Locking guide structure

Abstract

The present application provides a locking and guiding structure, which is suitable for a semiconductor carrier door. The locking and guiding structure comprises an upper latch, a lower latch, at least one elastic component and a driving component. A first guiding part of the upper latch and a second guiding part of the lower latch are matched and define a receiving space for receiving the elastic component. The driving component is used to synchronously drive an upper connecting member of the first guiding part and a lower connecting member of the second guiding part to move linearly in opposite directions. The elastic component presents a corresponding elastic compression or release degree according to the linear movement amplitude between the upper connecting member and the lower connecting member, so as to control the upper latch and the lower latch to present an open state or a closed state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a latching alignment structure, and more particularly to a latching alignment structure configurable within a semiconductor carrier gate. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor industry, various thin-plate substrate materials are used. Specifically, wafers are a very common substrate material. During the manufacturing process, wafers must be transported to different workstations for processing. To prevent wafers from being contaminated or impacted during transport, the containers holding these wafers are extremely important. Since these wafers must be kept in a highly clean, hermetic, and anti-static carrier during transport or storage, the design of these semiconductor carriers determines the wafer production yield.

[0003] Currently, the most common types of semiconductor carriers used in industrial applications are front-opening wafer transfer boxes (FOUPs) or extreme ultraviolet photomask boxes used in advanced processes. When these boxes are opened and closed, the external environment will inevitably affect the substrate they carry. Therefore, the design of the latch mechanism must be ingenious to achieve both effective airtightness and precise door operation for semiconductor carriers.

[0004] Taking existing front-opening wafer transfer cassettes as an example, the latch structure of the door is mostly concealed within the door body, which reduces the probability of mechanical collision caused by direct contact with the wafers inside when opening or closing the door. However, even though prior art has revealed various latch mechanisms for front-opening wafer transfer cassettes (FOUPs) in an attempt to reduce wafer loosening or friction caused by operating the door, the effectiveness of these mechanism designs remains limited.

[0005] Regarding the aforementioned prior art disclosures, one common solution is to install limiting elements on the inside of the door. While these measures do effectively buffer the mechanical forces generated when operating the door, they do not take into account angular errors, wafer loosening, and misalignment between box components that occur during the handling of semiconductor carriers by transport equipment (e.g., robotic arms, top-mounted lifting conveyors).

[0006] Given that the latch structure is a precise and complex mechanism, any misalignment of the semiconductor carrier can cause angular errors in the operating latch. Furthermore, if the latch mechanism fails to engage precisely, the sealing performance of the semiconductor carrier will be affected. Therefore, it is necessary for those skilled in the art to develop effective solutions to address these issues. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the problems in the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a locking and guiding structure that compensates for angular deviations caused by equipment rotation errors by controlling a linear displacement component and an elastic component with a reset function.

[0008] Continuing from the above, the present invention provides a locking and guiding structure applicable to a semiconductor carrier door. The locking and guiding structure of the present invention includes an upper latch, a lower latch, at least one elastic component, and a driving component. The upper latch includes a first guiding portion, which includes an upper linkage. The lower latch includes a second guiding portion, which includes a lower linkage. The second guiding portion is positioned opposite to the first guiding portion, and the second and first guiding portions define an accommodating space.

[0009] Specifically, at least one elastic component is disposed within the accommodating space. The drive assembly engages with the upper linkage and the lower linkage. The drive assembly includes a main drive unit and a control unit connected to the main drive unit. The control unit controls the main drive unit to synchronously move the upper linkage relative to the lower linkage in a linear, opposite direction. The elastic component exhibits a corresponding degree of elastic compression or release based on the linear movement amplitude between the upper and lower linkages, thereby controlling the upper and lower latches to be in an open or locked state.

[0010] The above brief description of the present invention is intended to provide a basic explanation of several aspects and technical features of the invention. This brief description is not a detailed account of the invention, and therefore its purpose is not to specifically list the key or important components of the invention, nor to define the scope of the invention, but merely to present several concepts of the invention in a concise manner. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 2 for Figure 1 An explosion diagram.

[0013] Figure 3 These are exploded views of the upper latch and lower latch of the present invention from different perspectives.

[0014] Figure 4 This is a partially enlarged view of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the unlocking operation of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the locking and guiding structure of the present invention applied to the open and locked states of a semiconductor carrier door.

