Container storage and container storage method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11501991-B2
Application number	US-201716307959-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2017
Priority date	Jun 8, 2016
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

A container storage includes a purger that supplies a purge gas into a stored container and an evacuator that is disposed near a lid of the container and evacuates an atmosphere around the lid.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A container storage comprising:
a mounting stage fixed to a support or a frame;
a purger that is provided on the mounting stage to supply a purge gas into a container on the mounting stage from below the container, the container including a flange on a top of the container and a lid able to be positioned to block a side wall opening of a main body of the container; and
an evacuator that is disposed spaced away from and adjacent to the lid to evacuate a gas leaking from between the side wall opening and the lid when the lid is supported by only the main body of the container and is positioned to block the side wall opening and the purger supplies the purge gas into the container; wherein
when the container is on the mounting stage and the evacuator is disposed to evacuate the gas leaking from between the side wall opening and the lid, an area adjacent to an entire top surface of the flange is empty.

2. The container storage according to claim 1 , wherein the container storage is disposed at or adjacent to a ceiling and is able to receive the container from a ceiling transport vehicle that transports the container.

3. The container storage according to claim 1 , wherein the evacuator includes a hood facing the lid.

4. The container storage according to claim 3 , wherein the hood surrounds a side surface of the container.

5. The container storage according to claim 3 , further comprising a discharge channel through which a gas evacuated through the hood is discharged.

6. The container storage according to claim 1 , wherein the evacuator includes a fan for diffusion.

7. A container storage method for storing a container on a mounting stage fixed to a support or a frame, the container storage method comprising:
supplying a purge gas into the container on the mounting stage from below the container, the container including a flange on a top of the container and a lid able to be positioned to block a side wall opening of a main body of the container; and
evacuating, by an evacuator disposed spaced away from and adjacent to the lid, a gas leaking from between the side wall opening and the lid when the lid is supported by only the main body of the container and is positioned to block the side wall opening and the purge gas is supplied into the container; wherein
when the container is stored on the mounting stage and the evacuator is disposed to evacuate the gas leaking between the side wall opening and the lid, an area adjacent to an entire top surface of the flange is empty.

8. The container storage according to claim 3 , wherein the hood extends at least from the top of the container to a bottom of the container in a vertical direction.

Assignees

• Murata Machinery Ltd

Inventors

• Tsubaki Tatsuo
• Yamaji Takashi

Classifications

• H10P72/3221

  Overhead conveying · CPC title

• H10P72/30

  for conveying, e.g. between different workstations · CPC title

• H10P72/10

  using carriers specially adapted therefor, e.g. front opening unified pods [FOUP] · CPC title

• H10P72/1924 Primary

  characterised by atmosphere control · CPC title

• H10P72/3408

  Docking arrangements · CPC title