US Patent 7762208 Loading and unloading apparatus for a coating device

A device for loading at least one substrate into a process chamber of a coating unit and unloading the at least one substrate therefrom by means of a gripper of a handling machine. The device includes a loading plate which can be gripped by the gripper and embodies a storage place for each at least one substrate, the storage place being formed by an edge of an opening that is assigned to each substrate. The device also includes a substrate holder that is provided with a pedestal-type substrate support which is adapted to the loading plate and on which the substrate plate can be placed such that some sectors of the surface of the substrate support are located at a certain gap distance from the substrate or the substrate lies in a planar manner on a sector of the surface.