JP6779440B2 - Case cleaning device and case cleaning method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention fixes a case body, a door portion that can be attached to and detached from the case body, and a door portion that can be detached from the case body, such as a FOUP that stores a plurality of semiconductor wafers. The present invention relates to a case cleaning device and a case cleaning method for cleaning a case having a fixing mechanism.

Conventionally, a hoop washing / drying device for washing and drying a FOUP (case) for storing a semiconductor wafer has been proposed (see Patent Document 1). The FOUP, which is the target of washing and drying with this hoop washing and drying device, is attached to the hoop body (case body) having an opening on the front surface and the opening of the hoop body so that it can be locked and unlocked (fixed and unlocked). It is equipped with a door (door part). Then, in the hoop washing / drying device, the hoop body and the door are washed and dried in a washing / drying tank in a separated state.

Specifically, the FOUP with the door attached to and locked (fixed) to the hoop body is placed on the temporary stand by a robot (case transfer mechanism) with the door adsorbed on the temporary stand. In this state, the lock on the hoop body of the door is released (unlocked). Then, the hoop body is separated from the door sucked and held by the temporary stand and moved to the washing / drying tank by the robot, and then the robot returns to the temporary stand after the suction to the door of the temporary stand is released. The door is grasped and moved to a door holding portion provided inside the outer lid of the washing / drying tank, and the door is held by the door holding portion. Then, in the washing / drying tank with the outer lid closed, the hoop body and the door are washed and dried in a separated state.

In such a hoop washing / drying device, since the hoop main body and the door can be washed and dried in a separated state in the washing / drying tank, each of the hoop main body and the door can be washed satisfactorily.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-56450

By the way, in the hoop washing / drying apparatus described above, the FOUP is separated by a temporary stand arranged outside the washing / drying tank. Therefore, in order to move the separated hoop body and the door to the washing / drying tank, the robot must make two reciprocations between the temporary stand arranged outside the washing / drying tank and the washing / drying tank. .. Therefore, it is not always possible to efficiently set the hoop body and the door in the washing / drying tank, which are separated into two parts.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and a case cleaning capable of separating a case into a case main body and a door portion and efficiently setting the case main body and the door portion in a cleaning tank. It provides an apparatus and a case cleaning method.

The case cleaning device according to the present invention fixes the case main body, the door portion that can be attached to and detached from the case main body, and the door portion attached to the case main body in a state that can be released from the case main body. A case cleaning device for cleaning a case having a fixing mechanism, wherein a cleaning tank, a door holding portion provided in the cleaning tank and holding the door portion, and the door portion are mounted and fixed to the case body. A case transport mechanism that grips and transports the case in a state, and a state in which the case transport mechanism conveys the case and holds the door portion by the door holding portion. A fixing release mechanism that operates the fixing mechanism so as to release the fixing to the case body, and a case transport mechanism provided in the cleaning tank and held in the door holding portion in a state where the fixing to the case body is released. It is configured to have a case body holding portion for holding the case body that has been separated and transported from the door portion.

With such a configuration, the case in which the door portion is mounted and fixed to the case body is transported to the cleaning tank by the case transport mechanism that grips the case body, and the door is transferred to the door holding portion provided in the cleaning tank. The part is held. In this state, the fixing release mechanism operates the fixing mechanism to release the fixing of the door portion to the case body. Then, the case body is separated from the door portion held by the door holding portion and transported by the case transport mechanism that grips the case body, and is held by the case body holding portion provided in the cleaning tank. As a result, in the washing tank, the case main body is set in the case main body holding portion and the door portion is set in the door holding portion in a separated state. In the cleaning tank, the case body held by the case body holding portion and the door portion held by the door holding portion can be washed in a separated state.

In the case cleaning device according to the present invention, the cleaning tank includes a tank body that opens upward and a lid portion that opens and closes the opening of the tank body, and the door holding portion is provided on the inner surface of the lid portion. The fixing release mechanism releases the fixing of the door portion to the case body while being held by the door holding portion provided on the inner side surface of the lid portion from the outside of the lid portion. The structure may have a mechanism for operating the fixing mechanism.

