectional shape of the tip is made thin and sharp, the tip of the tip thin portion 34 and the sealing surface are rubbed many times as the lid 24 is attached and detached, and the tip is broken. At the time of mold molding, the resin cannot completely wrap around the narrow gap and the pointed tip is chipped, which causes a decrease in adhesion to the seal surface. In order to solve this problem, a cut surface 34A is provided on the tip thin portion 34 so that the tip portion does not become excessively thin. The angle of the cut surface 34A is set in the range of about 30 to 60 degrees. Since the cut sub 34A also has a function of pressing the distal end portion of the thin tip portion 34 against the sealing surface under the external air pressure, the inclination angle is within a range in which the function is effectively exhibited and the above-described defect can be prevented. Is set.

  The intermediate thick portion 35 is a portion for supporting the thin tip portion 34 and pressing the thin tip portion 34 against the seal surface. The intermediate thick portion 35 is formed so as to gradually increase in thickness from the proximal end of the distal thin portion 34 in a tapered shape. Thereby, the intermediate | middle thick part 35 is bent so that the front end side (connection part with the front-end | tip thin part 34) is comparatively large rather than the base end side. Thereby, the amount of bending gradually decreases as it goes from the distal end side of the intermediate thick portion 35 to the proximal end side, that is, gradually becomes larger as it goes from the distal end side to the proximal end side of the intermediate thick portion 35, The tip thin portion 34 can be strongly pressed in a state of being supported in parallel with the seal surface. Thereby, it has the intensity | strength which presses the front-end | tip thin part 34 strongly on a sealing surface, without bending very much as a whole. The taper angle is set according to the force required to press the thin tip portion 34 strongly against the seal surface, which is required for the intermediate thick portion 35. When a stronger force is required, the taper angle is set so that the intermediate thick portion 35 becomes thicker.

  The boundary between the distal thin portion 34 and the intermediate thick portion 35 is formed with an angle, but it may be formed so as to be a continuous surface with a large curvature radius.

  The contact surface 38 on the seal surface side (the horizontal plate portion 27B side of the lid receiving portion 27) between the distal thin portion 34 and the intermediate thick portion 35 is a straight line having no step from the distal thin portion 34 to the intermediate thick portion 35. A flat surface. This is because if there is a step or the like when the contact surface 38 comes into contact with the seal surface of the lid receiving portion 27, a gap is easily formed between the contact surface 38 and the seal surface. By making the contact surface 38 a flat surface without a step, it comes into close contact with the sealing surface of the lid receiving portion 27 without any gap.

  The proximal elastic support portion 36 is a portion for elastically supporting the intermediate thick portion 35. The proximal elastic support portion 36 is provided by connecting the intermediate thick portion 35 and the endless portion 31, and elastically supports the intermediate thick portion 35 while being supported by the endless portion 31. Thereby, the base end elastic support part 36 is bent and escaped so that excessive force does not concentrate on the intermediate thick part 35. The proximal elastic support portion 36 is formed so as to be flexible as a whole by thinning the middle portion thereof. The intermediate portion is formed thinner than the thickest portion of the intermediate thick portion 35 and is deformed together with the intermediate thick portion 35 so that excessive force is not concentrated on the intermediate thick portion 35.

  The base end protrusion 37 is a base end for concentrating a load applied to the base end elasticity support portion 36 at an intermediate position of the base end elastic support portion 36, mainly at a central portion (a central portion in the left-right direction in FIG. 1). It is a protrusion. The proximal end ridge 37 is provided at the central portion of the upper side surface of the proximal end elastic support portion 36 (on the flange portion 29A side of the lid body 24). The proximal ridges 37 may be provided over the entire length of the annular proximal elastic support portion 36 or may be provided intermittently at regular intervals. When the base end ridges 37 are provided intermittently at regular intervals, the interval at which the base end ridges 37 are provided is set so that the load applied to the base end elastic support portion 36 does not become mottled in the annular direction. Furthermore, the proximal end protrusions 37 themselves are also bent to prevent excessive force from being concentrated on the intermediate thick portion 35. Accordingly, the first-stage buffering is performed by the base end elastic support portion 36, and the second-stage buffering is performed by the base end protrusion 37.

  In addition, the attachment position of the base end protruding item | line 37 is not restricted to the center part of the upper surface of the base end elastic support part 36, Other positions may be sufficient. For example, when it is desired to strongly press the distal thin portion 34, the proximal protrusion 37 is provided closer to the intermediate thick portion 35. In order to increase the pressing force, the intermediate thick portion 35 may be provided. When it is desired to press the tip thin portion 34 with a stronger force, the tip thin portion 34 may be provided directly. Conversely, if it is desired to make it weaker, it is provided closer to the endless portion 31.

  The sealing member 25 of the thin plate container 21 configured as described above is used as follows.

