Free access floor structure, and manufacturing apparatus and carrier apparatus adapted for floor structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016318535-A1
Application number	US-201415101603-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 2, 2014
Priority date	Dec 3, 2013
Publication date	Nov 3, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A free access floor structure to install a manufacturing apparatus such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, in a short time, and a manufacturing apparatus and a carrier apparatus adapted for the floor structure An embodiment of the manufacturing apparatus includes an apparatus-side connector which is provided, facing downward, to a bottom plate of a manufacturing apparatus. A floor structure of an embodiment includes a floor plate to be worked into a floor surface. The floor structure includes a floor-side connector which is provided, facing upward, to the floor plate so as to be connected with the apparatus-side connector according to a lowering operation of the manufacturing apparatus. An installation step (mounting step, piping/wiring step) of the manufacturing apparatus may thereby be performed in one step. As a result, the labor and the time required to install the manufacturing apparatus may be saved.

First claim

1 . A free access floor structure on which a manufacturing apparatus having an apparatus-side connector provided, facing downward, to a bottom plate is to be installed, comprising:
a floor plate to be installed on a floor surface, and a floor-side connector which is provided, facing upward, to the floor plate so as to be connected with the apparatus-side connector according to a lowering operation of the manufacturing apparatus.

2 . The free access floor structure according to claim 1 , wherein the floor plate is provided with a first positioning mechanism to position the bottom plate of the manufacturing apparatus at a predetermined position with respect to the floor plate, and thus, fitting positions of the apparatus-side connector and the floor-side connector coincide with each other in a horizontal direction in the positioned state.

3 . The free access floor structure according to claim 1 , wherein the floor plate is provided with a second positioning mechanism to position, in a width direction, a frame of a carrier apparatus carrying the manufacturing apparatus.

4 . The free access floor structure according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus-side connector and the floor-side connector are connectors to connect a gas supply pipe, an exhaust gas pipe, a power cable, or a LAN cable.

5 . The free access floor structure according to claim 1 , wherein the floor-side connector is attached to a through hole of the floor plate without protruding upward from an upper surface of the floor plate, and a cover is provided to the through hole in a detachable/attachable manner.

6 . A manufacturing apparatus to be installed on a free access floor structure having a floor-side connector provided, facing upward, to a floor plate, comprising:
an apparatus-side connector which is provided, facing downward, to a bottom plate so as to be connected with the floor-side connector according to a lowering operation of the manufacturing apparatus, and a first positioning target mechanism, which is provided to the bottom plate, to position the bottom plate with respect to the floor plate in cooperation with a first positioning mechanism provided to the floor plate of the free access floor structure.

7 . The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein one of the first positioning mechanism and the first positioning target mechanism includes three V-grooves and another thereof includes three spherical bodies, and the bottom plate is positioned with respect to the floor plate by the spherical bodies fitted into the corresponding V-grooves.

8 . The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the three V-grooves are formed along a substantially Y shape in plan view.

9 . A carrier apparatus to lift and carry a manufacturing apparatus, comprising:
a frame that is capable of moving on a floor surface, a first arm that is supported on the frame in a manner capable of rotating around one end portion, and a second arm that is supported on the frame in a manner capable of rotating around one end portion, a lift plate that is mounted on upper sides of another end portion of the first arm and another end portion of the second arm, a wedge guide that is provided on the frame in a manner capable of advancing or retracting, wherein, when the wedge guide advances and an inclined surface portion of the wedge guide pushes a contact portion of the other end portion of the first arm up an inclined surface of the inclined surface portion, the first arm is rotated around the one end portion and the second arm is rotated around its one end portion in coordination with the first arm so as to raise the lift plate.

10 . The carrier apparatus of lift-up fixing type according to claim 9 , wherein:
a horizontal portion is formed at an upper portion of the wedge guide, and when the lift plate reaches a highest position, the contact portion is moved onto the horizontal portion.

11 . The carrier apparatus of lift-up fixing type according to claim 9 , wherein:
the contact portion of the first arm has a protruding curved shape, and a horizontal portion of the wedge guide is formed continuously to the inclined surface portion.

12 . The carrier apparatus of lift-up fixing type according to claim 9 , wherein:
the frame is provided with a fitting portion to be fitted into a fitting receiving portion of the manufacturing apparatus, and the frame is to be positioned at a predetermined position with respect to the manufacturing apparatus by the fitting portion being fitted into the fitting receiving portion at a time of insertion of the lift plate under the manufacturing apparatus.

13 . The carrier apparatus of lift-up fixing type according to claim 9 , wherein:
the frame is provided with an abutting portion to be abutted against an abutment receiving portion of the manufacturing apparatus, and impact applied to the manufacturing apparatus by the frame is to be mitigated by the abutting portion abutting against the abutment receiving portion at a time of insertion of the lift plate under the manufacturing apparatus.

Assignees

• Sanyo Co Ltd
• Nat Inst Advanced Ind Science & Tech

Inventors

• Anpo Tadanari
• Hara Shiro

Classifications

• H10P72/3408

  Docking arrangements · CPC title

• H10P72/3214

  by means of a cart or a vehicle · CPC title

• E04F15/02405 Primary

  Floor panels · CPC title

• B62B3/0625 Primary

  using rigid mechanical lifting mechanisms, e.g. levers, cams or gears · CPC title

• B62B2205/06

  Foldable with a scissor-like mechanism · CPC title