A raising/lowering conveyance apparatus has at least two sets of container holders operable to be raised/lowered in conjunction with each other, and to be freely movable closer to or away from containers in the back-and-forth horizontal direction. A sensor operable to detect the upper end height of the transferred containers which have been transferred and raised is attached to a position near the lower end of each container holder, to determine abnormality in posture of the transferred containers through a comparison operation between the value of the upper end height of the transferred containers detected by the sensor and the normal value of the upper end height of the transferred containers calculated on the basis of the height of the container being handled.

A refuse collection vehicle includes a refuse grabber assembly, a lift arm coupled to the refuse grabber assembly, and a hopper configured to receive refuse from the refuse container. The lift arm is operable to position the refuse grabber assembly. The refuse grabber assembly includes a first grabber arm and a second grabber arm that are configured to cooperate to engage the refuse container. The first grabber arm includes a first gripper and a first support arm coupled to the first gripper. The first gripper includes a first deformable structure configured to contact a first surface of a refuse container. The second grabber arm includes a second gripper and a second support arm coupled to the second gripper. The second gripper includes a second deformable structure configured to contact a second surface of the refuse container.

A refuse collection vehicle includes a refuse grabber assembly, a lift arm coupled to the refuse grabber assembly, and a hopper configured to receive refuse from the refuse container. The lift arm is operable to position the refuse grabber assembly. The refuse grabber assembly includes a first grabber arm and a second grabber arm that are configured to cooperate to engage the refuse container. The first grabber arm includes a first gripper and a first support arm coupled to the first gripper. The first gripper includes a first deformable structure configured to contact a first surface of a refuse container. The second grabber arm includes a second gripper and a second support arm coupled to the second gripper. The second gripper includes a second deformable structure configured to contact a second surface of the refuse container.

A multi-level hand apparatus includes a plurality of hands arranged in a vertical direction, and a plurality of clamp members disposed at the plurality of hands, respectively. Each of the clamp members is movable in a forward-rearward direction to clamp and release a workpiece. The apparatus further includes a movable head member extending in the vertical direction. Each clamp member includes a fixed spring receiving member, a movable spring receiving member movable in the forward-rearward direction, and a compression spring member arranged between the fixed spring receiving member and the movable spring receiving member. In each clamp member, the movable spring receiving member, as moving rearward, comes into contact with a front surface of the movable head member in a manner such that the movable spring receiving member is capable of moving in the vertical direction relative to the front surface.

An EUV cleaner system and process for cleaning a EUV carrier. The euv cleaner system comprises separate dirty and cleaned environments, separate cleaning chambers for different components of the double container carrier, gripper arms for picking and placing different components using a same robot handler, gripper arms for holding different components at different locations, horizontal spin cleaning and drying for outer container, hot water and hot air (70C) cleaning process, vertical nozzles and rasterizing megasonic nozzles for cleaning inner container with hot air nozzles for drying, separate vacuum decontamination chambers for outgassing different components, for example, one for inner and one for outer container with high vacuum (e.g., <10−6 Torr) with purge gas, heaters and RGA sensors inside the vacuum chamber, purge gas assembling station, and purge gas loading and unloading station.

In an embodiment, the present invention discloses a EUV cleaner system and process for cleaning a EUV carrier. The euv cleaner system comprises separate dirty and cleaned environments, separate cleaning chambers for different components of the double container carrier, gripper arms for picking and placing different components using a same robot handler, gripper arms for picking and placing different components using a same robot handler, gripper arms for holding different components at different locations, horizontal spin cleaning and drying for outer container, hot water and hot air (70 C) cleaning process, vertical nozzles and rasterizing megasonic nozzles for cleaning inner container with hot air nozzles for drying, separate vacuum decontamination chambers for outgassing different components, for example, one for inner and one for outer container with high vacuum (e.g., <10.sup.6 Torr) with purge gas, heaters and RGA sensors inside the vacuum chamber, purge gas assembling station, and purge gas loading and unloading station.

A multi-level hand apparatus includes a plurality of hands arranged in a vertical direction, and a plurality of clamp members disposed at the plurality of hands, respectively. Each of the clamp members is movable in a forward-rearward direction to clamp and release a workpiece. The apparatus further includes a movable head member extending in the vertical direction. Each clamp member includes a fixed spring receiving member, a movable spring receiving member movable in the forward-rearward direction, and a compression spring member arranged between the fixed spring receiving member and the movable spring receiving member. In each clamp member, the movable spring receiving member, as moving rearward, comes into contact with a front surface of the movable head member in a manner such that the movable spring receiving member is capable of moving in the vertical direction relative to the front surface.

A raising/lowering conveyance device for a container for conveying an article includes a container gripping mechanism having multiple container support pins which are arranged so as to be capable of freely protruding and retracting. A spring for biasing the container gripping mechanism upward is interposed between the container gripping mechanism and a columnar support member for supporting the container gripping mechanism such that the container gripping mechanism can be freely raised and lowered. As a result of the upward biasing force of the spring, the container gripping mechanism is held at an equilibrium height in equilibrium with the weight thereof and is capable of movement vertically with the equilibrium height serving as the center of the movement. When the container gripping mechanism lifts a container, the mechanism receives the weight of the container, descends from the equilibrium height, and is supported at the fixed height of the columnar support member.

In an embodiment, the present invention discloses a EUV cleaner system and process for cleaning a EUV carrier. The euv cleaner system comprises separate dirty and cleaned environments, separate cleaning chambers for different components of the double container carrier, gripper arms for picking and placing different components using a same robot handler, gripper arms for holding different components at different locations, horizontal spin cleaning and drying for outer container, hot water and hot air (70C) cleaning process, vertical nozzles and rasterizing megasonic nozzles for cleaning inner container with hot air nozzles for drying, separate vacuum decontamination chambers for outgassing different components, for example, one for inner and one for outer container with high vacuum (e.g., <10.sup.6 Torr) with purge gas, heaters and RGA sensors inside the vacuum chamber, purge gas assembling station, and purge gas loading and unloading station.

A raising/lowering conveyance apparatus has at least two sets of container holders operable to be raised/lowered in conjunction with each other, and to be freely movable closer to or away from containers in the back-and-forth horizontal direction. A sensor operable to detect the upper end height of the transferred containers which have been transferred and raised is attached to a position near the lower end of each container holder, to determine abnormality in posture of the transferred containers through a comparison operation between the value of the upper end height of the transferred containers detected by the sensor and the normal value of the upper end height of the transferred containers calculated on the basis of the height of the container being handled.