Cassette-type container for a sheet-like member

• US 4,611,967 A
• Filed: 07/01/1985
• Issued: 09/16/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tsutsui, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Oresky, Lawrence J.
• Application Number:
  US06/750,282
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 220/337, 220/340, 220/324, 220/334, 206/332, 414/411
• US Class Current: 414/411
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/32 Locating plates or cut films
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/585 Handling cut photosensitive sheets
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/66 Containers specially adapted for masks, mask blanks or pellicles; Preparation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70741 Handling masks outside exposure position, e.g. reticle libraries

Abstract

A cassette-type container for a sheet-like member, includes a lower member for carrying the sheet-like member, an upper member engageable with the lower member to define a closed chamber, a guide channel formed in the upper member, for guiding rectilinear movement of the upper member when it is engaged by or disengaged from the lower member, a guide pin formed on the lower member and engageable with the guide channel so that the upper member is pivotally movable relative to the lower member, and a member for holding the upper member and lower member against separation. According to another aspect, there is provided an automatic feeding system for a sheet-like member and usable with such container as described above, the system having a holder for the upper member, a member for applying a biasing force to urge the holder to rotate it about the guide pin, a fork adapted to separate the lower member from the upper member, and an elevator for moving the fork in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the rectilinear movement of the lower member.

Claims

1. An automatic feeding system for a sheet-like member, comprising:

a cassette-type container for containing the sheet-like member,

wherein said container includes a lower member for carrying the sheet-like member, said lower member having a side wall and an extension formed on said side wall, an upper member engageable with said lower member to define a closed chamber, said upper member having a side wall and an extension formed thereon, a guide channel formed in the side wall of said upper member, for guiding rectilinear movement of said upper member when it is engaged by or disengaged from said lower member, a guide pin formed on the side wall of said lower member, said guide pin being engageable with said guide channel of said upper member so that said upper member is pivotally movable about said guide pin when the latter is at an innermost position in said guide channel, and means for holding said upper member and lower member against separation, said holding means including an engaging element formed on said upper member and another engaging element formed on said lower member and engageable with said engaging member of said upper member;

means for holding said extension formed on the side wall of said upper member;

means for applying a biasing force to said extension holding means to urge said extension holding means in a direction rotating it about said guide pin;

fork means adapted to carry thereon said extension formed on the side wall of said lower member, to separate said lower member from said upper member and to feed said lower member; and

elevator means for moving said fork means in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the rectilinear movement of said lower member, to disengage said lower member from said upper member.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the position of said fork means with respect to movement thereof by said elevator means is detected photoelectrically.