Filter removal tool for substrate storage container and method of using same

Abstract

To provide a filter removal jig for a substrate storage container and a method of using the same, capable of implementing smoothness and quickness of filter removal tasks regardless of a worker skill level.SOLUTION: A removal jig 20 for a filter 10 for a lid body 3 of a substrate storage container comprises a pedestal jig 21 to come into contact with a cover plate 6 of the lid body 3 and an operation jig 24 capable of moving vertically inside the pedestal jig 21. A square cylinder part is formed on the pedestal jig 21 and is made to be capable of facing an attaching and detaching hole 8 of a depression part 7 of the cover plate 6. After the operation jig 24 is enabled to be inserted into the square cylinder part, a holding cylinder 28 and a contact momentum plate 29 are attached. The holding cylinder 28 is made to be fittable into a protrusion tube 13 of a filter 10 to position the contact momentum plate 29 on the outer peripheral side. A pair of separation nails 27 are provided on the pedestal jig 21's lower part to enable the holding cylinder 28 and the contact momentum plate 29 to be fittable between the nails. The contact momentum plate 29 are made to come into contact with the separation nails 27 and be bent, and the separation nails 27 are made to come into contact with engagement nails 9 of the depression part 7 and be separated from a flange 14 of the protrusion tube 13.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a filter removal tool for a substrate storage container that stores semiconductor wafers or the like, and a method of using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a dedicated substrate storage container called a FOSB has been used for storing and transporting semiconductor wafers. As partially shown in FIG. 12, this type of substrate storage container 1 comprises a container body 2 for storing semiconductor wafers, and a lid body 3 that is removably fitted to the open front of the container body 2, and a filter 10 for adjusting air pressure is attached to the lid body 3 (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] As partially shown in Figures 12 and 13, the lid body 3 is composed of a lid body 4 that fits into the open front of the container body 2, a pair of cover plates 6 that cover both sides of the open surface of the lid body 4, and a pair of locking mechanisms that are installed between the lid body 4 and the pair of cover plates 6.

[0004] A communication hole 5 is drilled in at least one of both side portions on the surface of the lid body 4, and a filter 10 is removably attached to this communication hole 5 and covered by the cover plate 6. A recessed portion 7 recessed and facing the filter 10 is formed in the cover plate 6, and a removal hole 8 for the filter 10 is drilled in this recessed portion 7 facing the communication hole 5 of the lid body 4, and a partition piece that partitions this removal hole 8 is a deformable locking claw 9 for the filter 10.

[0005] As partially shown in Figure 13, the filter 10 is composed of a communicating tube 11 that is pressed into the communicating hole 5 of the lid main body 4 of the lid body 3 to communicate with the inside of the container body 2, an enlarged protruding tube 13 that faces the communicating tube 11 and protrudes to the outside from the attachment / detachment hole 8 of the recessed portion 7 of the lid body 3, and a filter material 15 interposed between the communicating tube 11 and the protruding tube 13.

[0006] Outwardly projecting flanges 12, 14 are formed at the opposing open ends of the communicating tube 11 and the protruding tube 13, respectively, and the flanges 12, 14 of the communicating tube 11 and the protruding tube 13 are connected to each other to hold the filter medium 15 therebetween. When the filter 10 is attached, the peripheral edge of the flange 14 of the protruding tube 13 comes into close proximity with the end of the locking claw 9 of the recessed portion 7 located above, with a small gap between them, and this proximity prevents the filter 10 from falling off.

[0007] Incidentally, the substrate storage container 1 may be reused repeatedly, and before this reuse, the container body 2 and the lid 3 are washed separately in a cleaning tank. When washing the lid 3, if the filter 10 is left attached to the lid 3, problems such as reduced workability will occur, so it is necessary to remove the filter 10 by pulling it out from the lid 3.