With such a configuration, the case in which the door portion is attached and fixed to the case body is transported to the lid portion of the washing tank by the case transport mechanism that grips the case body, and is provided on the inner side surface of the lid portion. The door portion is held by the door holding portion. In this state, the fixing release mechanism operates the fixing mechanism from the outside of the lid portion to release the fixing of the door portion to the case body. Then, the case body is separated from the door portion held by the door holding portion and transported by the case transport mechanism that grips the case body, and is held by the case body holding portion provided in the cleaning tank. As a result, in the cleaning tank, the case main body is set in the case main body holding portion, and the door portion is set in the door holding portion provided on the inner side surface of the lid portion of the cleaning tank in a separated state.

In the case cleaning device according to the present invention, the fixing mechanism operates by rotating the rotating portion in which the key groove is formed and the rotating portion, and the door portion of the door portion is operated according to the rotation direction of the rotating portion. It has a fixing operation part that fixes and releases the fixing to the case body, and the mechanism that operates the fixing mechanism includes a key that can be fitted into the key groove formed in the rotating part and the door part is the door. A key fitting mechanism for fitting the key into the key groove while being held by the holding portion, and a key rotating mechanism for rotating the key fitted in the key groove by the key fitting mechanism to rotate the rotating portion. It has a configuration having and.

With such a configuration, the case in which the door portion is attached and fixed to the case body is transported to the lid portion of the washing tank by the case transport mechanism that grips the case body, and is provided on the inner side surface of the lid portion. The door portion is held by the door holding portion. In this state, the key is fitted into the key groove formed in the rotating portion by the key fitting mechanism, and the key fitted in the key groove is rotated by the key rotating mechanism. The rotation of the key rotates the rotating portion, and the operation of the fixing operation portion according to the rotation direction of the rotating portion releases the fixing of the door portion to the case body.

In the case cleaning device according to the present invention, the fixing mechanism is provided on the door portion of the case, and the key fitting mechanism is provided with the key at the tip portion and penetrates the lid portion of the cleaning tank. In the key groove formed in the rotating portion of the fixing mechanism provided in the door portion, which is provided on the outer surface of the lid portion and is held by the door portion. It has a shaft body advancing / retreating mechanism that advances the shaft body so that the key fits in and retracts the shaft body so that the key escapes from the key groove, and the key rotation mechanism is the lid portion. The shaft body rotation drive mechanism is provided on the outer surface of the shaft body and rotates the shaft body in a state where the key is fitted in the key groove.

With such a configuration, the case in which the door portion is attached and fixed to the case body is transported to the lid portion of the washing tank by the case transport mechanism that grips the case body, and is provided on the inner side surface of the lid portion. The door portion is held by the door holding portion. In this state, the shaft body is advanced by the shaft body advancing / retreating mechanism provided on the outer surface of the lid portion of the cleaning tank, and the key provided at the tip portion of the shaft body is the door holding portion (of the lid portion). It is fitted into the keyway of the rotating portion provided in the door portion held by (provided on the inner side surface). Then, the key fitted in the key groove is rotated by rotating the shaft body by the shaft body rotation drive mechanism. The rotation of the key rotates the rotating portion, and the operation of the fixing operation portion according to the rotation direction of the rotating portion releases the fixing of the door portion to the case body.

In the case cleaning method according to the present invention, the case main body, the door portion that can be attached to and detached from the case main body, and the door portion attached to the case main body are fixed to the case main body in a detachable state. A case cleaning method for cleaning a case having a fixing mechanism, wherein the case transport mechanism grips the case body to which the door portion is mounted and fixed to transport the case, and the door portion is provided in the cleaning tank. A door portion setting step to be held by the door holding portion, a fixing release step of operating the fixing mechanism so as to release the fixing of the door portion to the case body, and a fixing of the case transport mechanism to the case body. The case main body setting step of holding the case main body separated from the door portion held by the door holding portion and being conveyed by the case main body holding portion provided in the washing tank, and the washing The tank is configured to have a cleaning step of cleaning the door portion held by the door holding portion and the case main body held by the case main body holding portion in a separated state.

According to the case cleaning device and the case cleaning method according to the present invention, the case body and the door portion are separated not outside the cleaning tank but in the cleaning tank, and the case body is held by the case body holding portion in the cleaning tank. Since the door portion is held by the door holding portion, the case can be separated into the case main body and the door portion, and the case main body and the door portion can be efficiently set in the washing tank.

