JP7471694B2 - Substrate Container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a storage container, and in particular to a substrate container used to store, place, preserve, or transport semiconductor substrates.

In the current semiconductor industry, many of the substrates used are fragile sheets or plates of glass or silicon wafers. For this reason, during manufacturing processes such as production and processing, they are usually stored in containers such as cassettes, storage cases, or transport cases, and must be transported or stored according to the needs of the manufacturing process.

Existing containers still have some problems to be improved and overcome. For example, when loading large substrates, in order to prevent the substrates from being dented due to their own weight, it is necessary to place support rods in the container for the stacked substrates and adjust the inclination and horizontality of the support rods as needed. Also, for example, to ensure that the substrates are positioned reliably, the container and related parts need to have a structure to ensure the corresponding regulations and stability of substrate placement. Furthermore, for example, the container itself needs to be strong enough to withstand the weight of multiple substrates stacked on top of each other.

The above considerations affect the practical use and reliability of the substrate container, and even if it is used in an automated factory, it must be designed to be fully compatible with automated management to ensure that the safety and quality of the substrate is not compromised during the production and processing process.

In light of this, the inventor has conducted extensive research into the deficiencies of the above-mentioned conventional technology and combined it with the application of scientific theory in an effort to solve the above-mentioned problems, which has become the inventor's goal for improvement.

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a substrate container having a variety of advantages while taking into consideration the above problems.

In order to achieve the above object, the substrate container of the present invention includes a container body, a plurality of support structures, and a door plate, the container body having a bottom, a top facing the bottom, two side walls surrounding the space between the bottom and the top, and a rear wall located behind the bottom, the top, and the two side walls, an opening is formed in front of the container body, the plurality of support structures are provided within the container body, are arranged vertically at intervals along a direction from the bottom to the top, and are interposed in a central position between the two side walls, and each of the support structures is fixed The device comprises a base, a support rod, and a number of adjustment elements, the fixed base has a recessed groove, one end of the support rod is inserted laterally into the groove and supported by the fixed base, and the other end of the support rod is arranged in a suspended state toward the front opening of the container body, the door plate closes the front opening of the container body, the fixed base of each of the support structures has a protrusion on the opposite side to the groove toward the rear wall of the container body, and the multiple adjustment elements are arranged around the protrusion so as to position the fixed base within the container body.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a combination of the support structure and the adjustment table of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an end surface on which a substrate of the present invention is placed. FIG. 4 is a detailed enlarged view of part A in FIG. 3 . FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a side surface on which a substrate is placed according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a detailed enlarged view of part C in FIG. 5 . FIG. 4 is a detailed enlarged view of part B in FIG. 3 . FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the door plate of the present invention corresponding to each substrate. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the frame of the present invention; FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a combination of added frames according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the internal structure of the door plate of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the combination of the added frame of the present invention seen from another angle. FIG. 13 is a detailed enlarged view of part D in FIG. 12 . 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of the positioning structure of the present invention. 2 is a schematic, partially cross-sectional view showing an intake state of the air valve of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic, partially sectional view showing an exhaust state of the air valve of the present invention. FIG.

The detailed description and technical content of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings, which are for reference and explanation only and do not limit the present invention.

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention. Referring to this figure, the substrate container according to the present invention mainly includes a container body 1, a plurality of support structures 2 provided within the container body 1, and a door plate 3 that closes the container body 1.

The container body 1 has a bottom 10, a top 11 facing the bottom 10, two side walls 12 that surround the bottom 10 and the top 11, and a rear wall 13 (shown in FIG. 5) located behind the bottom 10, the top 11, and the side walls 12. An opening is formed in the front of the container body 1, and after one or more substrates 4 are placed inside, the opening is covered with a door plate 3 to store each of the substrates 4 placed inside.