[0008] Conventionally, when removing filter 10 by pulling it out from lid body 3, lid body 3 is placed on a work table to expose its cover plate 6, and locking claws 9 of recessed portion 7 of cover plate 6 are carefully pushed down toward lid body 4 (see Figure 14), and locking claws 9 of recessed portion 7 are pushed downward and spread apart to separate them from flange 14 of protruding tube 13 of filter 10. While ensuring that locking claws 9 are kept in this separated state, protruding tube 13 of filter 10 is grasped and pulled up, and communicating tube 11 of filter 10 comes out of communicating hole 5 of lid body 4, and filter 10 can be pulled out and removed through attachment / detachment hole 8 of recessed portion 7 (see Figure 15). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-24585 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] Conventional substrate storage containers 1 are constructed as described above, but removing the filter 10 from the lid 3 requires skilled work, and there is a risk that the work of removing the filter 10 cannot be made smooth or quick. To explain this point in more detail, when removing filter 10 from cover 3, it is necessary to push locking claws 9 of recess 7 downward to separate them from flange 14 of protruding tube 13 of filter 10. However, if the operator is not skilled, locking claws 9 of recess 7 may be pushed down vertically, which may result in the ends of locking claws 9 coming into contact with the peripheral edge of flange 14 and causing damage (see Figure 14).

[0011] Furthermore, when filter 10 is pulled up while maintaining the deformed locking claws 9 in their separated state, there is a risk that the deformed locking claws 9 will return to their original state, resulting in locking claws 9 coming into contact with and damaging flange 14 (see FIG. 15).

[0012] One way to eliminate these concerns is to have skilled workers take charge of the work, but with this method, the ease of removal depends heavily on the skill level of the particular worker, and some workers may cause problems with the removal work, making it difficult to make the removal work smoother or faster.

[0013] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a filter removal tool for a substrate storage container, and a method for using the same, which can make filter removal work smoother and faster, regardless of the skill level of the worker. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a method for removing a filter that is detachably attached to a lid of a substrate storage container, the method comprising the steps of: The lid body includes a lid body that is fitted into the opening of the container body of the substrate storage container, a cover that sandwiches the filter between the lid body and the cover, and a recessed portion that is formed in the cover and recessed toward the filter, a filter attachment hole is provided in the recessed portion, and a partition piece that partitions the attachment hole is a deformable locking claw for the filter, The filter includes a communication tube communicating with the communication port of the lid body of the lid body, a protruding tube opposing the communication tube and protruding from a detachment hole in the recessed portion of the lid body, and a filter medium interposed between the communication tube and the protruding tube, and flanges are formed on opposing open ends of the communication tube and the protruding tube, respectively, so that the flange of the protruding tube and the locking claw of the recessed portion can be brought into close proximity with each other; The removal jig includes a base jig capable of contacting the cover of the lid body, and an operating jig that is inserted into this base jig so that it can move up and down, and a hollow portion is formed within the base jig so that it can face the removal hole of the recessed portion. The operating jig is formed into a roughly rod-like shape that can be inserted into the hollow portion of the base jig, and a holding portion and a contact trigger portion are attached to its lower end. The holding portion is formed into a roughly cylindrical shape that can be fitted into the protruding tube of the filter, and the contact trigger portion is positioned on its outer periphery. A plurality of separating claws are provided at the bottom of the base jig so that the holding portion and the contact trigger portion can be fitted between them. The contact trigger portion is brought into contact with the plurality of separating claws and deflected, thereby causing the plurality of separating claws to come into contact with the locking claws of the recessed portion and deform, and the locking claws are separated (separated) from the flange of the protruding tube.

[0015] It is preferable that the substrate storage container has a lid that can be detachably fitted onto the open front of the container body that stores the semiconductor wafers, and that a filter for adjusting air pressure is attached to the lid body of the lid so that the flange periphery of the protruding tube and the locking claw end of the recess are in close proximity to each other. It is also preferable that the base jig, operating jig, contact trigger portion, and multiple separation claws of the removal jig are each molded from a molding material containing resin, and the holding portion is molded from a molding material containing at least one of rubber and elastomer.

