Retractable storage mechanism and storage box for accommodating the retractable storage mechanism

Abstract

The present application is a retractable storage mechanism, which includes a plurality of trays and at least two retractable components that connect two adjacent trays together. The retractable components can be retracted to change the distance between each of the trays. The present application also provides a storage box that can accommodate the retractable storage mechanism, which includes an upper cover, a lower cover, and a storage space formed by the upper cover and the lower cover and for accommodating the retractable storage mechanism. When the upper cover moves upward relative to the lower cover, the retractable components change from a compressed state to an extended state, thereby increasing the distance between each of the trays. In this way, when the distance between two adjacent trays becomes larger, it is convenient to take and place the load-bearing objects. When the distance between two adjacent trays becomes smaller, the volume of the retractable storage mechanism can be effectively reduced, thereby saving working space.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. patent application No. 17 / 751,104, filed with the U.S. Patent Office on May 23, 2022, and entitled “ADJUSTABLE DEVICE AND AN ADJUSTABLE STORAGE BOX,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to a storage device, and more particularly to a retractable storage mechanism and a storage box for accommodating the retractable storage mechanism. Background Art

[0003] Wafer storage and transport is a critical technology in the semiconductor manufacturing process. Because wafers, which can be made of silicon or glass-like materials, are easily damaged by improper handling procedures or tools, this can significantly increase the cost and time of wafer production. Traditional wafer storage boxes typically stack wafers to accommodate large quantities of wafers and save storage space. However, these boxes maintain a fixed distance between wafers, resulting in a relatively large volume and significant space occupation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, one of the objects of the present application is to provide a retractable storage mechanism that can store multiple items at a time and has a retractable function to save storage volume; another object of the present application is to provide a storage box that can accommodate the retractable storage mechanism.

[0005] To achieve one of the above-mentioned purposes, the present application discloses a retractable storage mechanism, comprising a plurality of trays for accommodating a plurality of substrates; and at least two retractable components for connecting an adjacent first tray to a second tray, wherein the retractable components can be retracted to change the distance between the trays, and each retractable component comprises: a first side wall comprising a right portion, a left portion and a connecting portion for connecting the right portion and the left portion, the right portion comprising a right upper pivot hole, a right lower pivot hole and an adjacent right limiting rail, and the left portion comprising a left upper pivot hole, a left lower pivot hole and an adjacent left limiting rail; two second side walls, each comprising an upper pivot hole, a lower pivot hole, a right limiting boss and a left limiting boss, adjacent to the upper pivot hole and arranged on both sides of each second side wall; wherein, the lower pivot hole, the right upper pivot hole and the left upper pivot hole of one of the second side walls are fixed to the first disk body through a pivot connection, and the right limiting boss and the left limiting boss of the other second side wall respectively extend into the right limiting track and the left limiting track of the first side wall, and when the multiple telescopic components are in a compressed state, the two second side walls are close to each other and pressed against each other.

[0006] In one embodiment, the upper pivot hole of the other second side wall, the right lower pivot hole and the left lower pivot hole of the first side wall are fixedly connected to each other via another pivot.

[0007] In one embodiment, the right limiting rail and the left limiting rail form a through-hole structure with the right lower pivot hole and the left lower pivot hole respectively.

[0008] In one embodiment, the right limiting track and the left limiting track are open-gap structures.

[0009] In one embodiment, the connecting portion of the first side wall is located at a center position between the right upper pivot hole and the right lower pivot hole, and at a center position between the left upper pivot hole and the left lower pivot hole.

[0010] In one embodiment, two springs are further included, extending from the right lower pivot hole and the left lower pivot hole of the first side wall to the upper pivot hole of the other second side wall to provide tension so that the retractable storage mechanism can maintain a dilated state or a compressed state.

