Substrate storage container

Abstract

A substrate storage container 1 comprising a pair of side walls 26 having outer surfaces each provided with a handling member 261 for supporting a container body 2, wherein the handling member 261 comprises front-rear direction extension parts 2611, 2612 which are provided in a pair in a vertical direction D2 and extend in a front-rear direction D1 and a front connection part 2613 which connects front end parts of the pair of front-rear direction extension parts 2611, 2612 and extends so as to be inclined in a front direction D11 toward an upper direction D21, and has a U-shape opening in a rear direction D12.

Description

Substrate storage container

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate storage container used for storing, preserving, transporting, and shipping substrates such as semiconductor wafers, reticles, and printed circuit boards.

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Substrate storage containers for storing various types of substrates have been known which are configured to include a container body and a lid (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] One end of the container body has a container body opening. The other end of the container body has a closed cylindrical wall. A substrate storage space is formed within the container body. The substrate storage space is surrounded by the wall and is capable of storing substrates. The lid 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 in pairs within the substrate storage space. When the container body opening is not closed by the lid, the side substrate support portions are capable of supporting the edges of adjacent substrates in a state where they are arranged side by side and spaced a predetermined distance apart.

[0004] A front retainer (lid-side substrate support portion) 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 edge of the substrate when the container body opening is closed by the lid. A rear-side substrate support portion is provided on the wall portion so as to form a pair with the front retainer. The rear-side substrate support portion is capable of supporting the edge of the substrate. When the container body opening is closed by the lid, the rear-side substrate support portion cooperates with the front retainer to support the substrate, thereby supporting the substrates in a state in which adjacent substrates are spaced apart and aligned in parallel at a predetermined distance.

[0005] Japanese Patent No. 3916342 JP 2011-54799 A

[0006] In order to prevent contamination of substrates, etc., substrate storage containers are mainly operated by automated transportation etc. with minimal human intervention. However, in some factories and processes, there are some parts where handling is required, and in particular, for substrate storage containers used as shipping containers, with the lids removed during the process, they are stacked vertically with the container body opening facing up, or they are placed on or taken down horizontally onto a rack or the like for transport within the process with the container body opening facing horizontally.

[0007] During this operation, the container body requires a holding portion for the worker to grasp and hold the substrate storage container. In the horizontal position described above, a protrusion (rib) large enough for the worker's fingertips to rest on is provided. In the vertical position described above, there is no part for the worker to grasp, and a separate handle is often attached to the container body. However, separate handles require preparation and attachment each time, and because they are separate parts, they are costly. Therefore, depending on the situation, work may be performed without a separate handle. As a result, there is a lack of sufficient space for grasping, which can lead to accidents such as dropping the container. Furthermore, it is preferable that the handle for grasping be water-free and dry easily when the container body is cleaned.

[0008] The present invention aims to provide a substrate storage container that has a portion that can be gripped by an operator in both horizontal and vertical positions, and that dries easily and leaves no water behind when the container body is washed.

[0009] the inner surfaces of the upper wall, the lower wall, the side walls, and the inner surfaces of the side walls and the inner surfaces of the rear wall form a substrate storage space capable of storing a plurality of substrates and communicating with the container body opening; and a lid that is detachable from the container body opening and can close the container body opening. Handling members are provided on the outer surfaces of the pair of side walls, and the handling members have a pair of front-to-rear extending portions that are provided in the vertical direction and extend in the front-to-rear direction, and a front connecting portion that connects front ends of the pair of front-to-rear extending portions and extends at an angle upward and forward. The substrate storage container has a U-shape that opens toward the rear.

[0010] It is also preferable that the longitudinal extension portion comprises a pair of lateral protrusions that protrude in directions away from the pair of side walls, and a flange portion that extends downward from each of the protruding ends of the lateral protrusions.

