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:
Oct. 29, 2002
Filed:
Oct. 24, 2001
Tetsunori Otaguro, Tokyo, JP;
Hirata Corporation, , JP;
Abstract
A FOUP opener opens and closes a FOUP door which closes a front opening portion of a FOUP which contains a plurality of semiconductor wafers. The FOUP opener includes a dock plate for carrying and positioning the FOUP; a dock moving mechanism for moving the dock plate to a position for detachment/attachment of the FOUP door; a port door including a detachment/attachment mechanism for detaching/attaching the FOUP door and a holder mechanism for holding the FOUP door; a port plate including an opening portion, the opening portion being closed by the port door; a port door horizontal-movement mechanism for horizontally moving the port door; and a port door vertical-movement mechanism for vertically moving the port door with the port door holding the FOUP door, so as to house the FOUP door. The port door includes a seal member for sealing a space defined between an outside wall of the FOUP door and an outside wall of the port door.