Packing member for packing wafer container

Abstract

A packing member for packing a wafer container in a carton for transportation includes a rectangular frame which has a receiving space, at least one recess disposed at an outer side thereof opposite to the receiving space, and retaining portions respectively projecting from an inner side of the rectangular frame into the receiving space, and support elements respectively protruding over the top and bottom surfaces of the rectangular frame.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to packing members and more particularly, to such a packing member, which is practical for use to pack a wafer container in a carton for transportation that effectively protects storage wafers against impact and vibrations.

2. Description of the Related Art

In semiconductor industry, wafer cassettes and wafer containers (carriers) are commonly used for carrying wafers. A wafer cassette or wafer container can hold multiple pieces of wafers at a time, keeping storage wafers in a clean environment for transportation. However, when loading wafers in a wafer cassette, wafers may crack or be contaminated by particles in the external environment easily. Using wafer containers to carry wafers are safer.

When transporting wafers in a wafer container, packing members of foamed polystyrene are commonly used to pack the wafer container in a carton so that the wafer container is protected against impact and vibrations. However, if wafers of thickness below 15 mil are carried in a wafer container for transportation, the storage wafers may crack easily during transportation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a packing member for packing a wafer container in a carton for transportation, which well protects the wafer container against impact and vibrations, preventing damage to wafers of any different sizes stored in the wafer container.

To achieve this object of the present invention, the packing member comprises a frame having a receiving space, at least one recess disposed at an outer side thereof opposite to the receiving space, and a plurality of retaining portions respectively extending from an inner side surrounding the receiving chamber and projecting into the receiving space. A plurality of support elements respectively are disposed at the frame in a manner that the support elements respectively protrude over at least one of top and bottom surfaces of the frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a packing member according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the packing member according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the packing member according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing, showing a wafer container packed in between two abutted packing members.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a packing member in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention is directly molded from anti-static expanded polyethylene (EPE) foam, comprising a rectangular open frame 11, a plurality of retaining portions 21, and a plurality of support elements 31.

The rectangular open frame 11 has two opposite long sides 12 and two opposite short sides 13 connected between the two opposite long sides 12 and defining with the two opposite long sides 12 a receiving space 14. Each long side 12 has a recess 15 on the middle. The recess 15 is recessed in a direction from the outer surface of the respective long side 12 toward the inner surface thereof at a predetermined distance. Each long side 12 further has a column 16 at the bottom side corresponding to the respective recess 15. Two connecting bars 17 are connected between the two short sides 13. Each connecting bar 17 has six support rods 18 at the bottom side.

The retaining portions 21 are tapered rod members respectively formed integral with the inner surfaces of the long sides 12 and the short sides 13 and projecting from the inner surfaces of the long sides 12 and the short side 13 into the receiving space 14. The support elements 31 are rectangular posts respectively disposed at the connection areas between the long sides 12 and the short sides 13 and vertically extending over the top and bottom surfaces of the long sides 12 and the short sides 13.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, when packing a wafer container 41, two packing members of the present invention are abutted against each other to hold the wafer container 41 in the receiving space 14 of each packing member, keeping the peripheral walls 42 of the wafer container 41 stopped against the retaining portions 21 and the top and bottom walls 43, 44 of the wafer container 41 stopped against the connecting bars 17. Thereafter, the two packing members with the wafer container 41 are put in a carton 51 to have the outer surfaces of the long sides 12 and short sides 13 of the rectangular open frame 11, the support elements 31 and the support rods 18 respectively stopped against the inside wall of the carton 51.

Because the support elements 31 and the support rods 18 protrude over the top and bottom surfaces of the rectangular open frame 11 and stopped against the inside wall of the carton 51, the packing members and the carton 51 are kept in contact at specific points. Further, the recesses 15 at each long side 12 provide the same contact effect. Further more, because the retaining portions 21 are respectively projecting from the inner surfaces of the long sides 12 and short sides 13 of the rectangular open frame 11 and stopped against the wafer container 41, the packing members and the wafer container 41 are kept in contact at specific points. Therefore, the water container 41 is supported on the inside wall of the carton 51 at specific points by means of the two packing members, and the two packing members well support the wafer container 41 against any impact or vibrations during transportation. Therefore, the packing members effectively lessen transmission of vibrating force from the carton 51 to the wafer container 51 during transportation. According to actual dropping and vibration tests, wafers of different sizes (including 11 mil thickness wafers) are kept intact in the wafer container.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A packing member for packing wafer container, said packing member comprising:

a frame having a receiving space, at least one recess disposed at an outer side opposite to said receiving space, and a plurality of retaining portions respectively extending from an inner side facing said receiving chamber and projecting into said receiving space; and

a plurality of support elements disposed respectively at said frame in a manner that said support elements protrude over at least one of top and bottom surfaces of said frame.

2. The packing member as claimed in claim 1, which is molded from anti-static expanded polyethylene foam.

3. The packing member as claimed in claim 1, wherein said frame is a rectangular frame having two opposite long sides and two opposite short sides that define said receiving space.

4. The packing member as claimed in claim 3, wherein said at least one recess is respectively formed on an outer surface of each of said long side.

5. The packing member as claimed in claim 3, wherein said retaining portions are respectively formed integral with an inner surface of each of said long sides and said short sides.

6. The packing member as claimed in claim 3, further comprising two connecting bars respectively connected between said two opposite short sides, said connecting bars each having at least one support rod at a bottom side thereof.

7. The packing member as claimed in claim 3, wherein said two opposite long sides each have a column at a bottom side thereof corresponding to one of said at least one recess.