It is a perspective view which shows the structure of FOUP as a case to be cleaned by the case cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the principle structure of the fixing mechanism provided in the FOUP (case). It is a figure which shows the operation of the fixing mechanism shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows typically the case cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is an enlarged view which shows the basic structure of the lock release mechanism in the case cleaning apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the relative relationship between a lock mechanism and an unlock mechanism. It is a figure which shows the operation example (the 1) of the case cleaning apparatus. It is a figure which shows the operation example (the 2) of the case cleaning apparatus. It is a figure which shows the operation example (the 3) of the case cleaning apparatus. It is a figure which shows the operation example (the 4) of the case cleaning apparatus. It is a figure which shows the operation example (the 5) of the case cleaning apparatus. It is a figure which shows the operation example (the 6) of the case cleaning apparatus. It is a figure which shows the operation example (the 7) of the case cleaning apparatus.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The case to be cleaned by the case cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention is a FOUP that houses a plurality of semiconductor wafers, and has a structure as shown in FIG. 1, for example.

In FIG. 1, the FOUP 100 includes a case main body 110 having an opening 111 formed on the entire front surface and a door portion 120 detachable from the case main body 110, and the door portion 120 is fitted into the opening 111. As a result, the case body 110 is closed. Paired multi-stage shelves (not shown) are formed on the inner surfaces of both side walls of the case body 110, and the edges of the wafer Wf are supported by each pair of shelves. A multi-stage shelf (not shown) is also formed on the inner surface of the door portion 120 so as to correspond to each shelf pair on the inner surfaces of both side walls of the case main body 110, and the door portion 120 is formed in the opening 111 of the case main body 110. In the fitted state, the edge of each wafer Wf on the opening 111 side is supported by the corresponding shelf of the door 120. In this way, a plurality of wafers Wf are housed in the FOUP 100 which is closed by fitting the door portion 120 into the case body 110.

An OHT head 112 is provided at a substantially central portion of the upper surface of the case body 110. The FOUP 100 (case body 110) can convey the OHT head 112 by, for example, gripping it by a robot.

The door portion 120 of the FOUP 100 is provided with a lock mechanism (fixing mechanism) for fixing the door portion 120 to the case body 110 in a releaseable state. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, this locking mechanism is rotatable with respect to two pinions 123 and 124 (rotating portions) arranged at predetermined intervals and one pinion 123 in the door portion 120. It has two operation rods 125a and 125b (fixed operation unit) provided for the other pinion 124 and two operation rods 126a and 126b (fixed operation unit) provided for the other pinion 124.

Key grooves 123a and 124a are formed in the center of each pinion 123 and 124. As shown in FIG. 1, each key groove 123a, 123b can be fitted with a key as described later, which is inserted into the door portion 120 through holes 127, 128 formed on the outer surface of the door portion 120. ..

The two operating rods 125a and 125b provided for one pinion 123 extend in parallel in the upward and downward directions of the door portion 120, respectively, and the rack extends from the vicinity of the lower end of the operating rod 125a to a predetermined range above. The rack is formed in a predetermined range from the vicinity of the upper end of the operation rod 125b to the lower side. Then, the rack of the operating rod 125a and the rack of the operating rod 125b mesh with the pinion 123 so as to sandwich the pinion 123. As shown in FIG. 3, the rotation of the pinion 123 causes the two operating rods 125a and 125b to move linearly in opposite directions, respectively. A hole 121a is formed on the upper end surface of the door portion 120 to allow the operating rod 125a to move vertically, and a hole 121b is formed to appear on the lower end surface of the door portion 120 to allow the operating rod 125b to move vertically. Has been done.

Similarly, the two operating rods 126a and 126b provided for the other pinion 124 also extend in parallel in the upward and downward directions of the door portion 120, respectively, and have a predetermined range from the vicinity of the lower end of the operating rod 126a to the upper side. A rack is formed in the above, and a rack is formed in a predetermined range below the upper end of the operating rod 126b. Then, the rack of the operating rod 126a and the rack of the operating rod 126b mesh with the pinion 124 so as to sandwich the pinion 124, and as in the case of the pinion 123 (see FIG. 3), the rotation of the pinion 124 causes the pinion 124 to rotate. The two operating rods 126a and 126b move linearly in opposite directions, respectively. A hole 122a is formed in the upper end surface of the door portion 120 in which the operation rod 126a that moves vertically moves vertically, and a hole 122b in which the operation rod 126b that moves vertically moves appears and disappears in the lower end surface of the door portion 120. Has been done.

