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An inactive gas introducing facility includes an introducing device disposed in a support portion supporting a container accommodating a substrate and configured for introducing inactive gas to the inside of the container through a gas feed opening of the container with discharging gas present insid

An inactive gas introducing facility includes an introducing device disposed in a support portion supporting a container accommodating a substrate and configured for introducing inactive gas to the inside of the container through a gas feed opening of the container with discharging gas present inside the container to the outside through a gas discharge opening of the container and a controller for controlling operation of the introducing device. The introducing device is capable of varying the feed rate of the inactive gas. The controller is configured to control the operation of the introducing device such that in the feeding of the inactive gas to the container supported to the support portion, the feed rate is increased progressively to a target feed rate.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An inactive gas introducing facility comprising: an introducing device disposed in a support portion for supporting a container for accommodating a substrate and configured for introducing inactive gas to the inside of the container through a gas feed opening of the container while allowing gas p

1. An inactive gas introducing facility comprising: an introducing device disposed in a support portion for supporting a container for accommodating a substrate and configured for introducing inactive gas to the inside of the container through a gas feed opening of the container while allowing gas present inside the container to be discharged to an outside through a gas discharge opening of the container wherein the support portion is a storage section of a storage shelf for storing the container; anda controller for controlling operation of the introducing device;wherein the introducing device is capable of varying the feed rate of the inactive gas;wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the introducing device to adjust the feed rate to an initial target feed rate which is predetermined, and subsequently to adjust the feed rate to a steady-state target feed rate which is predetermined and is less than the initial target feed rate, when supplying the inactive gas to the container supported by the support portion, and is configured to control operation of the introducing device to progressively increase the feed rate to the initial target feed rate when adjusting the feed rate to the initial target feed rate, andwherein the controller is configured to control the operation of the introducing device so as to supply the inactive gas for a predetermined pre-storage feed period at a predetermined nozzle cleaning target feed rate in response to the controller receiving, before the container is supported by the support portion, a signal indicating that the container has been carried into a carry-in-and-out conveyor of the storage shelf. 2. The inactive gas introducing facility according to claim 1, wherein when the feed rate is changed from the initial target feed rate to the steady-state target feed rate, the operation of the introducing device is controlled by the controller such that the feed rate is decreased at a higher rate of change than the rate of change of the feed rate at the time of progressive increase of the feed rate to the initial target feed rate. 3. The inactive gas introducing facility according to claim 1, wherein: after the controller changes the feed rate from the initial target feed rate to the steady-state target feed rate, the controller controls the operation of the introducing device so as to repeat a cycle of waiting for lapse of a set feed period and then pausing the feeding of the inactive gas for a set pause period after lapse of the set feed period; andin adjusting the feed rate to the steady-state target feed rate after lapse of the set pause period, the controller controls the operation of the introducing device so as to progressively increase the feed rate toward the steady-state target feed rate. 4. The inactive gas introducing facility according to claim 1, wherein: when the controller progressively increases the feed rate, the controller controls the operation of the introducing device such that the feed rate is increased by a positive-integer-multiple of a set amount upon each lapse of a set wait period. 5. The inactive gas introducing facility according to claim 4, further comprising a manual operation type setting device for changing the set amount. 6. The inactive gas introducing facility according to claim 1, wherein the steady-state target feed rate is less than 1/2 of the initial target feed rate. 7. The inactive gas introducing facility according to claim 1, further comprising: a load presence sensor for detecting whether the container is supported on the support portion,wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the introducing device such that the feeding of the inactive gas at, at least, the steady-state target feed rate is repeated at least intermittently, after adjusting the feed rate to the steady-state feed rate and while the load presence sensor detects the presence of the container. 8. An article storage facility having the inactive gas introducing facility according to claim 1, comprising: the carry-in-and-out conveyor which is provided to the storage shelf for receiving the container being carried into the storage shelf and which is provided separately from the support portion;a transport carriage configured to transfer the container to the carry-in-and-out conveyor in order to carry the container into the storage shelf from outside the storage shelf; anda transport device for transporting the container, that has been transported to the carry-in-and-out conveyor by the transport carriage, to the support portion,wherein the signal is transmitted to the controller when the container is delivered to the carry-in-and-out conveyor of the storage shelf by the transport carriage. 9. An inactive gas introducing method utilizing an inactive gas introducing facility, wherein the inactive gas introducing facility includes:an introducing device disposed in a support portion for supporting a container for accommodating a substrate and configured for introducing inactive gas to the inside of the container through a gas feed opening of the container while allowing gas present inside the container to be discharged to an outside through a gas discharge opening of the container wherein the support portion is a storage section of a storage shelf for storing the container, anda controller for controlling operation of the introducing device, the introducing device being capable of varying a feed rate of the inactive gas in response to a feed rate command issued by the controller,the method comprising the following steps that are effected by the controller:a feed rate adjusting step in which, when feeding the inactive gas to the container supported by the storage section, a feed rate progressively increasing step is performed to issue a feed rate command to the introducing device to progressively increase the feed rate to an initial target feed rate which is predetermined, and in which the feed rate is adjusted to a steady-state target feed rate which is predetermined and is less than the initial target feed rate, after the feed rate is adjusted to the initial target feed rate by the feed rate progressively increasing step; anda nozzle purging step which is performed in response to the controller receiving a signal before the container is supported by the support portion, and in which the operation of the introducing device is controlled so as to supply the inactive gas for a predetermined pre-storage feed period at a predetermined nozzle cleaning target feed rate, wherein the signal indicates that the container has been carried into a carry-in-and-out conveyor of the storage shelf. 10. The inactive gas introducing method according to claim 9, wherein at the feed rate adjusting step, when the feed rate is changed from the initial target feed rate to the steady-state target feed rate, a feed rate command is issued to the introducing device for decreasing the feed rate at a higher change rate than the change rate of the feed rate at the time of progressive increase of the feed rate to the initial target feed rate at the feed rate progressively increasing step. 11. The inactive gas introducing method according to claim 9, wherein: at the feed rate adjusting step, after the feed rate is changed from the initial target feed rate to the steady-state target feed rate, an intermittent feed step is performed for repeating a cycle of waiting for lapse of a set feed period and then pausing the feeding of the inactive gas for a set pause period upon lapse of the set feed period; andat the intermittent feed step, in adjusting the feed rate to the steady-state target feed rate after lapse of the set pause period, the feed rate is progressively increased to the steady-state target feed rate. 12. The inactive gas introducing method according to claim 9, wherein at the feed rate progressively increasing step, a feed rate command is issued to the introducing device for increasing the feed rate by a positive-integer-multiple of a set amount upon each lapse of a set wait period. 13. The inactive gas introducing method according to claim 12, wherein the inactive gas introducing facility further comprises a manual operation type setting device for variably setting the set amount. 14. The inactive gas introducing method according to claim 9, wherein the steady-state target feed rate is less than 1/2 of the initial target feed. 15. The inactive gas introducing method according to claim 9, wherein the inactive gas introducing facility further comprises a load presence sensor for detecting whether the container is supported on the support portion,wherein the inactive gas introducing method includes a step of controlling the feed rate such that the feeding of the inactive gas at, at least, the steady-state target feed rate is repeated at least intermittently, after the feed rate adjusting step and while the load presence sensor detects the presence of the container. 16. The inactive gas introducing method according to claim 9, wherein the signal is transmitted to the controller when the container is delivered to the carry-in-and-out conveyor provided to the storage shelf separately from the support portion.