Top-opening carrier

Abstract

To solve various problems that a conventional substrate container has.SOLUTION: A top-opening substrate carrier includes a container body, a door member, and at least one latch structure. The latch structure includes a rotary drive member, a first cam follower, a second cam follower, a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, two vertical latch arms, and two horizontal latch arms. The first cam follower and the second cam follower are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the rotary drive member, and the rotary drive member rotates by receiving an external force, so that the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are interlocked, and the first cam follower and the second cam follower are synchronously driven and rotated to interlock the two vertical latch arms and the two horizontal latch arms so that they protrude into multiple lock holes and become locked, or to interlock the two vertical latch arms and the two horizontal latch arms so that they are retracted from the multiple lock holes to be in an unlocked state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a carrier, and more particularly to a top-opening carrier. [Background technology]

[0002] Industrial substrates include various sheets such as printed circuit boards, and are widely used in various industrial fields, mainly in the semiconductor field. The substrate may be a base substrate for a manufacturing process, a substrate undergoing a process, or a substrate with a completed process. At any stage, the substrate needs to be placed and transported in a substrate container to protect the substrate from external impact forces and environmental contamination.

[0003] The substrate container is preferably one in which a plurality of stacked substrates can be stably placed so that the plurality of stacked substrates can be removed all at once or each substrate can be removed one by one by an automated device. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Therefore, the present invention provides a top-opening carrier to solve the various problems of the conventional substrate container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above and other objects, the present invention provides an upward-opening carrier, which includes a container body having a storage space and an upper opening communicating with the storage space and having a plurality of lock holes, a door member having a latch space and disposed at the upper opening, a rotation drive member, a first cam follower, a second cam follower, a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, two vertical latch arms, and two horizontal latch arms, the first cam follower and the second cam follower being disposed on opposite sides of the rotation drive member, respectively, and the first connecting rod being connected to at least the first cam follower and the rotation drive member. the second connecting rod is connected to at least the second cam follower and the rotary drive member and has at least one latch structure disposed in the latch space, the rotary drive member rotates in response to an external force to interlock the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod, and also synchronously drives and rotates the first cam follower and the second cam follower, thereby interlocking the two vertical latch arms and the two horizontal latch arms so that they protrude into the multiple lock holes to be in a locked state, or interlocking the two vertical latch arms and the two horizontal latch arms so that they retract from the multiple lock holes to be in an unlocked state.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, the rotary drive member is a cam, a first connecting rod is connected to a first engaging portion of the rotary drive member and a first cam follower, and a second connecting rod is connected to a second engaging portion of the rotary drive member and a second cam follower.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first connecting rod further extends to the second cam follower, and the second connecting rod further extends to the first cam follower, and the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are parallel to each other.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, one end of the vertical latch arm and one end of the horizontal latch arm are slidably connected to a first cam follower, and each of the latch arms can be extended or retracted from the first cam follower into a plurality of locking holes, and the other end of the vertical latch arm and the other end of the horizontal latch arm are slidably connected to a second cam follower, and each of the latch arms can be extended or retracted from the second cam follower into a plurality of locking holes.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the rotation driving member is a link member, the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are respectively connected to the first cam follower and the second cam follower, and the link member is connected to the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod.

[0010] In one embodiment of the invention, the direction in which the vertical latch arms extend is perpendicular to the direction in which the horizontal latch arms extend.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, there are two latch structures, and the two latch structures are arranged in the latch space as mirror images of each other.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, two guide grooves are disposed in each of the first cam follower and the second cam follower, and the two vertical latch arms and the two horizontal latch arms are respectively disposed in the guide grooves so as to be slidable via guide pins.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the door element includes a door body and a door cover, and the door cover covers the door body to define the latch space.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the vertical latch arms and the horizontal latch arms further includes at least one elastic member, one end of which presses against a surface of the door body. Effect of the Invention