[0011] To achieve the other purpose mentioned above, the present application discloses a storage box for accommodating a retractable storage mechanism, the storage box includes an upper cover, a handle provided on the upper cover, a lower cover located below the upper cover, and a storage space formed by the upper cover and the lower cover; the upper cover can be connected to the topmost plate of the retractable storage mechanism; the upper cover can be movably covered on the lower cover, and the lower cover can be connected to the bottommost plate of the retractable storage mechanism; the storage space is used to accommodate the retractable storage mechanism; wherein, when the upper cover moves upward relative to the lower cover, the retractable component of the retractable storage mechanism changes from a compressed state to an extended state, so that the distance between each plate increases.

[0012] In one embodiment, the upper cover has at least an upper limiting member, and the lower cover has at least a lower limiting member. The upper limiting member can be directly or indirectly connected to the topmost disk of the retractable storage mechanism, and the lower limiting member can be directly or indirectly connected to the bottommost disk of the retractable storage mechanism.

[0013] In one embodiment, at least one tray of the retractable storage mechanism has a side opening for the lower restriction member to pass through.

[0014] By extending and retracting the telescopic assembly, when the distance between two adjacent trays becomes larger, it can help facilitate the placement of the carried objects. When the distance between two adjacent trays becomes smaller, the overall volume of the telescopic storage mechanism can be effectively reduced, thereby saving working space. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of the retractable storage mechanism of a preferred embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of the retractable storage mechanism of a preferred embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Exploded diagram of the telescopic components in the diagram;

[0018] Figure 4 A partially enlarged view of a retractable storage mechanism according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 5 A partially enlarged view of a retractable storage mechanism according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 6 The state of the storage box when the telescopic assembly of the present application is in a compressed state;

[0021] Figure 7 The state of the storage box when the telescopic assembly of the present application is in the extended state;

[0022] Figure 8 A three-dimensional diagram of the upper cover of the storage box of the present application;

[0023] Figure 9 A three-dimensional diagram of the lower cover of the storage box of the present application;

[0024] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the storage box of the present application, in which the lower cover is directly hooked onto the bottom plate;

[0025] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the upper cover of the storage box of this application being indirectly hooked onto the topmost plate.

[0026] Description of reference numerals:

