Substrate storage container

Abstract

A substrate storage container 1 includes: a container body 2; a lid body 3; and a lateral substrate support part 5 that is disposed fixed to each of a pair of side walls 25, 26 so as to form a pair within a substrate storage space 27, and that can support edge portions of a plurality of substrates W in a state in which adjacent substrates W among the plurality of substrates W are separated at a prescribed interval and arranged in parallel when a container body opening part 21 is not closed by the lid body 3. The lateral substrate support part 5 has first positioning parts 551, 561 in the lateral substrate support part 5. The side wall 25 has second positioning parts 2552, 2562. The first positioning parts 551, 561 and the second positioning parts 2552, 2562 cooperate with each other to position a front portion 5F and / or a rear portion 5G of the lateral substrate support part 5 with respect to the side wall 25 in a vertical direction D2 and a lateral direction D3 only in a central region 5M in the vertical direction D2 of the lateral substrate support part 5.

Description

Substrate storage container

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate storage container for storing substrates such as semiconductor wafers.

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, containers for storing substrates such as semiconductor wafers have been known that include a container body, a lid, and side substrate support portions.

[0003] The container body has a cylindrical wall portion with a container body opening formed at one end and a closed other end. A substrate storage space is formed within the container body. The substrate storage space is surrounded by the wall portion and is capable of storing multiple substrates. The lid body is detachable from the container body opening and is capable of closing the container body opening. The side substrate support portions are provided on the wall portion in pairs within the substrate storage space. When the container body opening is not closed by the lid body, the side substrate support portions are capable of supporting the edges of multiple substrates while arranging adjacent substrates in parallel and spaced apart by a predetermined distance.

[0004] A front retainer is provided on a portion of the lid that faces the substrate storage space when the container body opening is closed. The front retainer is capable of supporting the edges of the plurality of substrates when the container body opening is closed by the lid. A rear-side substrate support portion is provided paired with the front retainer. The rear-side substrate support portion is capable of supporting the edges of the plurality of substrates. When the container body opening is closed by the lid, the rear-side substrate support portion cooperates with the front retainer to support the plurality of substrates, thereby holding the plurality of substrates in a state where adjacent substrates are spaced apart at a predetermined interval and arranged side by side.

[0005] The walls of the container body include a rear wall, an upper wall, a lower wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall. A pair of side substrate supports are provided in the left-right direction and are fixed to the first side wall and the second side wall (also referred to simply as "side walls" when describing both sides) in a pair within the substrate storage space. More specifically, holes are formed in the side substrate supports. The side substrate supports are fixed to the side walls by engaging the protrusions formed on the side walls with the holes in the side substrate supports. This fixing structure provides high positioning accuracy (small positional error from the reference position) near the engaging locations.

[0006] International Publication No. 99 / 39994

[0007] It is desirable to further improve the positioning accuracy of the side substrate supports relative to the side walls of the container body.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate storage container that can further improve the positioning accuracy of side substrate support portions relative to the side walls of the container body of the substrate storage container.

[0009] (1) A first aspect of the present invention is a container body having a substrate storage space formed therein capable of storing a plurality of substrates, an opening periphery at one end on the front side where a container body opening communicating with the substrate storage space is formed, and the other end on the rear side is closed, the container body having opposing upper and lower walls, a pair of opposing left and right side walls, and a rear end of the upper wall, a rear end of the lower wall, and a back wall to which the rear ends of the pair of side walls are connected; a lid body that is detachable from the container body opening and can close the container body opening; and a lid body that is fixed to the pair of side walls so as to form a pair within the substrate storage space, and is arranged by the lid body. A substrate storage container comprising: a lateral substrate support portion capable of supporting the edges of the plurality of substrates in a state in which adjacent substrates among the plurality of substrates are arranged in parallel and spaced apart at a predetermined interval when the container body opening is not closed, wherein the lateral substrate support portion has a first positioning portion, the side wall has a second positioning portion, and the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion work together to position the front and / or rear of the lateral substrate support portion relative to the side wall in the vertical and horizontal directions only in the vertical central region of the lateral substrate support portion.

[0010] (2) A second aspect of the present invention is a substrate storage container according to (1), in which the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion work together to position the front portion of the lateral substrate support portion relative to the side wall in the vertical and horizontal directions only in the central region.

[0011] (3) A third aspect of the present invention is a substrate storage container according to (1) or (2), wherein the lateral substrate support portion has a third positioning portion separate from the first positioning portion, the side wall has a fourth positioning portion separate from the second positioning portion, and the third positioning portion and the fourth positioning portion work together to position the front and / or rear of the lateral substrate support portion in the left-right direction relative to the side wall.

[0012] (4) A fourth aspect of the present invention is a substrate storage container according to (3), in which the third positioning portion and the fourth positioning portion work together to position the front portion of the lateral substrate support portion relative to the side wall in the left-right direction.

[0013] (5) A fifth aspect of the present invention is a substrate storage container according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the lateral substrate support portion has a plurality of plate portions that support the edges of the plurality of substrates in a parallel positional relationship, and a plate support portion that supports the plate portions and is fixed to the side wall, and the first positioning portion is located forward of the plate portions.

[0014] (6) A sixth aspect of the present invention is a substrate storage container according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the second positioning portion is a protrusion, and the first positioning portion is a portion into which the protrusion fits.