[0015] As a result, the top-opening carrier of the present invention, particularly with the opening facing upward, not only can the height of the storage space be adjusted according to the number of boards, but also the support parts of the carrier can be simplified, and the door member can be easily locked or unlocked in multiple directions by simply operating one latch structure. Compared with conventional technologies, the latch structure of the top-opening carrier of the present invention has the advantages of being convenient for locking, saving time by saving labor, and reducing the number of parts. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the upward-opening carrier according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating the latch structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention changing from a locked state to an unlocked state. [Diagram 3] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating the latch structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention changing from an unlocked state to a locked state. [Figure 4] 2 is an enlarged view showing a part of the latch structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line AA' in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a latch structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the vertical latch arm and the horizontal latch arm are omitted. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a part of a latch structure according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 8 is a diagram showing the latch structure in FIG. 7 being changed from a locked state to an unlocked state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] In order to fully understand the present invention, the present invention will be described in detail below with specific examples and drawings. Those skilled in the art can understand the objectives, features and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. However, the present invention can be implemented or applied using other different specific examples, and the details of this specification can be modified or changed based on different perspectives and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The following embodiments will further explain the technical content related to the present invention, but the disclosed content does not limit the scope of the claims of the present invention. The following description will be given.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, an upward-opening carrier 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a container body 1, a door member 2, and at least one latch 3 structure.

[0019] The container body 1 has a storage space S and an upper opening 11 communicating with the storage space S, and the opening direction of the upper opening 11 is upward. A plurality of lock holes 12 are further provided in a position close to the upper opening 11 of the container body 1 so as to be secured by the latch structure 3. The position, number, and size of the lock holes 12 can be adjusted according to the design of the latch structure 3. The lock holes 12 are preferably provided so as to surround the periphery of the upper opening 11 in order to provide lock positions in a plurality of directions. The storage space S stores a plurality of substrates P so that the substrates P are inserted from the upper opening 11 and stacked closely in the storage space S. Each substrate P is placed on a tray, and it is preferable to stack the trays so that the substrates P do not come into contact with each other. When stacking or removing the substrates P, this can be achieved by directly pinching / sucking the stacked trays from above the opening with an automated device (e.g., an equipment arm) or by removing each tray one by one.

[0020] The door element 2 is provided in the upper opening 11 and has a latch space Q. The door element 2 covers the upper opening 11 so as to close the storage space S, and the substrate P can be taken out or inserted by removing the door element 2 from the container body 1. In this embodiment, the door element 2 includes a door body 21 and a door lid 22, and the door lid 22 covers the door body 21 to define the latch space Q. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the door element 2 may have a different structure as long as it forms the latch space Q adjacent to the upper opening 11.

[0021] 1 to 3, the latch structure 3 is disposed in the latch space Q. The latch structure 3 includes a rotation drive member 30, a first cam follower 31, a second cam follower 32, a first connecting rod 33, a second connecting rod 34, two vertical latch arms 35, and two horizontal latch arms 36. The first cam follower 31 and the second cam follower 32 are disposed on opposite sides of the rotation drive member 30, respectively, the first connecting rod 33 is connected to at least the first cam follower 31 and the rotation drive member 30, and the second connecting rod 34 is connected to at least the second cam follower 32 and the rotation drive member 30.

[0022] A method of rotating the rotary drive member 30 to drive the locking and unlocking of the latch structure 3 will now be described.

[0023] The rotary drive member 30 can be rotated by a thrust force from a manual or automated device. When the latch structure 3 is disposed in the latch space Q and covered from above by the door cover 22, the rotary drive member 30 can be driven to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise by inserting a key into the keyhole of the rotary drive member 30 through the door hole 221.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the rotation drive member 30 rotates in a first direction (e.g., clockwise) upon receiving an external force, and interlocks the first connecting rod 33 and the second connecting rod 34, and further interlocks the first cam follower 31 and the second cam follower 32 to similarly rotate clockwise, thereby driving the two vertical latch arms 35 and the two horizontal latch arms 36 to retract from the multiple lock holes 12 and operation holes 211 to enter the unlocked state.

[0025] 3, the rotation drive member 30 rotates in the second direction (e.g., counterclockwise) upon receiving an external force, and the first connecting rod 33 and the second connecting rod 34 are interlocked, and the first cam follower 31 and the second cam follower 32 are interlocked and rotated counterclockwise in the same manner, thereby driving the two vertical latch arms 35 and the two horizontal latch arms 36 to protrude into the multiple lock holes 12 (through the operation holes 211 on the periphery of the door body 21) and to enter the locked state. The above-mentioned "clockwise rotation as an unlocking method and counterclockwise rotation as a locking method" of the rotation drive member 30 is only one aspect of the embodiment, and the present invention is not limited to a specific rotation direction for entering the unlocked or locked state.