[0011] Preferably, the upper wall has a top flange, and the flange is provided at least at a position that coincides with the front end of the top flange in the front-to-rear direction. Preferably, the front connection portion has a through-hole that penetrates in the front-to-rear direction. Preferably, four parallel human fingers can be inserted into the through-hole. Preferably, the through-hole has a flange that extends toward the back.

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate storage container that has a portion that can be gripped by an operator in both horizontal and vertical positions, and that dries quickly and leaves no water behind when the container body is cleaned.

[0013] 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of substrates W are stored in a substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an upper perspective view showing a container body 2 of a substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a lower perspective view showing the container body 2 of a substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view showing the container body 2 taken along line A-A in FIG. 3. FIG. 8 is a right side view showing the container body 2 of a substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a lower right perspective view showing the container body 2 of a substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a state in which the container body 2 of the substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is held in a vertical position. FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a state in which the container body 2 of the substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is held in a horizontal position.

[0014] [Overall Configuration of Substrate Storage Container 1] The substrate storage container 1 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. For ease of explanation, the direction from the container body 2 (described below) toward the lid 3 (the direction from the upper right to the lower left in FIG. 1 ) is defined as the front direction D11, and the opposite direction is defined as the rear direction D12. These directions are collectively defined as the front-to-rear direction D1. Furthermore, the direction from the lower wall 24 (described below) toward the upper wall 23 (the upward direction in FIG. 1 ) is defined as the upward direction D21, and the opposite direction is defined as the downward direction D22. These directions are collectively defined as the up-down direction D2. Furthermore, the direction from the second side wall 26 (described below) toward the first side wall 25 (the direction from the lower right to the upper left in FIG. 1 ) is defined as the leftward direction D31, and the opposite direction is defined as the rightward direction D32. These directions are collectively defined as the left-right direction D3. Arrows indicating these directions are shown in the main drawings.

[0015] The substrates W (see FIG. 1) stored in the substrate storage container 1 are disc-shaped silicon wafers, glass wafers, sapphire wafers, etc., and are thin wafers used in industry. In this embodiment, the substrates W are silicon wafers with a diameter of 300 mm.

[0016] 1 to 9, substrate storage container 1 is used to store substrates W made of silicon wafers as described above and transport them in processes within a factory, or as a shipping container for transporting substrates by land, air, sea, or other transportation means, and is composed of a container body 2 and a lid 3. Container body 2 includes substrate support plate-shaped portions 5 serving as side substrate support portions, a rear substrate support portion 6, and a rear retainer 8 (see FIG. 2, etc.). Lid 3 includes a front retainer 7 (see FIG. 4, etc.) serving as a lid-side substrate support portion.

[0017] The container body 2 has a cylindrical wall portion 20 with a container body opening 21 formed at one end and a closed other end. A substrate storage space 27 is formed within the container body 2. The substrate storage space 27 is surrounded by the wall portion 20. A substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 is disposed in the portion of the wall portion 20 that forms the substrate storage space 27. As shown in FIG. 1 , the substrate storage space 27 can store a plurality of substrates W.

[0018] The substrate support plate-shaped parts 5 are interior components arranged in a pair within the substrate storage space 27, and are removably fixed to the wall part 20. When the container body opening 21 is not closed by the lid body 3, the substrate support plate-shaped parts 5 abut against the edges of the plurality of substrates W, thereby supporting the edges of the plurality of substrates W while arranging adjacent substrates W in parallel with a predetermined distance between them. A rear-side substrate support part 6 is provided at the rear side of the substrate support plate-shaped part 5 and is molded integrally with the substrate support plate-shaped part 5.

[0019] The rear substrate support portion 6 is provided on the wall portion 20 so as to form a pair with a front retainer 7 (described later) within the substrate storage space 27. The rear substrate support portion 6 can support the rear portions of the edges of the plurality of substrates W by abutting against the edges of the plurality of substrates W.