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate storage container that can further improve the positioning accuracy of the side substrate support portions relative to the side walls of the container body of the substrate storage container.

[0016] 2C is a perspective view of the substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A is a perspective cross-sectional view showing the configuration around the lateral substrate support portion 5 on the left side D31. FIG. 2B is a front view of FIG. 2A. FIG. 2C is a right side view of FIG. 2A. FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view taken along line A1-A2-A3-A4 shown in FIG. 2C. FIG. 3A is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 3A. FIG. 2A is a perspective cross-sectional view showing the container body 2 with the first side wall 25 removed from FIG. 2A. FIG. 2C is a right side view of the container body 2 with the first side wall 25 removed from FIG. 2C. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the lateral substrate support portion 5 on the left side D31 as viewed from the upper left front. FIG. 3B is a left side view of the lateral substrate support portion 5 on the left side D31. FIG. 3C is a front view of the lateral substrate support portion 5 on the left side D31. FIG. 3B is a rear view of the lateral substrate support portion 5 on the left side D31.

[0017] A substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A is a perspective cross-sectional view showing the configuration around a lateral substrate support portion 5 on the left side D31. FIG. 2B is a front view of FIG. 2A. FIG. 2C is a right side view of FIG. 2A. FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view taken along line A1-A2-A3-A4 shown in FIG. 2C. FIG. 3B is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 3A. FIG. 4A is a perspective cross-sectional view showing the container body 2 from FIG. 2A with the first side wall 25 removed. FIG. 4B is a right side view showing the container body 2 from FIG. 2C with the first side wall 25 removed. FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the lateral substrate support portion 5 on the left side D31 as viewed from the upper left front. FIG. 5B is a left side view of the lateral substrate support portion 5 on the left side D31. FIG. 5C is a front view of the lateral substrate support portion 5 on the left side D31. FIG. 5D is a rear view of the lateral substrate support 5 on the left side D31.

[0018] For ease of explanation, the direction from the container body 2 to the lid 3 (described below, the lower left direction in FIG. 1 ) is defined as the front direction D11, and the opposite direction is defined as the rear direction D12, and these are defined as the front-rear direction D1. Furthermore, the direction from the lower wall 24 to the upper wall 23 (described below, the upper direction in FIG. 1 ) is defined as the upper direction D21, and the opposite direction is defined as the lower direction D22, and these are defined as the up-down direction D2. Furthermore, the direction from the second side wall 26 to the first side wall 25 (described below, the upper left direction in FIG. 1 ) is defined as the left direction D31, and the opposite direction is defined as the right direction D32, and these are defined as the left-right direction D3 or lateral direction D3. The word "direction" may also be referred to as "side." The inside of the lateral direction D3 means the side toward the center of the lateral direction D3. For example, in the case of the lateral substrate support portion 5 or the first side wall 25 on the left side D31, this means the right direction or right side. The outside in the lateral direction D3 means the side away from the center in the lateral direction D3, for example, in the lateral substrate support 5 or first side wall 25 on the left side D31, it means the leftward or left side.

[0019] The substrates W (shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) stored in the substrate storage container 1 are disc-shaped silicon wafers, glass wafers, sapphire wafers, etc., and are thin substrates used in industry. In this embodiment, the substrates W are silicon wafers with a diameter of 450 mm.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, a substrate storage container 1 has a container body 2 , a lid 3 , and side substrate support portions 5 .

[0021] The container body 2 has a container body opening 21 formed at one end on the front side D11 and a cylindrical wall portion 20 that is closed at the other end on the rear side D12. A substrate storage space 27 is formed within the container body 2. The substrate storage space 27 is surrounded by the wall portion 20. Side substrate support portions 5 are arranged in the portion of the wall portion 20 that forms the substrate storage space 27. The substrate storage space 27 is capable of storing multiple substrates W.

[0022] The side substrate support portions 5 are provided on the wall portion 20 in pairs in the left-right direction D3 within the substrate storage space 27. When the container body opening 21 is not closed by the lid body 3, the side substrate support portions 5 can support the edges of multiple substrates W in a state in which adjacent substrates W are arranged in parallel with a predetermined distance between them. A rear-side substrate support portion 6 is provided on the rear side of the substrate storage space 27. The rear-side substrate support portion 6 can support the rear edges of multiple substrates W when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid body 3.

[0023] The lid 3 is detachable from the container body opening 21 and can close the container body opening 21. A front retainer (not shown) is provided on a portion of the lid 3 that faces the substrate storage space 27 when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3 (the back surface of the lid 3 shown in FIG. 1 ). The front retainer (not shown) is arranged to form a pair with the rear substrate support portion 6.

[0024] The front retainer (not shown) can support the front edges of the plurality of substrates W when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3. When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the front retainer (not shown) supports the plurality of substrates W in cooperation with the rear substrate support part 6, thereby holding the plurality of substrates W in a state where adjacent substrates W are spaced apart at a predetermined interval and arranged side by side. Each part will be described in detail below.

[0025] 1, the wall portion 20 of the container body 2 has a back wall 22, an upper wall 23, a lower wall 24, a first side wall 25 (left wall), and a second side wall 26 (right wall). The back wall 22, the upper wall 23, the lower wall 24, the first side wall 25, and the second side wall 26 are made of a plastic material or the like, and in this embodiment, are integrally molded from polycarbonate.