[0026] Hereinafter, a method of driving the vertical latch arm 35 and the horizontal latch arm 36 to extend and retract by the rotation of the first cam follower 31 and the second cam follower 32 will be described. The structure and operation method for driving the vertical latch arm 35 and the horizontal latch arm 36 are the same as those of the first cam follower 31 and the second cam follower 32. Here, referring to FIG. 4, an example in which the first cam follower 31 drives a pair of the vertical latch arm 35 and the horizontal latch arm 36 is given, so the structure and operation method of the second cam follower 32 will not be described again.

[0027] The first cam follower 31 is provided with two guide grooves 311, 312, each of which is substantially arc-shaped, and the distances from the end points of the guide grooves 311, 312 to the rotation center of the first cam follower 31 are different. One end of the vertical latch arm 35 is slidably connected to the guide groove 311 in the first cam follower 31, and one end of the horizontal latch arm 36 is slidably connected to the guide groove 312 in the first cam follower 31. When the first cam follower 31 is driven by the first connecting rod 33 and rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, the vertical latch arm 35 and the horizontal latch arm 36 slide in the guide grooves 311, 312, respectively, so that the distances of the connecting ends of the vertical latch arm 35 and the horizontal latch arm 36 to the rotation center of the first cam follower 31 also change accordingly. When the vertical latch arm 35 and the horizontal latch arm 36 move away from the rotation center of the first cam follower 31, the other ends (opposite the connecting ends) of the vertical latch arm 35 and the horizontal latch arm 36 are pressed against the lock holes 12, thereby entering a locked state. On the other hand, when the vertical latch arm 35 and the horizontal latch arm 36 move toward the rotation center of the first cam follower 31, the other ends of the vertical latch arm 35 and the horizontal latch arm 36 are pulled back from the lock holes 12, thereby entering an unlocked state.

[0028] That is, the latch structure 3 according to this embodiment changes the extension / retraction states of the vertical latch arm 35 and the horizontal latch arm 36 by changing the different distances of the two guide grooves 311, 312 from the center of rotation. Also, by changing the design of the vertical latch arm 35, the horizontal latch arm 36 and the first cam follower 31 and the second cam follower 32, the vertical latch arm 35 and the horizontal latch arm 36 may be extended / retracted by the rotation of the first cam follower 31 and the second cam follower 32. That is, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned guide groove structure, and any mechanism that can extend / retract the vertical latch arm 35 and the horizontal latch arm 36 by the rotation is within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0029] As described above, according to the top-opening carrier 100 of the present invention, the door member 2 can be locked or unlocked in multiple directions by simply operating one latch structure 3. The multiple directions are the top, bottom, and one side of the drawings, referring to Figs. 2 and 3. Since a large substrate container is required to place a current large substrate, a stable latch structure needs to be designed. Therefore, in order to ensure simultaneous locking at multiple locations in four directions on a plane, the present invention can further design two mirror-symmetrical sets of latch structures 3 to be similarly provided in the latch space Q as necessary. The present invention does not limit the number of latch structures 3 used, and more latch structures 3 may be arranged on the door member. In addition, compared with the prior art, the latch structure 3 of the top-opening carrier 100 of the present invention has the advantages of being convenient when locking, saving time by saving labor, and reducing the number of parts.

[0030] 2 and 3, in the first embodiment, the rotation drive member 30 is a cam, the first connecting rod 33 is connected to the first engaging portion 301 (the engaging portion may be a bump) of the rotation drive member 30 and the first cam follower 31, and the second connecting rod 34 is connected to the second engaging portion 302 (the engaging portion may be a bump) of the rotation drive member 30 and the second cam follower 32. The first connecting rod 33 further extends to the second cam follower 32, and the second connecting rod 34 further extends to the first cam follower 31, and the first connecting rod 33 and the second connecting rod 34 are parallel to each other. With this design, the rotation of each cam can be stabilized.

