Unmanned conveying device in clean room
First Claim
1. An apparatus for a clean room, comprising:
- an unmanned conveying device provided with a container for accommodating an object to be conveyed thereon, the container being connected to an inert gas source through a gas supply passage so that the atmosphere in the container can be replaced by a nitrogen gas, wherein the unmanned conveying device has a coupler device with a first coupler unit which is connected to the gas supply passage and the inert gas source is located on the ground and connected to a second coupler unit of a coupler device on the ground through a pipe, the gas supply passage being connected to the inert gas source when the coupler units are releasably coupled to each other, wherein the coupler device on the ground has a reciprocating mechanism for permitting the second coupler unit thereof to reciprocate relative to the first coupler unit of the coupler device on the unmanned conveying device, wherein the second coupler unit on the ground has first connectors electrically coupled to a first circuit disposed in the coupler device on the ground and has a first gas passage coupling which communicates with the inert gas source, wherein the first coupler unit of the coupler device on the unmanned conveying device has second connectors electrically coupled to a second circuit disposed in the unmanned conveying device and engageable with the first connector sand has a second gas passage coupling which communicates with the gas supply passage and is engageable with the first gas passage coupling, and wherein when the first and second coupler units are releasably coupled the gas supply passage communicates with the inert gas source through the first and second gas passage couplings and the first and second circuits are electrically coupled through the first and second connectors.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An unmanned conveying device for a clean room is capable of restraining a spontaneous oxide film from growing in case that an unmanned carriage is obliged to stop for a long time due to its own cause of a cause at a destination spot while it conveys a semiconductor wafer from one spot to the destination spot. It is a first aspect of the invention to provide the unmanned conveying device which is self-propelled for conveying an object from a ground facility to a destination spot while loading an object to be conveyed thereon, characterized in that the object is accommodated in a container and the container is connected to an inert gas reservoir through a gas supply passage so that the atmosphere in the container can be replaced by a nitrogen gas. It is a second aspect of the invention to provide an unmanned conveying device for a clean room provided with a container for accommodating an object to be conveyed therein, the container being connected to an inert gas reservoir through a gas supply passage so that the air in the container can be replaced by a nitrogen gas, characterized in that the unmanned conveying device has a coupler unit mounted thereon and connected to the gas supply passage and the inert gas reserving source is located on the ground and connected to a coupler unit of a coupler device on the ground through a pipe and the gas supply passage is connected to the inert gas reservoir through both coupler unit.
-
Citations
10 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for a clean room, comprising:
- an unmanned conveying device provided with a container for accommodating an object to be conveyed thereon, the container being connected to an inert gas source through a gas supply passage so that the atmosphere in the container can be replaced by a nitrogen gas, wherein the unmanned conveying device has a coupler device with a first coupler unit which is connected to the gas supply passage and the inert gas source is located on the ground and connected to a second coupler unit of a coupler device on the ground through a pipe, the gas supply passage being connected to the inert gas source when the coupler units are releasably coupled to each other, wherein the coupler device on the ground has a reciprocating mechanism for permitting the second coupler unit thereof to reciprocate relative to the first coupler unit of the coupler device on the unmanned conveying device, wherein the second coupler unit on the ground has first connectors electrically coupled to a first circuit disposed in the coupler device on the ground and has a first gas passage coupling which communicates with the inert gas source, wherein the first coupler unit of the coupler device on the unmanned conveying device has second connectors electrically coupled to a second circuit disposed in the unmanned conveying device and engageable with the first connector sand has a second gas passage coupling which communicates with the gas supply passage and is engageable with the first gas passage coupling, and wherein when the first and second coupler units are releasably coupled the gas supply passage communicates with the inert gas source through the first and second gas passage couplings and the first and second circuits are electrically coupled through the first and second connectors.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
10. An apparatus for a clean room, comprising:
- an unmanned conveying device provided with a container for accommodating an object to be conveyed thereon, the container being connected to an inert gas source through a gas supply passage so that the atmosphere in the container can be replaced by a nitrogen gas, wherein the unmanned conveying device has a coupler device with a first coupler unit which is connected to the gas supply passage and the wherein the inert gas source is located on the ground and connected to a second coupler unit of a coupler device on the ground through a pipe, the gas supply passage being connected to the inert gas source when the coupler units are coupled to each other, wherein the unmanned conveying device has a battery mounted thereon which can be charged by an automatic charging station on the ground, the second coupler unit of the coupler device on the ground being installed in the automatic charging station, and the second and first coupler units of the coupler devices on the ground and the unmanned conveying device having respective charging connectors which are respectively coupled to the automatic charging station and the battery and having respective gas passage couplings which are respectively coupled to the inert gas source and the gas supply passage, including a closing valve which controls flow of the inert gas through the pipe, and wherein the second and first coupler units of the coupler devices on the ground and the unmanned conveying device are provided with coupling verification means which is responsive to a distance between the coupler devices being less than a distance therebetween when the charging connectors and the gas passage couplings thereon first engage each other for issuing an output for controlling the closing valve to facilitate a flow of the inert gas through the pipe.
Specification