With the door portion 120 fitted (mounted) in the opening 111 of the case body 110, the tips of the operating rods 125a and 126a advance from the two holes 121a and 122a on the upper end surface of the door portion 120 and the door When the tips of the operating rods 125b and 126b advance from the two holes 121b and 122b on the lower end surface of the portion 120 (see FIG. 2), the tips of the operating rods 125a, 125b, 126a and 126b are brought into the case body 110. It fits into the lock hole (not shown) provided. As a result, the door portion 120 is fixed (locked) to the case body 110. On the other hand, the tips of the operating rods 125a and 126a are immersed in the two holes 121a and 122a on the upper end surface of the door portion 120, and the tips of the operating rods 125b and 126b are embedded in the two holes 121b and 122b on the lower end surface of the door portion 120. (See FIG. 3), the tips of the operating rods 125a, 125b, 126a, and 126b are pulled out from the lock holes (not shown) provided in the case body 110. As a result, the door portion 120 is unlocked (unlocked) from the case body 110.

The case cleaning device for cleaning the FOUP 100 (see FIGS. 1 to 3) having the structure as described above is configured as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 4, this case cleaning device has a robot 10 (case transport mechanism) for transporting the FOUP 100, and a cleaning tank 20 for cleaning the FOUP 100 in a state of being separated into a case main body 110 and a door portion 120. The robot 10 includes a base 11, an articulated robot arm 12 fixedly installed on the base 11, and a gripping hand 13 rotatably provided at the tip of the robot arm 12 in a multiaxial direction. ing. The cleaning tank 20 includes a tank body 21 that opens upward and a lid portion 22 that opens and closes the opening of the tank body 21. The cleaning tank 20 is provided with an opening / closing drive mechanism 24 including a hydraulic (air) cylinder that moves the rod forward and backward, and the lid portion 22 moves with respect to the tank main body 21 with the hinge 23 as a fulcrum by moving the rod forward and backward. I do.

A door holding plate 25 (door holding portion) for holding the door portion 120 of the FOUP 100 is provided on the inner surface of the lid portion 22. A plurality of adsorbers 26 are provided on the inner surface of the door holding plate 25 (only a single adsorber 26 appears in FIG. 4), and the door portion 120 is adsorbed by these plurality of adsorbers 26. , The door portion 120 can be held by the door holding plate 25. A case body holding portion 27 for holding the case body 110 of the FOUP 100 is provided at the bottom of the tank body 21.

A lock operation mechanism 30 is provided on the outer surface of the lid portion 22. The lock operation mechanism 30 operates a lock mechanism (fixing mechanism: see FIGS. 2 and 3) so as to unlock (unlock) the case body 110 of the door portion 120 in the FOUP 100 (fixing release mechanism). Further, the lock operation mechanism 30 can operate the lock mechanism so as to lock (fix) the door portion 120 fitted in the opening 111 of the case main body 110 with respect to the case main body 110. The lock operation mechanism 30 has a key mechanism 31, a key fitting mechanism 32, and a key rotation mechanism 33, and is configured to be enlarged and shown in FIG. 5 together with FIG.

The key mechanism 31 has a shaft body 311 that rotatably penetrates the lid portion 22 and the door holding plate 25. As shown in FIG. 6, the tip of the shaft body 311 is provided with a key 312 that can be fitted into the key groove 123a formed in the pinion 123 in the lock mechanism described above. The rear end of the shaft body 311 is rotatably supported by the bearing 313, and the bearing 314 provided on the outer surface of the lid 22 and the door holding plate 25 face the surface (outer surface) facing the lid 22. It is rotatably supported by the bearing 315 provided.