[0016] Furthermore, the contact trigger portion of the operating jig can be formed to extend beyond the holding portion to have a length that allows it to contact the flange of the projection tube of the filter, and a thickness that protrudes beyond the flange of the projection tube.

[0017] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a method for using a filter removal tool for a substrate storage container according to claim 1, 2, or 3, comprising the steps of: A base jig of the removal jig is placed on the cover of the lid body with its hollow portion facing the protruding tube of the filter, multiple separating claws of the base jig are fitted into the recessed portion of the cover, and an operating jig is inserted into the hollow portion of the base jig and pushed down, causing the contact trigger portion to come into contact with the multiple separating claws and bend outward, and also deforming and spreading the locking claws of the recessed portion, thereby separating them from the flange of the protruding tube of the filter, the holding portion of the operating jig is fitted into the protruding tube of the filter from above to hold it in place, and then the operating jig is lifted up while holding the base jig, the filter communicating tube is removed from the communicating port in the lid body of the lid body, and the base jig is lifted to remove the filter from the recessed portion.

[0018] Here, the substrate storage container in the claims can store substrates such as semiconductor wafers, glass substrates, mask substrates, etc. The lid body and cover of the lid body may be transparent, opaque, or translucent. The lid body can be fitted with the required number of filters.

[0019] According to the present invention, when the filter is removed from the lid, the separation claws are deflected by contact with the contact trigger portion of the operating jig of the removal tool, deforming the locking claws in the recessed portion. Also, the separation claws maintain the deformed state of the locking claws by contact between the contact trigger portion of the operating jig and the separation claws. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to facilitate and speed up the removal of the filter, regardless of the skill level of the worker. By moving the operating tool up and down, it is possible to move both the holding part and the contact trigger part up and down, thereby reducing the number of parts and simplifying the configuration.

[0021] According to the invention of claim 2, the base jig, operation jig, contact trigger portion, and multiple separation claws of the removal jig can be made metal-free. Furthermore, for example, if the predetermined resin of the molding material is polyether ether ketone resin, the heat resistance, mechanical strength, chemical resistance, etc. of at least one of the base jig, operation jig, contact trigger portion, and multiple separation claws of the removal jig can be improved. Furthermore, for example, if the predetermined resin of the molding material is polyacetal resin, the wear resistance, mechanical strength, impact resistance, dimensional stability, and chemical resistance of at least one of the base jig, operation jig, contact trigger portion, and multiple separation claws of the removal jig can be improved.

[0022] In addition to the contact trigger portion and the separating claws, the holding portion can be metal-free. For example, if the holding portion is made of urethane rubber, the mechanical strength and abrasion resistance of the holding portion can be improved. For example, if the holding portion is made of styrene butadiene rubber, the abrasion resistance and aging resistance of the holding portion can be improved.

