Wafer transfer box and operation method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a wafer transfer box and an operation method thereof. According to the wafer conveying box, a locking device is arranged on the basis of a wafer box body. The locking device comprises a rotating shaft, a locking piece and an elastic piece; when the elastic piece is in an extension state, the locking piece is clamped with the rotating shaft to lock the rotating shaft, so that the switch structure is in a locking state, the box body is further locked, the box body is prevented from being opened due to mistaken touch, the potential safety hazard of manual operation is reduced, and the safety of wafer storage is effectively improved. When the elastic piece is in a compressed state, the locking piece and the rotating shaft are spaced, and the switch structure is in an unlocked state, so that the switch structure can be driven to open or close the box body by rotating the rotating shaft, and the operation of taking and placing the wafer is not influenced. Therefore, the wafer conveying box provided by the invention effectively solves the problem that the wafer conveying box is opened by mistake, and the conveying safety of the wafer conveying box is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a wafer transfer box and an operating method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) is a container used to protect, transport and store wafers in semiconductor manufacturing. Figure 1 The existing front-opening wafer transfer box includes a accommodating chamber 100 and a door panel 101. Wafers can be placed in the accommodating chamber 100, and the door panel 101 is used to close or open the accommodating chamber 100. In order to ensure the safety of wafer transportation, two switch structures are generally provided on the door panel 101. When closing or opening the accommodating chamber 100, the engineer needs to use both hands to turn the knob 110 in the switch structure so that the lock tongue 111 connected thereto extends into or out of the corresponding slot 112 in the accommodating chamber 100. In order to improve the convenience of operation, as Figure 2 As shown, other existing front-opening wafer transfer boxes will be equipped with a linkage member 12 between the two switch structures, so the two switch structures can be controlled by operating the linkage member 12 with one hand.

[0003] However, whether it is a front-opening wafer transfer box that requires one-handed operation or a front-opening wafer transfer box that requires two-handed operation, there is a risk of accidentally touching the switch structure during the actual transmission process, causing the door panel 101 to open, which can easily cause the wafer to slip out of the front-opening wafer transfer box and be damaged, causing serious production accidents.

[0004] Therefore, the existing front-opening wafer transfer box has great potential safety hazards, and a new wafer box is urgently needed to solve the above technical problems. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a wafer transport box and an operating method thereof, so as to solve the technical problem of how to avoid the switch structure of the wafer transport box from being opened by mistake.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a wafer transfer box, comprising: a wafer box body and a locking device;

[0007] The wafer box body includes a box body and a switch structure; the switch structure is arranged on the box body and is used to open or close the box body;

[0008] The locking device includes a rotating shaft, a locking member and an elastic member; the rotating shaft is movably connected to the switch structure; one side of the locking member is connected to the elastic member, and the other side of the locking member opposite to the rotating shaft faces the rotating shaft; and when the elastic member is in an extended state, the locking member is engaged with the rotating shaft to lock the rotating shaft, so that the switch structure is in a locked state; when the elastic member is in a compressed state, the locking member is spaced apart from the rotating shaft, the switch structure is in an unlocked state, and the rotating shaft can drive the switch structure to open or close the box body through rotation.

[0009] Optionally, in the wafer conveying box, the locking structure also includes a pressing plate, a support rod and a bottom plate; wherein the pressing plate, the support rod, the locking member, the elastic member and the bottom plate are connected in sequence, and the pressing plate can drive the support rod and the locking member to move toward the elastic member by pressing, so that the elastic member is in the compressed state.

[0010] Optionally, in the wafer transfer box, the locking structure further includes a rotating chamber; wherein,

[0011] The top surface and the bottom surface of the rotating chamber are respectively provided with a through hole and a first through slot; the support rod passes through the rotating chamber through the through hole and the first through slot; the locking member can extend into or out of the cavity of the rotating chamber through the first through slot; and,

[0012] A second through slot and a third through slot are respectively arranged on two opposite side walls of the rotating chamber, and the rotating shaft passes through the rotating chamber via the second through slot and the third through slot.

