A container for storing component carriers

Abstract

A container for storing component carriers is provided having an easy opening mechanism for the container. The present invention comprises a housing having a storage volume and a slot frame connected to the housing, the slot frame having a plurality of slot levels formed by respective slot rail arrangements 201 arranged one above the other along a vertical direction. Each slot rail arrangement comprises a support surface 203 for supporting a component carrier 200, and two adjacent slot levels I, II have a slot pitch sp of 10 mm to 20 mm. Furthermore, the rear wall may have a discharge groove, which in an exemplary embodiment is larger than the width of the contact surface such that the discharge groove includes a section not covered by the support beam.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container for storing component carriers with adjacent slot levels with reduced slot pitch. The present invention relates to a container for storing component carriers with adjacent slot levels with increased slot clearance. The present invention relates to a container for storing component carriers with a lower rail with a chamfer for adjusting the position of the component carrier. The present invention relates to a container for storing component carriers with a lower rail with a chamfer for adjusting the position of the component carrier. The present invention further relates to a container for storing component carriers with a water drainage groove. The present invention further relates to a container for storing component carriers with a removable door. [Background technology]

[0002] In the context of the ever-increasing development of product functionality of component carriers equipped with one or more components and the increasing miniaturization of such components, as well as the increasing number of components connected to component carriers such as printed circuit boards, more powerful array-like components or packages with several components are increasingly used, which have multiple contacts or connections and have ever smaller spaces between these contacts. In particular, component carriers must be mechanically robust, electrically reliable and able to operate under harsh conditions. More and more functions are integrated into the component carriers.

[0003] Therefore, the method of manufacturing the respective component carrier must be very precise but also extremely efficient. In particular, for the manufacture of the component carrier, it is important that the component carrier can be transported in a fast and safe manner between all process steps without damage during transportation. Damage to the semi-finished component carrier may be caused, for example, by foreign objects (FM) rubbing along the surface of the respective component carrier being transported. FM particles may be generated during handling of the component carrier, for example, when the component carrier rubs along a supporting surface. FM particles may also be present in the surrounding environment (i.e., dust) and may stick to the component carrier surface due to gravitational or electrostatic attraction. FM particles may be generated during handling of the component carrier, for example, when the component carrier rubs along a supporting surface.

[0004] To provide safe transportation between manufacturing stages, container equipment is added. However, the container equipment is limited in capacity to store component carriers. Furthermore, during loading and unloading procedures of the component carriers inside or outside the container, FM particles may be generated and may come into contact with the component carriers. Therefore, there may be a need to provide an efficient container for storing component carriers.

[0005] It is necessary to wash the container from time to time to remove FM particles and residual chemical debris. Therefore, water may be used. However, to provide a safe containment for the component carriers, the internal volume of the container must be dry, as the component carriers may be damaged by water contact or high humidity. Therefore, there may be a need to provide efficient container washing.

[0006] Once the component carriers have been transferred to the respective processing machine, it is important that easy access is provided to the storage volume of the container, for example for the gradual removal of the component carriers from within the container.

[0007] Therefore, there may be a need to provide an easy opening mechanism for the container to provide suitable access to the storage volume of the container. Summary of the Invention

[0008] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the container comprises a storage volume and a housing having a slot frame (connected to the housing), the slot frame having a number of slot levels formed by respective slot rail arrangements arranged one above the other along a vertical direction, each slot rail arrangement having a support surface for supporting a component carrier, two adjacent slot levels having a slot pitch of 10 mm to 20 mm, in particular 15 mm to 16 mm.

[0009] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present utility model, a container for storing component carriers is presented. The container comprises a housing having a storage volume, a slot frame connected to the housing, and a slot rail arrangement having a rear wall on which at least one lower rail is mounted with a respective support surface for supporting the component carrier against the rear wall. The slot frame comprises at least one support beam on which the rear wall is mounted, the support beam contacting the rear wall along a contact surface of the rear wall. The rear wall has a discharge groove larger than the width of the contact surface such that the discharge groove includes a section not covered by the support beam.

[0010] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a container for storing a component carrier is presented. The container for storing a component carrier comprises a housing having a storage volume for storing the component carrier, the housing having an opening for inserting and removing the component carrier. The container further comprises a door having a door magnetic element such that the door is removably coupled to the housing for selectively opening and closing the opening.

[0011] A component carrier or a panel comprising a plurality of component carriers can be temporarily stored in the above-mentioned container. The component carrier may comprise a stack of at least one electrically insulating layer structure and at least one electrically conducting layer structure. For example, the component carrier may in particular be a laminate of the above-mentioned electrically insulating layer structure and the electrically conducting layer structure, preferably supported by thermal energy, formed by the application of mechanical pressure. The stack may provide a plate-like component carrier that can provide a large mounting surface for further components and that is nevertheless very thin and compact. The term "layer structure" may in particular denote a continuous layer, a patterned layer or a plurality of discontinuous islands in a common plane. In the context of the present utility model, the term "layer structure" may be a single-layer assembly or a multi-layer assembly.

[0012] In one embodiment, the component carrier is shaped as a plate. This contributes to a compact design, the component carrier nevertheless offering a large base on which to place components. Furthermore, due to its small thickness, especially bare dies, for example integrated electronic components, can be advantageously integrated into the thin plate, such as a printed circuit board. In one embodiment, the component carrier is configured as one of the group consisting of a printed circuit board, a substrate (particularly an IC substrate) and an interposer.

[0013] The container comprises a storage volume defining an interior volume of a housing of the container within which the component carriers may be temporarily stored. The container may comprise an opening that may be selectively closed by a respective container door to provide access to the interior volume.

[0014] The container is furthermore movable between two desired positions, in particular between two processing machines, and may therefore be handled by a manipulator or have wheels in order to be moved between the processing machines.

[0015] The slot frame defines a support structure for a number of slot rail arrangements arranged one above the other along a vertical direction. The slot frame may, for example, comprise a number of support beams forming respective frame structures. Each slot rail arrangement may comprise a respective support surface for supporting a component carrier. The slot rail arrangements are arranged on top of one another such that the component carriers can be stored on top of one another in a storage volume of the housing.