[0031] However, it is not a necessary condition of the present invention that the first connecting rod 33 (or the second connecting rod 34) integrally links the rotation drive member 30 with the first cam follower 31 and the second cam follower 32 provided on both sides, and the first connecting rod 33 or the second connecting rod 34 may be disassembled into a plurality of parts so that the rotation drive member 30 drives the first cam follower 31 and the second cam follower 32 separately. For example, as shown in Fig. 6, in a second embodiment of the present invention, the rotation drive member 30 of the latch structure 3a is a cam, and the first connecting rod 33a is connected only to the first engagement portion 301 and the first cam follower 31 in the rotation drive member 30, and the second connecting rod 34a is connected only to the second engagement portion 302 and the second cam follower 32 in the rotation drive member 30.

[0032] In addition, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, in the third embodiment of the present invention, without changing the principle of the driving technology, the rotation driving member 30b is a link member, the first connecting rod 33b and the second connecting rod 34b are separately connected to the first cam follower 31 and the second cam follower 32, and the rotation driving member 30b, which is a link member, is connected to the first connecting rod 33b and the second connecting rod 34b.

[0033] As shown by the arrow in Fig. 8, when the rotation direction of the rotation drive member 30b, which is a link member, rotates, for example, 90 degrees clockwise, the rotation drive member 30b simultaneously drives the first cam follower 31 and the second cam follower 32 provided on both sides, and the two vertical latch arms 35 and the two horizontal latch arms 36 are retracted from the locked positions, thereby releasing the locked state. Similarly, when the rotation drive member 30b is rotated again in the opposite direction, for example, 90 degrees counterclockwise, the latch structure can be returned to the locked state.

[0034] The rotation drive member 30b, which is a link member, may be permanently disposed on the first connecting rod 33b and the second connecting rod 34b as a part of the latch structure 3, and may be rotated by an equipment arm. In another example, the rotation drive member 30b, which is a link member, is not permanently disposed on the first connecting rod 33b and the second connecting rod 34b, but is used like a key only when locking / unlocking is required, and the first cam follower 31 and the second cam follower 32 are driven by connecting the rotation drive member 30b, which is a link member, to the first connecting rod 33b and the second connecting rod 34b by equipment or manually.

[0035] Compared with the rotation drive member 30 of the first embodiment, the rotation path of the rotation drive member 30b of the third embodiment is short, that is, it can rotate at a small angle to control the extension and contraction of the vertical latch arm 35 and the horizontal latch arm 36. The length of the rotation path can be correspondingly changed by adjusting the guide groove or the corresponding structure of the guide groove.

[0036] In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, the extension direction of the vertical latch arms 35 is perpendicular to the extension direction of the horizontal latch arms 36 so as to match the rectangular top opening 11. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and in other embodiments, for example when the top opening 11 is not rectangular, the extension direction of the vertical latch arms 35 does not have to be perpendicular to the extension direction of the horizontal latch arms 36.

[0037] 4, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the first cam follower 31 is provided with two guide grooves 311, 312, and one vertical latch arm 35 and one horizontal latch arm 36 are slidably disposed in the two guide grooves 311, 312 via guide pins 351, 361, respectively. Similarly, the second cam follower 32 is also provided with two guide grooves (not shown), and the other vertical latch arm 35 and the other horizontal latch arm 36 are slidably disposed in the two guide grooves via guide pins 351, 361, respectively. The guide pins 351, 361 may be designed to be engaged with the guide grooves 311, 312 in accordance with the guide grooves 311, 312, so that the respective connecting ends of the vertical latch arm 35 and the horizontal latch arm 36 can slide without falling off the guide grooves 311, 312.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 5, in the first embodiment of the present invention, each of the vertical latch arm 35 and the horizontal latch arm 36 further includes at least one elastic part 37, and one end of the elastic part 37 is pressed against the surface of the door body 21. The elastic part 37 may be an elastic sheet or other similar part having elasticity. The elastic part 37 is located between the vertical latch arm 35 (or the horizontal latch arm 36) and the top cover. The elastic part 37 has at least the following effects. First, when the vertical latch arm 35 and the horizontal latch arm 36 operate with the first cam follower 31 and the second cam follower 32, the vertical latch arm 35 and the horizontal latch arm 36 operate with the first cam follower 31 and the second cam follower 32, so that they do not fall out of the guide groove. Therefore, the elastic part 37 can ensure that the connecting ends of the vertical latch arm 35 and the horizontal latch arm 36 are stably positioned in the guide groove. The second is that when the vertical latch arm 35, the horizontal latch arm 36, the first cam follower 31, and the second cam follower 32 are stationary, the elastic part 37 forcibly positions the vertical latch arm 35 and the horizontal latch arm 36 to their original positions, thereby reducing collisions between the parts, damage due to vibration, noise, or the generation of tiny particles.

