WO2024105879A1

WO2024105879A1 - Housing container and adapter member

Info

Publication number: WO2024105879A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/042848
Authority: WO
Inventors: 隆二福田; 拓人鹿
Original assignee: ミライアル株式会社
Priority date: 2022-11-18
Filing date: 2022-11-18
Publication date: 2024-05-23

Abstract

This housing container 1 is provided with: a container main body 2 that is internally provided with a housing space 27, in which objects J to be housed can be housed side by side, and has one end provided with an opening peripheral part 28 in which a container main body opening 21 is formed, the container main body opening 21 being in communication with the housing space 27, while having the other end closed; a cover body 3 which is capable of closing the container main body opening 21; a lateral support part 5 which is disposed within the housing space 27 and is capable of supporting edges of the plurality of objects J to be housed in a state where the plurality of objects J to be housed are arranged side by side such that adjacent objects J to be housed are at a specific distance from each other, and which has a plurality of plate parts 51 that are each disposed between adjacent objects J to be housed; and an adapter member 8 which is disposed between the container main body opening 21 and the lateral support part 5 in the housing space 27 in a front-back direction D1 connecting the one end and the other end of the container main body 2, and which has a guide part 81 that is disposed so as to correspond to some or all of the plurality of plate parts 51. The adapter member 8 is configured so as to be freely attachable to and detachable from the lateral support part 5 or the container main body 2.

Description

Storage container and adapter member

The present invention relates to a storage container used for storing, conveying, storing, transporting, etc., items to be stored, such as substrates such as semiconductor wafers and their jigs, and an adapter member for the storage container.

Storage containers for storing and transporting substrates such as semiconductor wafers and associated jigs have been known that are configured to include a container body and a lid (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

One end of the container body has an opening periphery where the container body opening is formed. The other end of the container body has a closed cylindrical wall. A storage space is formed within the container body. The storage space is surrounded by the wall and is capable of storing multiple stored objects (such as circuit boards and jigs). The lid is detachable from the opening periphery and is capable of closing the container body opening. The side support parts are provided on the wall parts so as to form a pair within the storage space. The side support parts are capable of supporting the edges of multiple stored objects while arranging adjacent stored objects in parallel with a predetermined distance between them.

A front retainer is provided on the portion of the lid that faces the storage space when the container body opening is closed. The front retainer is capable of supporting the edges of multiple stored objects when the container body opening is closed by the lid. A rear support portion is provided on the wall to pair with the front retainer. When the container body opening is closed by the lid, the rear support portion cooperates with the front retainer to support the edges of multiple stored objects while arranging adjacent stored objects in parallel with a predetermined distance between them.

Japanese Patent No. 6445027

Due to various constraints (standards, etc.) and specifications, the front end of the side support part is often not located near the opening of the container body, but is located away from the opening in the rear direction. For example, such an arrangement is often adopted when the stored object is a board. In a configuration in which the side support part is not located near the opening of the container body, the support function of the side support part for the stored object is not exerted in the process of moving the stored object rearward through the opening of the container body and placing it in the storage space, or in the process of pulling the stored object placed in the storage space forward through the opening of the container body and removing it from the container body, if the stored object is not located above the side support part. On the other hand, some users of storage containers expect the support function for the stored object to be exerted even near the opening of the container body.

The present invention aims to provide a storage container that can change the range in which the support function for the stored object is exerted with a simple configuration, and an adapter member for the storage container.

(1) The present invention relates to a storage container comprising: a container body having a storage space formed therein capable of storing a plurality of objects in parallel, one end of which is formed with an opening periphery with a container body opening communicating with the storage space and the other end closed; a lid that is detachable from the container body opening and capable of closing the container body opening; a side support part that is arranged in a pair in the storage space and capable of supporting the edges of the plurality of objects when adjacent objects among the plurality of objects are arranged in parallel with a predetermined distance between them, the side support part having a plurality of plate parts that are arranged between the adjacent objects; and an adapter member that is arranged between the container body opening and the side support part in the storage space in the front-rear direction connecting the one end and the other end of the container body, the adapter member having a guide part that is arranged corresponding to some or all of the plurality of plate parts, the adapter member being configured to be detachable from the side support part or the container body.

(2) The storage container described in (1), in which one guide portion is provided for each of the multiple plate portions.

(3) The storage container according to (1) or (2), wherein the guide portion has a structure that directs the sliding direction of the stored object sliding on the upper surface of the guide portion upward.

(4) A storage container according to any one of (1) to (3), in which the object to be stored is a substrate and/or a plate-shaped jig for a substrate.

(5) The present invention relates to an adapter member for a storage container including: a container body having a storage space formed therein capable of storing multiple objects in parallel, one end of which is formed with an opening periphery with a container body opening communicating with the storage space and the other end closed; a lid that is detachable from the container body opening and capable of closing the container body opening; a side support part that is arranged in a pair in the storage space and capable of supporting the edges of the multiple objects when adjacent objects among the multiple objects are arranged in parallel at a predetermined distance from each other, the side support part having multiple plate parts arranged between the adjacent objects; and an adapter member that is arranged between the container body opening and the side support part in the storage space in the front-rear direction connecting the one end and the other end of the container body, the adapter member having guide parts arranged corresponding to some or all of the multiple plate parts, the adapter member being configured to be detachable from the side support part or the container body.