2 and 3, these support structures 2 are provided in the container body 1, and are arranged vertically at intervals along the direction from the bottom 10 to the top 11. They may be interposed between the two side walls 12, and preferably at the center between the two side walls 12. Each support structure 2 includes a fixed base 20, a support rod 21, and a plurality of adjustment elements 22. The fixed base 20 is fixed to the rear wall 13 of the container body 1 by these adjustment elements 22. One end of the support rod 21 is inserted laterally into the fixed base 20, and the other end of the support rod 21 is arranged in a hanging state toward the front opening of the container body 1. This allows the placed substrate 4 to be supported. As shown in FIG. 4, when the substrate 4 is inserted from the front opening of the container body 1, the middle position of the substrate 4 is inserted into the container body 1 along the longitudinal direction of the support rod 21. In addition, in order to prevent the substrate 4 from being inserted into the gap between the fixing bases 20 and being damaged, the upper and lower edges of the fixing bases 20 are formed with corresponding uneven shapes 201 and 202. In this way, even if the substrate 4 placed is mistakenly inserted into the gap between the fixing bases 20, the substrate 4 is restricted by the uneven shapes 201 and 202, and the above-mentioned situation can be prevented. Furthermore, at least one protruding support position is provided on the upper surface 210 of each support rod 21, and for example, the highest point of the inclination of the inclined upper surface 210 is set as the support position 211. This allows the support rod 21 to support the substrate 4 with the minimum contact area and provide the necessary support strength.

2, 5 and 6, the fixed base 20 of each support structure 2 has a protrusion 200 facing the rear wall 13 of the container body 1. The protrusion 200 is preferably an arch-shaped arc surface. In an embodiment of the present invention, the fixed base 20 has a recessed fitting groove 20a on the opposite side to the protrusion 200, and one end of the support rod 21 is fixed in the fitting groove 20a. In addition, an adjustment base 23 erected along the arrangement direction of each support structure 2 may be added. The adjustment base 23 is arranged on the rear wall 13 of the container body 1, and the adjustment base 23 is pressed from the outside to the inside of the container body 1 by the adjustment rod 230, so that the protrusion 200 of each fixed base 20 abuts against the adjustment base 23. In this way, the support rod 21 can be adjusted by fine-tuning the direction of the fixed base 20 depending on the screw-in depth or tightness of each adjustment element 22 arranged around the protrusion 200. Here, three adjustment elements 22 are preferable, but they can be added according to the number of adjustment directions required (for example, up, down, left, right, or even diagonal adjustment). Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, by pressing the adjustment rod 230 against the adjustment table 23, each support structure 2 erected on the adjustment table 23 can be synchronously adjusted.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 7, the two side walls 12 of the container body 1 are provided with support ribs 120 for supporting both sides of the placed substrate 4, which correspond to each support rod 21. Each support rib 120 is formed with a guide inclined portion 121 adjacent to the side wall 12, and if the substrate 4 is misaligned to the left or right when placed, the guide inclined portion 121 can guide the substrate 4 to the center, preventing the substrate 4 from shifting to the left or right and colliding during transport.

8, in the present invention, in order to ensure that the placed substrate 4 is stably stored in the container body 1, at least one position regulation structure 30 may be provided on the inside of the door plate 3 to press the substrate 4 into the container body 1. The position regulation structure 30 may be formed by punching a metal plate, and includes a plate portion 300 extending vertically and an elastic portion 301 arranged along the extending direction of the plate portion 300. Each elastic portion 301 corresponds to the placed substrate 4, and when the door plate 3 covers the container body 1, each elastic portion 301 reliably presses the placed substrate 4 against the inside to position it, thereby preventing the substrate 4 from shaking during transportation. Furthermore, in order to prevent the substrate 4 from being erroneously inserted between the elastic portions 301 and being damaged, each elastic portion 301 may be formed in an inclined shape with an oblique side. Due to this oblique side, the gaps of each elastic portion 301 are misaligned with the substrate 4, so that the substrate 4 placed horizontally cannot be inserted into the gaps of each elastic portion 301.

