Patent US5019839A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0047132A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0047132A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method of and apparatus for transferring semiconductor wafers between carrier members
Assignee: Heraeus Quarzschmelze GmbH
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Filing: 1981-08-26
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2001-08-26
Abstract
Abstract This invention relates to a method of transferring articles (71) between first (68) and second (69) carrier members, wherein articles (71) in a first carrier member (68) are caused to pass nearly, but not quite wholly, into a second carrier member (69) whereafter the carrier members are subjected to a displacement and said articles (71) are allowed to pass wholly into said second carrier member (69). Apparatus for carrying out this method comprises a displaceable housing (40) for containing a baffle means (48) adapted to receive articles from a first carrier member placed in the housing and means for passing such articles into a second carrier member along a distance less than that represented by a final desired position. Means (41) are provided for displacing the housing (40), the completion of travel of the articles to this final desired position being effected only after displacement of said housing. The means for displacing the housing comprises inversion means, and conveniently this is brought about by rotatably mounting the housing on a spindle (41). The further distance travelled by the articles (71) after rotational displacement of the housing is under the influence of gravity and is of very small dimensions particularised as being of the order of 2 mm.
Inventors
- 👤 Christopher John Bayne
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 20:39
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P72/00; H10P72/30; H10P72/34; H10P72/3411; H10P72/3412; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S414/00; Y10S414/135; Y10S414/137; Y10S414/138; Y10S414/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
62 words
A method of transferring articles (71) between first (68) and second (69) carrier members, characterised in that articles in a first carrier member (68) are caused to pass nearly, but not quite wholly, into a second carrier member (69) whereafter the carrier members are subjected to a displacement and said articles (71) are allowed to pass wholly into said second carrier member.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
62 words
A method of transferring articles (71) between first (68) and second (69) carrier members, characterised in that articles in a first carrier member (68) are caused to pass nearly, but not quite wholly, into a second carrier member (69) whereafter the carrier members are subjected to a displacement and said articles (71) are allowed to pass wholly into said second carrier member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
2 . A method according to Claim 1, characterised in that said carrier members (68,69) are located in a housing (40), and the displacement is effected by inverting said housing.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to Claim 2, characterised in that said housing (40) is inverted by a rotary movement, the final movement of the articles (71) being under the control of gravity.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
97 words
Apparatus for transferring articles (71) between first (68) and second (69) carrier members characterised by a displaceable housing (40) for containing a baffle means (48) and adapted to receive articles (71) from a first carrier member (68) placed in said housing (40) and means (56, 57) for passing such articles into a second carrier member (69) along a distance less than that represented by a final desired position, and means (41) for displacing said housing (40), the completion of travel of said articles (71) to said final desired position being effected only after displacement of said housing.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
97 words
Apparatus for transferring articles (71) between first (68) and second (69) carrier members characterised by a displaceable housing (40) for containing a baffle means (48) and adapted to receive articles (71) from a first carrier member (68) placed in said housing (40) and means (56, 57) for passing such articles into a second carrier member (69) along a distance less than that represented by a final desired position, and means (41) for displacing said housing (40), the completion of travel of said articles (71) to said final desired position being effected only after displacement of said housing.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that said means (41) for displacing said housing comprises inversion means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, characterised in that said housing (40) is rotatably mounted and the further distance travelled by the articles (71) after rotational displacement of the housing being under the influence of gravity and of very small dimensions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, characterised by locking means to prevent said housing (40) being inadvertantly displaced before the transfer of the articles (71).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, characterised in that said housing (40) is mounted on a horizontal spindle (41) for movement through 180° in either direction.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus as claimed in Cladm 4, characterised in that said housing (40) has frontal (47) and/or lateral (51) loading and unloading ports to enable said carrier members (68, 69) to be loaded into and unloaded from said housing (40).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that the means for passing said articles comprises a lifting pillar (56) caused to move substantially vertically beneath a first said carrier member (68) from a control means (60) located outside said housing (40), stopping means being provided to limit said vertical movement.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
103 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that said baffle means (48) comprises two part (48, 48a) slidably engaged one above the other, each said part being grooved, the grooves (73) in a first part (48b) being spaced apart by half the distance between the grooves (72) of a second part (48a) whereby selected grooves in said first part can be used on transfer of articles (71) through said baffle (48), indexing means (52, 53) being provided to effect said sliding movement, after one selected set of grooves of said first part have been occupied by articles transferred from said second part.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 11, characterised in that said first part (48b) of said baffle (48) is subdivided into two sections, a second section (48d) being laterally removable from a first section thereof for movement through said lateral port (51) of said housing (40), said sections being held together by sets of peg means (79), receivable in apertures (80).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 11, characterised in that said grooves (72, 73) are provided in inserts (74, 75) re= ceivable in said parts (48a, 48b) of said baffle means (48).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 12, characterised in that said second section (48a) of said first part (48b) of said baffle is secured to a support platform (83) by means of posts (84).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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