JPH1191862A - Substrate storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a stored substrate from protruding from a substrate storage device by providing a pair of inlet supports and a pair of deep supports wherein the inlet supports and the deep supports hold the substrate while it is inclined downward toward a deeper direction of the storage device. SOLUTION: A substrate 3 stored in the substrate storage device is held by a pair of inlet substrate supports 1 provided oppositely at equal distances from a lowermost face 4 of the device and a pair of deep substrate supports 2 provided oppositely at equal distances from a lowermost face 4 of the storage device. In this case the inlet substrate supports 1 and the deep substrate supports 2 holding a single substrate 3 are placed so that the substrate 3 is received while being inclined downward toward a deeper direction of the storage device. Difference in height of the inlet substrate supports 1 from the lowermost face 4 of the deep substrate supports 2 is approximately 0.5 to several mm.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate storage device used for storing a substrate-shaped product such as a liquid crystal display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional substrate storage device (hereinafter referred to as a storage device) for holding and storing a plurality of substrates one by one at intervals by a protrusion provided on an inner wall of a case (hereinafter referred to as a storage device), And a pair of substrate support portions (hereinafter, referred to as an entrance-side substrate support portion) provided on an opening surface side for loading and unloading, and a pair of substrate support portions (hereinafter, referred to as an entrance-side substrate support portion) provided on the surface side facing the opening surface. (Referred to as a back side substrate support portion) is disposed such that the stored substrate is held in parallel with the lowermost surface of the storage device. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a conventional storage device, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a substrate is stored in the conventional storage device. In the figure, 1 is an entrance side substrate support, 2 is a back side substrate support, 3 is a substrate stored in the storage device, and 4 is the lowermost surface of the storage device. As shown in FIG. 7, the substrate 3 stored in the storage device is supported in contact with the entrance-side substrate support portion 1 and the back-side substrate support portion 2 and supported in parallel with the lowermost surface 4 of the storage device.

[0003]

Since the conventional substrate storage device is configured as described above, the substrate 3 stored in the storage device vibrates when the storage device is moved, for example, during transportation. There were problems such as jumping out of the box, breakage or falling off. Further, when the substrate 3 is transported to the next processing apparatus in a state where a part of the substrate 3 protrudes from the storage apparatus, there is a problem that a problem occurs in a positioning operation before the start of processing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problem, and provides a substrate storage device having a structure in which a stored substrate does not protrude from the storage device when the storage device is moved. The purpose is to do.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a substrate storing apparatus for storing a plurality of substrates one by one at a distance from each other. A side support portion and a pair of back side support portions are provided, and the entrance side support portion and the back side support portion are configured to hold the substrate inclined downward in the depth direction of the substrate storage device. . In addition, the entrance-side support portion is arranged at a position higher than the lowermost support portion with respect to the lowermost surface of the storage device. Further, another support portion disposed between the entrance-side support portion and the back-side support portion is disposed at a position lower than the entrance-side support portion with respect to the lowermost surface of the storage device, and at a position higher than the back-side support portion. It is arranged in.

Further, the back side support portion is formed by using a structure which is vertically deformed by the weight of the substrate to be held. Further, the back side support portion is made of a flexible material such as Teflon or conductive rubber. Further, the back support portion is vertically deformed by having a hollow portion inside.

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Embodiment 1 FIG. Hereinafter, a substrate storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a storage device when storing a substrate according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an entrance-side substrate support provided on an opening surface side for carrying substrates in and out of the storage device, 2 denotes a rear substrate support portion provided on a surface facing the opening surface, and 3 denotes a storage device. The stored substrate 4 is the lowermost surface of the storage device.

The substrate 3 accommodated in the storage device is provided with a pair of entrance-side substrate support portions 1 provided at positions equidistant from the lowermost surface 4 of the storage device, and equidistant from the lowermost surface 4 of the storage device. Are held by a pair of back side substrate support portions 2 provided opposite to each other, and the entrance side substrate support portion 1 and the back side substrate support portion 2 that hold one substrate 3 house the substrate 3. It is arranged so as to be accommodated while being inclined downward in the depth direction of the device. The difference between the height of the entrance-side substrate support 1 and the depth of the back-side substrate support 2 from the lowermost surface 4 is 0.5 mm.
About several mm. When another supporting portion (intermediate supporting portion) is provided between the entrance-side substrate supporting portion 1 and the back-side substrate supporting portion 2, the height from the lowermost surface 4 of the storage device is set to the entrance-side substrate supporting portion 1. It is desirable to lower the height of the substrate 3 and to arrange it at a position higher than the depth side substrate support 2, and to arrange the position along the inclination of the substrate 3 held by the entrance side substrate support 1 and the depth side substrate support 2. In FIG. 1, to simplify the drawing,
Although the state where only one substrate 3 is stored is shown, the storage device includes a plurality of entrance-side substrate support portions 1 and a rear-side substrate support portion 2 so that a plurality of substrates can be stored in parallel to the substrate 3. It is provided at intervals.

