Patent ID: 7914246

Claim:
A system for storing and moving wafer carriers, comprising: an overhead transport mechanism adapted to support a plurality of wafer carriers and transport the plurality of wafer carriers along a wafer carrier transport path; a plurality of transporters adapted to move along the overhead transport mechanism, each transporter including: end effectors adapted to engage an inverted v-shaped groove along each lower surface of handles of a wafer carrier, and a coupling mechanism adapted to couple the transporter to the overhead transport mechanism; a storage apparatus frame adapted to be positioned adjacent the overhead transport mechanism; at least one shelf supported by the frame and adapted to support and store a wafer carrier; and a movable portion supported by the storage apparatus frame, the movable portion being adapted to extend and retract relative to the frame, so as to contact a wafer carrier supported by the overhead transport mechanism, and so as to remove the wafer carrier from the overhead transport mechanism by elevating the inverted v-shaped grooved handles of the wafer carrier above a level of the end effectors, such that the movable portion supports the wafer carrier and the adjacent overhead transport mechanism no longer supports the wafer carrier.