Mask container

Abstract

A hinged mask-package container with a spring latch for use in the transportation and storage of substrates. The container has a base and lid secured by a slidable spring latch that accepts the container's lid by sliding along the rail when the lid is pressed down to meet the base and then secures the lid and base by sliding back into its original position. The container also employs a living hinge made by an overmolding process whereby the hinge is formed in a first mold and then the container lid and base are formed and joined to the hinge in a second mold.

1 . A mask-package container, the container comprising: 
 a lid and a base defining a storage area, the lid and the base each having a hinge face and a latch face, wherein the lid and base are hingedly connected at their hinge faces;    the latch face of the base including a rail extending distally from the base and a spring mount extending from the rail, the rail having a rail base, a rail platform fixed to the rail base, and a rail endpoint spaced from the spring mount;    the latch face of the lid including a latch-engagement member extending distally from the lid, the latch-engagement member having a guide portion; and    a latch mechanism for securing the base to the lid, the latch mechanism defining an enclosure and including a latch carriage and a spring, the latch carriage slidably engaging the rail, wherein the latch carriage has a lid-engagement member including a guide portion and a notch portion sized to receive the lid's guide portion, the latch mechanism's spring being disposed within the latch carriage extending from an enclosed side of the latch carriage to the spring mount on the latch face of the base, the latch mechanism being slidably disposed along the rail subject to the compression of the spring by an interaction of the lid's guide portion with the latch carriage's guide portion, the latch mechanism's movement being limited in one direction by the rail endpoint and in the other direction by spring forces resulting from displacement of the latch carriage and spring toward the spring mount.    
   
   
       2 . The mask-package container of  claim 1  wherein the latch carriage and spring are molded integrally.  
   
   
       3 . The mask-package container of  claim 1  wherein the latch carriage includes a second engagement member below the lid-engagement member for allowing the latch to be actuated from below.  
   
   
       4 . The mask-package container of claim I wherein the lid's latch-engagement member has the form of a ramp and the latch carriage's lid-engagement member has the form of an opposing ramp.  
   
   
       5 . A mask package having a latch mechanism, the mask package container having a lid and a base, each with latch faces that together form a rail having first and second endpoints and a spring mount spaced between the endpoints, the latch mechanism comprising: 
 a latch carriage slidably engaging the rail and enclosing the spring mount    a spring disposed within the latch carriage toward the spring mount    wherein the latch carriage has a first position that keeps the lid and base latch faces together or apart, the latch carriage's position on the rail being bounded by the first rail endpoint and retained by the spring's force on the spring mount;    wherein the latch carriage has second position that allows the lid and base latch faces to meet or separate, the second position being reached upon application of force urging the latch carriage against the spring force in a retracting direction and toward the second rail endpoint.    
   
   
       6 . The mask-package container of  claim 5  wherein the latch carriage and spring are molded integrally.  
   
   
       7 . The mask-package container of  claim 5  wherein the container has two of the latch mechanisms and they are arranged to have oppositely oriented retracting directions facilitating automatic actuation.  
   
   
       8 . The mask-package container of  claim 5  wherein the lid's latch-engagement member has the form of a ramp and the latch carriage's lid-engagement member has the form of an opposing ramp.  
   
   
       9 . A mask package container including a base, a lid, and a hinge connecting the base to the lid, made by the process of: 
 providing a first mold and a first polymer for the hinge of a mask package container    providing a second mold and a second polymer for the base and lid of a mask package container;    molding the hinge in the first mold with the first polymer;    removing the hinge from the first mold;    placing the hinge in the second mold;    molding the lid and base around the hinge with the second polymer.    
   
   
       10 . The mask package container of  claim 9  made by a process further comprising the steps of: 
 providing a third mold and a third polymer;    molding a latch for securing the lid to the base in the third mold from the third polymer;    fitting the latch to a side of the lid or base without the hinge.    
   
   
       11 . The mask package container made by the process of  claim 9  wherein the second mold provides the base and lid each with latch faces and portions of a rail extending distally from the latch faces.  
   
   
       12 . The mask package container made by the process of  claim 10  wherein the second mold provides the base and lid each with latch faces and portions of a rail extending distally from the latch faces and wherein the step of fitting the latch includes the step of fitting the latch to a portion of the rail.  
   
   
       13 . The mask package container made by the process of  claim 9  wherein the first and second polymers are the same.  
   
   
       14 . The mask package container made by the process of  claim 9  wherein the first and second polymers are different.  
   
   
       15 . The mask package container made by the process of  claim 10  wherein the third polymer is the same as either the first or second polymers.  
   
   
       16 . The mask package container made by the process of  claim 10  wherein the third polymer is different from the first and second polymers.  
   
   
       17 . The mask package container made by the process of  claim 10  wherein the step of molding the latch includes molding a spring integral to the latch.  
   
   
       18 . The mask package container made by the process of  claim 9  wherein the first polymer comprises a plurality of polymers.  
   
   
       19 . The mask package container made by the process of  claim 10  wherein the first polymer comprises a plurality of polymers.  
   
   
       20 . A method of opening a latched reticle container as described in  claim 7  and including the step of forcing a mechanical actuator between the two latch carriages forcing them apart.