Abstract:
A storage cassette ( 1 ) for accommodating substrates includes: a box-shaped case ( 10 ) having a space for retaining substrates and defining an entrance for inserting the substrates into the space; and a pair of stopping mechanisms ( 60 ) each including a top first locating mechanism ( 30 ), a bottom second locating mechanism ( 50 ) and a stopper ( 40 ) engaged therebetween. The stopping mechanisms are located at opposite sides of the entrance. Each locating mechanism defines a first locating means, a second locating means closer to a corresponding side of the case than the first locating means, and a connecting means interconnecting the first and second locating means. In a first position, the stopper is engaged in the first locating means, and substrates accommodated in the cassette cannot be displaced; in a second position, the stopper is engaged in the second locating means, and the substrates can be freely slid out from the space.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a cassette, and more particularly to a storage cassette which can conveniently store substrates therein.  
           [0003]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0004]    In handling substrates, such as glass substrates for LCDs, storage cassettes are useful for holding and stowing the substrates and keeping them from contacting each other. The substrates are thus protected from damaging each other.  
           [0005]    Referring to FIG. 6, a conventional cassette is described in Japan Yodogawa Kasei publication number H05-147680. The cassette  1  comprises an upper frame  2 , a lower frame  5 , a plurality of supporting bodies  3  therebetween, and a plurality of stoppers  4  therebetween. The supporting bodies  3  are plate-shaped, and define a plurality of grooves  31 . Two stoppers  4  are shown, both being at a first end of the cassette  1 . Thus, the frames  2 ,  5 , the supporting bodies  3 , and the stoppers  4  define a space therebetween for accommodating substrates. An opposite second end of the cassette  1  defines an entrance for inserting the substrates into the space. Another two stoppers  4  may then be attached to the cassette  1  at the second end, thereby securing the substrates in the cassette  1 .  
           [0006]    The cassette  1  may be transported from one place to another place in an upright orientation with no stoppers  4  attached to the second end thereof. However, if the cassette  1  is mishandled and tipped, the substrates may slide out from the entrance and be damaged. If stoppers  4  are attached to the second end of the cassette  1 , this prevents the substrates from sliding out from the cassette  1 . However, when the substrates need to be removed from the cassette  1 , these stoppers  4  must be detached. The attachment and detachment of said stoppers  4  is troublesome and time-consuming. Moreover, the substrates are liable to be damaged during such attachment and detachment.  
           [0007]    For the above reasons, an improved cassette with convenient stoppers is desired.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0008]    An object of the invention is to provide a storage cassette with conveniently positionable stoppers.  
           [0009]    In order to achieve the object set forth above, a cassette for accommodating the substrates, includes: a box-shaped case having a space for retaining substrates and defining an entrance for inserting the substrates into the space; and a pair of stopping mechanisms each comprising a top first locating mechanism, a bottom second locating mechanism, and a stopper engaged therebetween. The stopping mechanisms are located at opposite sides of the entrance, each locating mechanism defines a first locating means, a second locating means closer to a corresponding side of the case than the first locating means, and a connecting means interconnecting the first locating means and the second locating means.  
           [0010]    In a first position, the stopper is engaged in the first locating means, and substrates accommodated in the cassette cannot be displaced; in a second position, the stopper is engaged in the second locating means, and the substrates can be freely slid out from the space.  
           [0011]    Further, the present invention provides a method for operating the storage cassette. The method comprises the steps of: providing the storage cassette comprising first and second locating holes, connecting slots interconnecting the first and second locating holes, guiding slots, a stopper having a first coupling ring and a second coupling ring engaged in the first locating holes, and a compressed spring; pulling the stopper down so that the spring is further compressed, and the first and second coupling rings are disengaged from the first locating holes respectively; moving the stopper to the second locating holes along the connecting slots and the guiding slots until the first and second coupling rings are received in the second locating holes; and releasing pressure on the stopper.  
           [0012]    When moving the stopper from the first position to the second position, the stopper is simply slid from the first locating holes to the second locating holes along the connecting slots. In this process, no part of the cassette needs to be detached. The risk of misplacing loose parts is eliminated, and the operating process is simple and speedy.  
           [0013]    Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a cassette according to the present invention, showing stoppers thereof located in first locating holes;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is an enlarged, isometric view of a stopping mechanism of the cassette of FIG. 1;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are enlarged views of circled portions IIIA and IIIB of FIG. 2 respectively;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is an exploded view of FIG. 2;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 1, but showing the stoppers located in second locating holes; and  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a conventional cassette. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]    Reference will be made to the drawings to describe the invention in detail.  
