Abstract: A load port for semiconductor equipment includes a transporting apparatus 18 and/or a moving apparatus 30 for respectively transporting a carrier base 14 and moving a cover 15, using a smaller force until the carrier base 14 and/or the cover 15 reaches a predetermined position that is at a predetermined distance from an opening 16 of the equipment. This position is at a distance where it is no longer possible to catch a hand or other object between the carrier base 14 or cover 15 and the semiconductor equipment. Then, the carrier base 14 and/or the cover 15 is transported or moved towards the opening 16 by the transporting apparatus 18 and/or moving apparatus 30 respectively transporting the carrier base 14 and/or moving the cover 15 towards the opening 16 to completely close the opening 16 using a larger force.

Abstract: A mechanical interface apparatus which is capable of loading semiconductor wafers stored in a sealed container into a processing apparatus without adversely affecting the surfaces of the semiconductor wafers due to exposure to external air or dust. When a sealed container 100 is placed on top of a processing apparatus 200, latch mechanisms 201 are activated to engage with a flange 103, so as to affix the container body 101. Then, valves 3 and 5 are opened to perform a gas purge, after which a drive mechanism provided inside a lock operating mechanism 220 is operated in order to withdraw lock arms 111 from concave portions 103a, thereby unlocking the bottom lid 110. Then, wafer cassettes 106 inside the container are lowered to a predetermined position by means of an in-apparatus elevator mechanism 202, and the wafer cassettes are loaded into the processing apparatus 200 by a cassette loading mechanism.

Abstract: A transport system has a track provided along a transport route forming a main route and at least one branch route connected to the main route at a branch point. A first power supply line is provided along the main route; a second power supply line is provided along the branch route and a transport vehicle moves along the track. There is a drive unit for driving the transport vehicle along the track with the drive unit being attached to the transport vehicle, a route selector for selecting a branch route at the branch point and a power receiver for receiving electric power from the first and second power supply lines to supply electric power to the drive unit.

Abstract: In an overhead hoist transfer having a moving carriage with a hand portion, which holds a load, elevatably suspended therefrom; and a means for teaching an appointed stop position on a placement base, on which said load is placed, to said moving carriage, LEDs 7a and 7b are installed at the hand portion 6, and a position detecting portion 12 consisting of a lens 12a and PSD 12b is installed at the placement base 53 side, in order to automatically and accurately enable a teaching of position correcting data in a short time without use of any manpower.

Abstract: A method of refining metal to be processed to a high degree of purity by heat-melting the metal in a melting furnace in the form of a metal crucible placed in a vacuum vessel. The method includes evacuating prior to melting, preheating the inside of the entire vacuum atmosphere including the inner wall surface of the vacuum vessel, component parts inside the vessel and the like in order to keep the total pressure within the vessel at 1.times.10.sup.-8 Torr or lower, and effecting high frequency induction heating while controlling the partial pressure of each of O.sub.2, H.sub.2, CO in the atmosphere inside the vessel. Further, the vacuum vessel, the metal crucible and an induction heating coil attached to the crucible, each of which has double jacket structure, are heated or cooled by supplying circulating heating or cooling water in a water-passage space of each of the vacuum vessel, the metal crucible and the induction heating coil, so that the inside of the melting furnace is baked.

Abstract: A pickup sensor for picking up an image on a floor is installed on a mobile body with a working machine mounted thereon in order to correct for the position deviation of a working machine due to possible deviation in the stop position of a mobile body to always ensure accurate working without increasing the working time of the overall system at the time of stopping the mobile body at a predetermined position and allowing said working machine to perform predetermined operation according to previously given teaching data. At the time the teaching data is given, the pickup sensor picks up an image (reference picked image) including a regular pattern and a predetermined identification mark formed on a floor. At the time the working machine works, the pickup sensor also picks up an image (on-pause picked image) on the floor surface at the stop position.