[0027] 10A, 10B, 10C: Retractable storage box

[0028] 20,20': disc

[0029] 21: Side port

[0030] 50: Storage box

[0031] 60: Upper cover

[0032] 62: Upper limit piece

[0033] 621: Upper limit

[0034] 70: Lower cover

[0035] 72: Lower limiter

[0036] 721: Lower limit

[0037] 80: Accommodation space

[0038] 81: First side wall

[0039] 813: Restricted Track

[0040] 814: Right lower pivot hole

[0041] 818: Left lower pivot hole

[0042] 819: Pivot spring

[0043] 82,82': Second sidewall

[0044] 820: Limit boss

[0045] 821: Upper pivot hole

[0046] 90: Telescopic components

[0047] 91: First side wall

[0048] 911: First side wall right

[0049] 912: right upper pivot hole

[0050] 913: Right restricted track

[0051] 914: Right lower pivot hole

[0052] 915: Left part of the first side wall

[0053] 916: Left upper pivot hole

[0054] 917: Left restricted track

[0055] 918: Left lower pivot hole

[0056] 92: Second side wall

[0057] 920: Limit boss

[0058] 921: Upper pivot hole

[0059] 922: Lower pivot hole

[0060] 92': Second sidewall

[0061] 920': Limit boss

[0062] 921': Upper pivot hole

[0063] 922': Lower pivot hole DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] Figure 1 and Figure 2 The diagram shows a retractable storage mechanism 10A provided by a preferred embodiment of the present application, which includes a plurality of trays 20 and at least two retractable components 90 that connect two adjacent trays 20, 20' together. The retractable components 90 can be retracted to change the distance between each of the trays 20, 20'. When the retractable components 90 are in an extended state, the distance between the two adjacent trays 20, 20' is at its maximum. When the retractable components 90 are in a compressed state, the distance between the two adjacent trays 20, 20' is at its minimum. Two or more sets of retractable components 90 are provided between each adjacent tray 20, 20', respectively located on the left and right sides of the plurality of trays 20, 20' ( Figure 1(perspective view). In this embodiment, each of the trays 20, 20' can be a regular polygon, such as a square or a regular octagon. However, the shape of each of the trays 20, 20' can be varied as needed and is not particularly limited. Each of the trays 20, 20' can carry objects, such as wafers, bowls, or records. The telescopic assembly 90 includes a first sidewall 91 and a second sidewall 92. The telescopic assembly 90' includes a first sidewall 91' and a second sidewall 92'. The first sidewall 91 and the second sidewall 92 are fixed to the tray 20, while the first sidewall 91' and the second sidewall 92' are fixed to the tray 20'. At the same time, the first sidewall 91 is connected to the second sidewall 92', so that when the telescopic assemblies 90, 90' are in a compressed state, the first sidewall 91 and the first sidewall 91' are brought into contact with each other, and the second sidewall 92 and the second sidewall 92' are brought into contact with each other. By extending and retracting the telescopic assembly 90, when the distance between the two adjacent trays 20, 20' becomes larger, it can help facilitate the placement of the carried objects. When the distance between the two adjacent trays 20, 20' becomes smaller, the overall volume of the telescopic storage mechanism 10A can be effectively reduced, thereby saving working space.

[0065] Please refer to Figure 3 , which is an exploded view of the structures of the first side wall 91, the second side wall 92 and the second side wall 92'. The first side wall 91 includes a first side wall right portion 911, a first side wall left portion 915 and a connecting portion 910 connecting the two portions. Among them, the right part 911 of the first side wall includes an upper right pivot hole 912, a lower right pivot hole 914 and an adjacent right limiting rail 913; the left part 915 of the first side wall includes an upper left pivot hole 916, a lower left pivot hole 918 and an adjacent left limiting rail 917; wherein, the connecting part 910 is located at approximately the center position between the upper right pivot hole 912 and the lower right pivot hole 915, and approximately the center position between the upper left pivot hole 916 and the lower left pivot hole 918, for connecting the right part 911 and the left part 915 of the first side wall, which can further stabilize the connection between the first side wall 91 and the disk body 20; wherein, the right limiting rail 913 and the left limiting rail 917 are of a perforated design. The second side wall 92 includes an upper pivot hole 921, a lower pivot hole 922 and a limiting boss 920 disposed adjacent to the upper pivot hole 921; similarly, the second side wall 92' includes an upper pivot hole 921', a lower pivot hole 922' and a limiting boss 920' disposed adjacent to the upper pivot hole 921'.

[0066] Please also refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3, a pivot column (not shown) can be used to pass through the lower pivot hole 922 of the second side wall 92 and the left upper pivot hole 916 and the right upper pivot hole 912 of the first side wall 91 to be fixed on the disk body 20; similarly, a pivot column (not shown) can be used to pass through the upper pivot hole 921' of the second side wall 92' and the right lower pivot hole 914 and the left lower pivot hole 918 of the first side wall 91 and fix them together, and at the same time, the limiting boss 920' can extend into the right limiting rail 913 and the left limiting rail 917, because the limiting boss 920 can only move within the right limiting rail 913 and the left limiting rail 917, thereby limiting the telescopic direction of the telescopic component 90'.

[0067] Figure 4 Another retractable storage mechanism 10B of the present application is similar to the retractable storage mechanism 10A, except that the limiting track 813 of the first side wall 81 of the retractable storage mechanism 10B can be a hollowed-out design (see Figure 3 , the right limiting rail 913 and the left limiting rail 917 of the retractable storage mechanism 10A are of a perforated design), that is, the limiting rail 813 can be formed on the outer edges of the left and right parts of the first side wall 81 instead of a perforated design similar to the pivot hole. The design of the retractable storage mechanism 10B makes it relatively easy to install the limiting boss 820 on the limiting rail 813.