The present invention provides a storage container that can change the range in which the support function for the stored object is exerted with a simple configuration, and an adapter member for the storage container.

1 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of jigs J are stored in a storage container 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a container body 2 of a storage container 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below. FIG. 3 is a sectional perspective view in which the right-hand portion of FIG. 2 and the adapter member 8 are omitted. 1 is a perspective view showing a lid 3 of a storage container 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a plan view showing a jig J (jig body J1) which is an object to be stored. 1 is a plan view showing a state in which a substrate W is held by a jig J. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which a substrate W is held by a jig J. FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the side support part 5 and the adapter member 8 in a connected state on the left side, as viewed from the right side. FIG. 13 is a right side view of the side support part 5 and the adapter member 8 in a connected state on the left side. FIG. 13 is a left side view of the lateral support part 5 and the adapter member 8 in a connected state on the left side. 1 is a perspective view of the left side support portion 5 as viewed from the right side. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the left side support portion 5 as viewed from the left side. 1 is a perspective view of the left adapter member 8 as viewed from the right side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the left adapter member 8 as viewed from the left side. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a storage container 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention in a first state in which an adapter member 8 is not attached, taken along a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction D2. FIG. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the first state taken along a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction D3. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction D2, showing a second state in which an adapter member 8 is attached to the storage container 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 11B is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 11A. FIG. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the second state taken along a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction D3. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a step between an adapter member 8 and a side support portion 5 in a comparative example. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a jig J, which is an object to be stored, is caught on a step between an adapter member 8 and a side support portion 5 in the comparative embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a step between an adapter member 8 and a side support portion 5 in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a jig J, which is a stored object, moving in a rear direction D12 slides up on an adapter member 8 in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a jig J moves above a step between an adapter member 8 and a side support portion 5 in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a jig J, which is a stored object, moving in a forward direction D11 slides up on an adapter member 8 in the first embodiment of the present invention.

The storage container 1 according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of jigs J are stored in the storage container 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the container body 2 of the storage container 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention from below. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view in which the right-hand portion and the adapter member 8 in Fig. 2 are omitted. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the lid body 3 of the storage container 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the jig J (jig body J1) which is an object to be stored. Fig. 6A is a plan view showing a state in which a substrate W is held in the jig J. Fig. 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which a substrate W is held in the jig J.

Figure 7A is an oblique view of the left side support part 5 and adapter member 8 in a connected state, viewed from the right side. Figure 7B is a right side view of the left side support part 5 and adapter member 8 in a connected state. Figure 7C is a left side view of the left side support part 5 and adapter member 8 in a connected state. Figure 8A is an oblique view of the left side support part 5 as viewed from the right side. Figure 8B is an oblique view of the left side support part 5 as viewed from the left side. Figure 9A is an oblique view of the left adapter member 8 as viewed from the right side. Figure 9B is an oblique view of the left adapter member 8 as viewed from the left side.

FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction D2 in a first state in which the adapter member 8 is not attached in the storage container 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10B is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction D3 in the first state. FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction D2 in a second state in which the adapter member 8 is attached in the storage container 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11B is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 11A. FIG. 11C is a perspective view of the second state. FIG. 11D is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction D3 in the second state.

For ease of explanation, the direction from the container body 2 to the lid body 3 (from the upper right to the lower left in FIG. 1) is defined as the front direction D11 or front side D11, the opposite direction is defined as the rear direction D12 or rear side D12, and these are collectively defined as the front-rear direction D1. The direction from the lower wall 24 to the upper wall 23 (upward direction in FIG. 1) is defined as the upward direction D21 or upper side D21, the opposite direction is defined as the downward direction D22 or lower side D22, and these are collectively defined as the up-down direction D2. The direction from the second side wall 26 to the first side wall 25 (from the lower right to the upper left in FIG. 1) is defined as the left direction D31 or left side D31, the opposite direction is defined as the right direction D32 or right side D32, and these are collectively defined as the left-right direction D3 or lateral direction D3. Some drawings include arrows indicating these directions.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the object to be stored in the storage container 1 in the first embodiment is a plate-shaped jig J for a substrate. As shown in Figures 5 to 6B, the jig J in the first embodiment includes a substantially annular plate-shaped jig body J1 and an adhesive sheet J2. The jig body J1 is made of a plate-shaped member that is substantially O-shaped in a plan view (the outer peripheral edge J17 and the inner peripheral edge J18 are substantially circular). The jig body J1 is made of, for example, a metal (for example, SUS). The adhesive sheet J2 is made of a thin-film sheet member having adhesive properties, and is attached to the upper surface J13 of the jig body J1 so as to cover the area inside the inner peripheral edge J18 of the jig body J1. The adhesive sheet J2 is capable of holding the substrate W by its adhesive force. The substrate W is attached and held in the adhesive sheet J2 in an area inside the inner peripheral edge J18 of the jig body J1. The outer peripheral edge J17 of the jig body J1 has a straight front straight edge J11, a straight rear straight edge J12, a straight left straight edge J15, and a straight right straight edge J16 on the front side D11, the rear side D12, the left side D31, and the right side D32, respectively.

The substrate W may be subjected to vibrations during processing, but if the substrate W is processed while held by the jig J, the vibrations are reduced by the adhesive sheet J2. Therefore, vibrations are not easily transmitted to the substrate W held by the adhesive sheet J2. Therefore, the substrate W is less likely to be damaged due to vibrations during processing.