  First, the seal member 25 is attached. Specifically, the endless portion 31 of the seal member 25 is pushed into the fitting groove 29. As a result, the bulging portion 31 </ b> A is pushed all the way into the fitting groove 29, and the endless portion 31 is stably supported by the fitting groove 29.

  In this state, the semiconductor wafer is accommodated in the groove plate 22 in the container body 23 and the lid 24 is attached. Specifically, the lid body 24 is covered from the upper side of the container main body 23, and the lid body 24 is fixed to the container main body 23 by a simple attachment / detachment mechanism.

  At this time, in the sealing member 25, the protruding piece 32 extends to the sealing surface (horizontal plate portion 27 </ b> B) on the container body 23 side, and the tip portion contacts the sealing surface to seal the contact portion. A state in which the projecting piece 32 contacts the seal surface will be described with reference to FIGS.

  When the lid body 24 is fitted to the lid body receiving portion 27 of the container main body 23, the proximal end protrusion 37 is pushed by the flange portion 29A on the lid body 24 side, and first, as shown in FIG. The distal end portion of the distal thin portion 34 contacts the seal surface. Next, when the lid body 24 is pushed into the lid body receiving portion 27, as shown in FIG. 6A, the flange portion 29A on the fitting groove 29 side pushes the proximal end ridge 37, and the distal end thin portion 34 gradually bends. start. When the lid body 24 is further pushed in, the intermediate thick portion 35 starts to bend together with the thin tip portion 34 as shown in FIG. When the lid body 24 is further pushed in, as shown in FIG. 6C, the intermediate thick portion 35 is largely bent at the distal end side without much bending at its proximal end side, and the distal end portion of the intermediate thick portion 35 is almost bent. Deform to become horizontal. As a result, the tip thin portion 34 is strongly pressed against the seal surface while being horizontally supported.

  At this time, the proximal elastic support portion that is pushed near the center by the proximal ridge 37 so that an excessive force is not applied near the boundary between the distal thin portion 34 and the intermediate thick portion 35. 36 bends. When a stronger force is applied, the base end protrusion 37 is deformed together with the base end elastic support portion 36. Thereby, excessive force is released and the intermediate thick portion 35 is pressed against the sealing surface with a constant pressure. This constant pressure can be sustained for a long time. This is because even if the projecting piece 32 deteriorates and the elasticity is lowered, the reduced elasticity is caused by the thin distal end portion 34, the intermediate thick portion 35, the proximal elastic support portion 36, and the proximal protrusion 37. This is because it can be dispersed and absorbed. Further, the contact surface 38 of the distal thin portion 34 supported by the intermediate thick portion 35 is in close contact with the seal surface.

  In this state, when the external pressure of the thin plate container 21 is high, the distal thin portion 34 of the seal member 25 is pressed against the seal surface by the external pressure. Further, the cut surface 34A at the tip of the tip thin portion 34 is also pressed against the seal surface at the external pressure. Thereby, the tip thin-walled portion 34 is in close contact with the sealing surface, and the thin plate container 21 is sealed. When the internal pressure of the thin plate container 21 is higher than the external pressure, the internal pressure pushes the gap between the tip thin portion 34 of the seal member 25 and the sealing surface, and the gas in the thin plate container 21 flows out. Thus, an increase in pressure in the thin plate container 21 is suppressed.

  When the lid 24 is removed, the tip thin portion 34 of the seal member 25 is detached from the seal surface by the reverse operation. At this time, the distal end portion of the distal thin portion 34 is slightly slid on the sealing surface of the lid receiving portion 27, but the distal end portion of the distal thin portion 34 is not a thin and sharp distal end but is thick at the cut surface 34A. Since it is cut, even if it slides somewhat on the sealing surface of the lid receiving portion 27, the tip end portion is hardly lost.

  As a result, the projecting piece 32 is in close contact with the sealing surface of the lid receiving portion 27 between the seal member 25 and the container body 23 and the endless portion 31 is fitted between the sealing member 25 and the lid 24. Seal against the groove 29.

  FIG. 7 shows an experimental result regarding the sealing performance of the seal member 25. The table in FIG. 7 is a measurement of the time taken for the inside of the container to become a negative pressure and to reach atmospheric pressure. Here, an experiment was performed on two seal members 25. The inside of the container was set to -5.00 kilopascals, and changes after 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes were examined. Although this experiment was performed on seal members having various configurations, all returned to atmospheric pressure in about 2 to 5 minutes. However, in the seal member 25 of the present embodiment, the first sample was-even after 10 minutes. The confidentiality was greatly improved, with 3.95 kilopascals and -4.04 kilopascals for the second specimen.

  As described above, since the intermediate thick portion 35 supports the thin tip portion 34 and presses it against the seal surface, the thin thin tip portion 34 comes into close contact with the seal surface. Thereby, the inside of the container main body 23 can be sealed, and a sealing performance improves significantly.

