Substrate container with improved substrate retainer and door latch assist mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10784135-B2
Application number	US-201615765076-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2016
Priority date	Oct 1, 2015
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

A substrate container with a substrate retainer mounted to a biased actuation linkage, and a door assembly with latch assist. Various configurations for biasing the substrate retainer in a substrate non-engagement position are disclosed. The biasing helps prevent the substrate retainer from hanging up due to friction that might otherwise counter the gravitational force that is otherwise relied upon for disengagement. The assembly may also include retention clips that positively secure the substrate retainer to the actuation linkage. The latch assist provides springs that deliver stored energy to assist in latching and unlatching the door assembly from the substrate carrier. The latch assist further provides off-center forces that bias the latching mechanism in either an unlatched or a fully latched configuration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate container, comprising
a container portion including a door frame defining an opening;
a door configured to mount within said door frame;
an actuation linkage assembly including a frame, a substrate retainer assembly, and a spindle, said spindle being pivotally mounted to said frame and to said substrate retainer assembly, said frame being mounted to an interior wall of said container portion, said substrate retainer assembly being extendible into said opening of said door frame,
said actuation linkage assembly being selectively configurable in a substrate retention position wherein said substrate retainer assembly is configured to be in contact with and actuated by said door when said door is seated within said door frame,
said actuation linkage assembly being selectively configurable in a substrate non-retention position wherein said substrate retainer assembly is configured to extend into said opening of said door frame when said door is absent from said door frame; and
a biasing member operatively coupled to at least one of said frame, said spindle, and said substrate retainer assembly, said biasing member biasing said actuation linkage assembly in said substrate non-retention position, wherein said biasing member includes a spring arm extending from said frame and contacting one of said spindle and said substrate retainer assembly and wherein said spring arm slidably contacts said spindle.

2. The substrate container of claim 1 , further comprising:
a wheel and axle mounted to a lower end of the substrate retainer assembly, the axle being retained to the substrate retainer assembly by a clip-in structure defined at the lower end of the substrate retainer assembly; and
a wheel retention clip mounted to the substrate retainer assembly and configured to prevent the axle from being released from the substrate retainer assembly, the actuation linkage assembly being selectively configurable in a substrate retention position wherein the substrate retainer assembly is in contact with the wheel and actuated by the door when the door is seated within the door frame, the wheel being configured to roll along an interior surface of the door.

3. The substrate container of claim 2 , wherein the wheel retention clip includes a plurality of hook portions that couple with the substrate retainer assembly to secure the wheel retention clip to the substrate retainer assembly.

4. The substrate container of claim 3 , wherein the substrate retainer assembly includes a base that defines an aperture;
at least one of the plurality of hook portions of the wheel retention clip being coupled to a perimeter of the aperture; and
the wheel retention clip includes registration structures for registering the wheel retention clip within the aperture.

5. The substrate container of claim 2 , further comprising a wheel yoke at the lower end of the substrate retainer assembly, the wheel and axle being mounted to the wheel yoke, wherein
the wheel retention clip includes a plurality of hook portions that couple with the substrate retainer assembly to secure the wheel retention clip to the substrate retainer assembly;
the clip-in structure of the substrate retainer assembly includes a resilient cantilever that exerts a biasing force against the axle to retain the axle within the wheel yoke; and
the wheel retention clip is configured to prevent the resilient cantilever of the clip-in structure from deflecting, thereby preventing the clip-in structure from releasing the axle.

6. The substrate container of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the plurality of hook portions of the wheel retention clip are coupled with the wheel yoke.

Assignees

• Entegris Inc

Inventors

• Tieben Anthony Mathius
• Strickhouser Christopher

Classifications

• H10P72/1914

  characterised by locking systems · CPC title

• H10P72/1912 Primary

  characterised by shock absorbing elements, e.g. retainers or cushions · CPC title

• H01L21/67369 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L21/67373

  Electricity · mapped topic