The key fitting mechanism 32 is a cylinder 321 (shaft body advancing / retreating mechanism) operated by hydraulic pressure or air that advances / retreats the rod 322 in a direction orthogonal to the lid 22 and the door holding plate 25, and the tip of the rod 322. It is provided with a connecting plate 323 for connecting the portion and the bearing 313 that rotatably supports the rear end portion of the shaft body 311 in the key mechanism 31. When the rod 322 is pulled into the cylinder 321, the shaft body 311 is pushed in the axial direction via the connecting plate 323, and the key 312 (see FIG. 6) provided at the tip of the shaft body 311 protrudes from the door holding plate 25. To do. In the initial state, the orientation of the key groove 123a formed in the pinion 123 in the lock mechanism and the orientation of the key 312 provided at the tip of the shaft body 311 are, for example, both in the vertical direction and match. Therefore, the key 312 protruding from the door holding plate 25 due to the advance of the shaft body 311 as described above fits into the key groove 123a of the pinion 123 of the lock mechanism provided on the door portion 120 held by the door holding plate 25. Include. On the other hand, when the rod 322 advances from the cylinder 321 while the key 312 is fitted in the key groove 123a, the shaft body 311 is pulled in the axial direction via the connecting plate 323, and the key 312 is further moved to the pinion 123. It is pulled out from the keyway 123a.

The key rotation mechanism 33 is wound around the motor 331, the drive pulley 332 rotated by the motor 331, the driven pulley 333 slidably fitted in the shaft body 311 in the axial direction, and the drive pulley 332 and the driven pulley 333. It is equipped with a belt 334. When the drive pulley 332 is rotated by the motor 331, the rotation is transmitted to the driven pulley 333 via the belt 334, and the rotation of the driven pulley 333 causes the shaft body 311 to rotate (shaft body rotation drive mechanism). As described above, when the shaft body 311 is rotated while the key 312 is fitted in the key groove 123a formed in the pinion 123 of the lock mechanism by the key fitting mechanism 32, the key 312 rotates with the rotation. Then, the rotation of the key 312 rotates the pinion 123 (see FIG. 6) of the lock mechanism. Then, according to the rotation direction of the pinion 123 corresponding to the rotation direction of the motor 331 (the rotation direction of the shaft body 311 and the key 312), the operation rod 125a moves up and down to appear and disappear from the hole 121a of the door portion 120 and operates. The rod 125b moves up and down and appears and disappears from the hole 121b of the door portion 120. By rotating the motor 331 in a direction in which the operating rods 125a and 125b are immersed in the holes 121a and 121b of the door portion 120, that is, by operating the locking mechanism (pinion 123, operating rods 125a and 125b) in that way. The lock of the door portion 120 that is fitted into the case body 120 and is in a locked (fixed) state is released. On the other hand, by rotating the motors 331 in the direction in which the operating rods 125a and 125b protrude from the holes 121a and 121b of the door portion 120, that is, the locking mechanism (pinion 123, operating rods 125a and 125b) is operated in that way. As a result, the door portion 120 fitted in the opening 111 of the case body 120 is locked (fixed).

When the shaft body 311 retracts and the key 312 comes out of the key groove 123a formed in the pinion 123 and the shaft body 311 retracts to a predetermined retracted position, the door holding plate 25 faces the lid portion 22. It becomes rotatable with. In this state, the rotation of the driven pulley 332 and the driven pulley 333 via the belt 334 accompanying the driving of the motor 331 is transmitted to the door holding plate 25 via a predetermined mechanism (not shown). As a result, the door holding body 25 can be rotated by driving the motor 331 in a state where the shaft body 311 is retracted to the retracted position without being hindered by the shaft body 311.

Although not shown, in the lock operation mechanism 30, the key mechanism 31, the key fitting mechanism 32, and the key rotation mechanism 33 having the same configurations as described above are included in the lock mechanism (see FIGS. 2, 3, and 6). It is also provided for the pinion 124. By connecting the shaft body 311 (bearing 313) of the key mechanism 31 to the pinion 123 and the shaft body 311 (bearing 313) of the key mechanism 31 to the pinion 124 by the connecting plate 323, the two pinions 123 and 124 (locks) are connected. The key fitting mechanism 32 can be shared with respect to the mechanism).