[0013] Optionally, in the wafer conveying box, the locking member has a supporting portion and a tooth portion; the supporting portion is connected to the elastic member, and the tooth portion is arranged toward the rotating shaft; and when the elastic member is in the extended state, the tooth portion is engaged with the rotating shaft; when the elastic member is in the compressed state, the tooth portion is spaced apart from the rotating shaft.

[0014] Optionally, in the wafer transport box, the locking member includes a toothed disc or a rack; and the elastic member includes a spring or a reed.

[0015] Optionally, in the wafer transport box, the box body includes a door plate and a receiving chamber; the receiving chamber is used to store wafers, and the receiving chamber has an opening; the door plate is adapted to the opening so as to be able to close the receiving chamber;

[0016] The switch structure includes a lock tongue, a knob and a slot; the lock tongue is connected to the knob and both are arranged on a side surface of the door panel away from the accommodating chamber; the slot is arranged on a frame corresponding to the opening of the accommodating chamber and corresponds to the lock tongue one by one; and,

[0017] The two ends of the rotating shaft extending out of the rotating chamber are movably connected to the knob, and the rotation of the rotating shaft can drive the knob to rotate, so that the locking tongue can extend into or out of the corresponding card slot to open or close the box body.

[0018] Optionally, in the wafer transfer box, the wafer box body includes at least two of the switch structures, and each of the switch structures is provided with a corresponding locking device.

[0019] Optionally, in the wafer conveying box, the wafer box body includes at least two of the switch structures, and the at least two switch structures are connected via a linkage, and the two ends of the rotating shaft extending out of the rotating chamber are movably connected to the linkage.

[0020] Optionally, in the wafer transfer box, the movable connection includes a hinge connection and / or a gear connection.

[0021] Based on the same inventive concept, the present invention also provides an operating method of a wafer transfer box, comprising:

[0022] When the box body is opened or closed, the elastic member is compressed so that the locking member is spaced apart from the rotating shaft, and the switch structure is in an unlocked state; and the rotating shaft is rotated to drive the switch structure to open or close the box body;

[0023] When the box body is locked, the elastic member is in an extended state, so that the locking member is engaged with the rotating shaft, and the switch structure is in a locked state.

[0024] In summary, the present invention provides a wafer transfer box and an operation method thereof. Compared with the prior art, the wafer transfer box is provided with a locking device on the basis of the wafer box body. And the locking device includes a rotating shaft, a locking member and an elastic member; when the elastic member is in an extended state, the locking member is engaged with the rotating shaft to lock the rotating shaft, so that the switch structure is in a locked state, and then the box body is locked to avoid accidental touch causing the box body to open, reduce the safety hazards of manual operation, and effectively improve the safety of wafer storage. When the elastic member is in a compressed state, the locking member is spaced from the rotating shaft, and the switch structure is in an unlocked state. Then, by rotating the rotating shaft, the switch structure can be driven to open or close the box body without affecting the operation of wafer placement. Therefore, the wafer transfer box provided by the present invention effectively solves the problem of accidental opening of the wafer transfer box and improves the transmission safety of the wafer transfer box. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the drawings are provided for a better understanding of the present invention, but do not constitute any limitation on the scope of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 1 The present invention is a schematic diagram of a two-hand switch structure in a front-opening wafer transfer box in the prior art.

[0027] Figure 2 The present invention is a schematic diagram of a one-hand switch structure in a front-opening wafer transfer box in the prior art.

[0028] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the position of the locking device in a two-hand switch type wafer transfer box in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the position of the locking device in the one-handed switch type wafer transfer box in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the planar structure in which the locking member is engaged with the rotating shaft in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure in which the locking member is engaged with the rotating shaft in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of a planar structure in which the locking member is spaced apart from the rotating shaft in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure in which the locking member and the rotating shaft are spaced apart in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the rotating chamber in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Fig.10 It is a schematic diagram of the connection between the rotating shaft and the switch structure in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] And, in the attached drawings:

[0037] 1-wafer box body; 10-box body; 100-accommodating cavity; 101-door panel; 11-switch structure; 110-knob; 111-lock tongue; 112-card slot; 12-linkage member;

