| 摘要 |
A wafer container with a latch mechanism that provides sealing for large wafer containers, such as for 450 mm wafers, accomplishes secure door closing and latching with reduced torque requirements for rotating the central rotatable cam plate. In various embodiments, a camming slot formed in the rotatable cammed plate is arcuate and defined by opposing cam surfaces which are selectively engaged by a cam follower, such as a roller, attached to a proximal end of a latch arm. The roller can include unitary axle portions that snap into the proximal end of the latch arm and is supported at both axial ends of the roller. The proximal end of the latch arm can include parallel extensions separated by a gap, and have guide in surfaces to deflect the extensions as the axle portions of the roller are forced into position thereby seating the roller at both axial ends. |
| 主权项 |
1. A door latching mechanism for a wafer container, comprising:
a cammed plate including a first face, a second face opposite said first face, and an outer perimeter, said cammed plate being rotatable about a central axis that is substantially perpendicular to said first face and said second face, said cammed plate defining an arcuate camming slot that passes through said first face and said second face, said arcuate caroming slot being bound by an inner perimeter having a first cam surface; a cam follower disposed within said camming slot, said cam follower being engageable with said first cam surface; and a latch arm translatable along an actuation axis and including a proximal end having a first extension and a second extension, each extending in a direction parallel to said actuation axis, said first extension and said second extension extending over said outer perimeter of said cammed plate so that said first extension is adjacent said first face of said cammed plate and said second extension is adjacent said second face of said cammed plate, said cam follower being coupled to said first extension and said second extension, wherein, when said cammed plate is rotated about said central axis, said first cam surface engages said cam follower to exert a force on said first extension and said second extension of said latch arm along said actuation axis. |
