Protective Packaging Assembly

Abstract

To provide a protective packaging assembly.SOLUTION: A protective packaging assembly comprises an intermediate packaging member, an upper packaging member and a lower packaging member. The intermediate packaging member includes a plurality of side buffer plates. The side buffer plates are connected together in a ring shape so as to form a storage space communicating upper and lower openings with each other. The upper packaging member includes an upper buffer plate and a plurality of upper buffers. The upper buffer plate is arranged to cover the upper opening. The upper buffers are distributed at intervals, and protruded from a surface of the upper buffer plate. The upper buffers are arranged into the storage space. The lower packaging member includes a lower buffer plate and a plurality of lower buffers. The lower buffer plate is arranged to cover the lower opening. The lower buffers are distributed at intervals, and protruded from a surface of the lower buffer plate. The lower buffer plate is arranged into the storage space.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a protective packaging assembly for use with semiconductor carriers. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, in the semiconductor industry, substrate containers are used to hold substrates. The substrates may be semiconductor elements such as printed circuit boards (PCBs) and wafers. During transportation, the substrate container may be subjected to excessive up-down vibrations, which may cause the substrate to crack or elements inside the substrate container to become loose. Alternatively, elements inside the substrate container may rub against each other, generating dust, which may have a significant impact on the cleanliness of the substrate container. In addition, the substrate container may also cause dust problems during the process of transporting and positioning operations in conjunction with the equipment interface. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] In order to provide cushioning protection for the substrate container during transportation, the conventional method is to cover the substrate container with a packaging material having a cushioning function. The structural design of the conventional packaging material often adopts a mode in which the edges and corners of the substrate container are covered and the entire surface of the substrate container is glued together, and when the substrate container is subjected to vibration, the cushioning function of the packaging material can play the role of covering and protecting. However, the above-mentioned method only has some effect against small vibrations, and does not play the role of protection and cushioning against large vibrations or when the substrate container is dropped from a height of, for example, 10 cm or more.

[0004] Therefore, how to propose a protective packaging assembly that can solve the above problems is one of the problems that the industry is currently eager to solve by investing research and development resources.

[0005] In view of this, one object of the present disclosure is to propose a protective packaging assembly that can effectively solve the above problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a protective packaging assembly includes an intermediate packaging member including a plurality of side buffer plates connected in a ring shape to form a storage space communicating with an upper opening and a lower opening, an upper packaging member including an upper buffer plate arranged to cover the upper opening and a plurality of upper buffer bodies that are distributed at intervals, protrude from the surface of the upper buffer plate, and are arranged toward the storage space, and a lower packaging member including a lower buffer plate arranged to cover the lower opening and a plurality of lower buffer bodies that are distributed at intervals, protrude from the surface of the lower buffer plate, and are arranged toward the storage space.

[0007] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the receiving space of the intermediate packaging member has a ring-shaped inner surface. The upper cushioning body has a first upper cushioning body and a second upper cushioning body. The height of the first upper cushioning body is greater than the height of the second upper cushioning body. The shortest distance from the second upper cushioning body to the ring-shaped inner surface is greater than the shortest distance from the first upper cushioning body to the ring-shaped inner surface.

[0008] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the upper cushion includes a plurality of first and second upper cushions, the height of the first upper cushion being greater than the height of the second upper cushion, and the first upper cushions being arranged to surround a periphery of the second upper cushion.

[0009] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the top surface of the lower cushion is flush.

[0010] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the upper cushions are a combination of different areas and are spaced apart.

[0011] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the lower cushion is a combination of equal areas.

[0012] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, when the protective packaging assembly contains an object weighing less than 10 kilograms and is drop tested to a height of greater than 10 centimeters, the total cushioning force of the protective packaging assembly is greater than the cushioning force of the corners, edges and faces of the protective packaging assembly, and the cushioning force of the corners and edges is greater than the cushioning force of the faces.

[0013] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the protective packaging assembly is a combined structure of a middle packaging member, an upper packaging member, and a lower packaging member.

[0014] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the material of the upper packaging member, the upper packaging member and the lower packaging member is expanded polyethylene.