The storage container 1 of the first embodiment can store, as stored objects, a jig J consisting of only the jig body J1 without the adhesive sheet J2, a jig J comprising the jig body J1 and the adhesive sheet J2, and a jig J holding a substrate W. The following describes an example in which a jig J consisting of only the jig body J1 without the adhesive sheet J2 is stored.

The shape of the jig J (the jig body J1) is not limited to a (closed) ring shape in a plan view, but may be (unclosed) approximately arc-shaped or non-ring-shaped.

The substrate W is a disk-shaped silicon wafer, glass wafer, sapphire wafer, or the like, and is a thin substrate used in industry. In the first embodiment, the substrate W is a silicon wafer having a diameter of 300 mm.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the storage container 1 is used as a container for storing a jig J (jig body J1) as an object to be stored, and for storing, conveying, storing, transporting, etc. the jig J by various means, and comprises a container body 2 and a lid 3. The container body 2 comprises a side support portion 5, a rear support portion 6 (see Figures 3, 10A, 11A, etc.), and an adapter member 8 as an optional member. The lid 3 comprises a front retainer 7 (see Figure 4). The storage container 1 can be used in a state where the adapter member 8 is not attached (first state) and in a state where the adapter member 8 is attached (second state) (details will be described later).

The container body 2 has a cylindrical wall portion 20 with a container body opening 21 formed at one end and a closed other end. A storage space 27 is formed inside the container body 2. The storage space 27 is surrounded by the wall portion 20. A side support portion 5 is disposed in the portion of the wall portion 20 that forms the storage space 27. A plurality of jigs J can be stored in the storage space 27.

The side support parts 5 are provided on the wall part 20 so as to form pairs in the left-right direction D3 within the storage space 27. The side support parts 5 abut against the edges of the multiple jigs J, and are capable of supporting the edges of the multiple jigs J while arranging adjacent jigs J in parallel with a predetermined distance between them.

The side support portion 5 can be configured as follows: (1) When the container body opening 21 is not blocked by the lid body 3, the side support portion 5 abuts against the edges of the multiple jigs J, thereby supporting the edges of the multiple jigs J in a state in which adjacent jigs J are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval and arranged in parallel (the side support portion 5 does not abut against the edges of the multiple jigs J when the container body opening 21 is blocked by the lid body 3); or (2) When the container body opening 21 is blocked or not blocked by the lid body 3, the side support portion 5 abuts against the edges of the multiple jigs J, thereby supporting the edges of the multiple jigs J in a state in which adjacent jigs J are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval and arranged in parallel. The side support portion 5 in this embodiment has the configuration of (2).

The rear support portion 6 (see Figures 3, 10A, 11A, etc.) is provided on the wall portion 20 so as to pair with the front retainer 7 (see Figure 4) within the storage space 27. When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the rear support portion 6 cooperates with the front retainer 7 to abut against the edges of the multiple jigs J, thereby supporting the rear portions of the edges of the multiple jigs J.

As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the lid body 3 is detachable from the opening periphery 28 that forms the container body opening 21, and is capable of closing the container body opening 21. The front retainer 7 is provided on a portion of the lid body 3 that faces the storage space 27 when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid body 3. The front retainer 7 is disposed inside the storage space 27 so as to form a pair with the rear support part 6 in the front-to-rear direction D1.

When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the front retainer 7 can support the front portions of the edges of the multiple jigs J by abutting against the edges of the multiple jigs J. When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the front retainer 7 cooperates with the rear support portion 6 to support the multiple jigs J, thereby holding adjacent jigs J in a parallel arrangement with a predetermined distance between them.

The storage container 1 is made of resin such as plastic material. Examples of resin include thermoplastic resins such as polycarbonate, cycloolefin polymer, polyetherimide, polyetherketone, polybutylene terephthalate, polyetheretherketone, and liquid crystal polymer, as well as alloys of these resins.

The individual parts are described in detail below. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the wall portion 20 of the container body 2 has a back wall 22, an upper wall 23, a lower wall 24, a first side wall 25 (left side wall), and a second side wall 26 (right side wall). The back wall 22, the upper wall 23, the lower wall 24, the first side wall 25, and the second side wall 26 are made of the materials mentioned above, and are integrally molded.

The first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26 face each other in the left-right direction D3, and the upper wall 23 and the lower wall 24 face each other in the up-down direction D2. The rear end of the upper wall 23, the rear end of the lower wall 24, the rear end of the first side wall 25, and the rear end of the second side wall 26 are all connected to the rear wall 22. The front end of the upper wall 23, the front end of the lower wall 24, the front end of the first side wall 25, and the front end of the second side wall 26 are positioned opposite the rear wall 22, and constitute an opening periphery 28 that forms the container body opening 21, which is approximately rectangular in shape.

The opening periphery 28 is provided at one end of the container body 2, and the rear wall 22 is located at the other end of the container body 2. The outer shape of the container body 2 formed by the outer surfaces of the walls 20 is box-shaped. The inner surfaces of the walls 20, i.e., the inner surface of the rear wall 22, the inner surface of the upper wall 23, the inner surface of the lower wall 24, the inner surface of the first side wall 25, and the inner surface of the second side wall 26, form a storage space 27 surrounded by these. The container body opening 21 formed in the opening periphery 28 is connected to the storage space 27 formed inside the container body 2, surrounded by the walls 20. The storage space 27 can store, for example, 25 jigs J.