[0038] 2-locking device; 20-rotating shaft; 21-locking member; 210-supporting portion; 211-toothed portion; 22-elastic member; 23-pressing plate; 24-supporting rod; 25-bottom plate; 26-rotating chamber;

[0039] K-opening; M-hinge structure; T0-through hole; T1-first through slot; T2-second through slot; T3-third through slot; V1-clockwise direction; V2-counterclockwise direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to make the purpose, advantages and features of the present invention clearer, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and are not drawn to scale, and are only used to conveniently and clearly assist in explaining the purpose of the embodiments of the present invention. In addition, the structure shown in the drawings is often a part of the actual structure. In particular, the emphasis of each drawing to be shown is different, and sometimes different proportions are used. It should also be understood that, unless otherwise specified or indicated, the terms "first", "second", "third" and the like in the specification are only used to distinguish the various components, elements, steps, etc. in the specification, rather than to represent the logical relationship or sequential relationship between the various components, elements, steps, etc. And, the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction and Z-axis direction referred to in the specification of this application are three directions perpendicular to each other in three-dimensional space.

[0041] See also Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5The present embodiment provides a wafer transfer box, comprising: a wafer box body 1 and a locking device 2; the wafer box body 1 comprises a box body 10 and a switch structure 11; the switch structure 11 is arranged on the box body 10 and is used to open or close the box body 10; the locking device 2 comprises a rotating shaft 20, a locking member 21 and an elastic member 22; the rotating shaft 20 is movably connected to the switch structure 11; one side of the locking member 21 is connected to the elastic member 22, and the other side opposite to the locking member 21 faces the rotating shaft 20; and when the elastic member 22 is in an extended state, the locking member 21 is engaged with the rotating shaft 20 to lock the rotating shaft 20, so that the switch structure 11 is in a locked state; when the elastic member 22 is in a compressed state, the locking member 21 is spaced apart from the rotating shaft 20, the switch structure 11 is in an unlocked state, and the rotating shaft 20 can drive the switch structure 11 to open or close the box body 10 through rotation.

[0042] It can be seen that the wafer transfer box provided in this embodiment is provided with a locking device 2 on the basis of the wafer box body 1, so as to utilize the locking device 2 to lock the box body 10 to prevent it from being accidentally opened, thereby providing safety protection for the wafer box body 1.

[0043] The following is combined with Figures 3 to 10 , specifically describe the wafer transfer box provided in this embodiment.

[0044] Please continue reading Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 The wafer transfer box provided in this embodiment includes the wafer box body 1 and the locking device 2. The wafer box body 1 can be a front-opening wafer transfer box for storing wafers. The locking device 2 is used to lock the wafer box body 1 when the wafer box body 1 remains closed to prevent it from being opened by mistake, thereby improving the safety of wafer storage.

[0045] Specifically, Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the wafer box body 1 includes a box body 10 and a switch structure 11. The box body 10 includes a door panel 101 and a receiving chamber 100; the receiving chamber 100 is used to store wafers, and the receiving chamber 100 has an opening K. The wafer can enter and exit the receiving chamber 100 through the opening K. And, the door panel 101 is adapted to the opening K, and the door panel 101 can be engaged with the opening K to close the receiving chamber 100, thereby realizing the closing of the box body 10; if the door panel 101 is separated from the receiving chamber 100, the box body 10 is in an open state, and the wafer can be taken in and out.

[0046] Furthermore, the switch structure 11 includes a knob 110, a lock tongue 111 and a slot 112. The knob 110 and the lock tongue 111 are both arranged on the door panel 101, and the slot 112 is arranged on the frame of the accommodating chamber 100 corresponding to the opening K, and corresponds to the lock tongue 111 one by one. Exemplarily, the knob 110 is movably connected to the two lock tongues 111, for example, by gear meshing, which is a common structure in the mechanical field and is not described here. And by rotating the knob 110, the lock tongue 111 can be controlled to move along the Z-axis direction to extend into or extend out of the corresponding slot 112, thereby opening or closing the box body 10. That is, when the locking tongue 111 extends into the slot 112, the door panel 101 is fixed on the accommodating chamber 100 to close the opening K, and the box body 10 is closed; when the locking tongue 111 extends out of the slot 112, the door panel 101 is separated from the accommodating chamber 100, and the box body 10 is opened. Therefore, the knob 110 directly affects the opening and closing of the box body 10. In order to avoid accidentally touching the knob 110 and causing the box body 10 to open, the wafer transport box provided in this embodiment is provided with the locking device 2 relative to the knob 110, so that the box body 10 can be locked when the box body 10 is closed, thereby improving the storage safety of the wafer transport box.