[0020] The lid 3 is detachable from the opening periphery 28 that forms the container body opening 21, and is capable of closing the container body opening 21. The front retainer 7 is provided on the lid 3 at a portion that faces the substrate storage space 27 when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3. The front retainer 7 is disposed inside the substrate storage space 27 so as to form a pair with the rear substrate support part 6.

[0021] When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the front retainer 7 can support the front portions of the edges of the substrates W by abutting against the edges of the substrates W. When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the front retainer 7 supports the substrates W in cooperation with the rear substrate support portion 6, thereby holding adjacent substrates W in a parallel arrangement with a predetermined distance between them.

[0022] The substrate storage container 1 is made of a resin such as a plastic material, and unless otherwise specified, examples of the resin material include thermoplastic resins such as polycarbonate, cycloolefin polymer, polyetherimide, polyetherketone, polybutylene terephthalate, polyetheretherketone, and liquid crystal polymer, as well as alloys of these. To impart conductivity to these molding material resins, conductive materials such as carbon fiber, carbon powder, carbon nanotubes, and conductive polymers are selectively added. Glass fiber, carbon fiber, and the like can also be added to increase rigidity.

[0023] 1 to 6, the wall portion 20 of the container body 2 has a rear wall 22, an upper wall 23, a lower wall 24, a first side wall 25, and a second side wall 26. The rear wall 22, the upper wall 23, the lower wall 24, the first side wall 25, and the second side wall 26 are made of the above-mentioned materials and are integrally molded.

[0024] The first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26 face each other, and the upper wall 23 and the lower wall 24 face each other. 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 form an opening periphery 28 that defines the container body opening 21, which has a substantially rectangular shape.

[0025] The second side wall 26 has a side wall front portion 2601 that constitutes the portion of the wall 20 that is widest in the left-right direction of the container body 2, a side wall rear portion 2603 that constitutes the portion of the wall 20 that is narrowest in the left-right direction of the container body 2 and that narrows in the rear direction D12, and a side wall middle portion 2602 that connects the side wall front portion 2601 and the side wall rear portion 2603. The first side wall 25 is a pair of first side walls 25 and second side walls 26 that are configured symmetrically, so a description of the first side wall 25 will be omitted.

[0026] 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.

[0027] Latch engagement recesses 231A, 231B, 241A, and 241B recessed outward from the board storage space 27 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.

[0028] Ribs 235 are formed integrally with the upper wall 23 on the outer surface of the upper wall 23. The ribs 235 increase the rigidity of the container body 2. A top flange 236 is fixed to the center of the upper wall 23. The top flange 236 is a member that is hung on and suspended from the substrate storage container 1 when the substrate storage container 1 is suspended in an AMHS (automated wafer transport system), PGV (wafer substrate transport vehicle), or the like.

[0029] 2 and other figures, the rear retainer 8 is formed on a rib-shaped portion 221 provided on the rear wall 22. The rib-shaped portion 221 protrudes inward into the substrate storage space 27 from the inner surface of the rear wall 22. The rear retainer 8 is formed on the inner surface of the rib-shaped portion 221 protruding inward into the substrate storage space 27, and has V-shaped grooves that are open toward the front and are made up of lower and upper inclined surfaces, the number of which is the same as the number of substrates W stored in the substrate storage space 27.

[0030] The lower inclined surface and the upper inclined surface are capable of being contacted by the edge of the substrate W when an impact acts on the container body 2 while the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3. That is, the lower inclined surface and the upper inclined surface are arranged a predetermined distance away from the edge of the back surface and the edge of the front surface of the substrate W so that the lower inclined surface and the upper inclined surface do not come into contact with the edge of the back surface and the edge of the front surface of the substrate W, respectively, when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3. This "predetermined distance" is a distance that allows the substrate W to come into contact with the lower inclined surface or the upper inclined surface when an impact acts on the substrate storage container 1 from outside the substrate storage container 1 during transport of the substrate storage container 1 with the substrate W stored therein.