[0016] The slot frames may be removably or non-removably coupled to the housing. For example, a complete lot of component carriers supported by the slot frames may be inserted or removed from a container by having the insertable slot frames removably installed in the housing.

[0017] The slot arrangement may be formed by a uniform support surface, e.g., a plate-like support surface, or alternatively, as described in more detail below, by multiple rails, e.g., opposing lower rails with respective support surfaces for the component carriers.

[0018] According to this approach of the present utility model, two (vertically) adjacent slot levels have a slot pitch between 10 mm and 20 mm, in particular between 15 mm and 16 mm (millimeters), more particularly 15.75 mm. The slot pitch defines the shortest in the vertical direction to the distance between the support surface of the first lower slot rail arrangement and the upper support surface of the second upper slot rail arrangement. Thus, by providing a respective slot pitch, sufficient space for a respective component carrier may be provided, and simultaneously several above-disposed component carriers can be stored in one container. In other words, the space between adjacent slot levels is reduced to the minimum extent such that a storage capacity for the container can be provided. In particular, if for example a conventional container may have a slot pitch of 31.5 mm, by reducing the respective slot pitch to 15.75 mm, it is possible to double the storage capacity from 24 component carriers to 48 component carriers without any change to the height of the container.

[0019] Thus, the number of available containers and respective trolleys may be reduced. Furthermore, costs of, for example, automation tools, central buffers and lifters may be reduced.

[0020] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the slot frame has 30 to 55, for example 48, slot levels arranged one above the other along the vertical direction.

[0021] According to a further exemplary embodiment, each slot rail arrangement comprises at least one lower rail having a respective support surface for supporting a component carrier.

[0022] According to a further exemplary embodiment, at least one lower rail at one slot level is provided with a chamfer having an inclined support surface for a component carrier, such that the component carrier can be placed on the chamfer and guided by gravity towards the opposing lower rail at the slot level.

[0023] For example, the component carrier is supported along one component carrier edge on the chamfer of the lower rail. The opposing component carrier edge is supported on a further support surface. According to the above-mentioned exemplary embodiment, for example the chamfer arranged on the lower rail partially comprises a support surface for supporting the component carrier. Hence, due to gravity, the component carrier slides along the inclined surface of the chamfer until the opposing edges of the component carrier reach a respective stop on the opposing further support surface. Thus, self-alignment of the component carrier within the slot level can be achieved by using weight and gravity, respectively.

[0024] In particular, the further support surface of the opposing lower rail may also be formed by a respective further chamfer, such that the component carrier is supported by two opposing chamfers.

[0025] For example, the chamfer may comprise a flat, uniformly sloping surface. Alternatively, the chamfer may comprise a convex or concave curved surface.

[0026] Additionally, multiple chamfers may be formed along the slot level such that the component carrier is supported by multiple chamfers.

[0027] According to a further exemplary embodiment, at least one slot rail arrangement further comprises a U-shaped section including an upper rail, the upper rail and the lower rail being connected by lateral side walls such that the component carrier can be placed between the upper rail and the lower rail. In other words, the slot rail arrangement comprises a kind of pull-out rail, which partially surrounds the respective edges of the supported component carrier, such that the component carrier can be inserted and pulled out like a pull-out. The upper rail, the lateral side walls, the lower rail may be made of separate parts that are installed together. Alternatively, the upper rail, the lateral side walls, the lower rail may be formed monolithically. For example, the respective grooves may be formed along the rods to form the respective U-shaped sections. Thus, the side edges of the component carrier are at least partially enveloped by the lower rail and the upper rail, and the component carrier cannot receive the respective U-shaped slot rail arrangement, such that contact and respective damage of adjacent component carriers can be prevented when the container tilts.

[0028] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the upper rail is designed to form a further lower rail with an upper support surface of an upper slotted rail arrangement at the upper slot level for supporting further component carriers. Thus, the upper rail forming the upper rail of the lower slotted rail arrangement may at the same time form a further upper lower rail of the upper slotted rail arrangement arranged above.

[0029] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the slot clearance (distance) between the support surface of the lower rail and the lower surface of the upper rail is 9 mm to 17 mm, in particular 13 mm to 15 mm, more particularly 14 mm. The slot clearance defines the internal slot space available to a component carrier placed in the slot rail arrangement at a particular slot level. Thus, by providing a larger slot clearance, more space is available to the component carrier, and thus the risk of particles being scraped off from the slot rail arrangement or the component carrier itself, in particular during insertion or removal of the component carrier, may be reduced.

[0030] Thus, by reducing the above mentioned slot pitch to 10mm-20mm, e.g. 15.75mm, and by increasing the slot clearance to 9mm-17mm, e.g. 14mm, the thickness of the lower rail may be reduced, e.g. 1mm-2mm, e.g. 1.75mm, so that multiple component carriers can be stored without increasing the height of the container, and at the same time sufficient space for the component carriers can be provided for gentle handling during insertion and removal of the component carriers.

[0031] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the distance between the upper rail and the lower rail is different such that the distance at the inlet section of the slot rail arrangement to the component carrier is greater than the distance at the rear end of the slot rail. The inlet section is defined as the section closest to the container door. The rear end of the slot rail defines a position closer to the true wall of the container. Thus, since the distance between the upper rail and the lower rail is greater at the inlet section, the risk of rubbing against the respective component carrier during insertion is reduced.

[0032] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the free end of the lower rail forming the slot inlet for the component carrier has a rounded edge. By providing a rounded edge of the inlet with the free end, the risk of rubbing against the component carrier and the risk of injury due to manual insertion or removal of the component carrier can be reduced.

[0033] According to a further exemplary embodiment, each slot rail arrangement has at least one further lower rail with a further support surface for supporting a component carrier, the further lower rail and the lower rail being arranged parallel to each other and spaced horizontally apart from each other. According to the above-outlined exemplary embodiment, the component carriers can be supported by the spaced apart parallel extending lower rails in a drawer-like manner.