According to the present invention, in the storage device, the entrance-side substrate support portion 1 and the rear-side substrate support portion 2 provided for holding the substrate 3 move the substrate 3 to be stored in the depth direction of the storage device. Since it is arranged so as to be stored inclined downward, the substrate 3 can be prevented from protruding from the storage device when the storage device is moved.

Embodiment 2 In the first embodiment, the substrate 3 is disposed in the depth direction of the storage device by arranging the rear substrate support portion 2 at a position lower than the height of the entrance-side substrate support portion 1 from the lowermost surface 4 of the storage device. 2 and 3, but as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3,
By forming the rear substrate support portion 2 using a cylindrical hollow structure that is deformed in the vertical direction by the weight of the stored substrate 3, the rear substrate support portion 2 can be moved when the substrate 3 is stored. The substrate 3 is deformed and can be accommodated while being inclined downward in the depth direction of the accommodation device, and the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the storage device when the substrate 3 is not stored, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the storage device when the substrate 3 is stored.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state of the back side substrate supporting portion 2 when the substrate 3 is not stored, and FIG.
FIG. 7 is a side view showing a state of the rear substrate support portion 2 when the rear substrate support portion 2 is stored. The rear substrate support portion 2 is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a hollow portion 5 therein. The cavity 5 of the substrate support 2 is deformed, so that the support position of the substrate 3 by the rear substrate support 2 is lower than the support position of the entrance-side substrate support 1, and the substrate 3 moves in the depth direction of the storage device. It is stored in a state inclined downward. The back support 2 may be made of a flexible material such as Teflon or conductive rubber. In this case, the back side support part 2 does not necessarily need to be formed hollow.

[0012]

As described above, according to the present invention, the entrance-side substrate support portion and the back-side substrate support portion provided for holding the substrate in the storage device move the substrate in the depth direction of the storage device. Since the storage device is arranged so as to be inclined downward and stored, it is possible to prevent the substrate from protruding from the storage device when the storage device is moved, and to prevent the substrate from being damaged or falling off. According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the substrate in the depth direction of the storage device is formed by forming the rear substrate support portion using a structure that is vertically deformed by the weight of the stored substrate. The substrate can be stored by being inclined downward and the substrate can be prevented from protruding from the storage device when the storage device is moved or the like, and can be prevented from being damaged or falling off.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a substrate storage device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a substrate storage device when a substrate is not stored according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a substrate storage device when storing a substrate according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state of a support portion of the substrate storage device when a substrate is not stored according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state of a support portion of the substrate storage device when storing a substrate according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a conventional substrate storage device of this type.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional substrate storage device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Substrate support at entrance, 2 Substrate support at back, 3 substrates, 4 bottom, 5 cavities.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A substrate storage device for storing a plurality of substrates one by one at a distance from each other, comprising at least a pair of entrance-side support portions and a pair of back-side support portions for holding one of the substrates. The substrate storage device, wherein the entrance-side support portion and the back-side support portion are configured to hold the substrate inclined downward in a depth direction of the substrate storage device. 2. The substrate storage device according to claim 1, wherein the entrance-side support portion is disposed at a position higher than the lowermost support portion with respect to the lowermost surface of the storage device. 3. The other support portion disposed between the entrance-side support portion and the back-side support portion is disposed at a position lower than the entrance-side support portion with respect to the lowermost surface of the storage device, and the back side. 3. The substrate storage device according to claim 2, wherein the substrate storage device is disposed at a position higher than the support portion. 4. The substrate storage device according to claim 1, wherein the back side support portion is formed using a structure that is vertically deformed by the weight of the substrate to be held. 5. The substrate storage device according to claim 4, wherein the back support portion is made of a flexible material such as Teflon or conductive rubber. 6. The substrate storage device according to claim 4, wherein the back support portion is vertically deformed by having a hollow portion inside.