[0026] The first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26 face each other in the left-right direction D3, and the upper wall 23 and the lower wall 24 face each other in the up-down direction D2. The rear end of the upper wall 23, the rear end of the lower wall 24, the rear end of the first side wall 25, and the rear end of the second side wall 26 are all connected to the rear wall 22. The front end of the upper wall 23, the front end of the lower wall 24, the front end of the first side wall 25, and the front end of the second side wall 26 are positioned opposite the rear wall 22 and constitute an opening periphery 28 that forms the substantially rectangular container body opening 21.

[0027] The opening periphery 28 is provided at one end of the container body 2, and the rear wall 22 is located at the other end of the container body 2. The container body 2 has a box-like outer shape formed by the outer surfaces of the walls 20. The inner surfaces of the walls 20, i.e., the inner surfaces of the rear wall 22, the upper wall 23, the lower wall 24, the first side wall 25, and the second side wall 26, form a substrate storage space 27 surrounded thereby. The container body opening 21 formed in the opening periphery 28 is surrounded by the walls 20 and communicates with the substrate storage space 27 formed inside the container body 2. A maximum of 25 substrates W can be stored in the substrate storage space 27 with the upper and lower surfaces of the substrates W positioned approximately horizontally.

[0028] Latch engagement recesses 231A, 231B, 241A, and 241B recessed outward in the vertical direction D2 are formed in the upper wall 23 and the lower wall 24 near the opening periphery 28. A total of four latch engagement recesses 231A, 231B, 241A, and 241B are formed, one near each of the left and right ends of the upper wall 23 and the lower wall 24.

[0029] A flange fixing portion (not shown) is formed integrally with the upper wall 23 on the outer surface of the upper wall 23. The flange fixing portion (not shown) is disposed in the center of the upper wall 23. A top flange 236 is fixed to the flange fixing portion (not shown). The top flange 236 is disposed in the center of the upper wall 23. When suspending the substrate storage container 1 in an AMHS (automated wafer handling system), PGV (wafer substrate transport vehicle), or the like, the top flange 236 is hung on an arm (not shown) of the machine serving as a hoisting member, whereby the substrate storage container 1 is suspended from the arm.

[0030] The first side wall 25 has a symmetrical shape to the second side wall 26, and the lateral board support portion 5 on the left side D31 has a symmetrical shape to the lateral board support portion 5 on the right side D32. Therefore, the following description will mainly focus on the first side wall 25 and the lateral board support portion 5 on the left side D31, and for the second side wall 26 and the lateral board support portion 5 on the right side D32, the description of the first side wall 25 and the lateral board support portion 5 on the left side D31 will be used with the left and right reversed, and the description will be omitted or simplified.

[0031] The side board support portions 5 are provided on the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26, respectively, and are arranged in pairs in the left-right direction D3 within the board storage space 27. Specifically, as shown in Figures 5A to 5D, the side board support portions 5 have a plate portion 51 and a plate portion support portion 52.

[0032] The plate portion 51 and the plate portion support portion 52 are integrally molded from resin, so that the plate portion 51 is supported by the plate portion support portion 52. The plate portion 51 has a generally arc-shaped plate shape. 25 plate portions 51 are provided on each of the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26 in the vertical direction D2, for a total of 50 plate portions 51. Adjacent plate portions 51 are arranged in a parallel positional relationship and spaced apart from each other by 10 mm to 12 mm in the vertical direction D2. Note that above the uppermost plate portion 51, another plate-shaped member 59 is arranged parallel to the plate portion 51. The member 59 is located at the top and serves as a guide for the substrate W being inserted into the substrate storage space 27.

[0033] The 25 plate portions 51 provided on the first side wall 25 and the 25 plate portions 51 provided on the second side wall 26 are positioned opposite each other in the left-right direction D3. The 50 plate portions 51 and the plate-like members 59 that are parallel to the plate portions 51 and serve as guides are positioned parallel to the inner surface of the bottom wall 24.

[0034] The plate support portions 52 are plate-shaped portions extending in the up-down direction D2. A plurality of the plate support portions 52 are provided at intervals in the front-rear direction D1. The plate support portions 52 are connected to the outer side edges of the plurality (all) of the plate portions 51 in the lateral direction D3.

[0035] That is, the 25 plate portions 51 on the left side D31 are connected to the plate portion support portions 52 of the left side D31. Similarly, the 25 plate portions 51 on the right side D32 are connected to the plate portion support portions 52 of the right side D32. The plate portion support portions 52 are fixed to the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26, respectively.

[0036] 3A and 4A , the inner surface of the first side wall 25 is partially formed in a stepped shape in the up-down direction D2 in two steps from the opening peripheral edge 28 toward the rearward direction D12 so that the distance between the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26 in the left-right direction D3 decreases. The portion forming the first step from the opening peripheral edge 28 is referred to as a first step 2541, and the portion forming the second step is referred to as a second step 2542. The second step 2542 is disposed inside the first step 2541 in the left-right direction D3. Three first step portions 2541 are spaced apart in the up-down direction D2, and three second step portions 2542 are spaced apart as well.

[0037] 4B , in the front-to-rear direction D1, the first step portion 2541 is located within one-third, preferably one-quarter, of the range of the front side D11 of the first side wall 25. In the front-to-rear direction D1, the second step portion 2542 is located within one-third, preferably one-quarter, of the range of the rear side D12 of the first side wall 25.