[0034] According to a further exemplary embodiment, each slot rail arrangement has at least one rear rail with a further support surface for supporting the component carriers, the rear rail connecting the further lower rail and the lower rail. In particular, the rear rail extends along the rear wall of the container in a horizontal plane. Thus, the component carriers stored in the slot level are supported along their lateral edges by the respective opposing lower rails, and the rear edges of the component carriers connecting the lateral edges are supported by the rear rail.

[0035] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the slot frame has two spaced apart side frames and a central frame arranged between the side frames, each slot level may be formed between the respective side frame and the central frame such that two horizontal adjacent slot levels are provided. The central frame may in other words divide the storage volume in half. The two lower rails are for example arranged on one common central frame. For example, two component carriers may be stored in one horizontal plane. That is, a first component carrier may be supported by the lower rail of the side frame and the lower rail of the central frame, and another component carrier may be supported by the lower rail of a further side frame and the further lower rail of the central frame.

[0036] According to a further exemplary embodiment, at least one of the lower rails of the slot rail arrangement is made from a support bar at least partially covered with a protective coating. In an exemplary embodiment, the support bar is made from a metal material. In particular, the protective cover may comprise a material that is softer than the material of the metal bar so that rubbing and thus generating FM particles produced from the metal parts or from the component carrier during the picking and placing process is reduced. The metal bar may be made from aluminum, for example, and the protective coating may be made from a molding material such as Zylon. For example, the protective coating may be formed by an insert molding process.

[0037] For example, the protective cover only covers parts of the lower rail or the rear rail, in particular the protective cover covers the respective support surfaces of the rail and, for example, a part of the lateral side walls.

[0038] The slot rail arrangement comprises in particular a rear wall on which a number of lower rails are arranged, each lower rail comprising a support surface on which a component carrier, i.e. an edge of the component carrier, can be arranged. The rear wall may be made of a uniform thin wall, for example made of a metallic material. Furthermore, the rear wall may itself be made of a frame-like structure made of a number of support beams on which the lower rails are attached.

[0039] The slot frame comprises at least one support beam to which the rear wall is attached. The slot frame itself is fixed to the housing b of the container for supporting the slot rail arrangement. The rear wall is connected to the support beam such that the support beam contacts the rear wall along a contact surface. In other words, the support beam covers the rear wall along a contact surface.

[0040] After the cleaning procedure, water may migrate along the contact surface between the rear wall and the support beam. Therefore, it is difficult to dry the water or moisture between the rear wall and the support beam in the draining procedure. Therefore, there is a risk that water remains between the rear wall and the support beam even after the drying procedure, and thus the component carrier may be affected by the water residue while being stored in the storage volume.

[0041] According to this approach of the utility model, a drainage groove is formed in the rear wall along the contact surface with the support beam. In particular, the drainage groove is larger than one dimension of the contact surface, namely the width w, such that the drainage groove includes a section not covered by the support beam. Thus, a cavity is formed between the rear wall and the support beam by the drainage groove, so that water between the support beam and the rear wall can be collected in the drainage groove. Furthermore, the water in the drainage groove can be discharged along the drainage groove to the outside of the contact surface in a drying procedure, so that for example hot air can dry the respective water. Furthermore, a fluid for drying, such as hot air, can flow along the drainage groove in the contact surface, so that the drying efficiency can be increased. Thus, a more efficient drying procedure for the container can be provided after the cleaning procedure.

[0042] According to an exemplary embodiment, the slot rail arrangement is removably mounted to the support beam. Moreover, according to a further exemplary embodiment, the slot frame may be removably or non-removably coupled to the housing. For example, a complete lot of component carriers supported by the slot rail arrangement may be inserted or withdrawn from a container by having the insertable slot rail arrangement or slot frame removably mounted to the housing.

[0043] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the drain groove extends non-parallel to the length extension of the support beam. In particular, the support beam forms a vertical support beam extending along a vertical direction with the length extension. Thus, the drain groove does not extend vertically but has a directional component along the horizontal direction such that the extension direction of the drain groove has an angle with respect to the horizontal direction between 1° and 44°.

[0044] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the drainage groove extends along a horizontal direction. According to a further exemplary embodiment, the support beam extends along a vertical direction.

[0045] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the slot frame has a number of support beams on which the rear wall is mounted, the support beams being spaced apart from one another along the horizontal direction.

[0046] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the slot rail arrangement has a plurality of lower rails, each including a respective support surface for supporting a component carrier, the lower rails being mounted on the rear wall spaced apart from one another along the vertical direction.

[0047] According to a further exemplary embodiment, a further slot frame may be provided to which a further slot rail arrangement may be coupled, the slot rail arrangement and the further slot rail arrangement being spaced apart along the horizontal direction such that the respective lower rails mounted on the slot rail arrangement and the further lower rails mounted on the further slot rail arrangement support opposite edges of the supported component carriers.

[0048] The door comprises a door magnetic element that can be magnetically coupled to a corresponding frame element of the housing. For example, the housing comprises a further respective magnetic element such that the magnetic element of the door can couple to close the door. In particular, the door may be free of any hinges such that the door can be completely removed from the container if the opening force exceeds the magnetic coupling force applied by the magnetic element. The magnetic element may be made of a permanent magnet or may be made of an electromagnetic element that can be selectively supplied with, for example, electrical energy.

[0049] According to this approach of the present invention, a fully removable door is provided, and when the removal force exceeds the magnetic coupling force, the door can be completely removed. For example, the removal force may pull the door along a vertical direction so that the door is respectively removable along the vertical direction. Thus, the door can be moved along, for example, a vertical sequence to provide access to the storage volume without any pivoting of the door. Thus, the container may be located near the processing machine or the respective loading port, and the door can simply be moved along a linear direction (vertical or horizontal) to provide access to the storage volume.