[0023] According to the invention described in claim 3, by forming the contact trigger portion of the operating jig to extend beyond the holding portion so that it can contact the flange of the protruding pipe and so that it protrudes beyond the flange of the protruding pipe, the contact range of the locking claw with the flange of the protruding pipe can be covered and protected, thereby eliminating the risk of the locking claw coming into contact with the flange of the protruding pipe. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded explanatory view showing a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a filter removal jig for a substrate storage container according to the present invention; [Diagram 2]1 is a front view illustrating a base jig of a removal jig in an embodiment of a filter removal jig for a substrate storage container according to the present invention; FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective explanatory view that typically shows an operating jig for a filter removal jig for a substrate storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 4] 13 is a plan view illustrating a state in which a base jig is placed on a cover plate in an embodiment of a filter removal jig for a substrate storage container according to the present invention, and a rectangular tube portion is centered on a protruding tube of the filter. FIG. [Diagram 5] 13 is an explanatory view showing a state in which a pedestal jig is placed on a cover plate in an embodiment of a filter removal jig for a substrate storage container according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing a schematic diagram of a lid, a filter, and a removal jig in an embodiment of a filter removal jig for a substrate storage container according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 7] 11 is an explanatory view showing a state in which an operating jig is inserted into a base jig in an embodiment of a filter removal jig for a substrate storage container according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing a schematic state of removing a filter from a lid in an embodiment of a filter removal jig for a substrate storage container according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] 11 is an explanatory view showing a state in which an operating jig is lifted up from a base jig in an embodiment of a filter removal jig for a substrate storage container according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing a schematic state in which a filter has been removed from a lid in an embodiment of a filter removal jig for a substrate storage container according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 11] 13 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the removal jig is pulled up from a recessed portion of a cover plate in an embodiment of a filter removal jig for a substrate storage container according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view showing a substrate storage container. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing a state in which a filter is attached to a lid body. [Figure 14] 13 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing a state in which the locking claws of the recessed portion come into contact with and damage the flange peripheral edge of the protruding pipe. FIG. [Figure 15] 13 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing a state in which the deformed locking claw of the recess returns to its original state and comes into contact with the flange of the protruding pipe. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The filter removal jig 20 for a substrate storage container in this embodiment is a dedicated jig for removing a filter 10 attached to the lid 3 of a substrate storage container 1, as shown in Figures 1 to 12. By bringing a contact trigger plate 29 into contact with the separating claws 27 and bending it, the locking claws 9 of the recessed portion 7 are deformed and separated from the flange 14 of the filter 10, and the retaining tube 28 is fitted and held in the protruding tube 13 of the filter 10 so that it can be pulled out, thereby contributing to the achievement of Goal 9 of the SDGs (the United Nations' international goals for sustainable development, consisting of 17 global goals and 169 targets (achievement criteria)) adopted at the United Nations Summit.

[0026] As partially shown in FIG. 12, the substrate storage container 1 comprises a front-open box-type container body 2 for storing and aligning a number of semiconductor wafers side by side, and a lid body 3 which is removably fitted to the open front of the container body 2. A filter 10 which adjusts the air pressure to facilitate removal is removably attached to the lid body 3.

[0027] Although not shown, the semiconductor wafers are made of thin, brittle, high-quality silicon wafers, for example, φ300 mm, stored inside the container body 2, and 25 of them are aligned vertically at predetermined intervals. The container body 2 and the lid 3 are made by combining a plurality of parts that are each injection molded from a molding material containing a predetermined resin.

[0028] As partially shown in Figures 12 and 13, the lid body 3 is composed of a lid body 4 that fits into the open front of the container body 2, a pair of cover plates 6 that cover both sides of the open surface of the lid body 4, and a pair of locking mechanisms that are installed between the lid body 4 and the pair of cover plates 6.

[0029] 6, 8 and 10, a communication hole 5 communicating with the inside of the container body 2 is drilled in at least one of the upper and lower sides of the surface of the lid body 4, and a filter 10 is removably attached to this communication hole 5 and covered by the cover plate 6. A recess 7 recessed and facing the filter 10 is formed in the cover plate 6, and a removal hole 8 for the filter 10 is drilled in the center of this recess 7 facing the communication hole 5 of the lid body 4, and a partition piece having a generally L-shaped cross section that partitions this removal hole 8 serves as a deformable locking claw 9 for the filter 10.

[0030] The recess 7 is formed in a circular shape in a plan view, but may be formed in a rectangular or polygonal shape as necessary. The attachment / detachment hole 8 is larger than the communication hole 5 of the lid body 4, but is formed with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the filter 10. The end portion of the locking claw 9 that defines the attachment / detachment hole 8 is preferably cut out obliquely or tapered to avoid contact with the filter 10.

[0031] As shown in Figures 6, 8 and 10, the filter 10 comprises a reduced-diameter communicating tube 11 that is press-fitted into the communicating hole 5 of the lid main body 4 of the lid body 3 to communicate with the inside of the container main body 2, a larger-diameter protruding tube 13 that faces the communicating tube 11 and protrudes through a gap from the attachment / detachment hole 8 of the recessed portion 7 of the lid body 3 to the outside, and a filter medium 15 interposed between the communicating tube 11 and the protruding tube 13, thereby preventing incorrect installation due to at least the difference in diameter between the communicating tube 11 and the protruding tube 13.