[0038] Next, we will describe in detail the configuration for positioning the lateral substrate support portion 5 relative to the side walls (25, 26) through cooperation between the lateral substrate support portion 5 and the side walls (when describing the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26 in common, they may be simply referred to as the "side walls" or "side walls (25, 26)").

[0039] 2A to 5D, the lateral board support 5 has a front first positioning portion 551 on the front side D11 and a rear first positioning portion 561 on the rear side D12. The first side wall 25 has a front second positioning portion 2552 on the front side D11 and a rear second positioning portion 2562 on the rear side D12.

[0040] The front first positioning portion 551 and the front second positioning portion 2552 work together to position the front portion 5F of the lateral board support portion 5 on the left side D31 relative to the first side wall 25 in the up-down direction D2 and the left-right direction D3 only in a central region 5M in the up-down direction D2 of the lateral board support portion 5 on the left side D31. The rear first positioning portion 561 and the rear second positioning portion 2562 work together to position the rear portion 5G of the lateral board support portion 5 on the left side D31 relative to the first side wall 25 in the up-down direction D2 and the left-right direction D3 only in the central region 5M in the up-down direction D2 of the lateral board support portion 5 on the left side D31. The central region 5M in the up-down direction D2 of the lateral board support portion 5 is within a range of 15 mm above and below the center line of the lateral board support portion 5 in the up-down direction D2.

[0041] The front first positioning portion 551 and the front second positioning portion 2552 and the rear first positioning portion 561 and the rear second positioning portion 2562 may be positioned at the same or different positions in the up-down direction D2 and the left-right direction D3. In this embodiment, the rear first positioning portion 561 and the rear second positioning portion 2562 are disposed on the lower side D22, for example, 5 to 15 mm below the front first positioning portion 551 and the front second positioning portion 2552. The A1-A2-A3-A4 cutting line shown in FIG. 2C and the B1-B2-B3-B4 cutting line shown in FIG. 5B are cutting lines at the same position. As shown in Figure 3A, the rear first positioning portion 561 and the rear second positioning portion 2562 are positioned inward in the lateral direction D3 relative to the front first positioning portion 551 and the front second positioning portion 2552, for example, 25 to 35 mm inward.

[0042] The lateral board support portion 5 has a front-side third positioning portion 553 on the front side D11, separate from the front-side first positioning portion 551. The first side wall 25 has a front-side fourth positioning portion 2554, separate from the front-side second positioning portion 2552. The lateral board support portion 5 has a rear-side third positioning portion 563 on the rear side D12, separate from the rear-side first positioning portion 561. The first side wall 25 has a rear-side fourth positioning portion 2564, separate from the rear-side second positioning portion 2562.

[0043] The front third positioning portion 553 and the front fourth positioning portion 2554 work together to position the front portion 5F of the lateral board support portion 5 on the left side D31 in the left-right direction D3 relative to the first side wall 25. The rear third positioning portion 563 and the rear fourth positioning portion 2564 work together to position the rear portion 5G of the lateral board support portion 5 on the left side D31 in the left-right direction D3 relative to the first side wall 25.

[0044] The configuration related to positioning on the front side D11 will now be described. As shown in Figures 5A to 5D, in the side board support part 5 on the left side D31, the front side first positioning part 551 is provided on the front side D11 outside the lateral direction D3 of the side board support part 5, closer to the center in the up-down direction D2. The front side first positioning part 551 has an insertion hole into which the front side second positioning part 2552 is inserted and fitted. The insertion hole of the front side first positioning part 551 is a through hole that penetrates in the front-to-rear direction D1.

[0045] 4A and 4B , in the first side wall 25, the front second positioning portion 2552 is provided in a first step portion 2541 that is closer to the center in the up-down direction D2 on the front side D11 of the first side wall 25. The front second positioning portion 2552 is configured with a protrusion that protrudes in the front direction D11. The cross-sectional shape of the protrusion is, for example, circular, polygonal, L-shaped, or U-shaped, and may also be a hollow circular or polygonal shape (the same applies below).

[0046] 5A to 5D , in the side board support part 5 on the left side D31, the front third positioning parts 553 are provided on the upper side D21 and the lower side D22 on the front side D11 outside the lateral direction D3 of the side board support part 5. The front third positioning parts 553 have insertion holes into which the front fourth positioning parts 2554 are inserted and fitted. The insertion holes of the front third positioning parts 553 are through holes that penetrate in the front-to-rear direction D1.

[0047] 4A and 4B , in the first side wall 25, the front fourth positioning portion 2554 is provided in each of the first step portions 2541 on the upper side D21 and the lower side D22 on the front side D11 of the first side wall 25. The front fourth positioning portion 2554 is formed of a protrusion that protrudes in the forward direction D11.

[0048] The configuration related to positioning on the rear side D12 will be described. As shown in Figures 5A to 5D, in the lateral board support part 5 on the left side D31, the rear side first positioning part 561 is provided on the rear side D12 outside the lateral direction D3 of the lateral board support part 5, closer to the center in the up-down direction D2. The rear side first positioning part 561 has an insertion hole into which the rear side second positioning part 2562 is inserted and fitted. The insertion hole of the rear side first positioning part 561 is a through hole that penetrates in the front-to-rear direction D1.