Although not shown in FIG. 4, the tank body 21 of the cleaning tank 20 is provided with various mechanisms necessary for cleaning and drying the FOUP 100, such as a mechanism for ejecting a cleaning liquid and a mechanism for ejecting drying air. ing. Further, the robot 10, the opening / closing drive mechanism 24 for opening / closing the lid portion 22, the mechanism necessary for cleaning and drying in the cleaning tank 20, the suction device 26 provided on the door holding plate 22, and the lock operation mechanism 30 (key fitting mechanism). 32, Key rotation mechanism 33) Each operation control is performed by a drive control device (not shown).

The operation of the case cleaning device having the above-described structure will be described.

The FOUP 100 in a state where the door portion 120 is fitted into the opening 111 of the case main body 110 and is locked (fixed) by a locking mechanism (see FIGS. 2 and 3) is placed on a predetermined mounting table. In this state, the cleaning process of FOUP 100 is started.

The robot arm 12 of the robot 10 extends to the above-mentioned pedestal, and the gripping hand 13 grips the OHT head 112 of the case body 110 of the FOUP 100 mounted on the pedestal. The robot arm 12 conveys the FOUP 100 whose OHT head 112 is gripped by the gripping hand 13 toward the cleaning tank 20. Then, the robot 10 adjusts the orientation of the gripping hand 13 so that the door portion 120 of the FOUP 100 faces the lid portion 22 (door holding portion 25) in the open and standing state, as shown in FIG.

In this state, the robot arm 12 extends toward the lid portion 22 of the cleaning tank 20, and as shown in FIG. 7, the door portion 120 is attached to the plurality of adsorbers 26 of the door holding plate 25 provided on the lid portion 22. Adsorb. As a result, the door portion 120 of the FOUP 100 is held by the door holding plate 25 (door portion setting step).

Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the key fitting mechanism 32 of the lock operation mechanism 30 pushes the shaft body 311 of the key mechanism 31 inward of the lid portion 22. As a result, the key 312 provided at the tip of the shaft body 311 is fitted into the key grooves 123a and 124a of the pinions 123 and 124 (lock mechanism) through the holes 127 and 128 (see FIG. 1) of the door portion 120. Then, the key rotation mechanism 33 rotates the shaft body 311 to rotate the pinions 123 and 124, respectively. As a result, the operating rod 125a in which the rack meshes with one pinion 123 moves linearly downward, and the operating rod 125b in which the rack meshes with the pinion 123 moves linearly upward, so that the operating rods 125a and 125b The tip portion is immersed in the holes 121a and 121b of the door portion 120 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). Similarly, the operating rod 126a in which the rack meshes with the other pinion 124 moves linearly downward, and the operating rod 126b in which the rack meshes with the pinion 124 moves linearly upward, so that the operating rods 126a and 126b respectively. The tip of the door is immersed in the holes 122a and 122b of the door portion 120. As a result, the lock (fixation) of the door portion 120 held by the door holding portion 25 with respect to the case body 110 is released (fixing release step).

In this state, as shown in FIG. 9, the robot arm 12 moves the case body 110 in which the OHT head 112 is gripped by the gripping hand 13 in a direction away from the door portion 120 held by the door holding portion 25. Then, the key rotation mechanism 33 of the lock operation mechanism 30 rotates the shaft body 311 of the key mechanism 31 so as to return to the initial state, and then the key fitting mechanism 32 pulls out the shaft body 311 toward the outside of the lid portion 22. The key 312 provided at the tip of the shaft body 311 is pulled out from the key grooves 123a and 124a of the pinions 123 and 124, respectively. At this time, the key 312 is pulled out to the outside of the door portion 120 through the holes 127 and 128 (see FIG. 1). Then, the shaft body 311 retracts to the retracted position.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10, the robot 10 holds the gripping hand 13 so that the opening 111 of the case body 110 separated from the door portion 120 faces in the direction opposite to the door portion 120 held by the door holding portion 25. To rotate. After that, the robot 10 sequentially operates the robot arm 12 as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 so that the case body 110 in which the OHT head 112 is gripped by the gripping hand 13 is directed downward with the opening l11 facing downward. It is held by the case body holding portion 27 provided at the bottom of the tank body 21 (case body setting step).