[0031] 5 to 7, handling members 261 that support the container body 2 are provided on the outer surfaces of the pair of side walls 25, 26 of the container body 2. The handling members 261 provided on the pair of first side walls 25 and second side walls 26 are configured symmetrically, so only the handling member 261 provided on the second side wall 26 will be described.

[0032] The handling member 261 has a pair of front-rear extending portions, an upper front-rear extending portion 2611 and a lower front-rear extending portion 2612, which are lateral protrusions that protrude in a direction away from the side wall 26, and a front connecting portion 2613, which are integrally molded with the second side wall 26. The upper front-rear extending portion 2611 is located above the lower front-rear extending portion 2612, and the upper front-rear extending portion 2611 and the lower front-rear extending portion 2612 extend in the front-rear direction in a parallel positional relationship. Here, the parallel positional relationship does not only mean a completely parallel positional relationship, but also includes a nearly parallel positional relationship, such as a draft taper formed to facilitate release of the handling member 261 from the mold in which the handling member 261 and the container body 2 are integrally molded.

[0033] The front connection portion 2613 is integrally molded with the front end of the upper front-rear extending portion 2611, the front end of the lower front-rear extending portion 2612, and the container body 2, thereby connecting the front end of the upper front-rear extending portion 2611 and the front end of the lower front-rear extending portion 2612. The front connection portion 2613 extends linearly in the upward direction D21 and inclined toward the forward direction D11, and the upper and lower ends of the front connection portion 2613 are curved and connected to the front end of the upper front-rear extending portion 2611 and the front end of the lower front-rear extending portion 2612, respectively. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5 and other figures, the handling member 261 has a U-shape that opens toward the rearward direction D12.

[0034] The inclination angle θ of the front connection portion 2613 in the forward direction D11 (see FIG. 5 ) is 1 degree or more, and more preferably 5 degrees or more, with respect to the vertical direction parallel to the short side of the rectangular container body opening 21. If the inclination angle θ is less than 1 degree, as described below, when an operator holds the container body 2 of the substrate storage container 1 in a vertical position with the lid 3 removed, as shown in FIG. 8 , the container body opening 21 of the container body 2 is likely to be tilted away from the operator rather than being open vertically upward. If the inclination angle θ is 5 degrees or more, when an operator holds the container body 2 of the substrate storage container 1 in a vertical position with the lid 3 removed, as shown in FIG. 8 , the container body opening 21 can be stably maintained in a tilted position toward the operator rather than being open vertically upward, thereby enabling stable support of the container body 2 of the substrate storage container 1.

[0035] An upper end of the curved front connection portion 2613 is disposed in front of and behind a position that coincides with the front end 2361 of the top flange 236 in a plan view. A lower end of the curved front connection portion 2613 is disposed behind the position that coincides with the front end 2361 of the top flange 236 in a plan view.

[0036] The upper front-to-rear extending portion 2611 and the lower front-to-rear extending portion 2612 each have a plate-shaped flange portion 2621, 2622 that extends downward from the edge portion farthest from the side wall 26, which is the protruding end portion in the left-right direction D3 of the upper front-to-rear extending portion 2611 and the lower front-to-rear extending portion 2612, respectively.

[0037] The flange portion 2621 extends from the rear end of the upper longitudinal extending portion 2611, which corresponds to the rear end of the side wall middle portion 2602 of the second side wall 26, to the front end of the upper longitudinal extending portion 2611, which is located further forward in the forward direction D11 than the front end of the side wall middle portion 2602 and slightly rearward of the position coinciding with the front end 2361 of the top flange 236 in a plan view, and further extends to the upper end of the curved front connecting portion 2613. The portion of the flange portion 2621 extending from the front end of the upper longitudinal extending portion 2611 to the upper end of the curved front connecting portion 2613 gradually becomes thinner and its width in the up-down direction D2 decreases. The rear end of the upper longitudinal extending portion 2611 does not have a flange portion 2621.