[0049] 4A and 4B , in the first side wall 25, the rear second positioning portion 2562 is provided in the second step portion 2542 that is closer to the center in the up-down direction D2 on the rear side D12 of the first side wall 25. The rear second positioning portion 2562 is composed of a protrusion that protrudes in the forward direction D11.

[0050] 5A to 5D, in the side board support part 5 on the left side D31, the rear side third positioning parts 563 are provided on the upper side D21 and the lower side D22 on the rear side D12 outside the lateral direction D3 of the side board support part 5. The rear side third positioning parts 563 have insertion holes into which the rear side fourth positioning parts 2564 are inserted and fitted. The insertion holes of the rear side third positioning parts 563 are through holes that penetrate in the front-to-rear direction D1.

[0051] 4A and 4B , in the first side wall 25, the rear-side fourth positioning portion 2564 is provided in the second step portion 2542 on each of the upper side D21 and the lower side D22 on the rear side D12 of the first side wall 25. The rear-side fourth positioning portion 2564 is formed of a protruding portion that protrudes in the forward direction D11.

[0052] The positioning of the first positioning portions (front first positioning portion 551, rear first positioning portion 561) and the second positioning portions (front second positioning portion 2552, rear second positioning portion 2562) will be described using the configuration of the front side D11 as an example. The shape of the through hole of the front first positioning portion 551 is such that the front second positioning portion 2552 is inserted and fitted in the front-to-rear direction D1. When the front second positioning portion 2552 is inserted and fitted into the through hole of the front first positioning portion 551, on the front side D11 of the first side wall 25 (on the left side D31), movement of the lateral board support portion 5 on the left side D31 in the up-down direction D2 and the left-right direction D3 is restricted (restrained). The configuration of the rear side D12 is similar.

[0053] The positioning of the third positioning portions (front-side third positioning portion 553, rear-side third positioning portion 563) and the fourth positioning portions (front-side fourth positioning portion 2554, rear-side fourth positioning portion 2564) will be described using the configuration of the front side D11 as an example. The through-hole of the front-side third positioning portion 553 has a shape that allows the front-side fourth positioning portion 2554 to be inserted and fitted in the front-to-rear direction D1. When the front-side fourth positioning portion 2554 is inserted and fitted into the through-hole of the front-side third positioning portion 553, on the rear side D12 of the first side wall 25 (on the left side D31), movement of the lateral board support portion 5 on the left side D31 is restricted (constrained) in the left-right direction D3, but movement in the up-down direction D2 is permitted (not restricted). A configuration that allows movement in the up-down direction D2 can be achieved, for example, by having the through-hole of the front-side third positioning portion 553 have an elongated hole shape extending in the up-down direction D2. The rear side D12 has a similar configuration.

[0054] The reason why movement of the lateral board support parts 5 in the up-down direction D2 is restricted by the first positioning part but not by the third positioning part is as follows: If movement in the up-down direction D2 is restricted at multiple locations in the up-down direction D2 (first positioning part, third positioning part), misalignment in the positional relationship between the parts may cause distortion or deformation in the up-down direction of the lateral board support parts 5. In contrast, if movement in the up-down direction D2 is restricted at only one location in the up-down direction D2, the distortion or deformation described above will not occur.

[0055] The reason why there is no particular problem even if the movement of the lateral substrate support portion 5 in the left-right direction D3 is restricted by both the first positioning portion and the third positioning portion is that even if it is restricted in this way, no distortion or deformation that affects the up-down direction D2 occurs.

[0056] The lateral substrate support portion 5 on the left side D31 abuts against the first step portion 2541 of the first side wall 25 at the front first positioning portion 551 and the front third positioning portion 553, and also abuts against the second step portion 2542 of the first side wall 25 at the rear first positioning portion 561 and the rear third positioning portion 563, thereby restricting movement in the rear direction D12.

[0057] A configuration for restricting movement of the side board support part 5 on the left side D31 in the forward direction D11 will be described. As shown in Figures 5A to 5D, in the side board support part 5 on the left side D31, the first engagement part 57 is provided on the front side D11 outside the lateral direction D3 of the side board support part 5 and closer to the center in the up-down direction D2 (near the front first positioning part 551). The first engagement part 57 has a shape that allows it to engage with the second engagement part 257 described below.

[0058] 4A and 4B , in the first side wall 25, the second engagement portion 257 is provided on a first step portion 2541 that is closer to the center in the up-down direction D2 on the front side D11 of the first side wall 25, together with a front second positioning portion 2552. The second engagement portion 257 has a shape that allows it to engage with the first engagement portion 57.

[0059] The first positioning portions (front first positioning portion 551, rear first positioning portion 561) and the second positioning portions (front second positioning portion 2552, rear second positioning portion 2562) are positioned relative to each other, and the third positioning portions (front third positioning portion 553, rear third positioning portion 563) and the fourth positioning portions (front fourth positioning portion 2554, rear fourth positioning portion 2564) are positioned relative to each other, and the first engaging portion 57 and the second engaging portion 257 can be engaged with each other. Due to this engagement, even if the first engaging portion 57 attempts to move in the forward direction D11, it abuts against the claw portion of the second engaging portion 257, thereby restricting (restraining) its movement in the forward direction D11. As described above, the lateral board support portion 5 on the left side D31 abuts against the first step portion 2541 of the first side wall 25 at the front first positioning portion 551 and the front third positioning portion 553, and also abuts against the second step portion 2542 of the first side wall 25 at the rear first positioning portion 561 and the rear third positioning portion 563, thereby restricting movement in the rear direction D12.

