Purge device, purge stocker, and purge method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10818529-B2
Application number	US-201615755662-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2016
Priority date	Aug 31, 2015
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A purge device capable of appropriately purging a container while saving purge gas includes a first purge nozzle that supplies a purge gas to a container to be purged, an internal state detector capable of detecting an internal state of the container before a purging process with the first purge nozzle is started, and a purge determiner that determines purge conditions for the container based on a detection result from the internal state detector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A purge device comprising:
a first purge nozzle that supplies a purge gas to a container to be purged;
an internal state detector that detects an internal state of the container before a purging process with the first purge nozzle is started;
a purge determiner that determines purge conditions for supplying the purge gas through the first purge nozzle to the container based on a detection result from the internal state detector; and
a second purge nozzle that supplies a purge gas to the container and is provided in a conveyance path of the container to a purge position at which the container and the first purge nozzle are connected to each other; wherein
the internal state detector detects the internal state of the container based on a composition of an exhaust gas when the purge gas is supplied through the second purge nozzle to the container.

2. The purge device according to claim 1 , wherein the internal state detector detects a concentration of moisture or oxygen in the exhaust gas, and detects the internal state of the container based on the concentration.

3. The purge device according to claim 1 , further comprising a flow rate controller that controls a flow rate of the purge gas supplied through the first purge nozzle to the container; wherein
the purge determiner controls the flow rate controller based on the determined purge conditions.

4. The purge device according to claim 3 , wherein the purge conditions include the flow rate of the purge gas and a supply time of the purge gas supplied through the first purge nozzle to the container.

5. A purge stocker comprising:
the purge device according to claim 1 ; and
a shelf that holds the container purged based on the purge conditions.

6. The purge stocker according to claim 5 , wherein the internal state detector detects a concentration of moisture or oxygen in the exhaust gas, and detects the internal state of the container based on the concentration.

7. The purge stocker according to claim 5 , further comprising a flow rate controller that controls a flow rate of the purge gas supplied through the first purge nozzle to the container; wherein
the purge determiner controls the flow rate controller based on the determined purge conditions.

8. The purge stocker according to claim 7 , wherein the purge conditions include the flow rate of the purge gas and a supply time of the purge gas supplied through the first purge nozzle to the container.

9. A purge method comprising:
supplying a purge gas through a first purge nozzle to a container to be purged;
detecting an internal state of the container at a position that is different from the first purge nozzle and before a purging process using the first purge nozzle is started; and
determining purge conditions for supplying the purge gas through the first purge nozzle to the container based on the detected internal state of the container; wherein
the internal state of the container is detected based on a composition of an exhaust gas when a purge gas is supplied to the container through a second purge nozzle that is provided in a conveyance path of the container to a purge position at which the container and the first purge nozzle are connected to each other.

Assignees

• Murata Machinery Ltd

Inventors

• Murata Masanao
• Yamaji Takashi

Classifications

• H10P72/1924 Primary

  characterised by atmosphere control · CPC title

• H10P72/1926

  characterised by the presence of atmosphere modifying elements inside or attached to the closed carrier · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/3404 Primary

  Storage means · CPC title

• B65G1/00

  Storing articles, individually or in orderly arrangement, in warehouses or magazines (conveyor combinations in warehouses, magazines or workshops B65G37/00; stacking of articles B65G57/00; removing articles from stacks B65G59/00; loading machines B65G65/02) · CPC title