JPH08145173A - Sealed container and its unsealing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To open a cover immediately when required even if a container is sealed under decompressed condition. CONSTITUTION: In a sealed container in which a gasket 5 is inserted between the open peripheral parts 3 and 4 of a cover 1 and a container body 2, a hole 8 or notch 11 extending to the surface of the gasket 5 are provided in the outer walls of the open peripheral parts 3 and 4 of the cover 1 and/or the container body 2.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is intended to contain, safely protect and transport articles such as semiconductor wafers, aluminum disks for magnetic disks, quartz glass for photomasks, etc. The present invention relates to a sealed container and a method for opening the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the hermetically sealed container for the above-mentioned use has a poor performance of maintaining a hermetically sealed condition when the atmospheric pressure of the environment is changed due to transportation of an aircraft or the like. Although the container could be opened without any need to release the seal, it had a drawback that dust in the atmosphere could easily get into the container during transportation and cause contamination of the items to be stored.

[0003]

However, with the recent improvement in the container sealing structure, it may take several days for the pressure difference generated during transportation of the aircraft to be alleviated. Further, when the pressure inside the container is closed under reduced pressure, the lid (and / or the container) is pressed against the container (and / or the lid) by the atmospheric pressure, making it difficult to open. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a hermetically sealed container which can be quickly opened when necessary even when the inside of the container is sealed under a reduced pressure.

[0004]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a hermetically sealed container in which a gasket is sandwiched and fitted in the opening peripheral portions of a lid and a container, and the surface of the gasket is provided on the outer wall of the opening peripheral portion of the lid and / or the container. It is characterized by the provision of a hole or notch that reaches up to, and by pressing this gasket into the container with a pressing jig through the hole or notch, or by passing a communication pipe through the gasket. It concerns the method of opening.

[0005]

In the hermetically sealed container of the present invention, the gasket is pushed into the container with the pressing jig through the hole or the notch, or the communication pipe is passed through the gasket so that the inside and the outside of the container are communicated with each other or from the press-fitting device such as a syringe. Since it is possible to inject the purified air of 3 to cancel the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the container, the suction state of the lid is canceled and the container can be easily opened and closed. Further, when the sealed air is released, if the stored air may be contaminated by the outside air flowing into the container, it can be prevented by attaching a dust filter to the outside air side of the communication pipe.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The sealed container of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows the entire sealed container, FIG. 1 (a) is a front view, and FIG. 1 (b) is a side view. FIG. 2 relates to the first embodiment in which the P portion of FIG. 1A is enlarged and shown, in which FIG. 2A is a front view and FIG. 2B is taken along the line AA of FIG. Longitudinal section explanatory drawing, figure (c)
FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional explanatory view showing the action in FIG. 3A and 3B relate to a second embodiment of the hermetically sealed container, FIG. 3A is a front view of a main part, FIG. 3B is a longitudinal sectional explanatory view taken along the line BB of FIG. 3A, and FIG. FIG. 8A) is a longitudinal cross-sectional explanatory view showing the action in FIG. 4 (a) to 4 (c) are vertical cross-sectional explanatory views of third to fifth embodiments of the sealed container,
FIGS. 4D and 4E are longitudinal cross-sectional explanatory views showing the operation in FIGS. 4A and 4C, respectively. FIG. 5 relates to a sixth embodiment of the hermetically sealed container, FIG. 5A is a front view of a main part, FIG. FIG. 8A) is a longitudinal cross-sectional explanatory view showing the action in FIG.

In each of the above figures, 1 is a lid, 2 is a container,
Reference numerals 3 and 4 are the peripheral portions of the respective openings. First shown in FIG.
In the embodiment, the lid 1 and the container 2 are in contact with each other, and the opening peripheral portions 3 and 4 each have a double wall structure, and between them, an h-shaped cross section, a T-shaped cross section, an X-shaped cross section, a W-shaped cross section, and the like. By interposing the gasket 5 of arbitrary shape in close contact with the surrounding wall surface and bringing the outer walls 6 and 7 into contact with each other, the lid 1 and the container 2 are fitted and sealed. Reference numeral 8 is a hole provided through the fitting / sealing portion. Reference numeral 9 is a communication tube such as an injection needle for releasing the state when the lid becomes difficult to open and close due to a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the sealed container, which is inserted through the hole 8 and pierced into the gasket 5. , By passing or injecting air into the vessel. At this time, if there is a risk that the stored items will be contaminated by the inflow of outside air, it can be prevented by attaching a dust filter 10 to the inlet of the communication pipe 9. Also, by pressing the inside of the container to a pressurized state with a press-fitting device such as a syringe, the lid 1
The fitting of the container 2 and the container 2 can be released by (air) pressure.