[0060] Therefore, overall, movement in the up-down direction D2 and the left-right direction D3 is restricted by positioning of at least the first positioning portions (front first positioning portion 551, rear first positioning portion 561) and the second positioning portions (front second positioning portion 2552, rear second positioning portion 2562), movement in the rear direction D12 is restricted by the abutment of the front first positioning portion 551 and the front third positioning portion 553 with the first step portion 2541, and the abutment of the rear first positioning portion 561 and the rear third positioning portion 563 with the second step portion 2542, and movement in the front direction D11 is restricted by engagement of the first engaging portion 57 with the second engaging portion 257. In this way, movement of the lateral board support portion 5 in six directions, front-rear, up-down, left-right, and right-hand, is restricted (positioned).

[0061] 5B , the front first positioning portion 551 is located on the front side D11 of the plate portion 51. More specifically, the front first positioning portion 551 is provided on the plate portion support portion 52 which is located on the front side D11 of the plate portion 51. The rear first positioning portion 561 is located on the rear side D12 of the plate portion 51. More specifically, the rear first positioning portion 561 is provided on the plate portion support portion 52 which is located on the rear side D12 of the plate portion 51.

[0062] When the lateral substrate support portion 5 having the above-described configuration is fixed to the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26, the lateral substrate support portion 5 can support the edges of the plurality of substrates W while keeping adjacent substrates W among the plurality of substrates W spaced apart at a predetermined distance and positioned parallel to each other.

[0063] 1 , the rear-side substrate support portion 6 is molded integrally with the plate portion 51 and the plate portion support portion 52 at the rear end of the plate portion 51 of the side substrate support portion 5 and the rear end of the rearmost plate portion support portion 52 D12. Note that the rear-side substrate support portion 6 may be configured separately from the plate portion 51 and the plate portion support portion 52 of the side substrate support portion 5, or may be configured (integrally) from a part of the wall portion 20 of the container body 2.

[0064] The number of rear-side substrate support portions 6, specifically 25, is provided, corresponding to each substrate W that can be stored in the substrate storage space 27. The rear-side substrate support portions 6 are positioned in a paired relationship in the front-to-rear direction D1 with a front retainer (not shown) fixed to the lid 3. When a substrate W is stored in the substrate storage space 27 and the lid 3 is closed, the rear-side substrate support portions 6 clamp the edge of the edge of the substrate W.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 1 , the lid 3 has a generally rectangular shape that roughly matches the shape of the opening periphery 28 of the container body 2. The lid 3 is detachable from the opening periphery 28 of the container body 2, and when the lid 3 is attached to the opening periphery 28, the lid 3 can close the container body opening 21. An annular seal member 4 is attached to the inner surface of the lid 3 (the back surface of the lid 3 shown in FIG. 1 ), which faces the surface of a step (sealing surface 281) formed immediately behind the opening periphery 28 on the rear side D12 of the opening periphery 28 when the lid 3 is closing the container body opening 21. The seal member 4 is made of elastically deformable thermoplastic elastomers such as POE (polyoxyethylene), PEE, polyesters, polyolefins, fluororubber, silicone rubber, etc. The seal member 4 is arranged around the outer periphery of the lid 3.

[0066] When the lid 3 is attached to the opening periphery 28, the sealing member 4 is sandwiched between the sealing surface 281 and the inner surface of the lid 3 and elastically deforms, so that the lid 3 hermetically closes the container body opening 21. By removing the lid 3 from the opening periphery 28, it becomes possible to load and unload the substrate W into and from the substrate storage space 27 inside the container body 2.

[0067] The lid 3 is provided with a latch mechanism. The latch mechanism is provided near both left and right ends of the lid 3, and as shown in Fig. 1, includes two upper latch portions 32A that can protrude in an upward direction D21 from the upper edge of the lid 3 and two lower latch portions 32B that can protrude in a downward direction D22 from the lower edge of the lid 3. The two upper latch portions 32A are located near both left and right ends of the upper edge of the lid 3, and the two lower latch portions 32B are located near both left and right ends of the lower edge of the lid 3.

[0068] An operating portion 33 is provided on the outer surface of the lid 3. By operating the operating portion 33 from the front side D11 of the lid 3, the upper latch portion 32A and the lower latch portion 32B can be made to protrude from the upper and lower edges of the lid 3, or can be made not to protrude from the upper and lower edges. The upper latch portion 32A protrudes in the upward direction D21 from the upper edge of the lid 3 and engages with the latch engagement recesses 231A and 231B of the container body 2, and the lower latch portion 32B protrudes in the downward direction D22 from the lower edge of the lid 3 and engages with the latch engagement recesses 241A and 241B of the container body 2, thereby fixing the lid 3 to the opening peripheral portion 28 of the container body 2.

[0069] A recess (not shown) is formed inside the lid 3, recessed outward from the board storage space 27. A front retainer (not shown) is fixed to the recess (not shown) and to the part of the lid 3 outside the recess.

[0070] The front retainer has front retainer board receiving portions (not shown). The front retainer board receiving portions are arranged in pairs, two at a predetermined distance in the left-right direction D3. The front retainer board receiving portions arranged in pairs in this manner are arranged in 25 pairs in parallel in the up-down direction D2. When a substrate W is stored in the substrate storage space 27 and the lid 3 is closed, the front retainer board receiving portions clamp and support the edge of the substrate W.

