Wafer carrying fork

Details Wafer carrying fork Wafer carrying fork

2000-03-20

2001-08-21

Kramer, Dean J. (Department: 2167)

Handling: hand and hoist-line implements

Contact lens applicator

C414S941000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06276731

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a wafer carrying fork with a wafer rested on a wafer resting surface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A prior art wafer carrying fork is constructed as shown in FIG.
5
. In the same drawing, numeral
10
identifies a wafer carrying fork which is provided with a wafer resting surface
11
on the top thereof. Further, a tapered projection
12
is formed at the outer side of the wafer resting surface
11
so that a wafer does not fall down.
The wafer
13
is placed and rested on the wafer resting surface
11
and is transferred or carried.
However, some of a plurality of wafers
13
accommodated in a wafer cassette (not illustrated) are accommodated out of position. In this case, as shown in
FIG. 6
, the wafer
13
is inclined and placed between the wafer resting surface and the tapered projection.
Such a problem occurs by which, if a wafer is conveyed in this state, the wafer
13
resting on the wafer carrying fork
10
slips and falls down from the wafer carrying fork
10
.
Therefore, although the projection
12
is lengthened to prevent the wafer
13
from falling down, another problem arises, in which the thickness of the projection
12
of the wafer carrying fork
10
is increased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a wafer carrying fork which is capable of conveying a wafer without falling down from the wafer carrying fork and without increasing the thickness of the tapered projection of the wafer carrying fork.
In order to achieve the above object, a wafer carrying fork for conveying a wafer with a wafer rested thereon according to the invention is provided with a wafer resting surface on the top surface of the wafer carrying fork and two steps secured in a stepwise manner at the outer side of the wafer resting surface, and vertically erect at a height dimension which is the same as the thickness dimension of the wafer, wherein a ratio of the width of an inner step to the height of an outer step is 1:0.5 through 1:2.
Therefore, according to the invention, it is possible to securely convey a wafer, wherein since the circumferential edge of a wafer is brought into contact with the perpendicular side of the outer step even though a wafer gets out of position in a wafer cassette and the wafer is placed on the wafer resting surface and the inner step in an inclined state, the wafer does not fall down from the wafer carrying fork.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5061144 (1991-10-01), Akimoto et al.
patent: 5445486 (1995-08-01), Kitayama et al.
patent: 5647626 (1997-07-01), Chen et al.
patent: 5669644 (1997-09-01), Kaihotsu et al.
patent: 5711646 (1998-01-01), Ueda et al.
patent: 5746460 (1998-05-01), Marohl et al.
patent: 8-313856 (1996-11-01), None

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