Abstract: An automated guided vehicle includes a transporting portion having an upper surface and a driving device, the transporting portion being movable by the driving device; a transferring device provided on the upper surface of the transporting portion, the transferring device being capable of transferring a workpiece to or from an apparatus; and a mounting portion formed on the upper surface of the transporting portion, the mounting portion having at least two opening portions which allow an operation for transferring the workpiece. In the automated guided vehicle, photosensors are respectively arranged on the opening portions to detect an object which intrudes into a predetermined area or projects from the predetermined area, and a control device monitors a state of the photosensors and controls the transferring device or the driving device in accordance with the state of the photosensors.

Abstract: A method of refining metal to be processed to a high degree of purity by heat-melting the metal in a melting furnace in the form of a metal crucible placed in a vacuum vessel. The method includes evacuating prior to melting, preheating the inside of the entire vacuum atmosphere including the inner wall surface of the vacuum vessel, component parts inside the vessel and the like in order to keep the total pressure within the vessel at 1.times.10.sup.-8 Torr or lower, and effecting high frequency induction heating while controlling the partial pressure of each of O.sub.2, H.sub.2, CO in the atmosphere inside the vessel. Further, the vacuum vessel, the metal crucible and an induction heating coil attached to the crucible, each of which has double jacket structure, are heated or cooled by supplying circulating heating or cooling water in a water-passage space of each of the vacuum vessel, the metal crucible and the induction heating coil, so that the inside of the melting furnace is baked.

Abstract: A compact thermal color printer enables the use of a thermal type printing medium having heat sublimation type inks for a multiple-print use and a heat melting type ink for a single-print use. In the process of printing characters or symbols, using the two types of inks, by pressing the printing medium against a print object through a thermal head, the transport distances for the thermal print medium and the print object are adjusted, depending on whether a heat sublimation type ink is being printed or a heat melting type ink is being printed. This arrangement for the transport distance adjustments enables to simplify the printer drives to make the apparatus more compact, and enables to reduce consumption of the sublimation type inks for color printing and increases the service life of the printing ribbon to reduce the operating cost.

Abstract: A cold crucible induction melting furnace is provided with a plurality of segments separated by a plurality of slits that surround a bottom member which together form the melting chamber. Each lower end of each segment is overlapped with and spaced from a short part of a vertically extending side wall of the bottom member so as to form a horizontal gap there between. A radially and outwardly extending flange protrudes from the bottom member side wall below each segment lower end to form a lower gap there between. An induction coil is disposed around and spaced from an outer face of the segments with a lower end adjacent to each of the lower segment ends and an upper end adjacent to an upper part of each segment that is in turn connected with an adjacent upper segment part to form a short circuited part.

Abstract: A heat accumulation control device is provided to control printing responsive to residual-heat values which remain in head elements of a thermal head in a line-type thermoelectric printer due to previous printing operation. The heat accumulation control device contains a line buffer for storing input data, which are supplied thereto from the printer or an external device, and a residual-heat-value storing memory which is capable of storing one line of residual-heat values corresponding to the head elements respectively. A correction calculation section performs correction calculations, using parameters, based on the input data, outputted from the line buffer, and a residual-heat value which is read out from the residual-heat-value storing memory with respect to a specific head element to be currently driven, so that print data are calculated. Thus, the specific head element is driven so that a dot is printed on a paper in a density corresponding to the print data.

Abstract: In a vibratory parts-feeder, a bowl is combined with a base block by plural sets of single leaf spring. A controller is connected to an electro-magnetic coil of a drive part for the parts feeder. The bowl is torsionally vibrated nearly at a resonant frequency and at a desired amplitude with automatic or manual adjustment of the controller.