[0015] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the thickness of at least one of the side shock absorbers is less than the thickness of the other side shock absorbers. Effect of the Invention

[0016] As described above, the protective packaging assembly of the present disclosure can completely cover the outer periphery of the substrate container by the combined structure of the intermediate packaging member, the upper packaging member, and the lower packaging member. In particular, a plurality of upper cushioning bodies are provided on the upper buffer plate of the upper packaging member, and a plurality of lower cushioning bodies are provided on the lower buffer plate of the lower packaging member. The heights of these upper and lower cushioning bodies can be adjusted correspondingly according to the top and bottom structures of the substrate container packaged by the protective packaging assembly, and the upper and lower packaging members can be closely fitted to the irregular contours of the top and bottom of the substrate container, respectively. In addition, the cushioning force received by the upper and lower packaging members of the present disclosure is greater than that of the conventional structural design in which the entire substrate container is attached, so that the effect of cushioning and vibration prevention can be more effectively achieved.

[0017] The above is merely intended to describe the problems that the present disclosure aims to solve, the means for solving the problems, and the effects obtained. Specific details of the present disclosure will be described in detail in the following embodiments and related drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] The following description of the drawings is intended to make the above and other objects, features, advantages and embodiments of the present disclosure more comprehensible. [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view illustrating a protective packaging assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a perspective assembled view of the protective packaging assembly of FIG. 1A. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of a protective packaging assembly and substrate container according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 3 is a side view showing the protective packaging assembly of FIG. 2 packaging a substrate container. [Figure 4] 3 is a front view of the protective packaging assembly of FIG. 2 packaging a substrate container. [Diagram 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of FIG. 3 taken along line 5-5. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of FIG. 4 taken along line 6-6. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of FIG. 3 taken along line 7-7. [Figure 8] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of FIG. 3 taken along line 8-8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] In order to disclose and clearly explain several embodiments of the present disclosure in the drawings, numerous practical details are described in the following description. However, it should be understood that these details are not intended to limit the present disclosure. That is, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, these details are not necessarily required. In addition, in order to simplify the drawings, some conventional structures and elements are simply and diagrammatically shown in the drawings.

[0020] Please refer to FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, and FIG. 2. FIG. 1A is a perspective exploded view showing a protective packaging assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1B is a perspective combination view showing the protective packaging assembly 100 of FIG. 1A. FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view showing the protective packaging assembly 100 and a substrate container 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In order to clearly explain a specific structure, the intermediate packaging member 110 is shown in perspective in FIG. 1A and FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 1A to FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the protective packaging assembly 100 includes an intermediate packaging member 110, an upper packaging member 120, and a lower packaging member 130. The intermediate packaging member 110 includes a plurality of side buffer plates 111. The side buffer plates 111 are connected in a ring shape to form an accommodating space S that communicates with the upper opening 110a and the lower opening 110b. Specifically, the accommodating space S of the intermediate packaging member 110 has a ring-shaped inner surface 110c. The upper packaging member 120 includes an upper buffer plate 121. The upper buffer plate 121 is disposed to cover the upper opening 110a of the intermediate packaging member 110. The lower packaging member 130 includes a lower buffer plate 131. The lower buffer plate 131 is disposed to cover the lower opening 110b of the intermediate packaging member 110. In this way, the upper packaging member 120 and the lower packaging member 130 can seal the accommodation space S of the intermediate packaging member 110 to achieve the purpose of completely packaging the substrate container 200 inside the protective packaging assembly 100. In other words, the protective packaging assembly 100 is a combination structure of the intermediate packaging member 110, the upper packaging member 120 and the lower packaging member 130.

[0021] In practical use, the substrate container 200 may be a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP), a Standard Mechanical Interface (SMIF) or a Front Opening Shipping Box (FOSB), etc. Any protective packaging assembly 100 to which the present disclosure is applicable should be included in the scope of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure does not limit the type of the substrate container 200.