The upper wall 23 and the lower wall 24 near the opening periphery 28 are formed with latch engagement recesses 231A, 231B, 241A, and 241B recessed toward the outside in the up-down direction D2 of the storage space 27. A total of four latch engagement recesses 231A, 231B, 241A, and 241B are formed, one each near the left and right ends of the upper wall 23 and the lower wall 24.

A top flange 236 is fixed to the outer surface of the upper wall 23. The top flange 236 is a member that is hung on the storage container 1 when suspending the storage container 1 in an AMHS (automated wafer transport system), PGV (wafer substrate transport vehicle), etc.

Next, the side support parts 5 and the rear support part 6 will be described in detail. The side support parts 5 are provided on the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26, respectively, and are interior parts arranged in the storage space 27 in pairs in the left-right direction D3. Specifically, as shown in Figures 7A to 8B, the side support parts 5 have a plate part 51 and a plate part support part 52. The plate part 51 and the plate part support part 52 are formed by integrally molding a resin material. The plate part 51 is supported by the plate part support part 52.

The plate portions 51 extend in the D1-D3 plane and protrude inward in the lateral direction D3. A total of 50 plate portions 51 are provided on each of the first side wall 25 and the

second side wall

26, 25 on each side in the vertical direction D2. Adjacent plate portions 51 are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction D2 by 10 mm to 12 mm and arranged in a parallel relationship. One jig J is arranged between adjacent plate portions 51. Above the plate portion 51 located on the uppermost side D21, another plate-shaped member 59 (see FIG. 8A) is arranged parallel to the plate portion 51. The plate-shaped member 59 acts as a guide for the jig J that is inserted above the plate portion 51 located on the uppermost side D21.

The 25 plate sections 51 provided on the first side wall 25 and the 25 plate sections 51 provided on the second side wall 26 are positioned opposite each other in the left-right direction D3. The 50 plate sections 51 and the plate-shaped member 59 that acts as a plate-shaped guide parallel to the plate sections 51 are positioned parallel to the D1-D3 plane. The top surfaces of the plate sections 51 are provided with

protrusions

511 and 512.

The convex portion 511 protrudes in the upward direction D21 and extends in the left-right direction D3, and the upper end of the convex portion 511 is inclined slightly downward in the downward direction D22 toward the center of the storage space 27. This minimizes the contact area between the upper end of the convex portion 511 and the jig J placed on the convex portion 511, suppressing the generation of particles due to friction between the upper end of the convex portion 511 and the jig body J1.

The convex portion 512 has a portion that protrudes in the upward direction D21 and extends in the left-right direction D3 to abut against the jig J, and a plate-like portion that extends from that portion in the rear direction D12. The jig J supported by the plate portion 51 only contacts the protruding ends of the

convex portions

511, 512, and does not contact the

convex portions

511, 512 in a planar manner.

The plate support parts 52 are plate-shaped extending in the D1-D2 plane. The plate support parts 52 have a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction of the plate part 51 (front-rear direction D1), and are connected to the outer edge of the plate part 51 in the lateral direction D3. That is, the 25 plate parts 51 provided on the first side wall 25 are connected to the plate support parts 52 provided on the first side wall 25 side. Similarly, the 25 plate parts 51 provided on the second side wall 26 are connected to the plate support parts 52 provided on the second side wall 26 side.

As shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the plate support portion 52 has a front fixing portion 56 on the front side D11 and a rear fixing portion 57 on the rear side D12. As shown in Figure 10A, the front fixing portion 56 is engaged with the wall fixing portion 201 of the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26, and the rear fixing portion 57 is engaged with the wall fixing portion 202 of the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26, whereby the left and right side support portions 5 are fixed to the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26, respectively. The side support portions 5 also have a front connection portion 53 on the front side D11 (details will be described later).

The side support portion 5 can support the edges of the multiple jigs J while keeping adjacent jigs J apart at a predetermined distance and parallel to each other.

As shown in Figures 3, 10A, and 11A, the rear support portion 6 is provided on the rear wall 22 and is an interior portion disposed within the storage space 27. The rear support portion 6 has a pair of rear edge support portions 60 in the left-right direction D3.

A pair of rear edge support portions 60 are provided in the left-right direction D3, the number of which corresponds to each jig J that can be stored in the storage space 27, specifically 25 of each, for a total of 50. The rear edge support portions 60 are positioned in a pair with the front retainer 7 in the front-rear direction D1. The rear edge support portions 60 are, for example, groove-shaped recessed in the rear direction D12, and support the edge of the jig J.

Next, the lid 3 and the front retainer 7 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the lid 3 has a generally rectangular shape that generally matches the shape of the opening periphery 28 of the container body 2. The lid 3 is detachable from the opening periphery 28 of the container body 2, and the lid 3 can close the container body opening 21 by attaching the lid 3 to the opening periphery 28. A ring-shaped seal member 4 is attached to a portion of the lid 3 that faces the surface (seal surface) of the step portion formed at the position D12 immediately behind the opening periphery 28 when the lid 3 closes the container body opening 21. The seal member 4 is made of various thermoplastic elastomers such as elastically deformable polyesters and polyolefins, fluororubber, silicone rubber, etc. The seal member 4 is arranged so as to go around the outer periphery of the lid 3.