[0038] The flange portion 2622 extends from the rear end of the lower longitudinal extending portion 2612, which corresponds to the rear end of the side wall middle portion 2602 of the second side wall 26, to the front end of the lower longitudinal extending portion 2612, which corresponds to the front end of the side wall middle portion 2602. The front end of the flange portion 2622 has a sector shape that is a quarter of a circle, and this portion is configured to be thicker in the left-right direction D3 than the other portions of the flange portion 2622. The rear end of the lower longitudinal extending portion 2612 does not have a flange portion 2622.

[0039] A through hole 263 is formed in the front connection portion 2613. The through hole 263 is configured as an elongated hole that penetrates the front connection portion 2613 in the front-rear direction D1 and extends between the upper end of the curved front connection portion 2613 and the lower end of the curved front connection portion 2613. Because the through hole 263 is formed by an elongated hole in this manner, it is configured so that a worker handling the substrate storage container 1 can insert four fingers, consisting of the index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger, arranged side by side, into the through hole 263.

[0040] A flange 264 is provided on the periphery of the through-hole 263. The flange 264 is provided by increasing the thickness of the front connecting portion 2613 at the periphery of the through-hole 263. Due to this increased thickness, the flange 264 extends in the rear direction D12, which is relatively farther back than the portion of the front connecting portion 2613 other than the periphery of the through-hole 263.

[0041] [Board Support Plate Portions 5] The board support plate portions 5 are provided on the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26, respectively, and are interior components arranged in pairs in the left-right direction D3 within the board storage space 27. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the board support plate portions 5 have a plate portion 51 and a support wall 52 as a plate portion support portion. The plate portion 51 and the support wall 52 are formed by integrally molding a resin material, and the plate portion 51 is supported by the support wall 52.

[0042] The plate portions 51 have 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-like member 59 is arranged parallel to the plate portion 51. This member is located at the top and serves as a guide for the substrate W being inserted into the substrate storage space 27.

[0043] 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-shaped guide members 59 parallel to the plate portions 51 are positioned parallel to the inner surface of the bottom wall 24. Protrusions 511 and 512 are provided on the upper surfaces of the plate portions 51. The substrate W supported by the plate portions 51 comes into contact only with the protruding ends of the protrusions 511 and 512, and does not come into contact with the plate portions 51 at their surfaces.

[0044] The support wall 52 has a plate shape extending in the up-down direction D2 and in the approximately front-rear direction D1. As shown in Figure 4 and other figures, the support wall 52 has a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction of the plate portion 51, and a plurality of support walls 52 are provided in the front-rear direction of the board support plate portion 5. The plate-shaped support wall 52 curves along the outer edge of the plate portion 51 toward the board storage space 27.

[0045] That is, the 25 plate portions 51 provided on the first side wall 25 are connected to the support wall 52 provided on the first side wall 25 side. Similarly, the 25 plate portions 51 provided on the second side wall 26 are connected to the support wall 52 provided on the second side wall 26 side. The support wall 52 is fixed to the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26, respectively.

[0046] A substrate support plate-like portion 5 configured in this manner is capable of supporting the edges of multiple substrates W while keeping adjacent substrates W spaced apart at a predetermined distance and parallel to each other.

[0047] [Rear-Side Board Support Portion 6] As shown in Figure 4, the rear-side board support portion 6 has a rear-side edge support portion 60. The rear-side edge support portion 60 is formed integrally with the plate portion 51 and the support wall 52 at the rear end of the plate portion 51 of the board support plate portion 5. Therefore, the board support plate portion 5 as a side board support portion and the rear-side board support portion 6 form a single combined interior part that is fixed to the container body 2 inside the container body 2. Note that the rear-side board support portion 6 may be formed separately from the board support plate portion 5, i.e., the rear-side edge support portion 60 may be formed separately from the plate portion 51 of the board support plate portion 5.

