Load port
AssigneeSinfonia Technology Co., Ltd.
InventorsAtsushi Suzuki, Yasushi Taniyama
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A load port including: a base as part of a wall partitioning a transportation space from an external space; an opening provided to the base; a door configured to open and close the opening and securing a lid to, and releasing a lid from, a container containing contents; and a first seal member for sealing the space between the base and the container. At least some of the container-side end surface of the door is located nearer to the transportation space than the container-side end part of the first seal member. The load port can keep a surrounding space clean when a FOUP is connected to a casing.
Claims8
A load port, comprising:
- a base constituting a part of a wall separating a conveyance space from an external space;
- an opening portion provided in the base,
- a door configured to open and close the opening portion and to fix and release a lid member with respect to a container filled with an inert gas and accommodating articles therein;
- a first seal member for sealing between the base and the container;
- wherein
- a container-side end surface of the door is at least partially positioned closer to the conveyance space than a container-side end portion of the first seal member,
- the load port further comprising clamp units configured to press the container toward the base while the container is attached to the opening portion, the clamp units being provided at two parts on each of both sides of the opening portion,
- an end surface of the door, which is to face the container, has a recess depressed towards the conveyance space, and
- the shape of the recess corresponds to an inflated surface of the lid member inflated by increasing the pressure inside the container.
A load port, comprising:
- a base constituting a part of a wall separating a conveyance space from an external space;
- an opening portion provided in the base;
- a door configured to open and close the opening portion and to fix and release a lid member with respect to a container accommodating therein an article;
- a first seal member for sealing between the base and the container;
- and
- a gas nozzle by which gas is supplied from a bottom portion of the container to inside of the container,
- wherein
- the gas is injected into the container through the gas nozzle and the lid member of the container is inflated toward the door due to pressure increase, and a container-side end surface of the door is at least partially positioned closer to the conveyance space than a container-side end portion of the first seal member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.