[0022] Please refer to FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the protective packaging assembly 100 of FIG. 2 packaging the substrate container 200. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the protective packaging assembly 100 of FIG. 2 packaging the substrate container 200. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of FIG. 3 cut along line segment 5-5. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of FIG. 4 cut along line segment 6-6. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, in this embodiment, the upper packaging member 120 further includes a plurality of upper buffer bodies 122a, 122b. The upper buffer bodies 122a, 122b are distributed at intervals and protrude from the surface 121a of the upper buffer plate 121. The upper buffer bodies 122a, 122b are arranged toward the accommodation space S. The lower packaging member 130 further includes a plurality of lower buffer bodies 132. The lower buffer bodies 132 are distributed at intervals and protrude from the surface 131a of the lower buffer plate 131. The lower buffer bodies 132 are arranged toward the accommodation space S. When the upper buffer bodies 122a, 122b distributed at intervals contact the upper surface 200a of the substrate container 200, the gap between the upper buffer bodies 122a, 122b can be used as a lateral deformation space when being pressed by the substrate container 200 (for example, when the protective packaging assembly 100 collides, is compressed, or drops). Similarly, when the lower buffer bodies 132 distributed at intervals contact the bottom of the substrate container 200, the gap between the lower buffer bodies 132 can be used as a lateral deformation space when being pressed by the substrate container 200. Therefore, the buffering force received by the upper packaging member 120 and the lower packaging member 130 according to this embodiment is greater than that of the conventional structural design that is entirely bonded to the substrate container 200, so the buffering and anti-vibration effect can be achieved more effectively. This solves the drawback in the conventional technology that a lateral deformation space is not provided in the overall structural design and vibration prevention and protection cannot be effectively achieved.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 2, a rib portion 210 and a gripper portion 220 are provided on an upper surface 200a of the substrate container 200. The gripper portion 220 is located in the center of the upper surface 200a, and the rib portion 210 surrounds the gripper portion 220. As a result, the top structure of the substrate container 200 has an irregular contour. In practical use, the gripper portion 220 of the substrate container 200 can be lifted and lowered by an overhead lifting conveyor system (not shown) to transport and place the substrate container 200 at a predetermined position.

[0024] Please refer to FIG. 7, which is a cross-sectional view of the structure of FIG. 3 cut along line 7-7. As shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, in this embodiment, the rib portion 210 of the substrate container 200 divides the upper surface 200a into a plurality of regions. The gripping portion 220 of the substrate container 200 is located in one of the divided regions of the rib portion 210, for example, the central region. As described above, since the upper buffer bodies 122a, 122b are distributed at intervals, the gap between the upper buffer bodies 122a, 122b can be used as a retraction space for the rib portion 210. In addition, the upper buffer bodies 122a, 122b have different heights with respect to the surface 121a of the upper buffer plate 121 facing the intermediate packaging member 110. In this embodiment, the height of the upper buffer body 122a protruding from the surface 121a is greater than that of the upper buffer body 122b. Specifically, the upper buffer body 122a having a larger height is disposed so as to abut against the upper surface 200a of the substrate container 200, via the rib portion 210. The upper buffer body 122b having a smaller height is disposed so as to abut against the gripper portion 220 of the substrate container 200. As shown in Fig. 7, since the gripper portion 220 is located in the central region of the upper surface 200a, the periphery of the upper buffer body 122b abutting against the gripper portion 220 is surrounded by the other upper buffer bodies 122a.

[0025] Specifically, in FIG. 7, the rib portion 210 of the substrate container 200 divides the upper surface 200a into seven regions, including the upper left region, the upper middle region, the upper right region, the middle left region, the middle region, the middle right region, and the lower region. The areas of the upper left region, the upper middle region, the upper right region, the middle left region, and the middle right region of the upper surface 200a are close to each other, so that each of the five regions can be abutted by five upper buffer bodies 122a. The area of ​​the lower region of the upper surface 200a is larger than the other regions, and the shape is approximately rectangular, so that each of the lower regions can be abutted by two upper buffer bodies 122a. Therefore, a total of seven upper buffer bodies 122a are arranged to surround the periphery of the central upper buffer body 122b.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 7, in this embodiment, the upper buffer bodies 122a and 122b are a combination of different areas and are spaced apart. There are also a number of different pitches between the upper buffer bodies 122a and 122b. For example, there is a pitch G1 between the two upper buffer bodies 122a that contact the lower region of the upper surface 200a, and there is a pitch G2 between the upper buffer body 122a that contacts the right middle region of the upper surface 200a and the upper buffer body 122b that contacts the central region of the upper surface 200a, and the pitch G2 is larger than the pitch G1. The pitch between the upper buffer bodies 122a and 122b is not limited to the pitch G1 and G2, and can be flexibly adjusted according to the position of the rib portion 210. This allows the upper packaging member 120 to have the largest surface contact area with the top structure of the substrate container 200 through the upper buffer bodies 122a and 122b.

[0027] In addition, because the upper cushioning body 122b abuts against the central region of the upper surface 200a, the shortest distance D1 from the upper cushioning body 122b to the ring-shaped inner surface 110c is greater than the shortest distance D2 from the other upper cushioning bodies 122a to the ring-shaped inner surface 110c. For example, as shown in FIG 7, the shortest distance D2 of the upper cushioning body 122a abutting against the upper-middle region of the upper surface 200a is smaller than the shortest distance D1.

[0028] In practical use, the actual number and arrangement of the upper buffers 122a, 122b are designed according to the structure of the upper surface 200a of the substrate container 200. In addition, the above upper surface 200a is divided into seven regions, which is only a preferred embodiment, but is not limited to this structural design and can be adjusted according to practical applications.