[0048] The number of rear edge support portions 60 provided is specifically 25, corresponding to each substrate W that can be stored in the substrate storage space 27. The rear edge support portions 60 arranged on the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26 are positioned in a positional relationship in the front-to-rear direction D1 so as to form pairs with the front retainers 7, which will be described later. When a substrate W is stored in the substrate storage space 27 and the lid 3 is closed, the rear edge support portions 60 clamp and support the edge of the substrate W.

[0049] 1 , the lid body 3 has a generally rectangular shape that generally matches the shape of the opening periphery 28 of the container body 2. The lid body 3 is detachable from the opening periphery 28 of the container body 2, and by attaching the lid body 3 to the opening periphery 28, the lid body 3 can close the container body opening 21 in a positional relationship in which it is surrounded by the opening periphery 28.

[0050] An annular sealing 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 in the rear direction D12 of the opening peripheral edge 28 when the lid 3 is closing the container body opening 21, so as to go around the outer periphery of the lid 3. The sealing member 4 is arranged so as to go around the lid 3. The sealing member 4 is made of various thermoplastic elastomers such as elastically deformable polyesters and polyolefins, fluororubber, silicone rubber, etc.

[0051] When the lid 3 is attached to the opening periphery 28, the sealing member 4 is sandwiched between the sealing surface 281 of the container body 2 and the inner surface of the lid 3 and elastically deforms. That is, with the sealing member 4 interposed between the lid 3 and the container body 2, the lid 3 can close the container body opening 21 while the lid 3 and the opening periphery 28 are spaced apart without coming into contact with each other. When the lid 3 is removed from the opening periphery 28, the substrate W can be inserted into and removed from the substrate storage space 27 within the container body 2.

[0052] A latch mechanism is provided in the lid 3. 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, 32A that can protrude in an upward direction D21 from the upper edge of the lid 3, and two lower latch portions 32B, 32B that can protrude in a downward direction D22 from the lower edge of the lid 3. The two upper latch portions 32A, 32A are located near both left and right ends of the upper edge of the lid 3, and the two lower latch portions 32B, 32B are located near both left and right ends of the lower edge of the lid 3.

[0053] An operating portion 33 is provided on the outer surface of the lid body 3. By operating the operating portion 33 from the front side of the lid body 3, the upper latch portions 32A, 32A and the lower latch portions 32B, 32B can be made to protrude from the upper and lower edges of the lid body 3, or can be made to not protrude from the upper and lower edges. The upper latch portions 32A, 32A protrude in the upward direction D21 from the upper edge of the lid body 3 and engage with the latch engagement recesses 231A, 231B of the container body 2, and the lower latch portions 32B, 32B protrude in the downward direction D22 from the lower edge of the lid body 3 and engage with the latch engagement recesses 241A, 241B of the container body 2, thereby fixing the lid body 3 to the container body opening 21 of the container body 2.

[0054] A recess (not shown) is formed inside the cover 3, recessed outward from the board storage space 27. A front retainer 7 is fixed to the recess (not shown) and to the cover 3 outside the recess.

[0055] The front retainer 7 has front retainer board receiving portions. 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 edge of the substrate W.

[0056] Effects of the Embodiment The substrate storage container 1 according to the present embodiment having the above-described configuration can provide the following effects: In the substrate storage container 1 according to the present embodiment, handling members 261 that support the container body 2 are provided on outer surfaces of the pair of first side walls 25 and second side walls 26, respectively, and the handling members 261 include an upper front-to-rear direction extending portion 2611 and a lower front-to-rear direction extending portion 2612 that are provided as a pair in the up-down direction D2 and extend in the front-to-rear direction D1, and a front connection portion 2613 that connects front ends of the upper front-to-rear direction extending portion 2611 and the lower front-to-rear direction extending portion 2612 and extends obliquely in the front direction D11 toward the upward direction D21, and has a U-shape that opens in the rear direction D12.