[0068] Figure 5 This is another implementation state of the retractable storage mechanism 10C of the present application, which is similar to the retractable storage mechanism 10B. The difference is that a pivot spring 819 is arranged on both sides of the pivot column passing through the right lower pivot hole 814 of the first side wall 81, the left lower pivot hole 818 and the upper pivot hole 821' of the second side wall 82', which provides elastic tension so that this retractable storage mechanism 10C can maintain a relaxed state or a compressed state, so that only a single-directional external force needs to be applied to the upper cover subsequently, making it easier to operate the substrate storage of this retractable storage mechanism 10C.

[0069] Please refer to Figure 6 、 7 The present application also provides a storage box 50 for accommodating the retractable storage mechanisms 10A, 10B, and 10C (hereinafter collectively referred to as 10) in the above-mentioned embodiments. The storage box 50 includes an upper cover 60, a lower cover 70 located below the upper cover 60, and a storage space 80 located between the upper cover 60 and the lower cover 70. The upper cover 60 is movably arranged on the lower cover 70 up and down, and the storage space 80 is used to accommodate the retractable storage mechanism 10. Figure 6 The figure shows the state of the storage box 50 when the telescopic assembly 30 is in a compressed state, that is, the upper cover 60 is covered on the lower cover 70. Figure 7The diagram shows the storage box 50 in the extended state of the telescopic assembly 30, i.e., the upper cover 60 is separated from the lower cover 70. The appearance and shape of the upper cover 60 and the lower cover 70 can vary depending on the shape of the tray 20, and the upper cover 60 can even be simply a flat plate. In addition, the storage box 50 can have a handle on the upper cover 60 for manual or mechanical handling of the upper cover 60.

[0070] The upper cover 60 can be connected to the topmost tray 20 of the retractable storage mechanism 10, and the lower cover 70 can be connected to the bottommost tray 20 of the retractable storage mechanism 10. Figure 8 、 9 In this embodiment, the upper cover 60 has eight upper restraining members 62 disposed on the inner edges of its eight sides. The lower cover 70 also has eight lower restraining members 72 disposed on the inner edges of its eight sides. The upper restraining members 62 can directly or indirectly engage with the topmost tray 20 of the retractable storage mechanism 10, and the lower restraining members 72 can directly or indirectly engage with the bottommost tray 20 of the retractable storage mechanism 10. In this embodiment, each upper restraining member 62 has an upper limit 621 that directly engages with the topmost tray 20, and each lower restraining member 72 has a lower limit 721 that directly engages with the bottommost tray 20. In other possible embodiments, the number of upper restraining members 62 and lower restraining members 72 can vary depending on the situation. The structure of the upper restraining members 62 and lower restraining members 72 is not limited to this embodiment, as long as they can be connected to the upper cover 60 and lower cover 70, respectively.

[0071] like Figure 10As shown, except for the top and bottom layers, the multiple trays 20 all have a side opening 21 for the lower limit portion 721 of the lower limiting member 72 to pass through; when the upper cover 60 moves upward relative to the lower cover 70, the upper limit portion 621 of the upper limiting member 62 of the upper cover 60 directly drives the top tray 20, so that the telescopic component 90 of the telescopic storage mechanism 10 changes from the compressed state to the extended state, whereby each of the trays 20 moves upward together and the distance between each of the trays 20 increases, and the multiple side openings 21 are used for the lower limiting member 72 to pass through, until the tray 20 at the bottom layer is directly affected by the lower limit portion 72 of the lower limiting member 72 of the lower cover 70. 1 and cannot move upward. At this time, the telescopic assembly 90 is in the extended state and the distance between the two adjacent trays 20, 20' is maximized, so that the objects carried on each tray 20 can be easily taken out and placed. Then, when the upper cover 60 moves downward relative to the lower cover 70, the upper cover 60 abuts against the topmost tray 20, thereby all the trays 20, 20' move downward together and the distance between the trays 20, 20' decreases, until the telescopic assembly 90 is in the compressed state and the distance between the two adjacent trays 20 is minimized. At this time, the overall volume of the telescopic storage mechanism 10 can be effectively reduced, thereby saving working space.