9 and 10, in another embodiment, the substrate container according to the present invention may further include a frame 5 supporting the container body 1. The frame 5 includes a base 50, a plurality of vertical rods 51 supported on both sides of the base 50, and a plurality of top rods 52 connected between the vertical rods 51 on both sides of the base 50, and the container body 1 is placed on the base 50. The vertical rods 51 on both sides are provided with lifting rods 510, and an automated robot arm extends downward from the outside of each lifting rod 510 to clamp the container body 1. As a result, the frame 5 reduces external factors such as the container body 1 being directly or indirectly subjected to a machine collision, which may damage the substrates 4 stored therein, and further strengthens the structural strength of the container body 1, which helps to prevent problems such as deformation of the container body 1 caused by placing a plurality of heavy substrates 4 on it. In addition, diagonal reinforcing rods 511, 520 may be arranged between each vertical rod 51 or each top rod 52. For example, the reinforcing rods 511 arranged between the vertical rods 51 may be arranged diagonally from top to bottom, and/or the reinforcing rods 520 arranged between the top rods 52 may be multiple and configured to face each other diagonally (e.g., in an inverted V-shape or V-shape). This enhances the structural strength and stability of the frame 5, and improves the resistance of the container body 1 placed on the frame 5 to distortion and deformation, thereby further increasing the load-bearing capacity of the container body 1.

10 and 11, in another embodiment, the substrate container according to the present invention may be provided with at least one locking structure 31 in the door plate 3 for locking to the container body 1. The locking structure 31 includes a locking head 310 and a locking plate 311 controlled by the locking head 310 to operate toward the outside of the door plate 3. The locking head 310 has a locking hole 312 in the door plate 3, and the locking head 310 can be twisted by inserting an unlocking member 313 into the locking hole 312, and the operation of the locking plate 311 can be controlled by the locking head 310. In other words, when the locking plate 311 operates toward the outside of the door plate 3, the door plate 3 can be locked and fixed to the container body 1, and in the opposite case, the door plate 3 can be removed from the container body 1. In addition, the present invention may further provide a mounting table 14 (shown in FIG. 10) for storing the unlocking member 313 in the container body 1. Specifically, the mounting platform 14 may be provided on the top 11, one of the side walls 12, or the outside of the rear wall 13 of the container body 1. In this embodiment, the mounting platform 14 may be disposed on the outside of one of the side walls 12, preferably between any two vertical rods 51 of the side wall 12. With the above design, the operator can use the corresponding unlocking member 313 for different container bodies 1, and can conveniently obtain the unlocking member 313 for opening the container body 1 at any time without having to carry a key for unlocking or locking.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 11, in order to further improve the structural strength of the container body 1 and the door plate 3, a reinforcing rib 130 (shown in Fig. 3) protruding inward or outward may be formed on the rear wall 13 of the container body 1. The reinforcing rib 130 may be formed in an upright shape from bottom to top, or may be formed by connecting in the horizontal direction, the lateral direction, or the like. In addition, the reinforcing rib 32 (shown in Fig. 11) may be protruding into the door plate 3. The reinforcing rib 32 may be connected in an obliquely crossing manner, for example, in an X-shape. This can further improve the characteristics and performance of the container body 1, such as its resistance to distortion and deformation. Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 9, 10, and 11, a plurality of polishing sections 314 may be provided on the outer surface of the door plate 3 for adsorption by an automated device (for example, a machine or robot arm having an adhesive suction cup, etc.). The polishing section 314 can improve the flatness and smoothness of the surface by a method such as mirror finishing, and can facilitate the operation of the automated device, such as inserting and removing the door plate 3.

