| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20080242412 | Operating apparatus for game machine - An operating apparatus for game machine includes a depressing member, and a main body of the depressing member is provided with three engaging protrusions and two depressing protrusions that downwardly protrude. For example, the two depressing protrusions are provided between the three engaging protrusions. In response to a beating operation by a player, the right side of the depressing member is depressed, and then, an engaging portion of the engaging protrusion at the left side is engaged with a rear surface of an upper surface panel. Accordingly, the depressing member is sure to be depressed at the right side without being upwardly actuated, and a rubber switch depressed by the depressing protrusion is brought into contact with a board. At this time, a contact provided on the board and a contact provided on the rubber switch are brought into contact with each other, and an operation signal according to the beating operation is output to the game machine. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20090035098 | LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM FOR CLOSED CONTAINER AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD USING SAME - An object is to provide a FIMS system that can be loaded with a plurality of low profile pods that are arranged vertically one above another. A tunnel is provided between a position on a support mechanism on which a pod is to be set and a mini environment that is in communication with the FISM. The position of the pod at which a lid of the pod is detached from the pod after the lid is held by a FIMS door and a position of the pod to which the pod is brought after the detachment of the lid and at which a wafer can be brought into/out of the pod are designed to be inside the tunnel. In addition, the lid detached from the pod and the door can be located in a housing space provided in the tunnel. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090142164 | CONTAINER LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD USING THE SYSTEM - An FIMS system in which loading is possible in a manner in which multiple thin pods are vertically stacked together, in which attraction pads are arranged on plates on which the pods are loaded, the pods being retained by and fixed to the plates through attraction and retention by the pads. A tube for imparting an attraction force to the attraction pads is accommodated in an accommodation space inside box-like member of a minimum requisite space thickness, and the region where the tube can be reflected only exists within the accommodation space. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090142166 | CONTAINER LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD USING THE SYSTEM - Provided is an FIMS system in which loading is possible in a manner in which multiple thin pods are vertically stacked together, with an information pad being arranged on an abutment surface of the main body of each pod abutting a door and on the side surface of the door corresponding to the abutment surface. When there is detected a state in which the door is pushed in toward a mini-environment, information imparted to the information pad can be detected by the FIMS system. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090294442 | LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM FOR CLOSED CONTAINER, CONTAINED OBJECT INSERTION/TAKEOUT SYSTEM HAVING SAME LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM, AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD USING SAME LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM - A tunnel is provided between a portion on a support mechanism on which a pod is loaded and a mini environment that is in communication with a FIMS. The pod is located in the tunnel when a lid of the pod is detached from the pod after the lid is held by a door. The pod is also located in the tunnel when it is at a position that allows transfer of wafers and to which the pod is moved after detachment of the lid. The lid and the door that have been separated from the pod can also be housed in a housing space annexed to the tunnel. A light emitting portion and a light receiving portion of an optical sensor are provided respectively on opposed walls of the tunnel. A pod is provided with a detection window that can transmit detection light. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20090297298 | CONTAINED OBJECT TRANSFER SYSTEM - A transfer chamber is partitioned into a second chamber in which a transfer robot moving through an opening portion which can be opened/closed by a door is arranged, and a minute first chamber which serves as a FIMS system and includes a door capable of retaining a lid of a pod. The second chamber maintains a state in which an inert gas constantly circulates owing to minute nitrogen while having a pressure higher than that inside the first chamber. The first chamber is normally sealed while an oxide gas is suppressed in advance. In addition, at a time of transferring wafers, a partial pressure of the oxide gas is lowered with use of a downflow which is caused by the inert gas. Further, the first chamber and the second chamber are communicated with each other after a level of the partial pressure is confirmed with use of an oxygen level meter. As described above, an existing amount of the oxide gas is reduced in the so-called transfer chamber in semiconductor processing equipment in which the FIMS system is secured. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20100059408 | CLOSED CONTAINER AND LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM THEREFOR - In a pod used in an FIMS system, diffusion of dust particles or the like adhering on the lid of the pod to the interior of the system is reduced. An engaged portion is provided inside the outer surface of the lid of the pod, and a flange portion provided around a pod opening to which the lid can be fitted is provided with an insertion hole that allows access to the engaged portion from the exterior space. A latch mechanism is supported on the pod body side surface of the flange portion in such a way that the latch mechanism can slide along a direction parallel to the side wall of the flange. An engagement portion of the latch mechanism reaches the engaged portion through the insertion hole, and the state of the latch mechanism changes between an engaged state and a disengaged state with movement of the latch mechanism. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100117377 | CLOSED CONTAINER AND LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM THEREFOR - In a pod used in an FIMS system, an engaged portion is provided on the outer surface of the lid of a pod. A through hole is provided in a flange portion that is provided around the pod opening and in which the lid is to be received. The through-hole allows access to the engaged portion from the external space. A latch mechanism is supported on the pod body side surface of the flange portion in such a way that it can slide in a direction parallel to the side wall of the flange. The engagement portion of the latch mechanism reaches the engaged portion through the aforementioned through-hole. Movement of the latch mechanism brings the engagement portion into an engaging state and a disengaged state. | 05-13-2010 |
| 20100133270 | LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM FOR CLOSED CONTAINER - The FIMS system is for use with a pod composed of a lid having an engaged portion provided on the outer surface thereof and a pod body having a latch mechanism including an engagement portion that engages the engaged portion as it moves along a predetermined axis to fix the lid to the pod. The FIMS system has a latch mechanism drive means for driving the latch mechanism along a certain axis and an engagement portion position sensor that can generate a signal indicating whether the engagement portion is at an engagement position or non-engagement position when the latch mechanism drive means drives the latch mechanism. The latch mechanism drive means and the engagement portion position sensor are provided in the vicinity of a first opening portion of the FIMS system. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100180697 | TACTILE SENSOR - The present invention provides a tactile sensor which can reproduce a sensor surface in contact with a sensing object and contribute to a reduction in cost of an automation system which utilizes an industrial robot, the tactile sensor including: a contact-portion unit | 07-22-2010 |