When the lid 3 is attached to the opening periphery 28, the sealing member 4 is sandwiched between the sealing surface and the inner surface of the lid 3 and elastically deforms, and the lid 3 closes the container body opening 21 in a sealed state. By removing the lid 3 from the opening periphery 28, the jig J can be inserted and removed from the storage space 27 inside the container body 2.

The lid body 3 has a lid body main body 30 that forms the outer shape of the lid body 3, and a latch mechanism is provided on the lid body main body 30. The latch mechanism is provided near both left and right ends of the lid body main body 30, and includes two upper latch portions 32A that can protrude in the upward direction D21 from the upper side of the lid body main body 30, and two lower latch portions 32B that can protrude in the downward direction D22 from the lower side of the lid body main body 30. The two upper latch portions 32A are located near both left and right ends of the upper side of the lid body main body 30, and the two lower latch portions 32B are located near both left and right ends of the lower side of the lid body main body 30.

An operating unit is provided on the outer surface of the lid body 30. By operating the operating unit from the front side of the lid body 30, the upper latch portion 32A and the lower latch portion 32B can be caused to protrude from the upper and lower edges of the lid body 30, respectively, or can be prevented from protruding from the upper and lower edges. The upper latch portion 32A protrudes in the upward direction D21 from the upper edge of the lid body 30 and engages with the

latch engagement recesses

231A and 231B of the container body 2, and the lower latch portion 32B protrudes in the downward direction D22 from the lower edge of the lid body 30 and engages with the

latch engagement recesses

241A and 241B of the container body 2, thereby fixing the lid 3 to the opening periphery 28 of the container body 2.

A recess 34 is formed on the inside (rear side D12) of the lid body 30, recessed toward the outside (front side D11) of the storage space 27. The front retainer 7 is fixed in the recess 34.

When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the front retainer 7 is positioned in the portion of the lid 3 facing the storage space 27 and can support the edges of multiple jigs J.

The front retainer 7 has receiving portions 73. The receiving portions 73 are arranged in pairs, two apart at a predetermined distance in the left-right direction D3. The receiving portions 73 arranged in pairs in this manner are provided in 25 pairs parallel to each other in the up-down direction D2, and each is supported by elastically deformable legs 72. When the jig J is stored in the storage space 27 and the lid 3 is closed, the receiving portions 73 clamp and support the edge of the edge of the jig J by the elastic force of the legs 72 while biasing it toward the center of the storage space 27.

The receiving portion 73 has a lower inclined surface and an upper inclined surface, which together form a roughly V-shaped groove. When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the jig J slides up against the lower inclined surface, and when the jig J reaches the apex of the V-shaped groove, the edge of the jig J is supported by the receiving portion 73.

Next, the adapter member 8 will be described in detail. As shown in Figures 9A to 11D, the adapter member 8 is disposed between the container body opening 21 and the side support part 5 in the storage space 27 in the front-to-rear direction D1, which is the direction connecting one end and the other end of the container body 2. The adapter member 8 has guide parts 81 disposed in correspondence with some or all of the multiple plate parts 51 in the side support part 5. One guide part 81 is provided for each of the multiple plate parts 51. The adapter member 8 is configured to be freely attached and detached to the side support part 5 and/or the container body 2.

In the first embodiment, the adapter member 8 is configured to be detachable from the side support portion 5. The guide portion 81 is disposed corresponding to a portion of the plurality of plate portions 51, with one guide portion 81 provided for every two plate portions 51. In other words, the guide portions 81 are disposed on every other one of the plurality of plate portions 51 in the upward direction D21 from a position corresponding to the plate portion 51 on the lowest side D22.

The adapter member 8 is provided on both the left side D31 and the right side D32. In detail, the adapter member 8 on the left side D31 is connected to the side support part 5 of the left side D31 and is supported on the first side wall 25 via the side support part 5 of the left side D31. Similarly, the adapter member 8 on the right side D32 is connected to the side support part 5 of the right side D32 and is supported on the second side wall 26 via the side support part 5 of the right side D32. The configurations of the adapter member 8 and the side support part 5 are the same on the left side D31 and the right side D32, so the following description will be based on the adapter member 8 and the side support part 5 on the left side as a representative.

The adapter members 8 are interior parts arranged in the storage space 27 in a pair in the left-right direction D3. Specifically, as shown in Figures 7A to 7C and 9A to 9B, the adapter members 8 have a guide part 81 and a guide part support part 82. The guide part 81 and the guide part support part 82 are formed by integrally molding a resin material, and the guide part 81 is supported by the guide part support part 82.

The guide portions 81 are plate-shaped extending in the D1-D3 plane and protruding inward in the lateral direction D3. A total of 26 guide portions 81 are provided on each of the left side D31 and right side D32, 13 on each side in the vertical direction D2. Adjacent guide portions 81 are spaced apart in the vertical direction D2 at intervals of 20 mm to 24 mm and are positioned parallel to each other. As shown in FIG. 7B, the guide portions 81 are not provided at positions corresponding to the plate-shaped members 59.

The 13 guide sections 81 on the left side D31 and the 13 guide sections 81 on the right side D32 are positioned opposite each other in the left-right direction D3. The 26 guide sections 81 are positioned approximately parallel to the D1-D3 plane.