[0050] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the housing comprises a magnetic bracket that is installed on the frame of the housing so that when the door closes the opening, a magnetic coupling with the door magnetic element can be provided. For example, if the housing is not made of a magnetizable material such as a plastic material, an additional magnetic bracket may be installed on the housing and the housing frame, respectively, so that a magnetic coupling with the magnetic element can be provided. Alternatively, the housing and the housing frame, respectively, may be made of a metal material so that the magnetic element can be directly magnetically coupled to the housing without the need for an additional magnetic bracket. In summary, due to the non-magnetic conductive material of the housing frame, an additional magnetic conductive material of the magnetic bracket (frame joint bracket) can be added and installed on the housing.

[0051] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the door comprises at least one fixing structure mounted on the frame of the door, which may protrude from the frame such that the door may abut against the fixing structure on the housing part such that a relative movement of the door along the vertical direction with respect to the housing is prevented, and thus the fixing structure may be engaged by a receiving opening of the housing to fix the door against a vertical movement while the magnetic element pulls the door to the housing.

[0052] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the fixed structure is shaped like a hanging pin and is installed on the upper edge of the door, and the upper surface of the housing is provided with a receiving hole. The hanging pin extends along the horizontal direction from the door so that the connecting pin can be connected to the receiving hole. Thus, in addition to the magnetic connection, the hanging pin additionally provides a mechanical connection with the housing. Specifically, the hanging pin forms a mechanical stop for the vertical slide of the door relative to the housing. Specifically, there are two receiving holes on the upper surface of the housing so that two hanging points for the door can be provided. The pin size of the hanging pin is matched with the receiving hole and may be adjusted slightly to the left or right.

[0053] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the hanging pin comprises a vertically extending coupling part and the receiving hole is formed such that the coupling part can be inserted into the receiving hole along the vertical direction. In particular, the receiving hole comprises an opening surface having a normal parallel to the vertical direction such that the vertical coupling part can slide into the receiving hole along the vertical direction. When the horizontal part of the hanging pin connecting the door with the coupling part abuts against the upper surface of the housing, further vertical movement of the door due to gravity is prevented. In this position of the door, the magnetic element presses the door against the housing along the horizontal direction such that the door is fixed to the housing and the opening of the housing is closed.

[0054] According to a further exemplary embodiment, at least one magnetic element is coupled to the bottom edge of the door. When, for example, a hanger pin couples the top edge of the door to the housing in the hanging direction, the magnetic element at the bottom edge of the door ensures that the bottom edge is pressed against the bottom edge of the housing, thereby preventing pivoting of the door around the hanger pin in the closed position.

[0055] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the door comprises a clamping element mounted against a bottom edge of the door, the clamping element being configured to selectively clamp the bottom edge of the door to the housing. The clamping element may form a bracket pivotally connected to the housing. When the door closes the opening, the clamping element may be pivotable to partially enclose the door. In this position, the clamping element may be fixed, for example by a latch connection, such that a mechanical coupling of the door to the housing is provided in addition to the magnetic coupling.

[0056] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the door has a handling element configured to be coupled to the manipulator. The handling element may provide a hook or a closed ring-like handle so that a respective gripping tool, such as a gripping fork or a gripping bracket of the manipulator, can grip the handling element. After gripping the handling element, the manipulator may move the door, for example along a translatory direction (vertical or horizontal), in order to open the housing.

[0057] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the door has a window to provide a line of sight into the storage volume, the window being tinted, in particular tinted yellow.

[0058] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the door has a sealing ring extending along an edge of the door to provide a seal with the housing. As the magnetic element presses the door against the opening in the housing, the sealing ring is also pressed against the housing so that a proper seal can be provided.

[0059] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the protective coating completely surrounds the lower rail, thus providing comprehensive protection against particles being scraped off.

[0060] The above-defined and further aspects of the utility model are apparent from and will be elucidated with reference to the example embodiments described hereinafter. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0061] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a container for storing component carriers according to an exemplary embodiment; [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic front view of a portion of a container for storing component carriers according to an exemplary embodiment; [Diagram 3]FIG. 13 is a detailed view of a tapered slot rail arrangement according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates a slot frame having several bottom rails and respective chamfers according to an exemplary embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1 is a cross-sectional top view of a component carrier according to an example embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates a lower rail partially covered with a protective coating according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates a bottom rail completely covered with a protective coating according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 8] 13 is a schematic diagram of a rounded edge of a bottom rail according to an exemplary embodiment; FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a slot frame and slot rail arrangement for a container according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a further schematic diagram of the slot frame and slot rail arrangement shown in FIG. 9 according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 illustrates a close-up view of the interface between a slot frame and a slot rail arrangement according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 12] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a container for storing component carriers according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 illustrates a container for storing component carriers according to an example embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a front view of a door used to cover the opening of the container shown in FIG. 13 according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a rear view of the door shown in FIG. 14 according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the door shown in FIG. 14 according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 17] 1 illustrates an exemplary magnetic bracket, according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 18]FIG. 13 is a detailed view of a top edge of a door with a sealing ring according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 19] 1 illustrates a bottom edge of a door with clamping elements according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 20] 1 illustrates a bottom edge of a door with clamping elements according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0062] The illustration in the drawings is schematic: in different figures, similar or identical elements are given the same reference signs.

[0063] Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a portion of a container 100 for storing component carriers 200, 211, according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 illustrates a schematic front view of a portion of a container 100 for storing component carriers 200, 211, according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0064] The container 100 comprises a housing 101 having a storage volume and a slot frame 102 connected to the housing 101, the slot frame 102 having a number of slot levels I, II formed by respective slot rail arrangements 201 arranged one above the other along a vertical direction v. Each slot rail arrangement 201 comprises a support surface 203 for supporting a component carrier 200, and two adjacent slot levels I, II have a slot pitch sp of, for example, 15.75 mm.

[0065] The container 100 comprises a storage volume defining an interior volume of a housing of the container 100, within which the component carriers 200, 211 may be temporarily stored. The container 100 may comprise an opening that may be selectively closed by a respective container door to provide access to the interior volume. The container 100 is furthermore movable between two desired locations, in particular between two processing machines.

