Sealing Apparatus

Abstract

A sealing assembly is provided for creating an airtight seal between a container and a piece of film, A bladder is inflated, which puts upward pressure on a base plate of a Lift assembly. The lift assembly includes downwardly extending arms, and as the base plate is lifted by the inflating bladder, the lift arms lift the container and film into contact or near-contact with a heater plate to seal the film to the container. Deflation of the bladder allows the lift assembly to lower thereby lowering the now-sealed container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sealing apparatus for sealing a film onto a container, the sealing apparatus comprising:
 a container support for receiving the container therein;   a lift assembly including a base plate and at least one lift arm, said at least one lift arm engaging the container support for lifting the container support;   a heating plate;   an inflatable bladder positioned below the lift assembly; and   a pump in fluid communication with the inflatable bladder for inflating the inflatable bladder;   wherein inflation of the bladder causes the bladder to press upwardly on the base plate to lift the lift assembly, wherein the upward movement of the lift assembly causes the at least one lift arm to lift the container support such that heat from the heating plate seals the film to the container.   
     
     
         2 . The sealing apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the container support includes a selectively removable small container support for supporting a small container therein. 
     
     
         3 . The sealing apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the at least one lift arm engages with at least one flange on the container support. 
     
     
         4 . The sealing apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the at least one lift arm connects to the base plate at an upper end, and extends under at least a portion of the container support at a lower end to engage with and lift the container support upon inflation of the bladder. 
     
     
         5 . The sealing apparatus of  claim 4  further including:
 a drawer housing the container support, said drawer being at least partially selectively removable from a lower housing assembly, wherein removal of the drawer from the lower housing assembly exposes the container support, and wherein replacement of the drawer within the lower housing assembly positions at least a portion of the container support over the lower end of the at least one lift arm. 
 
     
     
         6 . The sealing apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the heating plate is heated by at least one rope heater. 
     
     
         7 . The sealing apparatus of  claim 1  wherein a controller controls the pump to effectuate inflation and deflation of the bladder. 
     
     
         8 . The sealing apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the controller receives pressure readings of pressure within the bladder from at least one pressure sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The sealing apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the controller receives input from a sensor which detects the position of one of the lift assembly, the container support and the container. 
     
     
         10 . The sealing apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the heating plate seals the film to the container after the container support is raised such that the film is pressed against the heating plate by the container. 
     
     
         11 . The sealing apparatus of  claim 1  wherein heat from the heating plate seals the film to the container when the container support is raised and the film and container are sufficiently close to the heating plate. 
     
     
         12 . The sealing apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the film is a laminated film. 
     
     
         13 . The sealing apparatus of  claim 12  wherein a bottom layer of the film is composed of a material which melts at a temperature which the heating plate is capable of producing so as to bond with the container, and a top layer of the film is composed of a material which does not melt at the temperature. 
     
     
         14 . The sealing apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the top layer is polyester and the bottom layer is polyethylene. 
     
     
         15 . The sealing apparatus of  claim 1  further including a film roll support for holding a roll of film. 
     
     
         16 . The sealing apparatus of  claim 15  further including a mechanism for cutting a piece of film from the film roll during the sealing process. 
     
     
         17 . The sealing apparatus of  claim 16  wherein said mechanism for cutting a piece of film from the film roll includes a heated wire cutter. 
     
     
         18 . A system for sealing a container comprising:
 a container support receiving a container therein;   a pump inflating a bladder, where the inflation of the bladder causes the bladder to expand and press upwardly on a base plate of a lift assembly;   the lift assembly including at least one lift arm engaging with the container support and lifting the container support upon inflation of the bladder;   a heating plate sealing a film to the container after upward movement of the container support, the container and the film into proximity with the heating plate.   
     
     
         19 . A system for sealing a container comprising:
 a container;   a heating plate movable between raised and lowered positions and biased into the raised position;   a pump inflating a bladder, wherein the inflation of the bladder causes the bladder to expand and press downwardly on the heating plate to cause the heating plate to move to the lowered position into proximity of the container to seal a film to the container.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the film includes a paper layer.