[0032] The communicating pipe 11 and the protruding pipe 13 are each molded into a cylindrical shape from a molding material containing, for example, a specified resin, and each of the opposing open ends is formed with a ring-shaped flange 12, 14 that protrudes radially outward. These flanges 12, 14 are bonded to each other along their peripheral edges to form an integrated unit, and a disk-shaped filter material 15 is sandwiched between the pair of flanges 12, 14 with a small gap between them.

[0033] When filter 10 is attached, the peripheral surface portion of flange 14 of protruding tube 13 comes close to the end of locking claw 9 of recess 7 located above with a small gap therebetween so as to be able to interfere with it, and this proximity effectively prevents filter 10 from falling off cover 3. Filter medium 15 is made of, for example, a molecular filtration filter, and multiple sheets are stacked and placed between flanges 12 and 14.

[0034] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, 6, 8, 10, etc., the removal jig 20 comprises a base jig 21 that faces and contacts the cover plate 6 of the lid body 3, and an operating jig 24 that is inserted into this base jig 21 from above and can be detached and moved up and down, a pair of left and right separating claws 27 are opposed to the base jig 21, and a retaining tube 28 and a pair of left and right contact trigger plates 29 are arranged on the operating jig 24.

[0035] The base jig 21, the operation jig 24, the separating claws 27, and the contact trigger plate 29 are each molded from a molding material containing a predetermined resin in order to be as metal-free as possible. The predetermined resin is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include thermoplastic resins such as polyether ether ketone resin, polyacetal resin, polycarbonate resin, cycloolefin polymer resin, cycloolefin copolymer resin, polypropylene resin, polyetherimide resin, polyether ketone resin, polybutylene terephthalate resin, and liquid crystal polymer, as well as alloys thereof. On the other hand, the retaining tube 28 is molded from a molding material containing rubber such as urethane rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, and silicone rubber in order to be metal-free.

[0036] The base jig 21 is formed, for example, as a generally vertically long block with large and small flanges projecting horizontally from the periphery of its upper and lower parts to help stabilize its posture, and a hollow square tube section 22 is formed in the vertical direction at the center so as to face the attachment hole 8 of the recessed section 7. A ring-shaped positioning rib 23 that communicates with the square tube section 22 is formed to protrude from the underside of the lower part of the base jig 21, and this positioning rib 23 fits into the recessed section 7 of the cover plate 6 from above to perform a centering function. The operating jig 24 is equipped with a handle 25 for gripping operation, and a long, prismatic bar 26 is formed integrally with the lower part of this handle 25 and hangs down from it, and this bar 26 is inserted and passes through the square tube section 22 of the base jig 21 so as to be vertically movable.

[0037] 2, 5, 6, 8 and 10, the pair of separating claws 27 extend downward from the lower surface of the lower part of the base jig 21, sandwich the positioning rib 23, and are fitted into the recessed portion 7 of the cover plate 6. Each separating claw 27 is formed, for example, as a substantially L-shaped plate and integrated near the peripheral edge of the positioning rib 23, and is bent outward when pressed against the contact trigger plate 29, with the claw-shaped short piece at the lower end being pressed against the locking claw 9 of the recessed portion 7 and deformed.

[0038] 1, 3, 8 and 10, the retaining tube 28 is made of, for example, a cylindrical urethane tube having high mechanical strength and excellent abrasion resistance, and is attached to the center of the lower end of the bar 26 of the operating jig 24, and moves up and down as the operating jig 24 moves up and down, and when the operating jig 24 descends, at least the lower end is exposed from the positioning rib 23. This retaining tube 28 descends as the operating jig 24 descends, fitting tightly from above into the protruding tube 13 of the filter 10, and rises together with the filter 10 as the operating jig 24 rises, functioning to pull out the held filter 10 from the lid body 4.