Abstract: A compact color printer having a Y head (2), an M head (9), a C head (16), platen rollers (8, 15, 22) and a multi-time ink ribbon (23) wherein yellow ink (23y), magenta ink (23m) and cyan ink (23c) each having effective lengths B are sequentially on a substrate (23o) with a pitch P. When a line L1 of the printing paper (1) and an edge (23ya) of the yellow ink (23y) are positioned over a line position y1, the Y head (2) prints the color yellow; when a line L1 of the printing paper 1 and an edge (23ma) of the magenta ink (23m) are positioned over a line position y2, the M head (9) prints the color magenta; and when a line L1 of the printing paper (1) and an edge (23ca) of the cyan ink (23c) are positioned over a line position y3, the C head (16) prints the color cyan.

Abstract: A portable closed container has a container body, and a lid for opening and hermetically closing the opening of the container body, in which an internal atmosphere thereof is replaced with an inner atmosphere suitable for an article contained in the container through a gas purging operation. The container is improved such that the lid is a hollowed body with at least one purging wall hole.

Abstract: An elliptical vibratory apparatus includes first and second controllers; first and second power amplifiers for amplifying outputs of the first and second controllers; first and second vibratory exciters receiving outputs of the first and second power amplifiers for generating first and second vibrational forces in first and second directions; first and second vibrational systems of an elliptical vibratory machine receiving the first and second vibrational forces; and detectors of first and second vibrational displacements for detecting vibrational displacements of a movable part of the elliptical vibratory machine in the first and second direction. A closed loop is formed by the first and second controllers, the first and second power amplifiers, the first and second vibratory exciters, the first and second vibrational systems, and the detectors of the first and second vibrational displacements.

Abstract: By counting the number of thermal printer head elements to be energized for each gradation, and adjusting the energizing period on the basis of the counted number, a common energizing period is obtained in order to prevent density unevenness which would otherwise occur because of differences in the number of head elements to be energized for each gradation.

Abstract: In a vibratory apparatus including vibratory speed detector for detecting a vibratory speed of a vibratory machine, a self-excited oscillation controller for amplifying the output of the vibratory speed detector at a feed-back gain K, receiving the output of the vibratory speed detector as a positive feed-back signal, a power amplifier for power-amplifying the output of the self-excited oscillation controller and a vibratory exciter receiving the output of the power amplifier for vibrating the vibratory machine, the feed back gain K is changed in accordance with the equation; K=K.sub.1 .DELTA.r+K.sub.3 (.DELTA.r).sup.3 +Kcr, where .DELTA.r represents the amplitude difference between a predetermined amplitude and the present amplitude, K.sub.1, K.sub.3 constants, and Kcr critical stability gain.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electronic substrate processing system comprising a processing equipment for processing electronic substrates including semiconductor wafers and liquid crystal substrates; a cleaning equipment for cleaning said electronic substrate in a predetermined processing step; a portable closed container for accommodating a cassette containing said electronic substrate; a purging station for gas-purging said portable closed containers; and a storage member for storing said portable closed containers, wherein said cassette accommodates said electronic substrates which have been cleaned by said cleaning equipment being set in said portable closed container and purged with an inert gas in said purging station, and said portable closed container or containers is stored in said storing section when necessary.

Abstract: A sealable container for accommodating semiconductor wafers, which includes a hollow main body having an opening for receiving or removing the semiconductor wafers, a lid member for plugging the opening, a lock for locking and releasing the lid member in the opening of said main body, and a pressure-equalizing mechanism for allowing an interior portion of the main body to be communicable with an exterior portion thereof in cooperation with the lock.

Abstract: A concentric-double-shaft simultaneously rotating apparatus in which a part of the force for driving an inner shaft to rotate is obtained by a device other than a rotation controlled motor to thereby reduce the capacity of the rotation controlled motor to attain reduction in size of the apparatus, increase of stiffness, and so on. The concentric-double-shaft simultaneously rotating apparatus includes at least one permanent magnet which is attached onto an inner circumferential surface of an outer shaft, and a secondary conductor such as a copper pipe, or the like, is provided on an outer circumferential surface of the inner shaft to create an induced current flow.