Patent ID: 7841371

Claim:
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 toward a second side opposite to said first side; and a cover which projects farther from a wall in which the opening portion is defined relative to the curtain nozzle so as to cover the curtain nozzle, wherein said cover defines a space around a nozzle opening of the curtain nozzle that ejects the inert gas and said cover is open toward a direction of ejection of the inert gas by the curtain nozzle, and wherein said cover further includes a pair of plate members which are located outside of sides of the opening portion other than said first and second sides thereof so that said cover is of a U-shape which defines a space of region of the gas flow ejected from said curtain nozzle in the side opposite to the side where the mount base is located with respect to the opening portion, and said pair of plate members of said cover are attached to a wall in which the opening portion is defined.