         [0021]    Referring to FIG. 1, a cassette  1  of the present invention comprise a case  10  and four stopping mechanisms  60 . The case  10  comprises an upper frame  12 , a lower frame  14 , four supporting rods  13 , and two pairs of supporting plates  20 . The frames  12 ,  14  and supporting rods  13  may be made of resin, and produced by way of injection molding. Two supporting rods  13  and two supporting plates  20  are located between the upper frame  12  and the lower frame  14  at each of opposite lateral sides of the case  10 . The two supporting plates  20  and two supporting rods  13  at each of the opposite lateral sides of the case  10  are located in a common plane. Each supporting plate  20  comprises a plurality of parallel retaining ribs  23  on an inner face thereof. Each retaining rib  23  includes a plurality of coplanar protrusions  25  extending inwardly into the case  20 . The case  10  can also be viewed as comprising two pairs of opposing supporting plates  20 . That is, the supporting plates  20  in each pair of supporting plates  20  face each other, with the protrusion  25  thereof being symmetrically opposite each other. The retaining ribs  23  and protrusions  25  cooperate with each other to retain a plurality of substrates therebetween. Thus, the case  10  defines a space for accommodating the substrates, and two opposite entrances for inserting the substrates into the space.  
         [0022]    Two stopping mechanisms  60  are located at respective opposite sides of each of the entrances. Referring also to FIG. 2, each stopping mechanism  60  comprises a first locating mechanism  30 , a second locating mechanism  50 , and a stopper  40  between the first locating mechanism  30  and the second locating mechanism  50 .  
         [0023]    The first locating mechanisms  30  and the second locating mechanisms  50  have essentially the same structure, therefore only one first locating mechanism  30  is described in detail herebelow. Referring also to FIG. 3A and FIG. 4, the locating mechanism  30  comprises a guiding plate  32  which is “L” shaped, a locating plate  36  parallel to the guiding plate  32 , a spacer block  34  for connecting the guiding plate  32  and the locating plate  36  together, a sliding ring  38 , a coil spring  62 , and a generally “C” shaped clip  48 . The guiding plate  32  defines an “L” shaped guiding slot  324 . The guiding slot  324  has a uniform width, and comprises a first part  326  and a second part  328 . A pair of first mounting holes  320  is defined in the guiding plate  32  at opposite sides of the guiding slot  324  respectively, near an opening (not labeled) of the guiding slot  324 . A pair of second mounting holes  322  is defined in the guiding plate  32  at opposite sides of the guiding slot  324  respectively, more distant from the opening of the guiding slot  324  than the first mounting holes  320 . The locating plate  36  defines a first locating hole  365 , a second locating hole  366 , and a narrowed connecting slot  364  interconnecting the first locating hole  365  and the second locating hole  366 . A diameter of the first locating hole  365  is the same as that of the second locating hole  366 , and greater than a width of the connecting slot  364 . The locating plate  36  further defines a pair of second mounting holes  362  adjacent to the second locating hole  366 . The spacer block  34  defines a pair of first mounting holes  340  and a pair of second mounting holes  342 , corresponding to the first and second mounting holes  320 ,  322  of the guiding plate  32 . The sliding ring  38  defines a central through hole  384 , and an outer annular groove  382 . A diameter of the sliding ring  38  at the annular groove  382  is slightly less than the width of the guiding slot  324 .  
         [0024]    Referring also to FIG. 3B, each second locating mechanism  50  comprises a guiding plate  52 , a locating plate  56  parallel to the guiding plate  52 , a spacer block  54 , and a sliding ring  58 . The guiding plate  52  defines a guiding slot  524 . The locating plate  56  defines a first locating hole  565 , a second locating hole  566 , and a narrowed connecting slot  564  interconnecting the first locating hole  565  and the second locating hole  566 . The sliding ring  58  defines a through hole  584  and an annular groove  582 . In addition, first mounting holes  520 ,  540  and second mounting holes  522 ,  542 ,  562  are respectively defined in the guiding plate  52 , the spacer block  54  and the locating plate  56 .  
