Lid unit for thin-plate supporting container and method for attaching lid unit

Abstract

A lid unit for closing a container body of a thin-plate supporting container for use in storing semiconductor wafers therein is provided. A simplified attaching-and-detaching mechanism of the lid unit includes a locking member extending from the main body engageable with a receiving device on the container body; a guiding member that reaches the receiving device in a state in which the main body fits lightly in the container body, and guides the locking member into the receiving device; and a feed member that rotates by engaging with the locking member, extends the locking member from the main body to be engageable with the receiving device on the container body. A rotation region of the feed member is divided into a rotation region for engaging the locking member with the receiving device on the container body and fixing the lid unit to the container body, and a rotation region for further rotating the feed member and fixing the feed member with the lid unit fixed to the container body.

1 . A lid unit for a thin-plate supporting container for closing a container body of a thin-plate supporting container to be transported with thin-plates received therein, the lid unit comprising: 
 a simplified attaching-and-detaching mechanism provided in a main body of the lid unit, which constitutes an outer shell of the lid unit, and allowing the lid unit to be attached and detached by locking and unlocking with respect to the container body;    wherein the simplified attaching-and-detaching mechanism comprises: 
 a locking member extending from the main body engageable with a receiving device on the container body;  
 a guiding member disposed at the extremity of the locking member that reaches the receiving device in a state in which the main body fits lightly in the container body, and guides the locking member into the receiving device; and  
 a feed member that rotates by engaging with the locking member, extends the locking member from the main body to be engageable with the receiving device on the container body;  
   wherein a rotation region is divided into a rotation region for engaging the locking member with the receiving device on the container body by a rotation of the feed member and fixing the lid unit to the container body, and a rotation region for further rotating the feed member and fixing the feed member with the lid unit fixed to the container body.    
   
   
       2 . The lid unit for the thin-plate supporting container according to  claim 1 , wherein a gap for preventing contact of a latch key fitted in the key groove is provided between a key groove of the feed member and a holding cover covering the feed member.  
   
   
       3 . A method for attaching a lid unit which attaches the lid unit to a container body of a thin-plate supporting container to be transported with thin-plates received therein, the method comprising: 
 providing a simplified attaching-and-detaching mechanism in a main body of the lid unit, which constitutes an outer shell of the lid unit, and allowing the lid unit to be attached and detached by locking and unlocking with respect to the container body;    wherein the simplified attaching-and-detaching mechanism comprises: 
 a locking member extending from the main body engageable with a receiving device on the container body,  
 a guiding member disposed at the extremity of the locking member that reaches the receiving device in a state in which the main body fits lightly in the container body, and guides the locking member into the receiving device; and  
 a feed member that rotates by engaging with the locking member, extends the locking member from the main body, reaches the guiding member to the receiving device, and guides the locking member into the receiving device;  
   wherein the lid unit is sucked and supported by a sucking pad with a latch key fitted in the key groove of the feed member, and suction of the sucking pad is released when the feed member is rotated and the guiding member reaches the receiving device with the main body of the lid unit fitted in the container body.