[0047] Based on this, in an example, Figure 3 As shown, the wafer box body 1 is a two-handed opening wafer box. That is, the wafer box body 1 includes at least two switch structures 11, and each switch structure 11 has a knob 110, two locking tongues 111 and two card slots 112, and one knob 110 controls the movement of the two locking tongues 111. Therefore, in order to ensure that each knob 110 can be locked, each switch structure 11 is correspondingly provided with a locking device 2. In another example, as Figure 4 As shown, the wafer box body 1 is a one-handed open type wafer box. That is, the wafer box body 1 includes at least two switch structures 11, and the structure of each switch 11 is consistent with the above example. However, the difference between the two is that all the switch structures 11 are connected through a linkage 12, and the knobs 110 of all the switch structures 11 can be synchronously controlled by rotating the linkage 12. Therefore, only one locking device 2 is required to be provided on the linkage 12 to achieve the locking of each knob 110.

[0048] See also Figures 3 to 8, the locking device 2 includes a rotating shaft 20, a locking member 21, an elastic member 22, a pressing plate 23, a support rod 24, a bottom plate 25 and a rotating chamber 26. The rotating shaft 20 is a rod, which is used to transmit a driving force to the knob 110 or the linkage member 12 to drive the knob 110 or the linkage member 12 to rotate, thereby opening or closing the box body 10. And, in the Y-axis direction, the pressing plate 23, the support rod 24, the locking member 21, the elastic member 22 and the bottom plate 25 are connected in sequence. Among them, the locking member 21 has a supporting portion 210 and a tooth portion 211. The supporting portion 210 and the tooth portion 211 are distributed on two opposite sides of the locking member 21, and the supporting portion 210 is connected to the elastic member 22, and the tooth portion 211 is arranged toward the rotating shaft 20; that is, in Figure 6 In the positive semi-axis direction of the Y-axis shown, the rotating shaft 20 is located above the tooth portion 211 and can be connected to or separated from the tooth portion 211 .

[0049] Specifically, the elastic member 22 is elastic and can be compressed or stretched by the force acting in the Y-axis direction. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, when the elastic member 22 is in an extended state, the locking member 21 engages with the rotating shaft 20 to lock the rotating shaft 20, so that the switch structure 11 is in a locked state, thereby locking the box body 10 to prevent the box body 10 from being opened due to accidental touch, thereby reducing the safety risks of manual operation and effectively improving the safety of wafer storage. Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, when the elastic member 22 is in a compressed state, the locking member 21 is spaced from the rotating shaft 20, and the rotating shaft 20 is not constrained by the locking member 21 and can rotate freely under force. At the same time, the switch structure 11 is in an unlocked state, and the box body 10 can be opened or closed under the force driven by the rotating shaft 20, without affecting the wafer placement operation.

[0050] Optionally, the locking member 21 includes but is not limited to a toothed disc or a rack. Also, the elastic member 22 includes but is not limited to a spring or a leaf spring.