[0066] The slot frame 102 is a support structure for a number of slot rail arrangements 201 arranged one above the other along the vertical direction v. The slot frame 102 may for example comprise a number of support beams forming a respective frame structure. Each slot rail arrangement 201 may comprise a respective support surface for supporting a component carrier 200, 211. The slot rail arrangements 201 are arranged on top of each other such that the component carriers 200, 211 can be stored on top of each other in the storage volume of the housing 101.

[0067] Two (vertically) adjacent slot levels I, II have a slot pitch sp of 15.75 mm. The slot pitch sp defines the vertical shortest distance between the support surface of the first lower slot rail arrangement 201 and the upper support surface of the second upper slot rail arrangement 210. Thus, by providing the respective slot pitch sp, sufficient space for the respective component carriers 200, 211 may be provided. In other words, the space between adjacent slot levels I, II is reduced to the minimum extent such that a storage capacity for the container 100 can be provided. In particular, if for example a conventional container may have a slot pitch of 31.5 mm, by reducing the respective slot pitch to 15.75 mm, it is possible to double the storage capacity from 24 component carriers to 48 component carriers without any change to the height of the container. The width of the slot rail arrangement 201, i.e. the distance between the lateral side walls 206, may be 515 mm.

[0068] Each slotted rail arrangement 206,210 includes at least one lower rail 202,205 having a respective support surface 203,213 for supporting a component carrier 200,211.

[0069] The lower rails 202, 205 further comprise a chamfer 204 having an inclined support surface for the component carriers 200, 211, such that the component carriers 200, 211, which can be placed on the chamfer 204, can be guided by gravity in a direction towards the opposing lower rail 207 at the slot level, or vice versa.

[0070] For example, the component carrier 200, 211 is supported along one component carrier edge on the chamfer 204 of the lower rail 203. The opposing component carrier edge is supported on the support surface 203 of the further lower rail 204. According to the above-mentioned exemplary embodiment, the chamfer 204, for example arranged on the lower rail 203, partially comprises a support surface for supporting the component carrier 200. Thus, due to gravity, the component carrier slides along the inclined surface of the chamfer 204 until the opposing edges of the component carrier 200, 211 reach a respective stop on the opposing further support surface 203. Thus, the further support surface 203 of the opposing lower rail 207 may also be formed by the respective further chamfer 204, such that the component carrier 200 is supported by two opposing chamfers 204.

[0071] As can be seen from Fig. 2, the rail arrangement 201 comprises a U-shaped cross section including an upper rail 205, and the upper rail 205 and the lower rail 202 are connected by lateral side walls 206 such that the component carrier 200 can be placed between the upper rail 205 and the lower rail 202. In other words, the slotted rail arrangement 201 comprises a material block having a groove that partially surrounds the respective edges of the supported component carrier 200 such that the component carrier 200 can be inserted and removed like a drawer. The upper rail 205, the lateral side walls 206 and the lower rail 202 form the respective grooves to form the respective U-shaped cross sections. Thus, the side edges of the component carrier 200 are at least partially enveloped by the lower rail 202 and the upper rail 205.

[0072] As can be seen from FIG. 2, the upper rail 205 is designed to form a further lower rail having an upper support surface 213 of an upper slotted rail arrangement 210 of an upper slotted level II for supporting a further component carrier 211 .

[0073] The slot clearance (distance) sc between the support surface of the lower rail 203 and the lower surface 212 of the upper rail 205 is in particular 14 mm. The slot clearance sc defines the interior slot space available to the component carrier 200, 211 placed in the slotted rail arrangement 201, 210 of a particular slot level I, II. Thus, by providing a larger slot clearance sc, more space is available to the component carrier 200, 211, and therefore the risk of particles being scraped off from the slotted rail arrangement 201, 210 or the component carrier 200, 211 itself, in particular during insertion or removal of the component carrier 200, 211, may be reduced.

[0074] Thus, by reducing the above mentioned slot pitch sp to 15.75 mm and increasing the slot clearance sc to 14 mm, the thickness of the lower rail 202 may be, for example, 1.75 mm.

[0075] 2, the slotted rail arrangement 201 has at least one further lower rail 207 with a further support surface 203 for supporting the component carrier 200, the further lower rail 207 and the lower rail 202 being arranged parallel to each other and spaced horizontally from each other. The component carrier 200 may be supported by the spaced apart parallel extending lower rails 202, 207 in a drawer-like manner.

[0076] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the slot frame 102 comprises two side frames 104 arranged at a distance from each other and a central frame 103 arranged between the side frames 104. Each slot level I, II is formed between the respective side frame 104 and the central frame 103 such that two horizontal adjacent slot levels I, II are provided. The central frame 103 in other words divides the storage volume in half. The two lower rails 202, 207 are arranged, for example, on one common central frame 103. Thus, two component carriers 200, 211 can be stored in one common horizontal plane. That is, the first component carrier 200 is supported by the lower rail 202 of the side frame 104, the lower rail 202 of the central frame 103, and the other component carrier 211 is supported by the lower rail 202 of the further side frame 104 and the further lower rail 202 of the central frame 103.

[0077] FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of a tapered slot-rail arrangement according to an exemplary embodiment. The distance between the upper rail 205 and the lower rail 202 is different such that the distance 302 at the entry section 301 to the component carrier 200 at the slot-rail arrangement 201 is larger than the distance at the rear end of the slot-rail arrangement 201. The entry section 301 is defined as the section closest to the container door. The rear end of the slot-rail arrangement 201 defines a position closer to the real wall of the container 100. Thus, since the distance between the upper rail 205 and the lower rail 202 is larger at the entry section 301, the risk of scraping against the respective component carrier 200 during insertion of the component carrier 200 is reduced. The lower rail 202 is tapered such that the difference between the distance to the upper rail 205 at the entry section 301 and the distance to the upper rail 205 at the rear of the lower rail 202 (see the tapered section 302) is, for example, 1.5 mm.

[0078] Additionally, FIG. 3 shows support bars 303 which hold the lateral side walls 206 and therefore the complete slotted rail arrangement 201 .