[0057] As a result, when an operator holds the container body 2 of the substrate storage container 1 in a vertical position with the lid 3 removed, as shown in Fig. 8 , the operator can stably support the container body 2 of the substrate storage container 1 by gripping the front connecting portion 2613, which extends in a straight line at an angle, with his or her fingers, so that the container body opening 21 is slightly tilted toward the operator rather than opening vertically upward. As a result, it is possible to prevent the container body opening 21 of the container body 2 with the lid 3 removed from tilting toward the side opposite the operator (the side toward which the substrate storage container 1 is rotated clockwise in Fig. 8 ) rather than opening vertically upward. This makes it possible to prevent the container body 2 of the substrate storage container 1 from falling.

[0058] 9 , when an operator holds the container body 2 of the substrate storage container 1 in a horizontal position with the lid 3 removed, the operator can change the holding position depending on the operator's body shape, the type of work, etc., by holding the upper front-rear extending portion 2611 or the lower front-rear extending portion 2612, thereby holding the container body 2 of the substrate storage container 1 at a position that is easy to hold. As a result, the workload on the operator can be reduced.

[0059] In particular, by gripping the upper front-to-rear extension portion 2611 and the lower front-to-rear extension portion 2612, which correspond to the front end of the side wall middle portion 2602 of the wall portion 20, with the worker's middle fingers, the container body opening 21 of the container body 2 when the lid 3 is removed can be tilted slightly upward from the state in which it is open horizontally, making it possible to stably support the container body 2 of the substrate storage container 1.

[0060] In addition, in the substrate storage container 1 of this embodiment, the front-to-rear extending portion constituting the handling member 261 comprises an upper front-to-rear extending portion 2611 and a lower front-to-rear extending portion 2612 as a pair of lateral protrusions that protrude in directions away from a pair of first side walls 25 and a pair of second side walls 26, respectively, and flange portions 2621 and 2622 that extend downward from the respective protruding ends of the upper front-to-rear extending portion 2611 and the lower front-to-rear extending portion 2612.

[0061] This allows the operator's hands to stably hold the handling member 261, thereby preventing the container body 2 from being dropped.

[0062] Furthermore, in the substrate storage container 1 according to this embodiment, the upper wall 23 includes a top flange 236, and the flange portion 2621 is provided at least at a position coinciding with the front end 2361 of the top flange 236 in the front-rear direction D1. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9 , when an operator holds the container body 2 of the substrate storage container 1 in a horizontal position, by gripping the portion of the flange portion 2621 that coincides with the front end 2361 of the top flange 236 in a plan view, the container body opening 21 of the container body 2 with the lid 3 removed can be tilted slightly upward relative to its horizontal open position, thereby stably supporting the container body 2 of the substrate storage container 1. Being able to support the container body 2 of the substrate storage container 1 in such a position reliably prevents the container body 2 of the substrate storage container 1 from falling.

[0063] Furthermore, in the substrate storage container 1 according to this embodiment, a through-hole 263 penetrating in the front-rear direction is formed in the front connecting portion 2613. As a result, after cleaning the container body 2, by drying it with the container body opening 21 on top and the rear wall 22 on the bottom, it is possible to drain the cleaning water in the area near the through-hole 263 and also to flow hot air through the through-hole 263. As a result, water can be drained well and drying can be performed quickly.

[0064] Furthermore, in the substrate storing container 1 according to this embodiment, four parallel fingers of an operator can be inserted into the through-hole 263. As a result, when an operator holds the front connecting portion 2613 with the container body 2 of the substrate storing container 1 in a vertical position as shown in Fig. 8, the operator can securely hold the front connecting portion 2613 with four fingers, making it possible to reliably prevent the container body 2 of the substrate storing container 1 from dropping.

[0065] Furthermore, in the substrate storage container 1 according to this embodiment, the through-hole 263 is provided with a flange 264 extending toward the rear. This makes it possible to increase the strength of the front connection part 2613 in which the through-hole 263 is formed. Furthermore, when an operator inserts his or her fingers into the through-hole 263 to grip the front connection part 2613, the portion to be gripped can be made thicker, enabling a more secure grip.