[0039] As shown in Figs. 1, 3, 8 and 10, the pair of contact trigger plates 29 are provided on both sides of the lower end of the bar 26 of the operating jig 24, and clamp the retaining tube 28 from the outside. They move up and down together with the retaining tube 28 as the operating jig 24 moves up and down, and at least the lower end is exposed from the positioning rib 23 when the operating jig 24 descends. Each contact trigger plate 29 is formed as a vertically elongated plate longer than the retaining tube 28 and has a thickness (width) that protrudes radially outward from the surface of the flange 14 of the protruding tube 13. The lower end is bent inwardly and engaged with the lower end of the retaining tube 28, and contacts and covers the surface of the flange 14 of the protruding tube 13 when the operating jig 24 descends. Such a pair of contact trigger plates 29 descends as the operating jig 24 descends, pressing against the inner surfaces of the pair of separating claws 27, and functions to deflect the pair of separating claws 27.

[0040] In the above configuration, when removing the filter 10 by pulling it out from the lid 3, first, the lid 3 is placed on a work table to expose the cover plate 6, and the base jig 21 of the removal jig 20 is placed on the recessed portion 7 of the cover plate 6 (see Figs. 1 and 5) and the pair of separating claws 27 is fitted into the recessed portion 7 of the cover plate 6 (see Fig. 6). At this time, the positioning rib 23 of the base jig 21 fits tightly into the recessed portion 7 of the cover plate 6 to center and position the square tube portion 22 on the protruding tube 13 of the filter 10 (see Fig. 4).

[0041] After the base jig 21 is positioned on the cover plate 6, the bar 26 of the operating jig 24 is inserted into the square tube portion 22 of the base jig 21 (see Figs. 1 and 7) and pressed downward. Then, the pair of contact trigger plates 29 press against the inner surface of the pair of separation claws 27, bending them outward, and each separation claw 27 bends outward and pushes the locking claws 9 of the recessed portion 7 downward, so that the pair of contact trigger plates 29 contact the surface of the flange 14 of the protruding tube 13 of the filter 10, and the retaining tube 28 at the lower end of the bar 26 fits tightly into the protruding tube 13 of the filter 10 from above and holds it (see Fig. 8). By being pushed downward and spread, the locking claws 9 are separated from the flange 14 of the protruding tube 13 and cannot interfere, so that the filter 10 can be safely pulled out and removed.

[0042] Next, by lifting up the operating jig 24 while holding down the base jig 21 (see FIG. 9), the connecting tube 11 of the filter 10 is removed from the connecting hole 5 of the lid body 4 of the lid 3 while keeping the locking claws 9 spread (see FIG. 10). After the filter 10 has been removed from the connecting hole 5 of the lid body 4 in this manner, by lifting up the base jig 21, the filter 10 can be removed from the attachment / detachment hole 8 of the recessed portion 7 while still held by the removal jig 20 (see FIG. 11).

[0043] According to the above, the separation claws 27 are bent outward by the pressure contact of the contact trigger plate 29, and the locking claws 9 in the recessed portion 7 are reliably pushed downward, so that the locking claws 9 can be appropriately curved and deformed, and the risk of the end of the locking claws 9 coming into contact with the flange periphery of the protruding tube 13 and causing damage can be eliminated. Also, the contact trigger plate 29 comes into contact with the surface of the flange 14 of the protruding tube 13 to cover and protect it, so there is no risk of the locking claws 9 coming into contact with the flange 14 of the protruding tube 13. Furthermore, the separation claws 27 reliably maintain the deformed state of the locking claws 9 by the pressure contact between the contact trigger plate 29 and the separation claws 27, so that the deformed locking claws 9 return to their original state, and the risk of the locking claws 9 coming into contact with the flange 14 and causing damage can be eliminated.