[0079] FIG. 4 illustrates a slot frame 102 having several lower rails 202 and respective chamfers 204 according to an exemplary embodiment. These lower rails 202 comprise one respective chamfer 204 at a middle section. Additionally, an entry section 301 is illustrated. Within the entry section, a tapered section 302 of the lower rails 202 is illustrated. The tapered section 302 is formed, for example, by reducing the width of the respective lower rails 202. In other words, the lower rails 202 comprise a wedge shape forming the tapered section 302 at the entry section 301. Additionally, FIG. 4 illustrates a number of support bars 303 that support the lateral side walls 206 and thus the complete slot rail arrangement 201.

[0080] 5 shows a top view of a cross section of a component carrier 200, 211 according to an exemplary embodiment. Each slot rail arrangement 201 has at least one rear rail 501 with an additional support surface for supporting the component carrier 200, 211, the rear rail 501 connecting the additional lower rail 207 and the lower rail 202. In particular, the rear rail 501 extends along the rear wall of the container 100 in a horizontal plane. Thus, the component carriers 200, 211 stored in the slot levels I, II are supported along their lateral edges by the respective opposing lower rails 202, 207, and the rear edges 501 of the component carriers 200, 211 connecting the lateral edges are supported by the rear rail 501.

[0081] 5, the central frame 103 separates the interior volumes of the container 100. On the left side, the two component carriers 200, 211 are stored alternately with each other and are supported by a lower rail 22 mounted on the side wall of the housing 101 and by a respective further lower rail 207 mounted on the central frame 103.

[0082] Further, multiple chamfers 204 may be formed such that the component carriers 200, 211 are supported by multiple chamfers 204, for example.

[0083] 6 illustrates a lower rail 202 partially covered with a protective coating 602, according to an exemplary embodiment. The illustrated lower rail 202 of the slotted rail arrangement 201 is made from a support rod 601 covered with a protective coating 602. In particular, the protective coating / cover 602 may comprise a material that is softer than the material of the support rod 601 (e.g., a material made from metal) such that rubbing and therefore generating FM particles is reduced. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, the support surface 203 and the lower surface 212 may be covered with the protective cover 602. Additionally, the lateral sides of the lower rail 202 may be covered by the protective cover 602.

[0084] 7 shows the lower rail 202 completely covered with protective coating 601, 701 according to an exemplary embodiment. Additionally, the lower rail 202 may also have sections that are only partially covered (e.g., the face and bottom may remain partially uncovered). In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the support face 203 and the lower face 212 may be covered with protective covering 602. Additionally, both lateral sides of the lower rail 202 are covered. Additionally, the material of the protective coating 602, for example on the faces 203, 212, may be different with respect to each other.

[0085] 8 shows a schematic diagram of a rounded edge 801 of the lower rail 202, according to an example embodiment. Thus, the free end of the lower rail 202, which forms the slot entry 301 for the component carrier 200, has the rounded edge 801. By providing the rounded edge 801 of the entry 301 with the free end, the risk of rubbing against the component carrier 200 and the risk of injury due to manual insertion or removal of the component carrier 200 may be reduced.

[0086] Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of a slot frame and slot rail arrangement for container 400b (see Figure 12) according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 10 shows a further schematic diagram of the slot frame and slot rail arrangement shown in Figure 9 according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0087] The slotted rail arrangement comprises in particular a rear wall 101b on which a number of lower rails 102b are arranged. Each lower rail 102b comprises a support surface 301b on which a component carrier, i.e. an edge of the component carrier, can be arranged (see FIG. 11). The rear wall 101b may be made of a uniform thin wall, for example made of a metallic material.

[0088] The slot frame comprises a support beam 103b to which the rear wall 101b is attached. The slot frame itself is fixed to the housing 401b of the container 400b to support the slot rail arrangement. The rear wall 101b is connected to the support beam 103b such that the support beam 103b contacts the rear wall 101b along the contact surface 303b. In other words, the support beam 103b covers the rear wall 101b along the contact surface 303b.

[0089] As can be seen from Figure 9, the drain groove 104b is formed in the rear wall 101b along the contact surface 303b with the support beams 103b. Specifically, the drain groove 104b is larger than one dimension of the contact surface 303b, i.e., the width, such that the drain groove 104b includes a section that is not covered by the support beams 103b. The drain groove 104b is larger / longer than the width w of the contact surface 303b such that the drain groove 104b has a section that is not covered by the support beams 103b. To better illustrate the groove, the central support beam 103b is shown in dotted lines in Figure 9.

[0090] As can be seen from the exemplary embodiment shown in Fig. 9, the discharge grooves 104b extend non-parallel to the length extension of the support beam 103b, in particular parallel to the horizontal direction h. Thus, the discharge grooves 104b extend along the horizontal direction h. Furthermore, the grooves 104b may extend slightly diagonally, for example at an angle of 1° to 44° to the horizontal direction h. Furthermore, the grooves 104b may extend in different directions, for example in a zigzag manner.

[0091] FIG. 11 illustrates a close-up view of the interface between the slot frame and the slot rail arrangement according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0092] The support beam 103b contacts the rear wall 101b completely along the contact surface 303b, except for the drain groove 104b. The drain groove 104b forms a cavity between the rear wall 101b and the support beam 103b, so that the water between the support beam 103b and the rear wall 101b can be collected in the drain groove (see water flow 302b). Furthermore, the water in the drain groove 104b can be discharged outside the contact surface 303b along the drain groove, so that the respective water can be dried by, for example, hot air in the drying process. Furthermore, a drying fluid, such as hot air, can flow along the drain groove 104b within the contact surface 303b, so that the drying efficiency can be increased.

[0093] 12 shows a cross-sectional view of a container 400b for storing component carriers according to an exemplary embodiment. The container 400b comprises a housing 401b having a storage volume, a slot frame coupled to the housing 401b, and a slot rail arrangement having a rear wall 101b on which is mounted at least one lower rail 102b having a respective support surface 301b for supporting the component carrier. The slot frame comprises a support beam 103b on which the rear wall 101b is mounted, the support beam 103b contacting the rear wall 101b along a contact surface 303b of the rear wall 101b.