[0051] See also Figure 5 , Figure 7 and Fig. 9, the rotating chamber 26 is a polyhedral structure with an inner cavity, and the top and bottom surfaces of the rotating chamber 26 are respectively provided with a through hole T0 and a first through slot T1; the second through slot T2 and the third through slot T3 are respectively provided on the two opposite side walls of the rotating chamber 26. And the through hole T0, the first through slot T1, the second through slot T2 and the third through slot T3 are respectively connected to the inner cavity of the rotating chamber 26. Among them, the support rod 24 passes through the rotating chamber 26 along the Y-axis direction through the through hole T0 and the first through slot T1, and the two ends of the support rod 24 are respectively connected to the pressing plate 23 and the locking member 21. It should be noted that this embodiment does not limit the number of the support rods 24, and the support rods 24 correspond to the through holes T0 one by one. For example, two support rods 24 are provided, and two through holes T0 are correspondingly provided on the top surface of the rotating chamber 26. And, the locking member 21 can extend into or out of the inner cavity of the rotating chamber 26 through the first through slot T1. The rotating shaft 20 passes through the rotating chamber 26 through the second through slot T2 and the third through slot T3. The opposite ends of the rotating shaft 20 extend out of the second through slot T2 and the third through slot T3 respectively, and are movably connected to the switch structure 11 or the linkage member 12. It can be understood that the rotating shaft 20 is restricted in the rotating chamber 26 through the second through slot T2 and the third through slot T3, so that the rotating shaft 20 cannot be displaced in the Y-axis direction, but the rotating shaft 20 can rotate in the plane where the X-axis-Z-axis direction is located under the action of external force, and can drive the switch structure 11 or the linkage member 12 to rotate accordingly, thereby realizing the opening or closing of the box body 10.

[0052] Based on this, when a force in the negative semi-axis direction of the Y axis is applied to the pressing plate 23, the pressing plate 23 will drive the support rod 24 and the locking member 21 to move in the negative semi-axis direction of the Y axis, and the elastic member 22 will be in a compressed state under force. Since the rotating shaft 20 remains unchanged in the Y axis direction, the locking member 21 moves in a direction away from the rotating shaft 20, so the rotating shaft 20 is separated from the locking member 21. At this time, the rotating shaft 20 can be rotated by external force within the constraint range of the second through slot T2 and the third through slot T3, and synchronously drive the switch structure 11 to move to open or close the box body 10. When the force in the negative semi-axis direction of the Y axis is released from the pressing plate 23, the pressing plate 23, the support rod 24 and the locking member 21 will move in the positive semi-axis direction of the Y axis under the elastic force of the elastic member 22. That is, the locking member 21 moves in a direction close to the rotating shaft 20. When the elastic member 22 is extended to a certain length, the elastic member 22 is in an extended state, the locking member 21 is in contact with the rotating shaft 20, and the tooth portion 211 of the locking member 21 can clamp the rotating shaft 20 to prevent the rotating shaft 20 from being displaced in any direction. At this time, the rotating shaft 20 is in a locked state, and thus cannot drive the switch structure 11 or the linkage member 12 to open and close the box body 10. Therefore, the switch structure 11 is also in a locked state. In this way, the box body 10 can be prevented from being opened due to an accidental touch, effectively improving the safety of wafer storage.

[0053] Optionally, the locking device 2 may further include a housing to accommodate other components in the locking device 2, and both ends of the rotating shaft 20 extend out of the side walls of the housing. Furthermore, the rotating chamber 26 is supported by the housing and / or by the rotating shaft 20.

[0054] See also Figure 3 and Fig.10In the two-handed opening wafer box, the locking device 2 is movably connected to the knob 110 in the switch structure 11. Exemplarily, the knob 110 has an inner ring portion and an outer ring portion. The inner ring portion is embedded in the ring of the outer ring portion and connected to the door panel 101; the outer ring portion can rotate relative to the inner ring portion in a clockwise direction V1 or a counterclockwise direction V2 to drive the lock tongue 111 to extend into or extend out of the corresponding slot 112, thereby opening or closing the box body 10. And, the bottom plate 25 in the locking device 2 is connected to the inner ring portion, and the opposite ends of the rotating shaft 20 are movably connected to the outer ring portion. Therefore, when the rotating shaft 20 is spaced from the locking member 21, the rotating shaft 20 is in an unlocked state, and can be rotated along the central axis L of the bottom plate 25 or in a direction parallel to the central axis L of the bottom plate 25 under force. The rotation of the rotating shaft 20 can synchronously drive the outer ring to rotate, thereby opening or closing the box body 10. When the rotating shaft 20 is engaged with the locking member 21, the rotating shaft 20 is in a locked state, and the switch structure 11 is also in a locked state; that is, the outer ring cannot rotate relative to the inner ring, thereby locking the state of the box body 10, avoiding accidental touch that causes the box body 10 to open, reducing the safety hazard of manual operation, and effectively improving the safety of wafer storage.