9 and 12, the base 50 of the frame 5 may be provided with a positioning structure 53 for cooperation with an automatic conveying device. At least one holding hole 500 is provided in the base 50, and the positioning structure 53 is assembled to the base 50 in correspondence with the holding hole 500. As also shown in FIG. 13, the positioning structure 53 has a frame edge 530 that is assembled in correspondence with the outer edge of the holding hole 500, and a recessed alignment space 531 is formed in the frame edge 530 in correspondence with the holding hole 500, and mutually inclined guide surfaces 532 are formed in the alignment space 531. The guide surfaces 532 are preferably inclined at an angle of 45° (as shown in FIG. 14). This allows the alignment structure 6 of the automatic machine to extend into the alignment space 531 and be guided by the guide surface 532, allowing the conveying machine to be accurately aligned and conveyed, and avoiding collisions with surrounding objects on the conveying path due to misalignment.

Also, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13, in order to facilitate automated management, an identification element 54 such as an RFID or a detection element 55 such as an INFOR PAD may be provided on the frame 5 for identification and positioning.

Finally, as shown in Figures 12, 15A and 15B, the present invention may provide at least one air valve 56 on the base 50 of the frame 5. The air valve 56 is used to control exhaust (shown in Figure 15A) or intake (shown in Figure 15B), and includes a valve sleeve 560, a valve seat 561 that fixes the valve sleeve 560 to the base 50, a valve body 562 provided in the valve sleeve 560, and a check valve member 563 and an elastic element 564 that operate within the valve body 562.
The valve sleeve 560 is provided with a first air port 560a and a second air port 560b arranged in the opposite direction to the first air port. The check valve member 563 is pushed toward the first air port 560a by the elastic element 564 to block the gas, and when the gas pushes the check valve member 563 to the second air port 560b, the gas can pass through, so that the purpose of adjusting and controlling the exhaust or intake can be achieved in cooperation with the air supply station of the automated device. In addition, the present invention can select the exhaust or intake by arranging the valve body 562 in the opposite direction, so that the air valve 56 has commonality.

In this way, the substrate container according to the present invention can be obtained.

In summary, the substrate container of the present invention achieves the intended use, resolves the conventional defects, has industrial applicability, is novel and inventive, and fully meets the requirements for a patent application. Therefore, we would like to file an application in accordance with the Patent Act and ask that you review the case and promptly grant a patent in order to protect the inventor's rights.

The above describes in detail the preferred embodiments of the present invention, but does not limit the scope of the present invention. The entire scope of the present invention is based on the following claims, and similar modifications that apply the specifications and drawings of the present invention should be included in the scope of the present invention.

1 Container body 10 Bottom 11 Top 12 Side wall 120 Support rib 121 Guide inclined portion 13 Rear wall 130 Reinforcement rib 14 Placement base 2 Support structure 20 Fixed base 20a Fitting groove 200 Protrusion 201 Concave and convex shape 202 Concave and convex shape 21 Support rod 210 Upper surface 211 Support position 22 Adjustment element 23 Adjustment base 230 Adjustment rod 3 Door plate 30 Position restriction structure 300 Piece 301 Elastic portion 31 Lock structure 310 Lock head 311 Lock plate 312 Lock hole 313 Lock release member 314 Polishing portion 32 Reinforcement rib 4 Substrate 5 Frame 50 Base 500 Retaining hole 51 Vertical rod 510 Pull-up rod 511 Reinforcement rod 52 Top rod 520 Reinforcement rod 53 Positioning structure 530 Frame edge 531 Alignment space 532 Guide surface 54 Identification element 55 Detection element 56 Air valve 560 Valve sleeve 560a First air port 560b Second air port 561 Valve seat 562 Valve body 563 Check valve member 564 Elastic element 6 Alignment structure