[0094] The container 400b comprises a storage volume that defines an interior volume of the housing 401b of the container 400b within which the component carriers may be temporarily stored. The container 400b may comprise an opening that may be selectively closed by a respective container door to provide access to the interior volume.

[0095] The slot rail arrangement may be removably mounted to the support beam 103b. Additionally, according to further exemplary embodiments, the slot frame may be removably or non-removably coupled to the housing 401b.

[0096] The container 400b is furthermore movable between two desired positions, in particular between two processing machines, and therefore may be handled by a manipulator or may have wheels in order to be moved between the processing machines.

[0097] Figure 13 illustrates a container 100 for storing component carriers, according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 14 illustrates a front view of a door 110c used to cover an opening of the container 100 shown in Figure 13, according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 15 illustrates a rear view of the door shown in Figure 14, according to an exemplary embodiment, and Figure 16 illustrates a perspective view of the door shown in Figure 14, according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0098] The container 100 for storing component carriers comprises a housing 101 having a storage volume for storing the component carriers, the housing 101 having an opening for inserting and removing the component carrier. The container 100 further has a door 110c including a door magnetic element 111c such that the door 110c is removably coupled to the housing 101 for selectively opening and closing the opening. The openings of the container 100 can be selectively closed by the respective container doors 110c to provide access to the interior volume.

[0099] The container 100 is movable between two desired positions, in particular between two processing machines, and may therefore be handled by a manipulator or have wheels in order to be moved between the processing machines.

[0100] The container 100 comprises a slotted rail arrangement 103c having a number of lower rails, each of which comprises a support surface on which a component carrier, i.e. an edge of the component carrier, can be placed.

[0101] The door 110c comprises a door magnetic element 111c that can be magnetically coupled to a corresponding frame element of the housing 101. For example, the housing 101 comprises a further respective magnetic element such that the door magnetic element 111c can couple to close the door 110c. In particular, the door 110c may be free of any hinges such that the door 110c can be completely removed from the container 100 when the opening force exceeds the magnetic coupling force applied by the magnetic element 111c. For example, the removal force may pull the door 110c along a vertical direction such that the door is respectively removable along the vertical direction. Thus, the door can be moved, for example, along a vertical sequence to provide access to the storage volume without any pivoting of the door 110c.

[0102] The door includes two hanger pins 112c installed on the upper edge 113c of the door 110c, and the upper surface 102c of the housing 101 has receiving holes 104c. The hanger pins 112c extend along a horizontal direction from the door 110c such that the connecting pins 112c can be coupled to the receiving holes 104c. Thus, in addition to the magnetic coupling, the hanger pins 112c additionally provide a mechanical coupling with the housing 101. Specifically, the hanger pins 112c form a mechanical stop for the vertical sliding of the door 110c relative to the housing 101.

[0103] As can be seen from Figures 15 and 16, the hanger pin 112c has a vertically extending connecting portion 301c, and the receiving hole 104c is formed such that the connecting portion 301c can be inserted into the receiving hole 104c along the vertical direction. When the horizontal portion of the hanger pin 112c connecting the door 110c with the connecting portion abuts against the upper surface 102c of the housing 101, further vertical movement of the door 110c due to gravity is prevented. In this position of the door 110c, the magnetic element 111c presses the door 110c along the horizontal direction against the housing 101.

[0104] Two magnetic elements 111c are connected to the bottom edge 114c of the door. When, for example, a hanging pin 112c connects the top edge 113c of the door 110c to the housing 101 in the hanging direction, the magnetic elements 111c at the bottom edge 114c of the door 110c ensure that the bottom edge 114c is pressed against the bottom edge of the housing 101. Additional magnetic elements 111c may be arranged at the side edges of the door 110c.

[0105] The door 110c further comprises a handling element 115c configured to be coupled to a manipulator. The handling element 115c comprises a closed ring-like handle so that a respective gripping tool, such as a gripping fork or a gripping bracket of the manipulator, can grip the handling element 115c. After gripping the handling element 115c, the manipulator may move the door 110c, for example along a translatory direction (to open the housing 101).

[0106] The door 110c further has a window 116c to provide a line of sight into the storage volume, the window 116c being tinted, specifically tinted yellow.

[0107] 17 illustrates an exemplary magnetic bracket 301c of the housing 101, according to an exemplary embodiment. The magnetic bracket 301c is mounted to the frame of the housing 101 such that it can provide a magnetic coupling with the door magnetic element 111c when the door 110c closes the opening. The magnetic bracket 111c may have a V-shape and may be mounted at a bottom corner of the housing 101. Each magnetic element 111c of the door 110c may also have a corresponding V-shape and may be mounted at a bottom corner of the door 110c.

[0108] 18 shows a detailed view of the top edge 113c of the door 110c with a sealing ring 601c, according to an exemplary embodiment. The sealing ring 601c extends along the edge of the door 110c to provide a seal with the housing 101. As the magnetic element 111c presses the door 110c against the opening in the housing 101, the sealing ring 601c is also pressed against the housing 101 so that a proper seal can be provided.

[0109] 19 and 20 show a bottom edge 114c of a door 110c with a clamping element 701c according to an exemplary embodiment. The door 110c includes a clamping element 701c mounted against the bottom edge 114c of the door 110c, the clamping element 701c configured to selectively clamp the bottom edge 114c of the door 110c to the housing 101. The clamping element 701c forms a bracket that is pivotally coupled to the housing 101. The clamping element 701c may be pivotable to clamp the door 110c against the housing 101 when the door 110c closes the opening.

[0110] 20 further illustrates an example of a fixed structure 112c protruding from a bottom edge 114c of the door 110c. The fixed structure 112c forms a retaining pin protruding from a frame 801c of the door 110c such that the door 110c may abut against the fixed structure on the housing portion such that relative movement of the door 120 along the vertical direction with respect to the housing 101 is prevented. Thus, while the magnetic element 111c pulls the door 110c to the housing 101, the fixed structure 112c may be engaged by a receiving opening in the housing 101 to secure the door against vertical movement.

