Transport system for inline vacuum processing
First Claim
1. An inline processing system for a plurality of pallets each supporting a plurality of substrates for, including,a magazine for supporting the pallets in stacked relationship for processing,a load chamber disposed in adjacent relationship to the magazine for receiving and supporting the magazine and including indexing means coupled to the magazine structure for indexing the magazine to provide for the transfer of successive ones of the pallets in the stacked relationship from the magazine to the load chamber,a process chamber located inline with the load chamber and in adjacent relationship to the load chamber on the opposite side of the load chamber from the magazine and including a passageway between the load chamber and the process chamber to provide for the passage of individual ones of the pallets between the load chamber and the process chamber,valve means coupled to the passageway for opening and closing the passageway to provide for the passage of individual ones of the pallets between the load chamber and the process chamber when the passageway is open and for sealing the load chamber from the process chamber to prevent passage of pallets between the load chamber and the process chamber and to provide for independence in the atmospheres in the load and process chambers when the passageway is closed to facilitate the processing of the substrates in the process chamber,carrier means movable between the load and process chambers for receiving the individual ones of the pallets indexed from the magazine and for supporting the individual ones of the pallets for transport from the load chamber to the process chamber to a position for processing of the substrates in the process chamber,first drive and support means located within the load chamber for coupling to the carrier means to support the carrier means and for driving the carrier means from the load chamber to the process chamber to transfer each pallet from the load chamber to the process chamber for processing of the substrates on such pallet in the process chamber and for returning the carrier means from the process chamber to the load chamber after the transfer of such pallet from the load chamber to the process chamber, andsecond drive and support means located within the process chamber for coupling to the carrier means to support the carrier means and for driving the carrier means to the process chamber from the load chamber to transfer each pallet from the load chamber to the process chamber for processing of the substrate on such pallet in the process chamber and for returning the carrier means from the process chamber to the load chamber after the transfer of such pallet from the load chamber to the process chamber, andmeans for receiving the pallets after the substrates in the pallets have been processed in the process chamber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An inline processing system for processing a batch of pallets, including a first magazine for supporting a predetermined number of unprocessed pallets. A load chamber for receiving and supporting the first magazine and for indexing the magazine to present individual ones of the unprocessed pallets to a transport position. One or more process chambers located inline with the load chamber and with each process chamber including a pair of valves at opposite ends of each process chamber to control the passage of individual ones of the pallets between each process chamber and the adjacent chamber. A second magazine for supporting the predetermined number of pallets after processing. An unload chamber for receiving and supporting the second magazine and for indexing the magazine to receive individual ones of the processed pallets from a transport position. A plurality of carriers equal in number to the number of chambers less one for location within the chambers for receiving individual ones of the pallets from the first magazine and for supporting the individual ones of the pallets for transport between the chambers to the second magazine. A drive and support structure located within each chamber for coupling to the carrier to support the carrier to drive the carrier from each chamber to an adjacent chamber.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. An inline processing system for a plurality of pallets each supporting a plurality of substrates for, including,
a magazine for supporting the pallets in stacked relationship for processing, a load chamber disposed in adjacent relationship to the magazine for receiving and supporting the magazine and including indexing means coupled to the magazine structure for indexing the magazine to provide for the transfer of successive ones of the pallets in the stacked relationship from the magazine to the load chamber, a process chamber located inline with the load chamber and in adjacent relationship to the load chamber on the opposite side of the load chamber from the magazine and including a passageway between the load chamber and the process chamber to provide for the passage of individual ones of the pallets between the load chamber and the process chamber, valve means coupled to the passageway for opening and closing the passageway to provide for the passage of individual ones of the pallets between the load chamber and the process chamber when the passageway is open and for sealing the load chamber from the process chamber to prevent passage of pallets between the load chamber and the process chamber and to provide for independence in the atmospheres in the load and process chambers when the passageway is closed to facilitate the processing of the substrates in the process chamber, carrier means movable between the load and process chambers for receiving the individual ones of the pallets indexed from the magazine and for supporting the individual ones of the pallets for transport from the load chamber to the process chamber to a position for processing of the substrates in the process chamber, first drive and support means located within the load chamber for coupling to the carrier means to support the carrier means and for driving the carrier means from the load chamber to the process chamber to transfer each pallet from the load chamber to the process chamber for processing of the substrates on such pallet in the process chamber and for returning the carrier means from the process chamber to the load chamber after the transfer of such pallet from the load chamber to the process chamber, and second drive and support means located within the process chamber for coupling to the carrier means to support the carrier means and for driving the carrier means to the process chamber from the load chamber to transfer each pallet from the load chamber to the process chamber for processing of the substrate on such pallet in the process chamber and for returning the carrier means from the process chamber to the load chamber after the transfer of such pallet from the load chamber to the process chamber, and means for receiving the pallets after the substrates in the pallets have been processed in the process chamber.