As shown in FIG. 11D, one or more jigs J can be placed between adjacent guide parts 81. In other words, one or more jigs J can be sandwiched between adjacent guide parts 81. When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the jig J is not placed between adjacent guide parts 81, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 11A.

As shown in Figures 11B and 11D, the height (position) of the rear end 817 of the upper surface 816 of the rear side D12 of the guide portion 81 is substantially the same as the height (position) of the front end 517 of the upper surface 516 of the front side D11 of the plate portion 51. The gap in the front-to-rear direction D1 between the rear end 817 of the guide portion 81 and the front end 517 of the upper surface 516 of the plate portion 51 is minimal. In other words, from a macroscopic perspective, the rear end 817 of the upper surface 816 of the guide portion 81 and the front end 517 of the upper surface 516 of the plate portion 51 are designed to be continuous in the front-to-rear direction D1.

The guide support portion 82 is a plate extending in the D1-D2 plane. The guide support portion 82 has a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction of the guide portion 81 (front-rear direction D1) and is connected to the outer edge of the guide portion 81 in the lateral direction D3.

That is, the 13 guide portions 81 on the left side D31 are connected to the guide portion support portion 82 on the left side D31. Similarly, the 13 guide portions 81 on the right side D32 are connected to the guide portion support portion 82 on the right side D32. As shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the guide portion support portion 82 has a rear connection portion 83 on the rear side D12. As shown in Figure 7C, the left and right guide portions 81 are fixed to the left and right side support portions 5 by connecting the rear connection portion 83 to the front connection portion 53 of the side support portion 5. As a result, the left and right adapter members 8 are fixed to the left and right first side walls 25 and second side walls 26 via the side support portions 5, respectively.

The guide portion 81 has a function (guide function) of guiding the jig J, which is the object to be stored, at a position between the container body opening 21 of the container body 2 and the side support portion 5, for example, when inserting the jig J between the

adjacent plate portions

51, 51 of the side support portion 5, or when pulling the jig J out from between the

adjacent plate portions

51, 51 of the side support portion 5 and removing it.

The guide portion 81 has a structure (upward directing structure) that directs the sliding direction of the stored object J (jig) sliding on the upper surface 816 of the guide portion 81 upward. In detail, as shown in Figs. 9A and 11D, the guide portion 81 has a direction guide portion 811. In the first embodiment, the direction guide portion 811 is formed by having a shape in which the front side D11 portion of the upper surface 816 of the guide portion 81 has a gradually rising shape toward the rear direction D12. Note that the upward directing structure is omitted in some drawings (the upper surface 816 of the guide portion 81 is shown flat). In the direction guide portion 811, the rear side D12 portion of the upper surface 816 of the guide portion 81 also has a shape that gradually rises toward the front direction D11.

The adapter member 8 is an optional member, and the storage container 1 can be used without the adapter member 8 attached (first state). As shown in Figs. 3, 10A, and 10B, when the adapter member 8 is not attached, the guide function of the guide portion 81 described above is not performed, but the jig J, which is the object to be stored, can be inserted between the

adjacent plate portions

51, 51 of the side support portion 5, or the jig J can be pulled out from between the

adjacent plate portions

51, 51 of the side support portion 5 and removed. In Fig. 10A, the jig J shown by the two-dot chain line is inserted between the

adjacent plate portions

51, 51 of the side support portion 5. The jig J shown by the solid line is located on the front side D11 of the plate portion 51, is not inserted between the

adjacent plate portions

51, 51, and is not in a state where the guide function described above is performed.

On the other hand, the storage container 1 can be used even when the adapter member 8 is attached (second state). As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 11A to 11D, when the adapter member 8 is attached, a state in which the above-mentioned guide function is exerted is created, and in this state, the jig J, which is the object to be stored, can be inserted between the

adjacent plate portions

51, 51 of the side support portion 5 and removed. In Fig. 11A, the jig J shown by the two-dot chain line is inserted between the

adjacent plate portions

51, 51 of the side support portion 5. In Figs. 11A and 11B, the jig J shown by the solid line is located on the front side D11 of the plate portion 51, and is not inserted between the

adjacent plate portions

51, 51, but is in a state in which the above-mentioned guide function is exerted.

There are various ways to distinguish between the first state and the second state. For example, if some users want a product (storage container) in the first state and others want a product in the second state, the manufacturer needs to prepare (line up) products in the first state and products in the second state. However, if the adapter member 8 is configured to be detachable, a product in the second state can be manufactured simply by attaching the adapter member 8 to a product in the first state, minimizing the number of types of components. Also, if some users want to use the product in either the first or second state, the user can change the product to either the first or second state simply by attaching and detaching the adapter member 8.

The effect of the upward directional structure of the guide section 81 will be explained. FIG. 12A is a schematic diagram showing the step between the adapter member 8 and the side support section 5 in the comparative embodiment. FIG. 12B is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the jig J, which is the stored object, is caught on the step between the adapter member 8 and the side support section 5 in the comparative embodiment. FIG. 13A is a schematic diagram showing the step between the adapter member 8 and the side support section 5 in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13B is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the jig J, which is the stored object moving in the rear direction D12, slides up on the adapter member 8 in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13C is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the jig J moves above the step between the adapter member 8 and the side support section 5 in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the jig J, which is the stored object moving in the forward direction D11, slides up on the adapter member 8 in the first embodiment of the present invention.

