Claims
- 1. A compliant cassette for holding and transporting at least one substantially planar object, said cassette comprising:
- two side bars having comb projections;
- a center bar substantially parallel with the side bars positioned below the side bars and at approximately an equal distance between the side bars, the center bar also having comb projections; and
- two endpieces each comprising center bar-securing portions for securing the respective ends of the center bar, and two arms radiating from and hingedly attached to the center bar-securing portion, with distal portions of the two arms securing the respective ends of the side bars, the two arms deflectable to a clamping position in response to placement of a planar object into contact with the side bars, to engage the obiect.
- 2. The compliant cassette of claim 1 including means extending between the arms to control the degree of compliance thereof.
- 3. A compliant cassette for holding and transporting at least one substantially planar obiect, said cassette comprising:
- two side bars having comb proiections;
- a center bar substantially parallel with the side bars positioned below the side bars and at approximately an egual distance between the side bars, the center bar also having comb projections; and
- two endpieces each comprising center bar-securing portions for securing the respective ends of the center bar, and two arms radiating from and hingedly attached to the center bar-securing portion, with distal portions of the two arms securing the respective ends of the side bars and with the arms of each endpiece joined by a flexible bridge member.
- 4. The compliant cassette of claim 2 wherein the bridge members include an engaging member for engagement with a cassette lifting device.
- 5. The compliant cassette of claim 3 wherein the bridge members have an inverted v-shape.
- 6. The compliant cassette of claim 5 wherein an interior angle an angle of the bridge member is about 45.degree..
- 7. A cassette for supporting a plurality of planar objects, comprising:
- three rods arranged substantially in parallel with each other;
- a comb structure associated with each of the three rigid rods for separating individual ones of the obiects; and
- two end assemblies for securing the ends of each of the three rigid rods, the assemblies each including hinged arms for allowing flexure of two of the rods away from each other, the hinged arms deflectable in response to insertion of objects into contact with the three rods to cause the rods to exert clamping forces against the objects at the contact points.
- 8. The compliant cassette of claim 7 wherein each hinged arm includes a living hinge.
- 9. The compliant cassette of claim 7 wherein each hinged arm includes a pinned hinge.
- 10. A cassette for supporting a plurality of planar objects, comprising:
- three rods arranged substantially in parallel with each other;
- a comb structure associated with each of the three rigid rods for separating individual ones of the objects; and
- two end assemblies for securing the ends of each of the three rigid rods, each end assembly including a pair of hinged arms for allowing flexure of two of the rods away from each other, and a flexible bridge extending between each arm in said pair.
- 11. A cassette as in claim 10 wherein the bridge is generally of an inverted v-shape and is adaptable for engagement for lifting and transporting of the cassette.
- 12. A cassette for maintaining a plurality of semiconductor wafers in close proximity with each other during processing in hot liquid environments comprising:
- a structure which engages each of the wafers at three points; and
- wherein the structure is flexible and wherein the insertion of the wafers within the structure deflects the structure in a manner to cause clamping forces to hold the wafers within the structure during processing.
- 13. A compliant cassette for carrying objects, said cassette comprising:
- a first cassette endpiece having first and second arms, each of said arms having a base end portion and a non-base end portion;
- first hinge means positioned between said base portions of said first and second arms for permitting the movement of the non-base portions of said first and second arms relative to one another;
- a second cassette endpiece having third and fourth arms, each of said third and fourth arms having a base end portion and a non-base end portion;
- second hinge means positioned between said base portions of said third and fourth arms for permitting the movement of the non-base portions of said third and fourth arms relative to one another;
- a first bar connecting said base end portions of said arms;
- a second bar connecting said non-base portion of said first arm and said non-base portion of said third arm; and
- a third bar connecting said non-base portion of said second arm and said non-base portion of said fourth arm;
- wherein the first and second hinge means are deflectable in response to insertion of obiects into contact with the second and third bars, to cause the second and third bars to deflect and exert clamping forces against the objects to clamp the objects within the cassette.
- 14. A compliant cassette for carrying semiconductor wafers to and from wafer processing tanks, said cassette comprising:
- a first cassette endpiece having a first base portion and first and second arms extending from said first base portion;
- a first living hinge connecting said first base portion and said first arm;
- a second living hinge connecting said first base and said second arm;
- a second cassette endpiece having a second base portion and third and fourth arms extending from said second base portion;
- a third living hinge connecting said second base portion and said third arm;
- a fourth living hinge connecting said second base and said fourth arm;
- a first bar connecting said first and second base portions of said first and second cassette endpieces;
- a second bar connecting said first arm and said third arm;
- a third bar connecting said second arm and said fourth arm
- wherein the first and second living hinges are deflectable in response to insertion of wafers into contact with the second and third bars, to cause the second and third bars to deflect and to exert clamping forces against the wafers to clamp the wafers within the cassette.
- 15. A cassette as in claim 14 wherein said arms extend a distance from said base portions such that a straight line drawn across said cassette from said second bar to said third bar, perpendicular to said bars, crosses above the center of a wafer positioned in said cassette.
- 16. A cassette as in claim 14 wherein said arms extend a distance from said base portions such that a straight line drawn across said cassette from said second bar to said third bar, perpendicular to said bars, crosses below the center of a wafer positioned in said cassette.
- 17. A compliant cassette for carrying substantially planar objects, comprising:
- a pair of flexible end assemblies;
- a central support member extending between the end assemblies; and
- a pair of lateral support members extending between the end assemblies on opposite sides of the central support member, the lateral support members deflectable to a clamping position in response to placement of a planar object into contact with the central and lateral support members, the clamping position being one in which the lateral support members exert clamping forces against planar objects positioned in the cassette.
- 18. A cassette for supporting a plurality of planar objects, comprising:
- a pair of support members each having contact points for contact by planar objects, the support members spaced from one another; and
- a hinge assembly extending between the support members, the hinge assembly deflectable between first and second positions in response to insertion of objects into contact with the support members to cause the support members to exert clamping forces against the objects at the contact points.
- 19. A cassette for supporting a plurality of planar objects, comprising:
- three rods arranged substantially in parallel with each other; and
- two end assemblies for securing the ends of each of the three rods, the assemblies each including hinged arms deflectable in response to placement of obiects into contact with the rods for allowing flexure of two of the rods away from each other so as to apply clamping forces against objects placed into contact with the rods.
Parent Case Info
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/024,999 filed Aug. 29, 1996, which is incorporated herein by reference.
US Referenced Citations (17)