Patent ID: 6581264
Filing Date: 2003-06-24
Classification: H01L,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for opening and closing a lid of a transportation container comprises: the transportation container comprising; a container body for housing precision substrates, a detachable lid adapted to engage in and cover an open end face of the container body via a seal gasket, and a locking mechanism adapted to fix the lid engage into the open end face of the container body, wherein the locking mechanism having a pair of protrusions formed at the opposing sides of a rim of the open end face of the container body, and having a pair of clamp plates which are swingably journaled on opposing sides of the lid to clamp the protrusions, each protrusion having, on the back thereof, a groove to be clamped, each clamp plate having attachment shafts for the lid formed in one end of the clamp plate and operated parts for automatic operation formed in the other end, each clamp plate being provided with an approximately u-shaped groove holes to be fitted with the protrusion, thereby a clamping piece of an approximately rectangular shape to be inserted an fitted in the clamping groove, such that it can be bent in the thickness direction of the clamp plate; a transportation mechanism for moving a mounting base for mounting the container body of the transportation container back and forth between an operating region and a supply/discharge region; a plurality of positioning members for positioning the container body on the mounting base; a lift mechanism adapted to move up and down a support base between the operation region and siding region; a clamp mechanism mounted on the support base of the lift mechanism to hold the lid; and operation mechanisms mounted on opposing sides of the support base, the operation mechanisms being adapted to allow the clamp plates of the locking mechanism to swing to a close position where the lid is fixed to the open end face of the container body, wherein the method comprising:positioning and mounting the container body on the mounting base of the transportation mechanism through a plurality of positioning members; lifting the support base of the lift mechanism from the siding region to the operation region; advancing the mounting base of the transportation mechanism from a supply/discharge region to the operation region to hold the lid by the clamp mechanisms; swinging the clamp plates into the release position where the lid can be removed; retracting the mounting base from the operation region to the supply/discharge region to separate the lid from the container body; and lowering the support base from the operation region to the siding region.