[0029] In some embodiments, the cross-sectional contour of the upper cushioning bodies 122a, 122b is rectangular (including square and rectangular), as shown in Figure 7, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. See, for example, Figures 5 and 7. The cross-sectional contour is parallel to the surface 121a of the upper cushioning plate 121 facing the intermediate packaging member 110.

[0030] Please refer to FIG. 8, which is a cross-sectional view of the structure of FIG. 3 taken along line 8-8. As shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 6 and FIG. 8, in this embodiment, the substrate container 200 further includes a bottom plate 230. The bottom plate 230 is provided at the bottom of the substrate container 200 and has a lower surface 230a. The lower surface 230a corresponds to a surface that is recessed from a flat surface to form an irregular contour. The lower cushioning body 132 of the lower packaging member 130 has the same height as the surface 131a of the lower cushioning plate 131 facing the intermediate packaging member 110. In order to more smoothly abut against the lower surface 230a of the bottom plate 230, the top surface 132a (see also FIG. 2) of the lower cushioning body 132 is flush so as to be in close contact with the lower surface 230a of the bottom plate 230 at more portions of the surface.

[0031] In some embodiments, the lower cushioning bodies 132 are of equal area and have equal pitches between the lower cushioning bodies 132. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, there is a pitch G3 between any adjacent lower cushioning bodies 132, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0032] In some embodiments, the number of the lower cushions 132 is nine, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In practical use, the actual number of the lower cushions 132 can be flexibly changed and is not limited to the number in the embodiment as shown in FIG.

[0033] In some embodiments, the lower cushions 132 are arranged in a matrix, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the two dimensions of the matrix are perpendicular to each other, although the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0034] In some embodiments, the cross-sectional contours of the lower cushioning body 132 are all rectangular (e.g., square), as shown in Fig. 8, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, referring to Fig. 5 and Fig. 8 together, the cross-sectional contours are parallel to the surface 131a of the lower cushioning plate 131 facing the intermediate packaging member 110.

[0035] In some embodiments, at least one of the side buffer plates 111 has a thickness smaller than that of the other side buffer plates 111. For example, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the thickness T1 of the upper side buffer plate 111 is smaller than the thickness T2 of the adjacent and opposite side buffer plates 111. Thus, compared with the other side buffer plates 111, the upper side buffer plate 111 has a smaller thickness T1, and can increase the distance from the substrate container 200, thereby achieving the effect of expanding the buffer space.

[0036] In some embodiments, the intermediate packaging member 110 is unitary, and the unitary material includes foam cotton.

[0037] In some embodiments, the upper packaging member 120 is of unitary construction, and the unitary material comprises foam cotton.

[0038] In some embodiments, the lower packaging member 130 is of unitary construction, and the material of the unitary construction includes foam cotton.

[0039] In some embodiments, the foamed cotton is an antistatic foamed cotton, such as foamed polyethylene, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Foamed polyethylene is a material that is light, soft, has excellent elasticity and good cushioning performance. It is usually made by processing, foaming and molding polyethylene (PE) resin. The main properties of foamed polyethylene are light, flexible, durable, water resistant and easy to mold.

[0040] The applicant provides the actual test results below for reference. The test is conducted according to the ISTA 2A (drop) specification. ISTA 2A is an international transport packaging test standard, which aims to evaluate the drop impact that a package may experience during transportation. The standard requires that the package be dropped in three directions during the test: face, edge, and corner. The test height must meet the requirements. If the package is damaged in the drop test, the package does not meet the test criteria; if the package is not damaged in the drop test, the package meets the test criteria. The ISTA 2A drop test can ensure that the product is not affected by drop impact during transportation, which can enhance the transportation safety and reliability of the product.

[0041] Table 1 below shows the drop conditions according to the ISTA 2A (drop) specifications. [Table 1]

[0042] For example, when the protective packaging assembly 100 according to the present disclosure contains an object weighing less than 10 kg and is subjected to a drop test at a height of more than 10 cm, the total cushioning force of the protective packaging assembly 100 is greater than the cushioning forces of the corners, edges, and faces of the protective packaging assembly, and the cushioning force of the corners and edges is greater than the cushioning force of the faces. Since the protective packaging assembly 100 according to the present disclosure is a combination structure of the middle packaging member 110, the upper packaging member 120, and the lower packaging member 130, no matter where the protective packaging assembly 100 is hit during the drop test, all the parts affect each other and contribute to the total cushioning force. Furthermore, since the area of ​​the corners and edges of the protective packaging assembly 100 is smaller than the area of ​​the faces, the cushioning force of the corners and edges is greater than the cushioning force of the faces.