[0017] Symbol Explanation

[0018] Locking and guiding structure 10

[0019] Upper latch 100

[0020] First Guidance Department 101

[0021] Upper linkage 102

[0022] First accommodation section 103

[0023] First Guiding Section 104

[0024] Lower latch locking part 200

[0025] Second Guidance Department 201

[0026] Lower linkage 202

[0027] Second accommodating section 203

[0028] Second Guiding Section 204

[0029] Positioning hole 205

[0030] 300 cubic meters of storage space

[0031] Elastic component 400

[0032] Driver Component 500

[0033] Main drive unit 501

[0034] Control Unit 502

[0035] First stop section S1

[0036] Second stop section S2

[0037] First guide limiting groove L1

[0038] Second guide limiting groove L2

[0039] Elongated hole P

[0040] Arrow A1

[0041] Arrow A2 Detailed Implementation

[0042] To understand the technical features and practical effects of the present invention, and to implement it according to the contents of the specification, the preferred embodiments shown in the figures are further described in detail below:

[0043] The locking and guiding structure 10 of this invention is a latch structure applied to the door body of a semiconductor carrier (refer to the previous section). Figure 6The "semiconductor carrier" may be a wafer carrier, such as a cassette, a FOUP, or a FOSB, etc. Any container that can hold a wafer should be included within the scope of this invention; furthermore, this invention should be reasonably applied to any semiconductor container that requires a latch, such as an extreme ultraviolet pod, etc., and this invention is not limited thereto.

[0044] First, please refer to the following: Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 An explosion diagram; Figure 3 These are exploded views of the upper latch and lower latch of the present invention from different perspectives; Figure 4 This is a partially enlarged view of the present invention. In this embodiment, the locking and guiding structure 10 includes an upper latch portion 100, a lower latch portion 200, at least one elastic component 400, and a driving component 500. Preferably, the upper latch portion 100 and the lower latch portion 200 are designed as flat tongue-shaped structures, and the upper latch portion 100 and the lower latch portion 200 control the semiconductor carrier door to be in an open or closed state according to the actuation mode of the driving component 500. Figure 2 In some embodiments, at least one elongated hole P may be provided on the upper latch portion 100 and the lower latch portion 200. The elongated hole P can reduce the weight of the upper latch portion 100 and the lower latch portion 200.

[0045] The upper latch portion 100 includes a first guide portion 101. The first guide portion 101 comprises an upper linkage 102, a first receiving portion 103, and a first guide portion 104; the first receiving portion 103 is located between the upper linkage 102 and the first guide portion 104. In this embodiment, the upper latch portion 100 is designed to include two symmetrical first guide portions 101, each having a first receiving portion 103 and a first guide portion 104. The first guide portions 104 are located on the outer sides of the two first guide portions 101, that is, at a mounting position away from the drive assembly 500. Notably, the upper linkage 102 is only disposed on the inner side of one of the first guide portions 101, that is, at a mounting position adjacent to the drive assembly 500.

[0046] The lower latch portion 200 is provided with a second guide portion 201. The upper latch portion 100 and the lower latch portion 200 are designed to match each other, and the position of the second guide portion 201 corresponds to that of the first guide portion 101. The second guide portion 201 includes a lower linkage member 202, a second receiving portion 203, and a second guide portion 204; the second receiving portion 203 is located between the lower linkage member 202 and the second guide portion 204. In this embodiment, the lower latch portion 200 is designed to include two symmetrical second guide portions 201, each of which has a second receiving portion 203 and a second guide portion 204. The second guide portions 204 are located on the outer sides of the two second guide portions 201, that is, at the mounting position of the second guide portions 204 away from the drive assembly 500. It is worth noting that the lower linkage member 202 is only provided on the inner side of one of the second guide portions 201, that is, at the mounting position of the lower linkage member 202 adjacent to the drive assembly 500.

[0047] The connection relationship between the upper latch 100 and the lower latch 200 is further explained. The first guide 104 and the second guide 204 are mutually cooperating connection structures. For example, a slide and a guide rail can be connected and move linearly. This invention is not limited to the structural design of the first guide 104 and the second guide 204; as long as they can be connected and move linearly, they fall within the protection scope of this patent. When the first guide 104 and the second guide 204 are connected, the position of the first guide 101 corresponds to the second guide 201, and a receiving space 300 is defined by the first receiving portion 103 of the first guide 101 and the second receiving portion 203 of the second guide 201. The receiving space 300 is used to receive the elastic component 400. The upper linkage 102 and the lower linkage 202 are arranged diagonally; the drive component 500 connects to the upper linkage 102 and the lower linkage 202. The drive assembly 500 includes a main drive unit 501 and a control unit 502. The main drive unit 501 is used to connect to the upper linkage 102 and the lower linkage 202, and the control unit 502 is used to control the operation of the main drive unit 501.