[0071] In the substrate storage container 1 configured as described above, the lateral substrate support portions 5 are attached to and detached from the first side wall 25 as follows. When attaching the lateral substrate support portions 5 to the first side wall 25, the following movements of the lateral substrate support portions 5 are performed sequentially or simultaneously. On the rear side D12, the rear first positioning portion 561 is moved in the rear direction D12 and is extrapolated onto the rear second positioning portion 2562 so as to form a state in which the rear first positioning portion 561 and the rear second positioning portion 2562 are positioned relative to each other. Similarly, the rear third positioning portion 563 is extrapolated onto the rear fourth positioning portion 2564 so as to form a state in which the rear third positioning portion 563 and the rear fourth positioning portion 2564 are positioned relative to each other.

[0072] On the front side D11, the front first positioning portion 551 is extrapolated onto the front second positioning portion 2552 so as to form a state in which the front first positioning portion 551 and the front second positioning portion 2552 are positioned relative to each other. Similarly, the front third positioning portion 553 is moved in the rear direction D12 so as to be extrapolated onto the front fourth positioning portion 2554 so as to form a state in which the front third positioning portion 553 and the front fourth positioning portion 2554 are positioned relative to each other.

[0073] Then, the rear first positioning portion 561 and the rear third positioning portion 563 are brought into abutment against the second step portion 2542, and the front first positioning portion 551 and the front third positioning portion 553 are brought into abutment against the first step portion 2541. Almost simultaneously with this abutment, the first engaging portion 57 is moved outward in the lateral direction D3 to engage with the second engaging portion 257. This creates a state in which movement of the lateral board support portion 5 in six directions, front to back, up to down, left to right, is restricted (positioned).

[0074] When removing the lateral substrate support portion 5 from the first side wall 25, the engagement between the first engagement portion 57 and the second engagement portion 257 is released, and then the lateral substrate support portion 5 is moved in the forward direction D11, thereby removing the lateral substrate support portion 5 from the first side wall 25.

[0075] According to the substrate storing container 1 according to the embodiment configured as above, the following effects can be obtained. The substrate storage container 1 of this embodiment has a substrate storage space 27 formed therein that can store a plurality of substrates W, a container body 2 that has an opening periphery 28 at one end on the front side D11 where a container body opening 21 that communicates with the substrate storage space 27 is formed, and the other end on the rear side D12 is closed, and is equipped with the container body 2 having opposing upper and lower walls 23 and 24, a pair of opposing left and right side walls 25 and 26, and a rear wall 22 to which the rear end of the upper wall 23, the rear end of the lower wall 24, and the rear ends of the pair of side walls 25 and 26 are connected, a lid body 3 that is detachable from the container body opening 21 and can close the container body opening 21, and lateral substrate supports 5 that are fixed to the pair of side walls 25 and 26 respectively so as to form a pair within the substrate storage space 27 and are capable of supporting the edges of the plurality of substrates W while arranging adjacent substrates W in parallel with a predetermined distance between them when the container body opening 21 is not closed by the lid body 3.

[0076] The lateral substrate support portion 5 has first positioning portions (front first positioning portion 551, rear first positioning portion 561) on the lateral substrate support portion 5, and the side walls (first side wall 25, second side wall 26) have second positioning portions (front second positioning portion 2552, rear second positioning portion 2562), and the first positioning portions (551, 561) and the second positioning portions (2552, 2562) work together to position the front portion 5F and / or rear portion 5G of the lateral substrate support portion 5 relative to the side walls (first side wall 25, second side wall 26) in the vertical direction D2 and the horizontal direction D3 only in the central region 5M of the lateral substrate support portion 5 in the vertical direction D2.

[0077] Therefore, according to this embodiment, the front portion 5F and / or the rear portion 5G of the lateral substrate support portion 5 are positioned in the up-down direction D2 and the left-right direction D3 only in the central region 5M of the lateral substrate support portion 5 in the up-down direction D2. Therefore, even if the region of the lateral substrate support portion 5 in the up-down direction D2 is farthest from the central region 5M, which is the reference position for positioning, it is approximately half the length of the lateral substrate support portion 5 in the up-down direction D2. In other words, it is possible to minimize a decrease in positioning accuracy due to a large distance from the reference position for positioning. This further improves the positioning accuracy of the lateral substrate support portion 5 with respect to the side walls (first side wall 25, second side wall 26) of the container body 2.

[0078] In this embodiment, the lateral board support portion 5 has third positioning portions (front-side third positioning portion 553, rear-side third positioning portion 563) in addition to the first positioning portions (front-side first positioning portion 551, rear-side first positioning portion 561), and the side walls (first side wall 25, second side wall 26) have fourth positioning portions (front-side fourth positioning portion 2554, rear-side fourth positioning portion 2564) in addition to the second positioning portions (front-side second positioning portion 2552, rear-side second positioning portion 2562). The third positioning portions (553, 563) and the fourth positioning portions (2554, 2564) work together to position the front portion 5F and / or the rear portion 5G of the lateral board support portion 5 relative to the side walls (first side wall 25, second side wall 26) in the left-right direction D3. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the positioning accuracy of the entire side board support portion 5 in the left-right direction D3 can be further improved.