12A and 12B are comparative examples in which the guide portion 81 does not have the above-mentioned upward directional structure. The comparative example is also one of the embodiments of the present invention (it can also be called the second embodiment) simply because it does not have an upward directional structure. In detail, the upper surface 816 of the guide portion 81 of the adapter member 8 is a straight plane extending in the D1-D3 plane. In the first state in which the adapter member 8 and the side support portion 5 are attached, the upper surface 816 of the guide portion 81 and the upper surface 516 of the plate portion 51 are basically (by design) flush (same height). However, due to the influence of play between various members, the height (position) of the upper surface 816 (rear end portion 817) of the rear side D12 of the guide portion 81 may be lower than the height (position) of the upper surface 516 (front end portion 517) of the front side D11 of the plate portion 51, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 12A.

In such a case, when the jig J (jig body J1), which is the object to be stored, is slid in the rear direction D12 on the upper surface 816 of the guide portion 81, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 12B, the outer periphery J1 of the jig J may get caught (strike) on the front end 517 (which can also be called a step) of the plate portion 51 when it passes the rear end 817 of the guide portion 81, and may not be able to move any further in the rear direction D12. In that case, the jig J cannot be positioned above the plate portion 51. Note that this is not limited to the case of a step, and the same phenomenon can also occur when there is a large gap between the rear end 817 of the guide portion 81 and the front end 517 of the plate portion 51.

In response to this, in the first embodiment, as described above, the guide portion 81 has a structure (upward directing structure) that directs the sliding direction of the stored object J (jig) sliding on the upper surface 816 of the guide portion 81 upward.

As shown by the dashed line in FIG. 13A, the height (position) of the upper surface 816 (rear end 817) of the rear side D12 of the guide section 81 is lower than the height (position) of the upper surface 516 (front end 517) of the front side D11 of the plate section 51. In other words, the height (position) of the upper surface 516 (front end 517) of the front side D11 of the plate section 51 is higher than the height (position) of the upper surface 816 (rear end 817) of the rear side D12 of the guide section 81. However, the guide section 81 in the first embodiment has an upward directional structure. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13B, the sliding direction D4 of the stored object J (jig) sliding on the upper surface 816 of the guide section 81 is oriented upward. In other words, the jig J slides in a diagonally rearward and upward direction (a direction between the rearward direction D12 and the upward direction D21) so that its lower surface J14 slides on the upper surface 816 of the guide section 81. Therefore, as shown in Figures 13C and 11D, when the outer periphery J17 of the jig body J1 of the jig J passes the rear end 817 of the guide portion 81, it easily passes the front end 517 of the plate portion 51 and moves in the rear direction D12. As a result, the jig J can be easily positioned above the plate portion 51.

Also, as shown in FIG. 14, in the directional guide portion 811, the rear side D12 of the upper surface 816 of the guide portion 81 also has a shape that gradually rises toward the forward direction D11. Therefore, in the process of moving the jig body J1 of the jig J located at the side support portion 5 in the forward direction D11 and taking it out of the container body opening 21 via the guide portion 81 to the outside, the sliding direction D4 of the jig J sliding on the upper surface 816 of the guide portion 81 is directed upward. In other words, the jig J slides in an obliquely forward-upward direction (a direction between the forward direction D11 and the upward direction D21) so that its lower surface J14 slides on the upper surface 816 of the guide portion 81. In this way, the jig J slides up and is supported at a position higher than the plate portion 51. Therefore, the outer peripheral edge J17 of the jig J is less likely to hit the joint between the guide portion 81 and the plate portion 51, so that the jig J can be prevented from getting caught.

According to the storage container 1 of the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. The storage container 1 includes a container body 2 having a storage space 27 formed therein in which a plurality of objects J to be stored in parallel are stored, an opening periphery 28 formed with a container body opening 21 communicating with the storage space 27 at one end and a closed other end, a lid 3 that is detachable from the container body opening 21 and capable of closing the container body opening 21, a side support part 5 that is arranged in pairs in the storage space 27 and can support the edges of the plurality of objects J to be stored when adjacent objects J among the plurality of objects J are arranged in parallel at a predetermined distance apart, the side support part 5 having a plurality of plate parts 51 arranged between the adjacent objects J, and an adapter member 8 that is arranged between the container body opening 21 and the side support part 5 in the storage space 27 in the front-rear direction D1 connecting the one end and the other end of the container body 2, the adapter member 8 having a guide part 81 arranged corresponding to some or all of the plurality of plate parts 51, and the adapter member 8 is configured to be freely attached and detached to the side support part 5 or the container body 2.

By attaching and detaching the adapter member 8, the storage container 1 according to the first embodiment can easily change the range in which it exerts its support function for the stored object J.

In addition, when the jig J supported by the side support parts 5 is pulled out in the forward direction D11 by gripping only the front side D11 of the jig J with a jig gripping device (not shown), if the jig J is no longer supported by the side support parts 5 (if it comes off from above the plate parts 51), the rear side D12 part of the jig J in particular may sag. In that case (if the adapter member 8 is not present as shown in FIG. 10B), the sagging part of the jig J located above is likely to come into contact with another jig J located below (and/or the substrate W held thereon, if any) (in FIG. 10B, the jig J located above may appear to be supported by the plate parts 51 of the side support parts 5, but as shown in FIG. 10A, the jig J located above is not supported by the plate parts 51 of the side support parts 5).