[0043] Table 2 below shows the results of a drop test performed after covering an object with the protective packaging assembly 100 of the present disclosure. The covered object is, for example, a front-opening standard wafer cassette. The tested protective packaging assemblies 100 are cubes with different sizes in length, width, and height. [Table 2]

[0044] The test results shown in Table 2 above clearly show that the protective packaging assembly 100 of the present disclosure can reliably provide sufficient cushioning to protect the substrate container 200.

[0045] From the detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present disclosure, it is clear that the protective packaging assembly of the present disclosure can completely cover the outer periphery of the substrate container by the combined structure of the intermediate packaging member, the upper packaging member and the lower packaging member. In particular, a plurality of upper buffer bodies are provided on the upper buffer plate of the upper packaging member, and a plurality of lower buffer bodies are provided on the lower buffer plate of the lower packaging member. The heights of these upper buffer bodies and lower buffer bodies can be adjusted correspondingly according to the top and bottom structures of the substrate container packaged by the protective packaging assembly, and the upper packaging member and the lower packaging member can be closely fitted to the irregular contours of the top and bottom of the substrate container, respectively. In addition, the cushioning force received by the upper packaging member and the lower packaging member of the present disclosure is greater than that of the conventional structural design in which the entire substrate container is attached, so that the effect of cushioning and vibration prevention can be more effectively achieved.

[0046] In the present disclosure, the embodiments are disclosed as described above, but the embodiments do not limit the present disclosure, and anyone skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure is based on the contents specified in the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 100 Protective packaging assembly 110 Intermediate packaging materials 110a upper opening 110b Lower opening 110c Ring-shaped inner surface 111 Side buffer plate 120 Upper packaging material 121 Upper buffer plate 121a, 131a surface 122a, 122b Upper buffer 130 Lower packaging material 131 Lower buffer plate 132 Lower buffer 132a top surface 200 Substrate container 200a top surface 210 Rib section 220 Gripping part 230 Bottom plate 230a Bottom surface 5-5, 6-6, 7-7, 8-8 line segments G1, G2, G3 pitch S Storage space T1, T2 plate thickness

Claims

1. an intermediate packaging member including a plurality of side buffer plates connected in a ring shape to form a storage space communicating with an upper opening and a lower opening; An upper buffer plate disposed to cover the upper opening; and an upper packaging member including a plurality of upper cushioning bodies disposed at intervals and protruding from a surface of the upper cushioning plate toward the inside of the receiving space; A lower buffer plate disposed to cover the lower opening; and a lower packaging member including a plurality of lower cushioning bodies disposed at intervals from each other and protruding from a surface of the lower cushioning plate toward the inside of the receiving space; 1. A protective packaging assembly for protecting a substrate container comprising:

2. 2. The protective packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the storage space of the intermediate packaging member has a ring-shaped inner surface, the plurality of upper cushioning bodies include a first upper cushioning body and a second upper cushioning body, the height of the first upper cushioning body is greater than the height of the second upper cushioning body, and the shortest distance from the second upper cushioning body to the ring-shaped inner surface is greater than the shortest distance from the first upper cushioning body to the ring-shaped inner surface.

3. 2. The protective packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of upper cushions includes a plurality of first upper cushions and a plurality of second upper cushions, the height of the plurality of first upper cushions being greater than the height of the second upper cushions, and the plurality of first upper cushions being arranged to surround a periphery of the second upper cushions.

4. The protective packaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the top surfaces of said plurality of lower cushions are flush.

5. 2. The protective packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein said plurality of upper cushions are of differing area combinations and spaced apart.

6. 2. The protective packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein said plurality of lower cushions are of equal area.

7. 2. The protective packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the protective packaging assembly contains an object weighing less than 10 kg and is subjected to a drop test at a height of greater than 10 centimeters, the total cushioning force of the protective packaging assembly is greater than the cushioning force of the corners, edges and faces of the protective packaging assembly, and the cushioning force of the corners and edges is greater than the cushioning force of the faces.

8. 2. The protective packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein said protective packaging assembly is a combination structure of said middle packaging member, said upper packaging member, and said lower packaging member.

9. 2. The protective packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the material of said middle packaging member, said upper packaging member and said lower packaging member is expanded polyethylene.

10. 2. The protective packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of side shock absorbers has a thickness less than a thickness of the remaining side shock absorbers of said plurality of side shock absorbers.

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