  Further, since the base end elastic support portion 36 is flexibly bent by pressing the intermediate position of the base end elastic support portion 36 via the base end protrusions 37, the intermediate thick portion 35 is elastically deformed. Can be supported. As a result, it is possible to prevent an excessive force from being applied to the intermediate thick portion 35 and to press the distal thin portion 34 against the seal surface with an appropriate force and to maintain the pressing force for a long period of time.

  Since the thin tip portion 34 is set to a thickness that can be flexibly bent and deformed following the unevenness of the seal surface, the thin thin portion 34 is deformed and sealed according to the unevenness even if the seal surface has unevenness. The inside of the container main body 23 can be sealed by sticking to the surface.

  Since the cut surface 34A inclined at an angle of about 45 degrees is provided at the distal end portion of the distal thin portion 34, the distal end portion of the distal thin portion 34 can be prevented from being chipped. As a result, the tip thin portion 34 can be maintained in a good state, and the container body 23 can be sealed.

  Since the intermediate thick portion 35 is formed in a tapered shape from the proximal end of the distal thin portion 34, the thickness of the intermediate thick portion 35 gradually decreases from the proximal end toward the distal end. The tip thin portion 34 can be horizontally supported on the sealing surface. Furthermore, since the intermediate thick portion 35 is deformed so that the radius of curvature gradually decreases from the proximal end side to the distal end side, a shape close to a straight line is maintained as the overall shape of the intermediate thick portion 35. A so-called strong support member can be obtained. As a result, the distal end thin portion 34 is in close contact with the sealing surface, and the inside of the container body 23 can be reliably sealed.

  Since the contact surface 38 is formed as a straight flat surface having no step over the entire surface, it is difficult to form a gap between the contact surface 38 and the seal surface, and the contact surface 38 can be brought into close contact. As a result, the inside of the container body 23 can be sealed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the thin plate container 21 for storing semiconductor wafers has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be used for all containers that need to be sealed inside.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the fitting groove | channel 29 was provided in the cover body 24 side, you may provide in the container main body 23 side. Also in this case, the same operations and effects as the above embodiment can be achieved.

  Furthermore, in the said embodiment, although the base end convex line 37 was provided in the center position of the base end elastic support part 36, the installation position of this base end convex line 37 is according to the extent to which the base end elastic support part 36 is bent. Set as appropriate.

  Further, although the proximal ridge 37 is provided on the proximal elastic support portion 36 side, it may be provided on the flange portion 29 </ b> A side of the fitting groove 29. Also in this case, the same operations and effects as the above embodiment can be achieved.

It is sectional drawing which shows the sealing member of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the conventional sealing member. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the thin plate container with which the sealing member of this invention was used. It is a perspective view which shows the thin plate container with which the sealing member of this invention was used. It is sectional drawing which shows the sealing member of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows a motion of a sealing member when the cover body of the thin plate container of this invention is attached. It is a table | surface which shows the experimental result of confidentiality.

Explanation of symbols

  21: Thin plate container, 22: Groove plate, 23: Container body, 24: Cover body, 25: Seal member, 27: Cover body receiving portion, 27A: Vertical plate portion, 27B: Horizontal plate portion, 29: Ring groove 29A: flange part, 31: endless part, 31A: bulging part, 32: protruding piece, 34: thin tip part, 34A: cut surface, 35: intermediate thick part, 36: proximal elastic support part, 37: Proximal ridge, 38: contact surface.

Claims (5)

A seal member that is interposed between a fitting body and a body to be fitted together and seals between them,
An endless portion that is fitted in a fitting groove provided in one of the fitting body and the fitting body, and an endless portion that extends from the endless portion to the other, and a tip portion of which abuts against the other sealing surface. And a projecting piece that seals the contact portion with
A thin tip portion that is formed thin and in close contact with the seal surface; an intermediate thick portion that is formed thick and supports the thin tip portion and presses the thin tip portion against the seal surface; and A proximal elastic support portion that elastically supports the intermediate thick portion and has a portion formed thinner than the thickest portion of the intermediate thick portion, and a load applied to the proximal elastic support portion at the intermediate position. A sealing member comprising a base end protrusion to be concentrated . The seal member according to claim 1 ,
The sealing member, wherein the thin-walled tip portion is set to a thickness that can be flexibly bent and deformed following the unevenness of the sealing surface. The seal member according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The sealing member according to claim 1, further comprising a cut surface in which the distal end portion of the thin distal end portion is cut at an angle of 30 to 60 degrees. The seal member according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The sealing member according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate thick portion is formed so as to gradually increase in thickness from a proximal end of the thin tip portion. The seal member according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
The sealing member, wherein the contact surface on the seal surface side from the thin tip portion to the intermediate thick portion is formed as a straight flat surface having no step over the entire surface.

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