[0055] See also Figure 4 and Fig.10 In the one-handed openable wafer box, the locking device 2 is movably connected to each of the switch structures 11 via the linkage 12; that is, the connection between the locking device 2, the linkage 12 and the switch structure 11 is movably connected. Exemplarily, the linkage 12 has a driving part and a rotating part. The driving part is connected to the knob 110 of each of the switch structures 11, and the driving force generated by the rotation of the rotating part can be transmitted to each of the knobs 110 via the driving part to open or close the box body 10. Among them, the rotation method of the rotating part can refer to the rotation method of the knob 110, and the connection method between the opposite ends of the rotating shaft 20 and the rotating part can also refer to the connection method with the knob 110, so that when the rotating shaft 20 is in an unlocked state, the rotating part can be driven to rotate by rotating the rotating shaft 20, thereby realizing the opening or closing of the box body 10. Furthermore, when the rotating shaft 20 is in a locked state, the linkage member 12 and each of the switch structures 11 are in a locked state, which effectively avoids the problem of the box body 10 being accidentally opened and improves the safety of wafer storage.

[0056] Optionally, the movable connection referred to in this embodiment includes but is not limited to hinge connection and gear connection; it can also be a connection method of a combination of hinges and gears, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment. Fig.10 As shown, the rotating shaft 20 is connected to the knob 110 via a hinge structure M.

[0057] Based on the same concept, this embodiment also provides an operation method of a wafer transfer box. Figures 3 to 10 The operating method of the wafer transfer box uses the above-mentioned wafer transfer box, including:

[0058] When the box body 10 is opened or closed, a force is applied to the pressing plate 23 in the negative half-axis direction of the Y axis, and the force is sequentially transmitted to the elastic member 22 via the support rod 24 and the locking member 21, and the elastic member 22 is compressed by the force, so that the locking member 21 is spaced from the rotating shaft 20, and the switch structure 11 is unlocked. At this time, the rotating shaft 20 is rotated again to synchronously drive the switch structure 11 to rotate, thereby opening or closing the box body 10. Optionally, when rotating in the clockwise direction V1, the box body 10 is closed, and when rotating in the counterclockwise direction V2, the box body 10 is opened.

[0059] When the box body 10 is locked, no force is applied to the pressing plate 23, or the force applied to the pressing plate 23 is canceled, and the elastic member 22 is in an extended state, so that the locking member 21 is engaged with the rotating shaft 20. At this time, the rotating shaft 20 is in a locked state and will not be displaced by force. Therefore, the switch structure 11 is also in a locked state, thereby avoiding the problem of the box body 10 being accidentally opened, and improving the safety of wafer storage.

[0060] In summary, the present embodiment provides a wafer conveying box and an operation method thereof. The wafer conveying box is provided with a locking device 2 on the basis of the wafer box body 1. The locking device 2 includes a rotating shaft 20, a locking member 21 and an elastic member 22; when the elastic member 22 is in an extended state, the locking member 21 is engaged with the rotating shaft 20 to lock the rotating shaft 20, so that the switch structure 11 is in a locked state, and then the box body 10 is locked to avoid the box body 10 being opened due to accidental touch, thereby reducing the safety hazard of manual operation and effectively improving the safety of wafer storage. When the elastic member 22 is in a compressed state, the locking member 21 is spaced from the rotating shaft 20, and the switch structure 11 is in an unlocked state. Then, by rotating the rotating shaft 20, the switch structure 11 can be driven to open or close the box body 10 without affecting the operation of wafer placement. Therefore, the wafer conveying box provided in the present embodiment effectively solves the problem of accidental opening of the wafer conveying box and improves the transmission safety of the wafer conveying box.

