US-12622199-B2 - Gas purge unit and the load port device

US12622199B2US 12622199 B2US12622199 B2US 12622199B2US-12622199-B2

Abstract

A gas purge unit including: a first purge nozzle in which a gas flow path is internally formed, which communicates with a first purge port at the bottom of a container, and which introduces gas into the container or discharges gas from the container; a first communication unit which has a first holding unit for holding the first purge nozzle at one end; and a first actuator to which the first communication unit is connected and which moves the first communication unit and the first purge nozzle vertically.

Inventors

Tatsuhiro KOTSUGAI
Jun Emoto
Takuya Kudo

Assignees

TDK CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20211008
Priority Date: 20201008

Claims (10)

1 . A gas purge unit comprising: a plurality of purge nozzles each including a gas passage formed therein and being capable of communicating with a respective one of a plurality of purge ports provided at a bottom of a container so as to introduce gas into the container or discharge gas from the container; a plurality of actuators; and a plurality of connection portions that each connect one or more of the purge nozzles to an actuator among the plurality of actuators, wherein: each actuator moves the connected one or more of the purge nozzles in a vertical direction, each connection portion separates the connected one or more of the purge nozzles from the one of the actuators in a horizontal direction, the plurality of purge nozzles are configured to all be simultaneously positioned beneath the bottom of the container, and each actuator is movable independently of another actuator among the plurality of actuators, such that a first one or more of the purge nozzles can be connected to a respective one or more of the purge ports while a second one or more of the purge nozzles is separated from the bottom of the container.
2 . The gas purge unit according to claim 1 , wherein: the plurality of purge nozzles comprises a first purge nozzle and a second purge nozzle; the plurality of connection portions includes a first connection portion that comprises: a first holding portion for holding the first purge nozzle at one end of the first connection portion; a second holding portion for holding the second purge nozzle at another end of the second holding portion; and an arm portion for connecting the first holding portion and the second holding portion, the first connection portion is connected to a first actuator among the plurality of actuators via the arm portion, and the first actuator vertically moves the first connection portion, the first purge nozzle, and the second purge nozzle.
3 . The gas purge unit according to claim 2 , further comprising a common gas passage for supplying gas to both of the first purge nozzle and the second purge nozzle or for receiving gas discharged from both of the first purge nozzle and the second purge nozzle, wherein both of the first purge nozzle and the second purge nozzle introduce gas to the container or discharge gas from the container.
4 . The gas purge unit according to claim 3 , wherein a branching portion with a branching passage from the common gas passage to the first purge nozzle and the second purge nozzle is disposed closer to the first actuator than the first and second purge nozzles.
5 . The gas purge unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a flexible tube portion including a gas passage formed therein and connected to a lower end of the first purge nozzle, wherein the flexible tube portion deforms according to a vertical movement of the first purge nozzle.
6 . The gas purge unit according claim 2 , wherein: the plurality of purge nozzles further comprises a third purge nozzle; the plurality of connection portions further includes a second connection portion including a third holding portion for holding the third purge nozzle at one end of the second connection portion; and a second actuator among the plurality of actuators is connected with the second connection portion and vertically moves the second connection portion and the third purge nozzle.
7 . The gas purge unit according to claim 6 , configured such that: the first purge nozzle vertically movable by the first actuator introduces gas into the container, at the same time that the third purge nozzle vertically movable by the second actuator discharges gas from the container.
8 . A load port device comprising: a gas purge unit comprising: a first purge nozzle including a gas passage formed therein and being capable of communicating with a first purge port provided at a bottom of a container so as to introduce gas into the container or discharge gas from the container; a first connection portion including a first holding portion for holding the first purge nozzle at one end of the first connection portion; and a first actuator connected with the first connection portion so as to vertically move the first connection portion and the first purge nozzle; and a mounting table capable of mounting the container and provided with the gas purge unit, wherein a first guide ring, through which the first purge nozzle is inserted, is fixed to the mounting table, and a notch portion for restricting a rise of a stepped surface formed on an outer circumferential wall of the first purge nozzle is formed at a lower inner periphery of the first guide ring.