[0048] In this embodiment, the main drive unit 501 is preferably designed as a gear, and the upper connecting member 102 and the lower connecting member 202 are gear rows, which can mesh with each other. The control unit 502 is used to control the main drive unit 501 to synchronously drive the upper connecting member 102 to move linearly in the opposite direction relative to the lower connecting member 202; at the same time, the elastic component 400 presents a corresponding degree of elastic compression or release according to the linear movement amplitude between the upper connecting member 102 and the lower connecting member 202, thereby controlling the upper latching part 100 and the lower latching part 200 to be in an open state or a locked state, which will be described in detail later.

[0049] Following the structural design of the first guide portion 101 and the second guide portion 201 described above, the present invention further illustrates the structural stability of the elastic component 400 and the drive component 500. The first guide portion 101 has a first stop portion S1; the second guide portion 201 has a second stop portion S2. The first stop portion S1 and the second stop portion S2 are located at both ends of the accommodating space 300, such that both ends of the elastic component 400 abut against the first stop portion S1 and the second stop portion S2 respectively (e.g., ...). Figure 3 (As shown by arrows A1 and A2 in the diagram).

[0050] The second guide portion 201 has a positioning hole 205, which is located away from the second stop portion S2. The positioning hole 205 can be designed as an elongated opening, which can be installed and fixed to the first stop portion S1 in a corresponding manner. The first stop portion S1 is preferably designed as a T-shaped structure to increase the structural rigidity of the first stop portion S1 itself. The design of the first guide portion 104 and the second guide portion 204 being in contact and linearly movable defines the stability of the elastic component 400 in the accommodating space 300; and the locking design between the positioning hole 205 of the second guide portion 201 and the first stop portion S1 of the first guide portion 101 makes the drive component 500 located between the two symmetrical first guide portions 101 and the two symmetrical second guide portions 201, thereby improving the connection stability between the upper latch portion 100 and the lower latch portion 200. The elastic component 400 may be a spring, or it may be replaced with any other elastic part, material or combination thereof with a reset function, and the present invention does not limit it.

[0051] Following the above explanation of the structural composition and connection relationships of this invention, the specific operation method will now be described. Please refer to [the relevant documentation / reference]. Figure 4 , Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the unlocking operation of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the open and closed states of the locking and guiding structure of the present invention applied to a semiconductor carrier door. The locking and guiding structure 10 is applied to the semiconductor carrier door (not shown in the figure). The semiconductor carrier door has a lock hole (not shown in the figure). When the upper latch 100 and the lower latch 200 are extending outward and engaging with the corresponding lock hole, the semiconductor carrier door and the semiconductor carrier are in a locked state (locked). Conversely, when the upper latch 100 and the lower latch 200 are retracting inward and moving away from the lock hole, the semiconductor carrier door and the semiconductor carrier are in an unlocked state (open), and the semiconductor carrier door can be removed from the semiconductor carrier.

[0052] The control unit 502 of the drive assembly 500 has a keyhole structure, which can be used to control the operation of the main drive unit 501 by inserting a key into the keyhole. The main drive unit 501 is a gear, and the upper connecting member 102 and the lower connecting member 202 are gear rows. The gear meshes with the gear rows, and when the gear rotates in one direction, the gear rows of the upper connecting member 102 and the lower connecting member 202 move linearly in opposite directions.

[0053] Following the previous section, when the semiconductor carrier door and semiconductor carrier are switched from a locked state to an unlocked state, the control unit 502 rotates 90 degrees clockwise. Simultaneously, the main drive unit 501 drives the upper linkage 102 and lower linkage 202 to move linearly in the opposite direction, causing the upper latch 100 and lower latch 200 to retract inwards and move away from the lock hole. Specifically, the gears of the upper linkage 102 and lower linkage 202, originally positioned at opposite angles, rotate and shift with the gear meshing of the main drive unit 501, causing the gears of the upper linkage 102 and lower linkage 202 to tend towards a parallel position. At this time, the elastic component 400 is in an elastically compressed state, meaning the semiconductor carrier door and semiconductor carrier are in an open state.

[0054] The elastic component 400 is housed in the accommodating space 300. The elastic component 400, such as a spring, is subjected to the mutual movement and close contact of the first stop part S1 of the first guide part 101 and the second stop part S2 of the second guide part 201, causing the elastic component 400 to undergo elastic compression.

[0055] In order to increase the travel distance of the upper linkage 102 and the lower linkage 202, the first guide portion 101 includes a first guide limiting groove L1, providing linear travel space for the lower linkage 202; the second guide portion 201 includes a second guide limiting groove L2, providing linear travel space for the upper linkage 102. The first guide limiting groove L1 and the second guide limiting groove L2 are arranged diagonally. The first guide limiting groove L1 and the second guide limiting groove L2 are preferably designed as L-shaped notches, but the present invention is not limited to the structural design of the guide limiting grooves.