In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the lid 1 and the opening peripheral portions 3 and 4 of the container 2 and the respective outer side walls 6 and 7 thereof.
The structure, the shape and arrangement of the gasket 5, the method of fitting / sealing the lid 1 and the container 2 and the like are the same as those in the first embodiment, but the fitting / sealing portion is cut on the opening peripheral edge 3 side. The difference is that the notch 11 is provided so as to penetrate therethrough. Reference numeral 12 is a rod-shaped pressing jig which is inserted through the notch 11 and pushes the gasket 5 into the container to form a gap at the seal point to release the seal. The rod-shaped pressing jig 12 may be applied to the first embodiment, and the dustproof filter 10 described above may be used.
The communication tube 9 and the press-fitting device provided with may be applied to the second embodiment.

How the holes 8 and the notches 11 are provided depends on the structure of the opening peripheral portions 3 and 4 and the cross-sectional shape of the gasket. For example, when the opening peripheral portions 3 and 4 and the gasket 15 have a simple structure as in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 4 (a), there is only one hole 8 on the outer wall 6 of the opening peripheral portion 3. The seal can be released as shown in FIG. However, when the grooves of the opening peripheral edge portions 3 and 4 are deep as in the fourth and fifth embodiments shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C, the holes 8 are formed in the side walls of the opening peripheral edge portions 3 and 4, respectively. Or cutout 11 is required. These holes 8 or notches 11
The position may be attached anywhere on the side wall around the gasket 15, and if the size is larger than the size in which the communication pipe 9 and the pressing jig 12 are inserted, the sealing can be released. But hole 8
Alternatively, if the notch 11 is provided at the seal point or the gasket 15 is of a size that is deformed, it is natural that a problem occurs in the function. Incidentally, when it is disliked that the gasket 15 is always exposed for some purposes, a plug 13 can be attached to the hole 8 as shown in FIG. 4 (e). In the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 5, an O-ring having a circular cross section is used as the gasket 25. In this case, a notch 21 extending over the peripheral portions 3 and 4 of both openings is provided, and as shown in FIG.
The seal can be released by pressing the gasket 25 into the container with 12.

The gasket applied to the sealed container of the present invention has a rubber hardness of JIS A of 30 to 80 °, and particularly 30 to 50.
It is preferable to use an elastomer of ° in terms of sealing property. Examples of such an elastomer include silicone rubber, styrene-based, olefin-based, and polyester-based thermoplastic elastomers. If silicone rubber is used for the gasket, the volatile components will contaminate the contents, so the total amount of low molecular weight polysiloxanes with a degree of polymerization of 20 or less should be 1
It is desirable that the content be less than or equal to weight%.

[0011]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION According to the hermetically sealed container of the present invention, 1) when it is difficult to open and close the lid due to a pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the container, a communication pipe with a dustproof filter is passed through the gasket, or pressure is applied. By pressing the gasket with the tool,
The pressure difference can be reliably eliminated. 2) It can be reused because it does not damage the lid or container. 3) If a low hardness elastomer is used as the material of the gasket, the hole through the communication pipe will stick, so 0.1
Withstanding a pressure difference of about kg / cm ² , it can withstand reuse without problems.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows the entire sealed container, FIG. 1 (a) is a front view, and FIG. 1 (b) is a side view.

2A and 2B relate to a first embodiment in which a portion P of FIG. 1A is enlarged, and FIG. 2A is a front view, and FIG. 2B is a line AA of FIG. Along the vertical cross-sectional explanatory view, Figure (c) is Figure (b)
FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional explanatory view showing the action in FIG.

FIG. 3 relates to a second embodiment of the hermetically sealed container, FIG. 3A is a front view of a main part, FIG. 3B is a vertical cross-sectional explanatory view taken along the line BB of FIG. FIG. 6C is a vertical cross-sectional explanatory view showing the action in FIG.

4 (a) to (c) are views of the third to third sealed containers, respectively.
FIG. 5D is a vertical cross-sectional explanatory view of the fifth embodiment, and FIGS. 7D and 7E are vertical cross-sectional explanatory views showing the operation in FIGS.

5A and 5B relate to a sixth embodiment of the hermetically sealed container, FIG. 5A is a front view of a main part, FIG. 5B is a vertical cross-sectional explanatory view taken along the line C-C of FIG. FIG. 6C is a vertical cross-sectional explanatory view showing the action in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Lid, 2 ... Container,
3, 4 ... Opening peripheral part, 5, 15, 25 ... Gasket, 6, 7 ... Outer wall,
8 ... hole, 9 ... communication pipe, 10 ...
Dust-proof filter, 11, 21 ... notches,
12: pressing jig, 13: stopper.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A hermetically sealed container in which a gasket is sandwiched between and fitted to respective opening peripheral portions of a lid and a container, and a hole or a notch reaching the surface of the gasket is formed on the outer wall of the opening peripheral portion of the lid and / or the container. A sealed container characterized by being provided. 2. The method for opening a hermetically sealed container according to claim 1, wherein the gasket is pushed into the container with a pressing jig through a hole or a notch, or a communication pipe is passed through the gasket.