[0072] The objects can be placed and retrieved manually or by a robot without any particular restrictions. The upper cover 60 can be moved up and down by lifting and lowering the handle or directly lifting and lowering the upper cover 60. The topmost and bottommost trays 20 may not carry objects depending on the situation.

[0073] Figure 11 The figure shows a state in which the upper limiting member 62 is indirectly connected to the topmost tray 20 of the retractable storage mechanism 10 in other embodiments, that is, the upper limiting member 62 is pivotally connected to the first side wall 91 of the retractable assembly 90. When the upper cover 60 moves upward, it can pull the first side wall 91, thereby driving the retractable assembly 90 to extend. Similarly, the lower limiting member 72 can also be indirectly connected to the bottommost tray 20 of the retractable storage mechanism 10, that is, the lower limiting member 72 is pivotally connected to the first side wall 91' of the retractable assembly 90 (not shown). In other possible embodiments, the upper limiting member 62 can be pivotally connected to the first side wall 91', and the lower limiting member 72 can be pivotally connected to the first side wall 91. All such simple modifications, replacements, or component reductions should fall within the scope of the patent application disclosed in this application.

Claims

1. A retractable storage mechanism, characterized in that: Include: A plurality of trays for receiving a plurality of substrates; as well as At least two telescopic assemblies connect the adjacent first and second trays together, and the telescopic assemblies can be telescoped to change the distance between the trays, and each telescopic assembly includes: The first side wall includes a right portion, a left portion, and a connecting portion connecting the right portion and the left portion, the right portion including a right upper pivot hole, a right lower pivot hole, and an adjacent right limit rail, and the left portion including a left upper pivot hole, a left lower pivot hole, and an adjacent left limit rail; Two second side walls, each comprising an upper pivot hole, a lower pivot hole, a right limiting boss and a left limiting boss, adjacent to the upper pivot hole, and disposed on both sides of each second side wall; and Among them, the lower pivot hole of one of the second side walls, the right upper pivot hole and the left upper pivot hole of the first side wall are fixed to the first disk body through a pivot connection, and the right limiting boss and the left limiting boss of another second side wall extend into the right limiting track and the left limiting track of the first side wall respectively. When the multiple telescopic components are in a compressed state, the two second side walls are close to each other and pressed against each other.

2. The retractable storage mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The upper pivot hole of the other second side wall, the right lower pivot hole and the left lower pivot hole of the first side wall are fixedly connected to each other through another pivot.

3. The retractable storage mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The right limiting rail and the left limiting rail respectively form a through-hole structure with the right lower pivot hole and the left lower pivot hole.

4. The retractable storage mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The right limiting track and the left limiting track are open gap structures.

5. The retractable storage mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The connecting portion of the first side wall is located at a center position between the right upper pivot hole and the right lower pivot hole, and at a center position between the left upper pivot hole and the left lower pivot hole.

6. The retractable storage mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: It also includes two springs, which extend from the right lower pivot hole and the left lower pivot hole of the first side wall to the other upper pivot hole of the two second side walls to provide tension so that the retractable storage mechanism can maintain a relaxed state or a compressed state.

7. A storage box for accommodating the retractable storage mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The storage box includes: an upper cover, connectable to the topmost tray of the retractable storage mechanism; a lower cover, located below the upper cover, the upper cover movably covering the lower cover, and the lower cover being connectable to the bottommost tray of the retractable storage mechanism; as well as an accommodating space, formed by the upper cover and the lower cover, for accommodating the retractable storage mechanism; When the upper cover moves upward relative to the lower cover, the telescopic assembly of the telescopic storage mechanism changes from a compressed state to an extended state, thereby increasing the distance between the trays.

8. The storage box according to claim 7, wherein: The upper cover has at least an upper limiting member, and the lower cover has at least a lower limiting member. The upper limiting member can be directly or indirectly connected to the topmost disk of the retractable storage mechanism, and the lower limiting member can be directly or indirectly connected to the bottommost disk of the retractable storage mechanism.

9. The storage box according to any one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that: At least one tray of the retractable storage mechanism has a side opening for the lower restriction member to pass through.

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