When the case body 110 is held by the case body holding portion 27 of the tank body 21, the robot 10 releases the gripping of the OHT head 112 by the gripping hand 13 and causes the robot arm 12 to escape from the tank body 21. Then, the lid portion 22 is rotated around the hinge 23 as a fulcrum by the operation of the opening / closing drive mechanism 24, and the lid portion 22 is closed as shown in FIG. In this state, the cleaning liquid is ejected into the cleaning tank 20 (tank body 21) and held by the case body 110 held by the case body holding portion 27 of the tank body 21 and the door holding portion 25 provided on the lid portion 22. The door portion 120 is cleaned in a separated state (cleaning step). At the time of this cleaning, the door holding portion 25 is rotated, and the door portion 120 held by the door holding portion 25 is washed with the cleaning liquid while being rotated in the cleaning tank 20. After the cleaning is completed, for example, air is blown into the cleaning tank 20 (tank body 21) to dry the cleaned case body 110 and the door portion 120.

In the cleaning tank 20 (tank body 21), when the cleaning and drying of the case body 110 and the door portion 120 in the separated state are completed, the lid portion 22 of the cleaning tank 20 is opened from the state shown in FIG. 13, and the robot 10 is sequentially operated according to the procedure opposite to the above-described procedure, that is, the state shown in FIG. 12, the state shown in FIG. 11, the state shown in FIG. 10, the state shown in FIG. 9, and the state shown in FIG. To do. Here, before the door portion 120 held by the door holding portion 25 is fitted into the opening 111 of the case body 110 conveyed by the robot 12, the lock operation mechanism 30 (key mechanism 31, key fitting mechanism 32, key rotation). The mechanism 33) locks the four operating rods 125a, 125b, 126a, 126b provided in the door portion 120 so as to be immersed in the holes 121a, 121b, 122a, 122b (see FIGS. 2 and 3). Pinions 123, 124) are operated. After that, the door portion 120 held by the door holding portion 25 is fitted into the opening 111 of the case body 110 conveyed by the robot 12. Then, the lock mechanism 30 locks the door portion 120 held by the door holding portion 25 with respect to the case body 110 supported by the robot arm 12 (grasping hand 13) (FIG. 2, FIG. (See FIG. 3) is operated (state shown in FIG. 7).

In this way, when the door portion 120 held by the door holding portion 25 is mounted and fixed to the case body 110 supported by the robot arm 12, the suction action of each suction device 26 of the door holding portion 25 is released. Will be done. After that, for example, the robot 10 conveys the FOUP 100 in which the case main body 110 and the door portion 120 are integrated to a predetermined place through the state shown in FIG. As a result, the FOUP 100 in which the washed case body 110 and the door portion 120 are integrated is placed in a predetermined place.

According to the case cleaning device and the case cleaning method as described above, the case body 110 and the door portion 120 are separated not from the outside of the cleaning tank 20 but by the lid portion 22 (door holding plate 25) of the cleaning tank 20. In the cleaning tank 20, the case body 110 is held by the case body holding portion 27 provided in the tank body 21, and the door portion 120 is held by the door holding plate 25. Therefore, the FOUP 100 is held by the case body 110 and the door. The case main body 110 and the door portion 120 can be efficiently set in the cleaning tank separately from the portions 120.

By the way, in this kind of case cleaning device, it is conceivable to provide a plurality of cleaning tanks 20. In this case, as in the conventional case, if the set of the hoop main body 110 and the door portion 120 separated by one temporary stand is distributed to a plurality of washing tanks 20, the door portion 120 is locked (fixed) to the case main body 110. ) Is broken and the hoop main body 110 and the door portion 120 cannot be separated from each other, there is a problem that all the cleaning tanks 20 cannot perform the processing. However, in the case cleaning device as described above, since the FOUP 100 is separated into the case body 110 and the door portion 120 in each cleaning tank 20, the unlocking mechanism (locking operation mechanism 30) fails in one cleaning tank 20. Even if the case main body 110 and the door portion 120 cannot be separated due to this, in the other cleaning tank 20, the FOUP 100 can be continuously washed by separating the case main body 110 and the door portion 120.

In the case cleaning device described above, the door portion 120 is held by the door holding portion 25 provided on the lid portion 22 of the cleaning tank 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. The door portion 120 can be held at any part of the cleaning tank 20, such as the side wall surface and the bottom surface of the cleaning tank 20.