         [0025]    The stopper  40  is substantially an elongate cylinder, and comprises an upper end  43 , a lower end  45  and an intermediate main body  41 . Diameters of the upper and lower ends  43 ,  45  are identical, and less than a diameter of the main body  41 . The stopper  40  defines a first coupling ring  42  between the upper end  43  and main body  41 . A diameter of the first coupling ring  42  is less than that of the main body  41  and greater than that of the upper end  43 . The diameter of the first coupling ring  42  is also slightly less than that of the first and second locating holes  365 ,  366 . The lower end  45  defines a second coupling ring  44  a predetermined distance below the main body  41 . A diameter of the second coupling ring  44  is the same as that of the first coupling ring  42 . The upper end  43  defines an annular groove  46  near a top (not labeled) thereof. A diameter of the upper end  43  in the annular groove  46  is substantially the same as an inner diameter of the clip  48 .  
         [0026]    Assembly of each stopping mechanism  60  in the case  10  is as follows. The sliding rings  38 ,  58  are received in the openings of the guiding slots  324 ,  524 , and slid to inmost ends of the guiding slots  324 ,  524 . Screws  312  are sequentially received through the second mounting holes  362 ,  342 ,  322 , thereby fixing the locating plate  36 , the spacer block  34  and the guiding plate  32  together as an upper stack in that order. The connecting slot  364  is parallel to the first part  326  of the guiding slot  324 , with nothing therebetween. The second part  328  of the guiding slot  324  is covered by the spacer block  34 . Screws  512  are sequentially received through the second mounting holes  562 ,  542 ,  522 , thereby fixing the locating plate  56 , the spacer block  54  and the guiding plate  52  together as a lower stack in that order. The upper and lower ends  43 ,  45  of the stopper  40  are passed through the through holes  384 ,  584  of the sliding rings  38 ,  58  respectively. The first and second coupling rings  42 ,  44  are engaged in the first locating holes  365 ,  565  respectively. The coil spring  62  is placed around the upper end  43  on the sliding ring  38 . The coil spring  62  is compressed, to enable the clip  48  to be snappingly received in the annular groove  46 . The stopper  40  is thus engaged between the first locating mechanism  30  and the second locating mechanism  50 . Screws  310  are sequentially received through the first mounting holes  340 ,  320  and the upper frame  12 , thereby fixing said upper stack to the upper frame  12  adjacent to a corresponding supporting rod  13  at one of the entrances. Screws  510  are sequentially received through the first mounting holes  540 ,  520  and the lower frame  12 , thereby fixing said lower stack to the lower frame  14  adjacent to the same supporting rod  13 . The second locating holes  366 ,  566  are close to an inner side  131  of the supporting rod  13 , and the connecting slots  364 ,  564  are oriented perpendicular to the corresponding supporting plate  20 . If the first and second coupling rings  42 ,  44  are moved out of engagement in the first locating holes  365 ,  565 , the upper and lower ends  43 ,  45  at the sliding rings  382 ,  582  are slidable along the guiding slots  324 ,  524 .  
         [0027]    In a first position, the first and second coupling rings  42 ,  44  are engaged in the first locating holes  365 ,  565  respectively. Due to elastic force exerted by the compressed coil spring  62 , the stopper  40  cannot move up or down. In addition, because the diameter of the coupling rings  42 ,  44  is greater than that of the connecting slots  364 ,  564 , the stopper  40  cannot move in horizontal directions. Therefore substrates accommodated in the cassette  1  cannot be displaced.  
         [0028]    When the substrates need to be taken out from the cassette  1 , the stopper  40  of each stopping mechanism  60  at one of the entrances is pulled down so that the coil spring  62  is further compressed. The first and second coupling rings  42 ,  44  are disengaged from the first locating holes  365 ,  565  respectively. The stopper  40  is then moved so that the upper and lower ends  43 ,  45  slide along the connecting slots  364 ,  564  and the guiding slots  324 ,  524  until the upper and lower ends  43 ,  45  are received in the second locating holes  366 ,  566 . Pressure on the stopper  40  is then released. The coil spring  62  decompresses, and the stopper  40  moves up such that the first and second coupling rings  42 ,  44  are engaged in the second locating holes  364 ,  564 . In this second position, the stoppers  40  of the stopping mechanisms  60  are close to the inner sides  131  of the supporting rods  13 . The substrates are then freely slid out from the space along the protrusions  25 .  
         [0029]    In the above-described process, no part of the cassette  1  needs to be detached. The risk of misplacing loose parts is eliminated, and removal and insertion of the substrates is simple and speedy.  
         [0030]    It is to be understood, however, than even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.