[0066] [Modifications] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications are possible within the technical scope described in the claims.

[0067] For example, in this embodiment, the upper end of the curved front connection portion 2613 is disposed in the front-rear direction at a position coinciding with the front end 2361 of the top flange 236 in a plan view. Accordingly, the flange portion 2621 is disposed in the front-rear direction at a position coinciding with the front end 2361 of the top flange 236 in a plan view, but is not limited to this. It is sufficient that the flange portion is provided at least at a position coinciding with the front end of the top flange in the front-rear direction.

[0068] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the front connection portion 2613 of the handling member 261 extends linearly and inclined forward in the upward direction D21, and the upper and lower ends of the front connection portion 2613 are curved and connected to the front ends of the upper longitudinal extension portion 2611 and the lower longitudinal extension portion 2612, respectively, so that the handling member 261 has a U-shape that opens toward the rearward direction D12. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the upper and lower ends of the front connection portion 2613 may not be curved, and the handling member 261 may have a U-shape that resembles the Japanese katakana character U.

[0069] Furthermore, the lengths of the upper front-rear extending portion 2611, the lower front-rear extending portion 2612, and the front connecting portion 2613 are not limited to those in this embodiment. For example, the lengths of the upper front-rear extending portion and the lower front-rear extending portion may be shorter than the lengths of the upper front-rear extending portion 2611 and the lower front-rear extending portion 2612 in this embodiment.

[0070] Furthermore, the shapes of the container body and lid body, and the number and dimensions of substrates W that can be stored in the container body are not limited to the shapes of the container body 2 and lid body 3, and the number and dimensions of substrates W that can be stored in the container body 2 in this embodiment.

[0071] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Substrate storage container 2 Container body 3 Lid 5 Substrate support plate portion (side substrate support portion) 6 Back side substrate support portion 7 Front retainer (lid side substrate support portion) 20 Wall portion 21 Container body opening 25 First side wall (side wall) 26 Second side wall (side wall) 27 Substrate storage space 236 Top flange 261 Handling member 263 Through hole 264, 2621, 2622 Flange portion 2611 Upper front-rear extending portion 2612 Lower front-rear extending portion 2613 Front connecting portion W Substrate

Claims

1. A substrate storage container comprising: a container body having a cylindrical wall portion having a container body opening formed at one front end and the other rear end closed by a rear wall, the wall portion having a rear wall, an upper wall, a lower wall and a pair of side walls, the container body opening being formed by one end of the upper wall, one end of the lower wall, and one end of the side walls, the inner surface of the upper wall, the inner surface of the lower wall, the inner surface of the side walls and the inner surface of the rear wall forming a substrate storage space capable of storing a plurality of substrates and communicating with the container body opening; and a lid body that is detachable from the container body opening and is capable of closing the container body opening, the outer surfaces of the pair of side walls are provided with handling members that support the container body, the handling members comprising: a pair of front-to-rear extending portions each provided in the vertical direction and extending in the front-to-rear direction; and a front connecting portion that connects front ends of the pair of front-to-rear extending portions and extends at an angle towards the front as it approaches upward, the container body having a U-shaped opening that opens in the rear direction.

2. A substrate storage container as described in claim 1, wherein the front-to-rear extending portion comprises a pair of lateral protrusions protruding in directions away from the pair of side walls, and a flange portion extending downward from each of the protruding ends of the lateral protrusions.

3. A substrate storage container according to claim 2, wherein the upper wall has a top flange, and the flange portion is provided at least at a position coinciding with a front end portion of the top flange in the front-rear direction.

4. A substrate storage container according to claim 1, wherein the front connection portion is formed with a through hole penetrating in the front-rear direction.

5. The substrate storage container according to claim 4, wherein four human fingers arranged side by side can be inserted into said through hole.

6. A substrate storage container according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the through hole is provided with a flange portion extending toward the rear side.

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