Although some embodiments of the present invention and modified examples of each part have been described above, the embodiments and modified examples of each part are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. .. These novel embodiments described above can be implemented in various other embodiments, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims.

The case cleaning device and the case cleaning method according to the present invention have an effect that the case can be separated into a case body and a door portion, and the case body and the door portion can be efficiently set in the cleaning tank. A case cleaning device and a case cleaning device for cleaning a case having a case body, a door portion that can be attached to and detached from the case body, and a fixing mechanism that fixes the door portion to the case body in a releaseable state. It is useful as a method.

10 Robot 11 Base 12 Robot arm 13 Grip hand 20 Cleaning tank 21 Tank body 22 Lid 23 Hinge 24 Opening and closing drive mechanism 25 Door holding part 26 Adsorbent 30 Locking operation mechanism 31 Key fitting mechanism 32 Key rotation mechanism 100 FOUP (case)
110 Case body 111 Opening 112 OHT head 120 Door part 121a, 121b, 122a, 122b Hole 123, 124 Pinion 123a, 124a Key groove 125a, 125b, 126a, 126b Operating rod 127, 128 hole 311 Shaft body 312 key

Claims (5)

Cleans a case having a case body, a door portion that can be attached to and detached from the case body, and a fixing mechanism that fixes the door portion attached to the case body to the case body in a detachable state. It is a case cleaning device
Cleaning tank and
A door holding portion provided in the washing tank and holding the door portion,
A case transport mechanism that grips and transports the case with the door portion mounted and fixed to the case body.
With the fixing release mechanism that operates the fixing mechanism so as to release the fixing of the door portion to the case body in a state where the case transport mechanism conveys the case and holds the door portion in the door holding portion. ,
A case body holder that holds the case body that is provided in the washing tank and that is separated from the door part that is held by the door holding part in a state where the case transport mechanism is released from being fixed to the case body. A case cleaning device having a part. The washing tank includes a tank body that opens upward and a lid that opens and closes the opening of the tank body.
The door holding portion is provided on the inner side surface of the lid portion.
The fixing mechanism is provided so as to release the fixing of the door portion to the case body while being held by the door holding portion provided on the inner side surface of the lid portion from the outside of the lid portion. The case cleaning device according to claim 1, further comprising a mechanism for operating. The fixing mechanism includes a rotating portion in which a key groove is formed and a rotating portion.
It has a fixed operating portion that operates by rotating the rotating portion and that fixes and releases the door portion to the case body according to the rotation direction of the rotating portion.
The mechanism for operating the fixing mechanism includes a key that can be fitted into the key groove formed in the rotating portion and a key that can be fitted into the key groove.
A key fitting mechanism for fitting the key into the key groove while the door portion is held by the door holding portion.
The case cleaning device according to claim 2, further comprising a key rotation mechanism for rotating the rotating portion by rotating the key fitted in the key groove by the key fitting mechanism. The fixing mechanism is provided on the door portion of the case.
The key fitting mechanism includes a shaft body having the key provided at the tip portion and extending through the lid portion of the cleaning tank.
The key is fitted into the key groove formed in the rotating portion of the fixing mechanism provided on the outer surface of the lid portion and held by the door holding portion. It has a shaft body advance / retreat mechanism for advancing the shaft body and retracting the shaft body so that the key escapes from the key groove.
The case cleaning device according to claim 3, wherein the key rotation mechanism is provided on the outer surface of the lid portion and has a shaft body rotation drive mechanism for rotating the shaft body in a state where the key is fitted in the key groove. .. Cleans a case having a case body, a door portion that can be attached to and detached from the case body, and a fixing mechanism that fixes the door portion attached to the case body to the case body in a detachable state. It ’s a case cleaning method.
A door portion setting step in which the case transport mechanism grips the case body to which the door portion is mounted and fixed, transports the case, and holds the door portion in the door holding portion provided in the washing tank.
A fixing release step of operating the fixing mechanism so as to release the fixing of the door portion to the case body, and
The case body holding portion provided in the cleaning tank for carrying the case body separated from the door portion held by the door holding portion in a state where the case transport mechanism is released from being fixed to the case body. With the case body set step to be held in
A case cleaning method comprising a cleaning step of cleaning the door portion held by the door holding portion and the case body held by the case body holding portion in a separated state in the cleaning tank.

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