However, as shown in Figures 11A to 11D, in the first embodiment, an adapter member 8 is disposed between the container body opening 21 and the side support portion 5 in the storage space 27. Therefore, the sagging portion of the jig J located above is restricted from sagging further downward by the guide portion 81 of the adapter member 8, and is prevented from coming into contact with another jig J or the substrate W located below.

In the first embodiment, one guide portion 81 is provided for each of the multiple (two) plate portions 51. This increases the size of the entrance portion in the vertical direction D2 when the jig J is inserted between the

adjacent plate portions

51, 51 of the side support portion 5, thereby achieving, for example, the following effects. The jig J may be inserted between the

adjacent plate portions

51, 51 of the side support portion 5 by gripping only the front side D11 portion of the jig J with a jig gripping device (not shown). When gripped and inserted in this manner, the gripped portion of the jig J on the front side D11 is significantly deflected. In a configuration in which one guide portion 81 is provided for each of the multiple plate portions 51, the possibility of the jig J with the front side D11 portion being significantly deflected coming into contact with the guide portion 81 can be reduced.

In the first embodiment, the guide portion 81 has a structure that directs the sliding direction D4 of the stored item J sliding on the upper surface 816 of the guide portion 81 upward. As a result, when the outer peripheral edge J17 of the stored item J sliding in the rear direction D12 on the upper surface 816 of the guide portion 81 passes the rear end portion 817 of the guide portion 81, it easily passes further beyond the front end portion 517 of the plate portion 51 and moves in the rear direction D12. As a result, the stored item J can be easily positioned above the plate portion 51.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications are possible within the technical scope described in the claims.

For example, the adapter member 8 may be capable of being supported directly or indirectly on the container body 2. For example, the adapter member 8 may be directly supported on the first side wall 25 or the second side wall 26 of the container body 2. The adapter member 8 may be supported on both the side support portion 5 and the container body 2.

The guide portions 81 of the adapter member 8 may be provided one by one (without skipping) for each plate portion 51 of the side support portion 5. The guide portions 81 may be provided one by one for every three to five plate portions 51. The pitch of the guide portions 81 in the vertical direction D2 may be equal pitch (equal cycle) or unequal pitch (unequal cycle).

There are no limitations to the upwardly oriented structure of the guide portion 81, so long as it can orient the sliding direction of the stored object J upward. For example, the entire upper surface 816 of the guide portion 81 may have a shape that gradually rises toward the rear direction D12.

The object to be stored may be a single board or a jig holding a board.

The side support parts 5 and the rear support part 6 may form a single interior part that is fixed to the container body 2 inside the container body 2. The rear support part 6 may be integrally molded with the container body 2.

1 Storage container 2 Container body 21 Container body opening 27 Storage space 28 Opening periphery 3 Lid 5 Side support portion 51 Plate portion 8 Adapter member 81 Guide portion 816 Top surface D1 Front-rear direction D4 Slide direction J Stored object (jig)
J1 Jig body W Board

Claims

a container body having a storage space formed therein capable of storing a plurality of objects in parallel, one end of which has an opening periphery formed with a container body opening communicating with the storage space, and the other end of which is closed;
A lid body that is detachable from the container body opening and can close the container body opening;
side support parts that are arranged in pairs within the storage space and that can support edges of the plurality of stored objects when adjacent stored objects are arranged in parallel with a predetermined distance apart from each other, the side support parts having a plurality of plate parts that are arranged between the adjacent stored objects;
an adaptor member disposed between the container body opening and the side support portion in the storage space in a front-rear direction connecting the one end and the other end of the container body, the adaptor member having a guide portion disposed corresponding to some or all of the plurality of plate portions;
The adapter member is configured to be freely attached and detached to the side support portion or the container body.
The storage container according to claim 1, wherein one guide portion is provided for each of the plurality of plate portions.
The storage container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the guide portion has a structure that directs the sliding direction of the stored object sliding on the upper surface of the guide portion upward.
The storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the object to be stored is a substrate and/or a plate-shaped jig for a substrate.
an adaptor member for a storage container comprising: a container body having a storage space formed therein capable of storing a plurality of stored objects in parallel, one end of which has an opening periphery with a container body opening communicating with the storage space formed therein and the other end of which is closed; a lid that is detachable from the container body opening and capable of closing the container body opening; a side support part that is arranged in a pair within the storage space and capable of supporting edges of the plurality of stored objects when adjacent items among the plurality of stored objects are arranged in parallel and spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval, the side support part having a plurality of plate parts that are arranged between the adjacent items; and an adaptor member that is arranged between the container body opening and the side support part in the storage space in the front-to-rear direction connecting the one end and the other end of the container body, the adaptor member having guide parts that are arranged corresponding to some or all of the plurality of plate parts,
The adapter member is configured to be freely attached to and detached from the side support portion or the container body.
The adapter member according to claim 5, wherein one guide portion is provided for each of the plurality of plate portions.
The adapter member according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the guide portion has a structure that directs the sliding direction of the stored object sliding on the upper surface of the guide portion upward.
An adapter member according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the object to be stored is a substrate and/or a plate-shaped jig for a substrate.