Silicon semi-conductor wafer constraint

Claim 2

A handle and retainer for engagement with a carrier for an article, said handle and retainer comprising at least two legs, means for changing the distance between the lower portion of said legs, means for engaging and disengaging the carrier which engaging and disengaging means operates upon the change in distance between the lower portion of the legs and at least one retaining bar for retaining the article in the carrier, which retaining bar is connected by one end to one of the legs, the other end of said retaining bar being unsecured.

Claim 3

The handle and retainer as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for changing the distance between the lower portion of said legs comprises a fulcrum bar and a flexible bar connecting the upper portions of said legs, said flexible bar and said fulcrum bar not being directly connected, so that application of a force to the central portion of said flexible bar in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said legs causes a bending of the flexible bar thus changing the distance between said legs where said legs are connected to said flexible bar relative to the distance between said legs where said legs are connected to said fulcrum bar, which change in relative distance causes a change in the distance between the lower portions of said legs thus operating said engaging and disengaging means.

Claim 4

The handle and retainer in claim 2 wherein said handle is provided with two retaining bars one end of a first said retaining bars being connected to one of said legs and one end of the second of said retaining bars beinG connected to the other of said legs the remaining ends of said retaining bars being unsecured.

Claim 5

The handle and retainer claimed in claim 2 wherein two cross bars are provided, one of which is secured to one of said legs and the other of which is secured to the other of said legs, a plurality of retaining bars each of which is secured at one end to one of said cross bars, each of said retaining bars being unsecured at its other end.

Claim 6

The handle and retainer claimed in claim 2 wherein the flexible bar, the fulcrum bar and the retaining bar have a diamond-shaped cross section.

Claim 7

The handle and retainer claimed in claim 5 wherein the longest radial axis of the diamond-shaped cross section of the flexible bar is in a direction perpendicular to the direction of force applied to the flexible bar.

Claim 8

The handle and retainer claimed in claim 6 wherein the longest radial axis of the retaining bar is oriented in a direction giving maximum rigidity for retaining the article in the carrier.

Claim 9

The handle and retainer claimed in claim 3 wherein the unsecured ends of the retaining bars are tapered.