Wafer carrier door and latching mechanism with c-shaped cam follower

A wafer container including an enclosure portion having at least a top, a bottom, a pair of opposing sides, a back, an open front, and a door to close the open front, said door comprising:

• a door chassis;
• and
• at least a first latching mechanism on said door chassis, said latching mechanism including:
• a rotatable cam member having a first surface, an opposed second surface, and a periphery, the first surface having a first raised lip portion at the periphery, the second surface having a second raised lip portion at the periphery;
• and
• at least a first latching arm having a bifurcate cam follower portion with a pair of branches, a first branch of said pair of branches adapted to be engaged with the first raised lip portion, and a second branch of said pair of branches adapted to be engaged with the second raised lip portion.

A wafer container including an enclosure portion having at least a top, a bottom, a pair of opposing sides, a back, an open front, and a door to close the open front, said door comprising:

• a door chassis;
• and
• at least a first latching mechanism on said door chassis, said latching mechanism comprising:
• a rotatable cam member having a first surface, an opposed second surface, and a periphery, the first surface having a raised lip portion at the periphery;
• and
• at least a first latching arm having a bifurcate cam follower portion with a pair of branches, a first branch of said pair of branches adapted to be engaged with the raised lip portion, and a second branch of said pair of branches adapted to be slidingly engaged with the second surface.

A wafer container including an enclosure portion having at least a top, a bottom, a pair of opposing sides, a back, an open front, and a door to close the open front, said door comprising:

• a door chassis;
• and
• at least a first latching mechanism on the door chassis, said latching mechanism comprising:
• a rotatable cam member having a periphery;
• and
• at least a first latching arm, said latching arm having means for engaging the periphery.

A method of constructing a wafer container comprising:

• molding an enclosure portion having at least a top, a bottom, a pair of opposing sides, a back, and an open front;
• and
• providing a latching door for closing the open front by:
• molding a door chassis adapted to close the open front;
• providing a cam member having a periphery;
• molding a latching arm with a bifurcate cam follower portion adapted to engage the periphery;
• engaging the bifurcate cam follower portion with the periphery;
• and
• attaching the cam member and the latching arm to said door chassis to form a latching mechanism on said door chassis.

A wafer container comprising:

• an enclosure portion having at least a top, a bottom, a pair of opposing sides, a back, an open front, and a door to close the open front, said door comprising:
• a door chassis;
• and
• at least a first latching mechanism on said door chassis, said first latching mechanism comprising:
• a rotatable cam member having a periphery;
• and
• at least a first latching arm, said first latching arm having a bifurcate cam follower portion adapted to be engaged with the periphery of said cam member.