The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 24, 1998
Filed:
Feb. 21, 1995
Sho Masujima, Tokyo, JP;
Eisaku Miyauchi, Akita-ken, JP;
Toshihiko Miyajima, Akita-ken, JP;
Hideaki Watanabe, Akita-ken, JP;
TDK Corporation, , JP;
Abstract
A clean transfer method and an apparatus therefor capable of facilitating storage and transfer of transferred objects by a vacuum clean box and realizing transfer of the objects to various processing units other than a vacuum unit. A vacuum clean box and a clean unit are airtightly connected to each other. The vacuum clean box includes a first shutter acting also as a lid and arranged so as to airtightly close a first opening of the box. The clean unit is provided with a second opening selectively closed by a second shutter. Airtight connection between the vacuum clean box and the clean unit is carried out while keeping the first and second openings closed by the first and second shutters, respectively, to thereby form a closed space therebetween which the first and second shutters face. Then, the closed space is evacuated to a vacuum, followed by opening of only the first shutter. Subsequently, a clean atmosphere which is substantially identical with a clean atmosphere in the clean unit is formed in the closed space and the second shutter is opened to introduce the first and second shutters into the clean unit.