[0111] It should be noted that the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. Also, elements described in association with different embodiments may be combined.

[0112] It should also be noted that reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0113] The implementation of the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described above, but rather many variations are possible that use the solutions shown and the principles according to the invention, even in radically different embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0114] 100 containers 101 Housing 102 slot frame 103 Center Frame 104 Side Frame 200 Component Carriers 201 Slot rail structure 202 Lower rail 203 Support surface 204 Chamfered part 205 Upper rail 206 Side wall 207 More Lower Rails 210 Further upper slot rail structure 211 More Component Carriers 212 Bottom surface 213 Upper support surface 301 Slot entrance 302 Tapered section 303 Support rod 501 Rear rail 601 Support rod 602 Protective Coating 701 Extra Protective Coating 801 Rounded Edges v Vertical direction h horizontal direction w Width of the support beam sp Slot pitch sc slot clearance sw Slot width I, II slot levels 101b Back wall 102b Lower rail 103b Support beam 104b drain groove 301b Support surface 302b water flow 303b Contact surface 400b container 401b Housing 402b central frame 110c Door 111c Magnetic elements 112c Fixed structure, hanging pin 113c Upper edge 114c Lower edge 115c handling elements 116c Window 301c connection part 501c Magnetic Bracket 601c sealing ring 701c Clamping Element 801c Frame

Claims

1. A container for storing a component carrier, the container comprising: a housing having a storage volume; The container has the following characteristics: the container comprises a slot frame coupled to the housing; the slot frame having a plurality of slot levels formed by respective slot rail structures arranged vertically one above the other, Each slot rail arrangement has a support surface for supporting a component carrier; Two adjacent slot levels have a slot pitch of 10 mm to 20 mm; the container comprises a slotted rail arrangement having a rear wall on which is mounted at least one lower rail including a respective support surface for supporting the component carrier; the slot frame having at least one support beam on which the rear wall is mounted; the support beam contacts the rear wall along a contact surface of the rear wall; the rear wall having a drainage groove that is larger than the width of the contact surface such that the drainage groove includes a section that is not covered by the support beam; the housing has an opening for inserting and removing the component carrier; the container comprising a door having a door magnetic element such that the door is removably coupled to the housing for selectively opening and closing the opening; having at least one of: container.

2. The two adjacent slot levels have a slot pitch of 15 mm to 16 mm.

2. The container of claim 1.

3. The slot frame has 30 to 55 slot levels arranged vertically one above the other.

3. A container according to claim 1 or 2.

4. at least one lower rail at one slot level includes a chamfer including an inclined support surface for a component carrier, such that a component carrier placeable on the chamfer can be guided by gravity in a direction towards the opposite lower rail at the slot level; A container according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. at least one slotted rail arrangement has a U-shaped cross-section further including an upper rail, the upper rail and the lower rail being connected by lateral side walls such that the component carrier can be positioned between the upper rail and the lower rail. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. the upper rail is designed to form a further lower rail having an upper support surface of an upper slot rail arrangement at an upper slot level for supporting a further component carrier, 6. The container of claim 5.

7. A slot clearance between the support surface of the lower rail and the lower surface of the upper rail is between 9 mm and 17 mm; 7. A container according to claim 5 or 6.

8. the distance between the upper rail and the lower rail is different such that the distance at an inlet portion of the slot-rail arrangement for the component carrier is greater than the distance at a rear end portion of the slot-rail arrangement; 8. The container of claim 7.

9. a free end of the lower rail forming a slot inlet for the component carrier has a rounded edge; A container according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. each slot rail arrangement having at least one further lower rail having a further support surface for supporting said component carrier; the further lower rail and the lower rail are arranged parallel to each other and horizontally spaced apart from each other; A container according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. each slot rail arrangement having at least one aft rail having an additional support surface for supporting the component carrier; the rear rail connects the further lower rail and the lower rail; 11. The container of claim 10.

12. the slot frame having two spaced apart side frames and a central frame disposed between the side frames; each slot level is formed between each side frame and the central frame such that two horizontally adjacent slot levels are provided; A container according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. At least one of the lower rails of the slot rail arrangement is made from a support bar at least partially covered with a protective coating. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The support rod is made of a metal material.

14. The container of claim 13.

15. The slot rail structure is removably mounted on the support beam. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. the drainage groove extends non-parallel to the length extension of the support beam; 16. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. The discharge groove extends along a horizontal direction.

17. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. The support beam extends along a vertical direction.

18. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. the slot frame having a plurality of support beams on which the rear wall is mounted; the support beams being spaced apart from one another along a horizontal direction; 19. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. the slot rail structure having a plurality of lower rails, each lower rail including a respective support surface for supporting the component carrier; The plurality of lower rails are mounted on the rear wall spaced apart from one another along a vertical direction.

20. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

21. the housing has a magnetic bracket mounted to a frame of the housing such that a magnetic coupling with the door magnetic element can be provided when the door closes the opening; 21. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 20.

22. the door having at least one fixed structure mounted to the frame of the door; 22. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 21.

23. The fixed structure is shaped like a hanging pin and is installed on the upper edge of the door, and the upper surface of the housing includes a receiving hole; The hanging pin extends horizontally from the door so that the connecting pin can be connected into the receiving hole.

23. The container of claim 22.

24. The hanger pin includes a connecting portion extending in a vertical direction, The receiving hole is formed such that the connecting portion is insertable into the receiving hole along the vertical direction.

24. The container of claim 23.

25. At least one magnetic element is coupled to a bottom edge of the door; 25. A container according to any one of claims 22 to 24.

26. the door having a clamping element mounted against the bottom edge of the door; the clamping element is configured to selectively clamp the bottom edge of the door to the housing.

26. The container of claim 25.

27. the door having a handling element configured to be coupled to a manipulator; 27. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 26.

28. the door having a window to provide a line of sight into the containment volume; the window is tinted, in particular yellow tinted, 28. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 27.

29. the door having a sealing ring extending along an edge of the door to provide a seal with the housing; 29. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 28.

Images