[0079] In this embodiment, the lateral substrate support portions 5 include a plurality of plate portions 51 that are parallel to each other and support the edges of a plurality of substrates W, and a plate support portion 52 that supports the plate portions 51 and is fixed to the side walls (first side wall 25, second side wall 26). The first positioning portion (front first positioning portion 551) is located on the front side D11 of the plate portions 51. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the first positioning portion (front first positioning portion 551) can support the lateral end portion of the plate portion 51 on the front side D11, and the lateral substrate support portions 5 are accurately fixed (corrected) and maintained by the side walls (first side wall 25, second side wall 26). Furthermore, the first positioning portion (front first positioning portion 551) can be used as a guide for alignment when engaging the container body 2 and the lateral substrate support portions 5.

[0080] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications are possible within the technical scope described in the claims. For example, the shape and configuration of the substrate storage container 1 are not limited to those of the above-described embodiment.

[0081] In the embodiment, the first and second positioning portions are provided on the front side D11 as the first positioning portion and the front side second positioning portion 2552 as the second positioning portion, and on the rear side D12 as the first and second positioning portions, but are not limited to this. The front side first positioning portion 551 and the front side second positioning portion 2552 may be provided on the front side D11, but the rear side first positioning portion 561 and the rear side second positioning portion 2562 may not be provided on the rear side D12. Alternatively, the rear side first positioning portion 561 and the rear side second positioning portion 2562 may be provided on the rear side D12, but the front side first positioning portion 551 and the front side second positioning portion 2552 may not be provided on the front side D11.

[0082] The configurations of the first positioning portion (front first positioning portion 551, rear first positioning portion 561) and the second positioning portion (front second positioning portion 2552, rear second positioning portion 2562) are not limited as long as they can coordinately position the device in the up-down direction D2 and the left-right direction D3. Furthermore, the configurations of the third positioning portion (front third positioning portion 553, rear third positioning portion 563) and the fourth positioning portion (front fourth positioning portion 2554, rear fourth positioning portion 2564) are not limited as long as they can coordinately position the device in the left-right direction D3. The configurations of the first positioning portion, second positioning portion, third positioning portion, and fourth positioning portion may be, for example, a protrusion (e.g., a pin), a through hole, a blind hole, an open (open) receiving portion (e.g., a V-shaped notch, a U-shaped notch), or fastening by a screw. Their cross-sectional shapes may be circular, polygonal (e.g., rectangular), L-shaped, or U-shaped.

[0083] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate storage container 2 Container body 20 Wall portion 21 Container body opening 22 Back wall 23 Upper wall 24 Lower wall 25 First side wall (side wall) 2541 First step portion 2542 Second step portion 2552 Front side second positioning portion (second positioning portion) 2554 Front side fourth positioning portion (fourth positioning portion) 2562 Rear side second positioning portion (second positioning portion) 2564 Rear side fourth positioning portion (fourth positioning portion) 257 Second engagement portion 26 Second side wall (side wall) 27 Substrate storage space 28 Opening periphery 281 Sealing surface 3 Lid 4 Sealing member 5 Lateral substrate support portion 51 Plate portion 52 Plate portion support portion 551 Front side first positioning portion (first positioning portion) 553 Front side third positioning portion (third positioning portion) 561 Rear first positioning portion (first positioning portion) 563 Rear third positioning portion (third positioning portion) 57 First engagement portion 5F Front portion 5G Rear portion 5M Central region 6 Back side board support portion D1 Front-to-rear direction D11 Front side, front direction D12 Rear side, rear direction D2 Up-to-down direction D21 Upper side, upper direction D22 Lower side, lower direction D3 Left-to-right direction, lateral direction D31 Left side, left direction D32 Right side, right direction W Board

Claims

1. A container body having a substrate storage space formed inside capable of accommodating multiple substrates, an opening peripheral portion formed at one end of the front side with a container body opening communicating with the substrate storage space, and a closed rear end, the front side being the side of the container body opening, and having opposing upper and lower walls, a pair of opposing left and right side walls, and a rear wall to which the rear end of the upper wall, the rear end of the lower wall, and the rear ends of the pair of side walls are connected, A lid that is detachable from the opening of the container body and capable of closing the opening of the container body, A substrate storage container comprising: a lateral substrate support portion fixed to a pair of side walls so as to form a pair within the substrate storage space, and capable of supporting the edges of the plurality of substrates when the opening of the container body is not closed by the lid, with adjacent substrates spaced apart at a predetermined interval and arranged in parallel, A substrate storage container wherein the lateral substrate support portion has a first positioning portion, the side wall has a second positioning portion, and the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion work together to position the front portion of the lateral substrate support portion relative to the side wall in the vertical and horizontal directions, but only in the central region of the lateral substrate support portion in the vertical direction.

2. The lateral substrate support portion has a third positioning portion in addition to the first positioning portion. The side wall has a fourth positioning portion, separate from the second positioning portion. The substrate storage container according to claim 1, wherein the third positioning portion and the fourth positioning portion work together to position the front portion of the lateral substrate support portion in the left-right direction relative to the side wall.

3. The lateral substrate support portion has a plurality of plate portions that support the edges of the plurality of substrates in a parallel positional relationship, and a plate portion support portion that supports the plate portions and is fixed to the side wall. The substrate storage container according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first positioning portion is located in front of the plate portion.

4. The substrate storage container according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the second positioning portion is a protruding portion, and the first positioning portion is a portion into which the protruding portion fits.