[0056] Subsequently, when the semiconductor carrier door and the semiconductor carrier are switched from an unlocked state to a locked state, the control unit 502 rotates 90 degrees counterclockwise, and the main drive unit 501 simultaneously drives the upper linkage 102 and the lower linkage 202 to move linearly in the opposite direction, causing the upper latch 100 and the lower latch 200 to extend outward and engage with the lock hole. Specifically, the gears of the upper linkage 102 and the lower linkage 202, originally in a parallel position, will rotate and shift with the gear meshing of the main drive unit 501, causing the gears of the upper linkage 102 and the lower linkage 202 to move away from each other and tend to be at opposite angles. At this time, the elastic component 400 is in an elastically released state, i.e., the semiconductor carrier door and the semiconductor carrier are in a locked state.

[0057] In this embodiment, the elastic component 400 is elastically reset due to the movement of the first stop S1 of the first guide portion 101 and the second stop S2 of the second guide portion 201 away from each other. Furthermore, at least a portion of the first receiving portion 103 and the second receiving portion 203 overlap each other; when the upper latch portion 100 and the lower latch portion 200 are in a locked state, the elastic component 400 is partially exposed in the unoverlapping receiving space 300. The elastic component 400 in this embodiment provides a buffer during the sliding process of the upper latch portion 100 and the lower latch portion 200, reducing wear from collisions and extending the service life of the locking guide structure 10.

[0058] In summary, regardless of whether the locking and guiding structure 10 of this embodiment is in a locked or open state, the linear relative displacement between the upper latch 100 and the lower latch 200 is controlled within a certain range by the upper linkage 102, the lower linkage 202, and the main drive unit 501, thus solving the angular deviation problem caused by equipment rotation error. In other words, through the meshing structure design between the gear (main drive unit 501) and the rack (upper linkage 102, lower linkage 202), this embodiment can design a specific movement distance. Combined with the elastic component 400 to achieve automatic reset, it improves the angular deviation caused by equipment error in the prior art. Accordingly, this embodiment of the invention can effectively improve the operational precision of the locking and guiding structure 10.

[0059] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Any simple changes and modifications made in accordance with the scope of the patent application and the description of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A locking and guiding structure, suitable for a semiconductor carrier door, characterized in that, The locking and guiding structure includes: An upper latching part is provided with a first guiding part and the first guiding part includes an upper linkage member; A latching part is provided with a second guiding part and the second guiding part includes a linkage member. The position of the second guiding part corresponds to the first guiding part, and the second guiding part and the first guiding part define an accommodating space. At least one resilient component is disposed in the accommodating space; and A drive component, which connects to the upper linkage and the lower linkage; The drive assembly includes a main drive unit and a control unit connected to the main drive unit. The control unit controls the main drive unit to synchronously move the upper linkage relative to the lower linkage in a linear opposite direction. The elastic component exhibits a corresponding degree of elastic compression or release according to the linear movement amplitude between the upper linkage and the lower linkage, thereby controlling the upper latch and the lower latch to be in an open or locked state.

2. The locking and guiding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first guide portion has a first stop portion, and the second guide portion has a second stop portion. The first stop portion and the second stop portion are located at both ends of the accommodating space, and both ends of the at least one elastic component abut against the first stop portion and the second stop portion, respectively.

3. The locking and guiding structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second guide portion has a positioning hole, which is installed and fixed in correspondence with the first stop portion.

4. The locking and guiding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower linkage and the upper linkage are positioned diagonally opposite each other.

5. The locking and guiding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first guiding part includes a first receiving part and a first guiding part, with the first guiding part and the upper linkage member respectively located on both sides of the first receiving part; The second guide portion includes a second receiving portion and a second guiding portion, with the second guiding portion and the lower linkage member located on opposite sides of the first receiving portion, respectively. The first accommodating portion and the second accommodating portion define the accommodating space, and the accommodating space is used to accommodate the at least one elastic component; The first guide portion and the second guide portion are connected to each other and move in opposite linear directions.

6. The locking and guiding structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, At least a portion of the first accommodating portion and the second accommodating portion overlap and cover each other; when the upper latch and the lower latch are in a locked state, at least one elastic component is partially exposed in the unoverlapping accommodating space.

7. The locking and guiding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first guide portion includes a first guide limiting groove, providing linear movement space for the lower linkage; the second guide portion includes a second guide limiting groove, providing linear movement space for the upper linkage.

8. The locking and guiding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main drive unit is a gear.

9. The locking and guiding structure according to claim 8, characterized in that, The upper and lower linkages are toothed rows, the gear meshes with the toothed rows, and when the gear rotates in one direction, the toothed rows of the upper and lower linkages move linearly in opposite directions.

10. The locking and guiding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one elastic component is a spring.

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