[0044] In addition, the pair of separation claws 27 in the above embodiment may be inclined and extended so as to gradually widen downward from the lower surface of the lower part of the base jig 21, or a part of the separation claws 27 may be bent or curved so as to be surely pressed against the contact trigger plate 29. The number of the pair of separation claws 27 may be increased to three, four, etc. Furthermore, the retaining tube 28 of the removal jig 20 may be molded from a molding material containing rubber other than urethane rubber or elastomer (for example, thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, etc.). Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the pair of contact trigger plates 29 are arranged on the outside of the retaining tube 28, but a cylindrical contact trigger tube may be fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the retaining tube 28. [Industrial Applicability]

[0045] The filter removal tool for a substrate storage container and the method for using the same according to the present invention are used in the fields of manufacturing and using substrate storage containers. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1. Substrate storage container 2 Container body 3 Lid 4 Lid body 5 Communication hole (communication port) 6 Cover plate (cover) 7. Recess 8 Detachment hole 9 Locking claw 10 Filters 11 Communication pipe (communication port) 12 Flange 13 Projection tube 14 Flange 15 Filter media 20 Removal tool 21 Pedestal jig 22 Square tube part (hollow part) 23 Positioning rib 24 Operating tool 27 Separation claw 28 Holding tube (holding part) 29 Contact trigger plate (contact trigger part)

Claims

1. A filter removal tool for a substrate storage container, which removes a filter detachably attached to a lid of the substrate storage container using the removal tool, The lid body includes a lid body that is fitted into the opening of the container body of the substrate storage container, a cover that sandwiches the filter between the lid body and the cover, and a recessed portion that is formed in the cover and recessed toward the filter, a filter attachment hole is provided in the recessed portion, and a partition piece that partitions the attachment hole is a deformable locking claw for the filter, The filter includes a communication tube communicating with the communication port of the lid body of the lid body, a protruding tube opposing the communication tube and protruding from a detachment hole in the recessed portion of the lid body, and a filter medium interposed between the communication tube and the protruding tube, and flanges are formed on opposing open ends of the communication tube and the protruding tube, respectively, so that the flange of the protruding tube and the locking claw of the recessed portion can be brought into close proximity with each other; a filter removal jig for a substrate storage container, the filter removal jig including a base jig capable of contacting the cover of the lid body, and an operating jig inserted into the base jig so as to be movable up and down, a hollow portion formed in the base jig so as to face the removal hole of the recess, the operating jig formed in a generally rod-like shape capable of passing through the hollow portion of the base jig, a holding portion and a contact trigger portion attached to its lower end, the holding portion formed in a generally cylindrical shape capable of being fitted into the protruding tube of the filter, the contact trigger portion being positioned on its outer periphery, a plurality of separating claws are provided on the lower portion of the base jig so that the holding portion and the contact trigger portion can be fitted between them, and the contact trigger portion is brought into contact with the plurality of separating claws and deflected, thereby causing the plurality of separating claws to come into contact with and deform the locking claws of the recessed portion, and separating the locking claws from the flange of the protruding tube.

2. 2. A filter removal jig for a substrate storage container as described in claim 1, wherein the base jig, operating jig, contact trigger portion, and multiple separation claws of the removal jig are each molded from a molding material containing resin, and the holding portion is molded from a molding material containing at least one of rubber and elastomer.

3. 3. A filter removal tool for a substrate storage container as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the contact trigger portion of the operating tool is formed to extend beyond the holding portion so as to have a length capable of contacting the flange of the filter's protruding tube and a thickness such that it protrudes beyond the flange of the protruding tube.

4. A method for using the filter removal tool for a substrate storage container according to claim 1, 2 or 3, comprising the steps of: a base jig for the removal jig being placed on the cover of the lid body with its hollow portion facing the protruding tube of the filter, multiple separating claws of the base jig being fitted into the recessed portion of the cover, an operating tool being inserted into the hollow portion of the base jig and pushed down, causing a contact trigger portion to come into contact with the multiple separating claws and bend outward, and also deforming and spreading the locking claws of the recessed portion to separate it from the flange of the protruding tube of the filter, a holding portion of the operating tool being fitted into the protruding tube of the filter from above to hold it there, and then the operating tool being pulled up while holding the base jig, the filter communicating tube being removed from the communicating port of the lid body of the lid body, and the base jig being lifted to remove the filter from the recessed portion.

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