Claims (27)

a container body having a bottom, a top facing the bottom, two side walls surrounding the space between the bottom and the top, and a rear wall located behind the bottom, the top and the two side walls, and having an opening formed in the front;
a plurality of support structures provided within the container body, arranged vertically at intervals along a direction from the bottom to the top, and interposed at a central position between the two side walls, each of which includes a fixed base, a support rod, and a plurality of adjustment elements, a fitting groove being recessed in the fixed base, one end of the support rod being inserted laterally into the fitting groove and supported by the fixed base, and the other end of the support rod being disposed in a suspended state toward a front opening of the container body;
a door plate for closing a front opening of the container body;
The fixing base of each of the support structures has a protrusion toward the rear wall of the container body on the opposite side to the fitting groove, and the plurality of adjustment elements are arranged around the protrusion so as to position the fixing base within the container body.
Substrate container. The substrate container according to claim 1, wherein support ribs corresponding to each of the support rods are provided within the two side walls of the container body, and each of the support ribs has a guide inclined portion adjacent to the side wall. The substrate container according to claim 1, wherein the rear wall of the container body is formed with reinforcing ribs that protrude inward or outward. The substrate container according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is an arched arc surface. The substrate container according to claim 1, wherein the fixing base is fixed to the rear wall of the container body by the adjustment element. The substrate container according to claim 1, wherein the upper and lower edges of the fixing base are formed with corresponding concave and convex shapes. The substrate container of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the support rod is provided with at least one protruding support position. The substrate container according to claim 7, wherein the upper surface of the support rod is formed in an inclined shape. The substrate container according to claim 1, further comprising an adjustment stand that is erected along the arrangement direction of each of the support structures and abuts against the protrusions of the fixing stand of each of the support structures. The substrate container according to claim 9, wherein the adjustment table is disposed on the rear wall of the container body and is pressed against the container body from the outside to the inside by an adjustment rod. The substrate container according to claim 1, wherein at least one position control structure is provided on the inside of the door plate, and the position control structure includes a plate portion extending vertically and an elastic portion arranged along the extension direction of the plate portion. The substrate container according to claim 11, wherein the position control structure is formed by punching a metal plate. The substrate container according to claim 11, wherein the elastic portion has an oblique side and is formed in an inclined shape. At least one locking structure is provided in the door plate for locking to the container body;
The lock structure includes a lock head and a lock plate controlled by the lock head to operate toward the outside of the door plate,
The substrate container according to claim 1 , wherein the lock head is configured such that a lock hole is provided in the door plate, and the lock head is twisted by inserting an unlocking member into the lock hole. The substrate container according to claim 14, wherein the container body is provided with a mounting table for storing the unlocking member. The substrate container according to claim 1, wherein reinforcing ribs protruding diagonally across each other are provided within the door plate. The substrate container according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the door plate is provided with a plurality of polished portions, the polished portions being formed by mirror finishing. The substrate container of claim 1, comprising a frame having a base, a plurality of vertical rods supported on either side of the base, and a plurality of top rods connecting between the vertical rods on either side of the base. The substrate container according to claim 18, wherein the vertical rods on both sides of the frame are each provided with a lifting rod. The substrate container according to claim 18, wherein reinforcing rods are provided between the vertical rods, and the reinforcing rods are arranged diagonally from top to bottom. The substrate container according to claim 18, wherein a reinforcing rod is provided between the plurality of top rods, and the reinforcing rods are multiple and configured to face each other diagonally. The substrate container according to claim 18, wherein the base of the frame is provided with a positioning structure, the base is provided with at least one retaining hole, and the positioning structure is assembled to the base in correspondence with the retaining hole. The substrate container according to claim 22, wherein the positioning structure has a frame edge that is assembled to correspond to the outer edge of the retaining hole, a recessed alignment space is formed in the frame edge to correspond to the retaining hole, and mutually inclined guide surfaces are formed in the alignment space. The substrate container of claim 18, wherein the base of the frame is provided with an identification element. The substrate container according to claim 18 or claim 22, wherein the base of the frame is provided with a sensing element. The substrate container of claim 18, wherein the base of the frame is provided with at least one air valve. The air valve includes a valve sleeve, a valve seat for fixing the valve sleeve to the base, a valve body provided in the valve sleeve, and a check valve member and an elastic element operating within the valve body.
The valve sleeve is provided with a first air port and a second air port arranged in an opposite direction to the first air port,
27. The substrate container of claim 26, wherein the elastic element pushes the check valve member against the first air port to intake or exhaust air.