[0061] In addition, it should be recognized that although the present invention has been disclosed as a preferred embodiment, the above embodiment is not intended to limit the present invention. For any technician familiar with the art, without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention, the technical content disclosed above can be used to make many possible changes and modifications to the technical solution of the present invention, or modified into equivalent embodiments of equivalent changes. Therefore, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiment according to the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention still belongs to the scope of protection of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer transfer box, characterized in that: include: Wafer box body and locking device; The wafer box body includes a box body and a switch structure; the switch structure is arranged on the box body and is used to open or close the box body; The locking device includes a rotating shaft, a locking member and an elastic member; the rotating shaft is movably connected to the switch structure; one side of the locking member is connected to the elastic member, and the other side of the locking member opposite to the rotating shaft faces the rotating shaft; and when the elastic member is in an extended state, the locking member is engaged with the rotating shaft to lock the rotating shaft, so that the switch structure is in a locked state; when the elastic member is in a compressed state, the locking member is spaced apart from the rotating shaft, the switch structure is in an unlocked state, and the rotating shaft can drive the switch structure to open or close the box body through rotation.

2. The wafer transfer box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking structure also includes a pressing plate, a support rod and a bottom plate; wherein the pressing plate, the support rod, the locking member, the elastic member and the bottom plate are connected in sequence, and the pressing plate can drive the support rod and the locking member to move toward the elastic member by pressing, so that the elastic member is in the compressed state.

3. The wafer transfer box according to claim 2, characterized in that: The locking structure also includes a rotating chamber; wherein, The top surface and the bottom surface of the rotating chamber are respectively provided with a through hole and a first through slot; the support rod passes through the rotating chamber through the through hole and the first through slot; the locking member can extend into or out of the cavity of the rotating chamber through the first through slot; and, A second through slot and a third through slot are respectively arranged on two opposite side walls of the rotating chamber, and the rotating shaft passes through the rotating chamber via the second through slot and the third through slot.

4. The wafer transfer box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking member has a supporting portion and a tooth portion; the supporting portion is connected to the elastic member, and the tooth portion is arranged toward the rotating shaft; and when the elastic member is in the extended state, the tooth portion is engaged with the rotating shaft; when the elastic member is in the compressed state, the tooth portion is spaced apart from the rotating shaft.

5. The wafer transport box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The locking member includes a toothed disc or a rack; and the elastic member includes a spring or a leaf spring.

6. The wafer transfer box according to claim 3, characterized in that: The box body includes a door plate and a containing chamber; the containing chamber is used to store wafers, and the containing chamber has an opening; the door plate is adapted to the opening so as to be able to close the containing chamber; The switch structure includes a lock tongue, a knob and a slot; the lock tongue is connected to the knob and both are arranged on a side surface of the door panel away from the accommodating chamber; the slot is arranged on a frame corresponding to the opening of the accommodating chamber and corresponds to the lock tongue one by one; and, The two ends of the rotating shaft extending out of the rotating chamber are movably connected to the knob, and the rotation of the rotating shaft can drive the knob to rotate, so that the locking tongue can extend into or out of the corresponding card slot to open or close the box body.

7. The wafer transfer box according to claim 6, characterized in that: The wafer box body includes at least two switch structures, and each switch structure is correspondingly provided with a locking device.

8. The wafer transfer box according to claim 6, characterized in that: The wafer box body includes at least two switch structures, and the at least two switch structures are connected via a linkage member. The two ends of the rotating shaft extending out of the rotating chamber are movably connected to the linkage member.

9. The wafer transfer box according to claim 1, 6 or 8, characterized in that: The movable connection includes hinge connection and / or gear connection.

10. A method for operating a wafer transfer box, characterized in that: Using the wafer transfer box according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the operating method of the wafer transfer box includes: When the box body is opened or closed, the elastic member is compressed so that the locking member is spaced apart from the rotating shaft, and the switch structure is in an unlocked state; and the rotating shaft is rotated to drive the switch structure to open or close the box body; When the box body is locked, the elastic member is in an extended state, so that the locking member is engaged with the rotating shaft, and the switch structure is in a locked state.

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