Lid opening/closing system of an airtight container
AssigneeTDK Corporation
InventorTsutomu Okabe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A curtain nozzle is located above an opening portion (10) in a FIMS. A gas curtain formed of inert gas for closing the opening portion is formed, and at the same time, the inert gas is also supplied to an inside of a FOUP. Here, the direction of supply of the inert gas supplied to the inside of the FOUP is such that it does not have a flow component directing toward the gas flow forming the gas curtain. The above-mentioned structure prevents increase over time in a partial pressure of oxidizing gas in the FOUP fixed by a FIMS system in an open state.
Claims5
A lid opening/closing system for inserting and removing an object to be contained by removing a lid from a storage container to open an opening of the storage container, the storage container comprising a main body capable of containing therein the object to be contained and having the opening in one surface thereof, and a lid capable of being separated from the main body for closing the opening to form airtight space together with the main body, the lid opening/closing system comprising:
- a mount base on which the storage container is mounted;
- an opening portion adjacent to the mount base and facing the opening;
- a door capable of holding the lid and capable of closing the opening portion, the door connecting the opening and the opening portion by opening the opening portion while holding the lid;
- a curtain nozzle located outside a first side that is one of sides of the opening portion on the side opposite to the side where the mount base is located with respect to the opening portion and capable of ejecting inert gas substantially linearly toward a second side opposite to said first side;
- and
- an inert gas supply nozzle which is located on an inner side of the storage container relative to the curtain nozzle and which is adapted to eject inert gas through the opening portion and the opening toward the inside of the storage container without having any component of gas flow directing toward the inert gas flow ejected from said curtain nozzle.
A lid opening/closing system for inserting and removing an object to be contained, by removing a lid from a storage container to open an opening of the storage container, the storage container comprising a main body capable of containing therein the object to be contained and having the opening in one surface thereof, and a lid capable of being separated from the main body for closing the opening to form airtight space together with the main body, the lid opening/closing system comprising:
- a mount base on which the storage container is mounted;
- an opening portion adjacent to the mount base and facing the opening;
- a door capable of holding the lid and capable of closing the opening portion, the door connecting the opening and the opening portion by opening the opening portion while holding the lid;
- a nozzle cover having an inner space, the nozzle cover located outside a first side that is one of sides of the opening portion on the side opposite to the side where the mount base is located with respect to the opening portion;
- a curtain nozzle capable of ejecting inert through the opening portion and the opening gas substantially linearly toward a second side opposite to said first side, said curtain nozzle comprising a nozzle main body provided in said inner space and having a nozzle opening in said inner space, said nozzle opening being open toward a direction of ejection of the inert gas by said curtain nozzle to eject the inert gas;
- and an inert gas supply nozzle which is located on an inner side of the storage container relative to the curtain nozzle and which is adapted to eject inert gas toward the inside of the storage container without having any component of gas flow directing toward the inert gas flow ejected from said curtain nozzle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.