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16. An inline system for processing a group of pallets each constructed to hold a plurality of substrates, including,
a first magazine for supporting a particular number of unprocessed pallets, a load chamber disposed in cooperative relationship with the first magazine and including first means for indexing the magazine for presenting individual ones of the unprocessed pallets to a position for transfer from the magazine to the load chamber, a plurality of process chambers each disposed in an inline relationship with the load chamber and including a pair of valve means at opposite ends of such process chamber to control the passage of individual ones of the pallets between such process chamber and the next process chamber in the inline arrangement, each of the process chambers being constructed to process the substrates on the pallets in such chamber, a second magazine for supporting the pallets after processing the pallets in the process chambers, an unload chamber disposed in an inline relationship with the process chambers and disposed relative to the second magazine and including second means for indexing the magazine for receiving individual ones of the processed pallets from the process chamber furthest removed from the load chamber, the load chamber, the process chambers and the unload chamber being disposed in adjacent relationship with one another, a plurality of carrier means equal in number to the number of process chambers less one, each of the carrier means being disposed for movement between an adjacent pair of the process, load and unload chambers for receiving individual ones of the pallets from the first one of the chambers in the pair and for supporting the individual ones of the pallets at positions for transport by such carrier means to the second one of the chambers in the pair and for returning thereafter to the first chamber in the pair, and a plurality of drive and support means each normally located within an associated one of the chambers and associated with the carrier means in such chamber for coupling to the associated carrier means to support such associated carrier means and for driving such associated carrier means from such associated chamber to the next adjacent chamber in the pair and for returning the carrier means to such associated chamber in the pair.
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29. An in-line system for processing a plurality of pallets each constructed to hold a plurality of substrates, including,
a plurality of processing chambers disposed in an in-line arrangement, each of the processing chambers being constructed to process the substrates on the pallets in such chamber, an unloading chamber disposed in the in-line arrangement with the processing chambers, the unloading chamber being disposed at one end of the in-line arrangement, a magazine for holding the pallets in a stacked relationship, the magazine being disposed relative to the unloading chamber for providing for a sequential transfer of the pallets in the unloading chamber to the magazine in a stacked relationship, a plurality of carrier means each associated with an individual one of the processing chambers for providing for a sequential transfer of the pallets from such processing chamber to the next one of the chambers in the in-line arrangement and for returning to the associated chamber after such transfer, means at each of the processing chambers for processing the pallets in such chamber upon the transfer of such pallets from the previous chamber in the on-line arrangement, and a plurality of drive means each associated with an individual one of the processing chambers and the associated carrier means for such processing chamber for driving the associated carrier means between such associated processing chamber and the next chamber in the in-line arrangement.
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33. An in-line system for processing a plurality of pallets each constructed to hold a plurality of substrates, including,
a plurality of chambers, each constructed to process the substrates on the pallets, the chambers being disposed in an in-line arrangement, a plurality of carrier means each associated with an individual one of the chambers and movable to a next chamber in the in-line arrangement for transferring the pallets from such associated chamber to the next chamber, the carrier means having first and second positions and being operable in the second position to provide for the processing of the substrates on the pallet in a next chamber after the associated chamber and operable in the first position to provide for a movement of such pallet from the associated chamber to the next station for the processing of the substrates on such pallet in the next station and to provide for a return of such carrier means to such associated chamber from the next chamber after such transfer of such pallet to the next chamber, first magazine means, first means for sequentially transferring the pallets from the first magazine means into the first one of the chambers in the in-line arrangement for a transfer of the pallets to progressive ones of the chambers in the in-line arrangement after the processing of such pallets in stations in the in-line arrangement previous to such progressive chambers, second magazine means, and second means for sequentially transferring the pallets from the last chamber in the in-line arrangement to the second magazine means after the processing of the pallets in the chambers.
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37. An in-line system for processing a plurality of pallets each constructed to hold a plurality of substrates, including,
a first magazine for holding the pallets in a stacked relationship, a load chamber disposed adjacent the first magazine, first means disposed in the first magazine and movable between first and second positions and operable in the first position to retain the pallets in the first magazine and operable in the second position to provide for the transfer of pallets from the first magazine into the load chamber, second means for indexing the first means to the positions in the first magazine for providing for the transfer of successive ones of the pallets from the first magazine into the load chamber, at least one processing chamber disposed adjacent the load chamber for processing the pallets transferred from the first magazine, first carrier means movable between the processing chamber and the load chamber for transferring the pallets from the load chamber to the processing chamber, means for processing the pallets transferred to the processing chamber, an unload chamber disposed adjacent the processing chamber, a second magazine disposed adjacent the unload chamber for holding the pallets in a stacked relationship, third means disposed in the second magazine and movable between first and second positions and operable in the first position to retain the pallets in the second magazine and operable in the second position to provide for a transfer of the pallets from the unload chamber into the second magazine, second carrier means movable between the processing chamber and the unload chamber for transferring the pallets from the processing chamber into the unload chamber, and fourth means for indexing the third means to the positions in the second magazine to provide for the transfer of successive ones of the pallets from the unload chamber into the second magazine.
Specification