9 . A load port device comprising: the gas purge unit according to claim 1 ; and a mounting table capable of mounting the container and provided with the gas purge unit, wherein a first guide ring, through which the first purge nozzle is inserted, is fixed to the mounting table, and a notch portion for restricting a rise of a stepped surface formed on an outer circumferential wall of the first purge nozzle is formed at a lower inner periphery of the first guide ring.
10 . The gas purge unit according to claim 6 , wherein the third purge valve is configured to switch between introducing gas into the container and discharging gas from the container.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a gas purge unit for introducing gas into a container or discharging gas from the container and a load port device including the gas purge unit. BACKGROUND A gas purge unit is proposed for increasing the cleanliness of a container containing silicon wafers and other substrates in a semiconductor factory or the like. As a gas purge unit, there is proposed one in which a purge nozzle communicating with a purge port formed in the bottom of a container moves vertically like a piston with respect to a mounting table (see Patent Document 1, etc.). For example, a conventional gas purge unit discloses a nozzle vertical movement mechanism for adjusting the pressure of a closed space surrounded by a flange of a cylindrical nozzle disposed inside a cylindrical holder, an outer circumferential surface of the nozzle, an inner circumferential surface of a cylinder, and a bottom wall of the cylinder. In the conventional gas purge unit, however, it is necessary to disassemble a nozzle peripheral mechanism at the time of repair or failure of the vertical movement mechanism, which poses a problem in terms of maintainability. PRIOR ARTS Patent Document Patent Document 1: JP2017139486 (A) SUMMARY OF INVENTION Problems to be Solved by Invention The present invention has been achieved under such circumstances and provides a gas purge unit, etc. having a nozzle vertical movement mechanism with excellent maintainability. Means for Solving the Problem To achieve the above object, a gas purge unit according to the present invention comprises: a first purge nozzle including a gas passage formed therein and being capable of communicating with a first purge port provided at a bottom of a container so as to introduce gas into the container or discharge gas from the container;a first connection portion including a first holding portion for holding the first purge nozzle at one end of the first connection portion; anda first actuator connected with the first connection portion so as to vertically move the first connection portion and the first purge nozzle. In the gas purge unit according to the present invention, since the first purge nozzle and the first actuator are connected by the first connection portion, the first purge nozzle and the first actuator are separated. In such a gas purge unit, it is not necessary to disassemble the nozzle at the time of repair or failure of the first actuator, and maintainability is excellent. Moreover, for example, the gas purge unit according to the present invention may further comprise a second purge nozzle including a gas passage formed therein and being capable of communicating with a second purge port provided at the bottom of the container so as to introduce gas into the container or discharge gas from the container, wherein the first connection portion may comprise: a second holding portion for holding the second purge nozzle at the other end of the second holding portion; andan arm portion for connecting the first holding portion and the second holding portion, the first connection portion may be connected to the first actuator via the arm portion, andthe first actuator vertically may move the first connection portion, the first purge nozzle, and the second purge nozzle. In such a gas purge unit, since two purge nozzles are operated by one actuator, the operations of the two purge nozzles can be easily synchronized, and it is possible to prevent a connection failure between the purge nozzles and the purge ports. Moreover, since the two purge nozzles are operated by one first actuator, the number of parts can be reduced, and assemblability and maintainability are excellent in this respect as well. Moreover, for example, the gas purge unit according to the present invention may comprise a common gas passage for supplying gas to both of the first purge nozzle and the second purge nozzle or for receiving gas discharged from both of the first purge nozzle and the second purge nozzle, wherein both of the first purge nozzle and the second purge nozzle may introduce gas to the container or discharge gas from the container. Since such a gas purge unit includes the common gas passage for gas introduction or gas discharge, the gas passage is simplified, and maintainability is excellent. In addition, since the total length of the gas passages included in the entire gas purge unit can be reduced, the number of parts can be reduced, and assemblability and maintainability are improved. In addition, since gas can be introduced or discharged by a plurality of nozzles, gas can be efficiently purged in the container. Moreover, for example, a branching portion with a branching passage from the common gas passage to the first purge nozzle and the second purge nozzle may be disposed closer to the first actuator than the first and second purge nozzles. When the branching portion is disposed near the first actuator in the horizontal dir