[0039] In the present invention, the embodiments are disclosed as described above, but those having ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains should understand that the above embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention, but are merely for the purpose of explaining the present invention. Note that modifications and replacements equivalent to the above embodiments are included in the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is as specified by the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 100 Top-opening carrier 1 Container body 11 Top opening 12 Lock hole 2 Door parts 21 Door body 211 Operation hole 22 Door cover 221 Door hole 3 Latch structure 30 Rotational drive member 301 First engagement part 302 Second engagement part 30b Rotational drive member 31 First cam follower 311 Guide groove 312 Guide groove 32 Second cam follower 33 1st connecting rod 33a 1st connecting rod 33b 1st connecting rod 34 2nd connecting rod 34a 2nd connecting rod 34b 2nd connecting rod 35 Vertical latch arm 351 Guide pin 36 Horizontal latch arm 361 Guide pin 37 Elastic parts 3a Latch structure P board Q Latch Space S Storage space

Claims

1. a container body having a storage space and an upper opening communicating with the storage space and having a plurality of lock holes; a door member having a latch space and disposed at the upper opening; a rotary drive member, a first cam follower, a second cam follower, a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, two vertical latch arms, and two horizontal latch arms, the first cam follower and the second cam follower are disposed on opposite sides of the rotary drive member, respectively, the first connecting rod is connected to at least the first cam follower and the rotary drive member, the second connecting rod is connected to at least the second cam follower and the rotary drive member, and at least one latch structure disposed in the latch space; The rotation drive member rotates under the application of an external force, interlocking the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod, and synchronously driving and rotating the first cam follower and the second cam follower, thereby interlocking the two vertical latch arms and the two horizontal latch arms so that they protrude into the multiple lock holes to be in a locked state, or interlocking the two vertical latch arms and the two horizontal latch arms so that they retract from the multiple lock holes to be in an unlocked state. Top-opening carrier.

2. the rotary drive member is a cam; The first connecting rod is connected to a first engaging portion of the rotation drive member and the first cam follower, and the second connecting rod is connected to a second engaging portion of the rotation drive member and the second cam follower.

2. The top-opening carrier according to claim 1.

3. 3. The top-opening carrier according to claim 2, wherein the first connecting rod further extends to the second cam follower, the second connecting rod further extends to the first cam follower, and the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are parallel to each other.

4. one end of the vertical latch arm and one end of the horizontal latch arm are slidably connected to the first cam follower, and each of the latch arms can be extended or retracted from the first cam follower into the plurality of locking holes; the other end of the vertical latch arm and the other end of the horizontal latch arm are slidably connected to the second cam follower, and each of the latch arms can be protruded or retracted from the second cam follower into the plurality of lock holes.

2. The top-opening carrier according to claim 1.

5. the rotation drive member is a link member, The first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are connected to the first cam follower and the second cam follower, respectively, and the link member is connected to the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod.

2. The top-opening carrier according to claim 1.

6. 2. The top-opening carrier of claim 1, wherein the direction in which the vertical latch arms extend is perpendicular to the direction in which the horizontal latch arms extend.

7. 2. The upward-opening carrier according to claim 1, wherein the number of the latch structures is two, and the two latch structures are arranged in the latch space in mirror symmetry with each other.

8. 2. The top-opening carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that two guide grooves are arranged in each of the first cam follower and the second cam follower, and the two vertical latch arms and the two horizontal latch arms are each slidably arranged in the guide grooves via guide pins.

9. 2. The upward-opening carrier according to claim 1, wherein the door member includes a door body and a door cover, and the door cover defines the latch space by covering the door body.

10. 10. The top-opening carrier according to claim 9, wherein each of the vertical latch arms and the horizontal latch arms further includes at least one elastic member, one end of which presses against a surface of the door body.

Images