Lid sealing system

Abstract

A closure system is adapted to couple and seal a lid to a container formed to include a product-storage region and a brim bordering an opening arranged to open into the product-storage region. The closure system includes a container support fixture and a sealing head.

1 . A closure system for coupling and sealing a lid to a container, the closure system comprising
 a container support fixture adapted to support the container including a product-storage region and a brim bordering an opening formed in the container and arranged to open into the product-storage region,   a sealing head located above the container support fixture and including a head foundation, an annular lid pusher coupled to the head foundation in a fixed position relative to the head foundation and located between the container support fixture and the head foundation, a burp plug coupled to the head foundation in a fixed position relative to the head foundation and the annular lid pusher and positioned to lie in radial spaced-apart relation to the annular lid pusher, and a heater band coupled to the head foundation in a fixed position relative to the head foundation and located between the annular lid pusher and the burp plug, and   a sealing-head mover coupled to the sealing head and configured to provide means for moving the sealing head relative to the container support fixture between an initial position in which the sealing head is located a first distance from the container support fixture, an engaged position in which the sealing head is located a relatively smaller second distance from the container support fixture and the sealing head engages and moves the lid relative to the container and the container support fixture to cause a mechanical bond to be established between the lid and the container, a wiping position in which the sealing head is located a relatively smaller third distance from the container support fixture and the sealing head engages and moves the lid relative to the container to cause the lid to wipe spilled food product off an upwardly facing surface of the brim, and a sealing position in which the sealing head is located a relative smaller fourth distance from the sealing head and forms a heat bond between the lid and the container.   
     
     
         2 . The closure system of  claim 1 , wherein at least an engaging face of the lid pusher engages a portion of the lid to cause the lid to mate with the container to form the mechanical bond when the sealing head is in the engaged position. 
     
     
         3 . The closure system of  claim 2 , wherein the engaging face of the lid pusher engages and applies a downward pressure to cause a second portion of the lid to engage with an upwardly-facing surface of the brim and wipe away spilled product extant on the upwardly-facing surface when the sealing head is in the wiping position. 
     
     
         4 . The closure system of  claim 3 , wherein an engaging face of the heater band engages with and applies a downward pressure to the second portion of the lid to cause heat to be transferred to the second portion of the lid and the upwardly-facing surface so that the heat bond is established between the lid and the container. 
     
     
         5 . The closure system of  claim 4 , wherein a lower portion of an engaging face of the burp plug is located in spaced-apart relation below a lower portion of the engaging face of the lid pusher. 
     
     
         6 . The closure system of  claim 5 , wherein a lower portion of the engaging face of the heater band is located in spaced-apart relation above the lower portion of the engaging face of the lid pusher and the lower portion of the engaging face of the burp plug. 
     
     
         7 . The closure system of  claim 2 , wherein the heater band and the burp plug cooperate to form a monolithic component. 
     
     
         8 . The closure system of  claim 7 , wherein the heater band is arranged to extend between and interconnect the lid pusher and the burp plug. 
     
     
         9 . The closure system of  claim 8 , wherein the lid pusher further includes a brim-receiving surface arranged to extend between and interconnect the engaging face of the lid pusher and the engaging face of the heater band and the brim-receiving surface is shaped to compliment the lid when the sealing head is in the engaged position. 
     
     
         10 . The closure system of  claim 4 , wherein the lid pusher is spaced apart from the heater band. 
     
     
         11 . The closure system of  claim 10 , wherein the heater band is spaced apart from the burp plug. 
     
     
         12 . The closure system of  claim 11 , wherein the burp plug includes a burp hub located in spaced-apart relation to the head foundation, a burp ring coupled to the burp hub to extend away from the burp hub toward the heater band, and a burp post arranged to extend between and interconnect the burp hub and the head foundation to cause the burp hub and burp ring to move therewith. 
     
     
         13 . The closure system of  claim 12 , wherein the burp ring and the burp hub cooperate to provide the engaging face of the burp plug. 
     
     
         14 . The closure system of  claim 2 , wherein the sealing-head mover is configured to provide means for moving the sealing head into a burping position before the engaged position in which the engaging face of the burp plug contacts the lid prior to the engaging face of the lid pusher. 
     
     
         15 . The closure system of  claim 3 , wherein the heater band is adapted to supply heat in excess of a selected temperature to the lid to cause spilled product extant remaining on the upwardly-facing surface of the brim to be gasified. 
     
     
         16 . A closure system for coupling and sealing a lid to a container, the closure system comprising
 a container support fixture adapted to support a container formed to include a product-storage region and a brim bordering an opening formed in the container and arranged to open into the product-storage region,   a sealing head located above the container support fixture and including a head foundation, an annular lid pusher coupled to the head foundation in a fixed position relative to the head foundation and located between the container support fixture and the head foundation, a burp plug coupled to the head foundation in a fixed position relative to the head foundation and the annular lid pusher and positioned to lie in radial spaced-apart relation to the annular lid pusher, and a heater band coupled to the head foundation in a fixed position relative to the head foundation and located between the annular lid pusher and the burp plug, and   a sealing-head mover coupled to the sealing head to cause the sealing head to move up and down between an initial position in which the sealing is located a first distance from the container support fixture, an engaged position in which the sealing head is located a relatively smaller second distance from the container support fixture and is adapted to engage and move the lid relative to the container and the container support fixture to cause a mechanical bond to be established between the lid and the container, a wiping position in which the sealing head is located a relatively smaller third distance from the container support fixture and is adapted to engage and move the lid relative to the container to cause the lid to wipe spilled food product off an upwardly facing surface of the brim, and a sealing position in which the sealing head is located a relative smaller fourth distance from the container support fixture and is adapted to form a heat bond between the lid and the container.   
     
     
         17 . The closure system of  claim 16 , wherein at least an engaging face included in the lid pusher engages a portion of the lid to cause the lid to mate with the container to form the mechanical bond when the sealing head is in the engaged position. 
     
     
         18 . The closure system of  claim 17 , wherein the engaging face of the lid pusher engages and applies a downward pressure to cause a second portion of the lid to engage with an upwardly-facing surface of the brim and wipe away spilled product extant on the upwardly-facing surface when the sealing head is in the wiping position. 
     
     
         19 . The closure system of  claim 18 , wherein an engaging face of the heater band engages with and applies a downward pressure to the second portion of the lid to cause heat to be transferred to the second portion of the lid and the upwardly-facing surface so that the heat bond is established between the lid and the container. 
     
     
         20 . The closure system of  claim 19 , wherein a lower portion of an engaging face of the burp plug is located in spaced-apart relation below a lower portion of the engaging face of the lid pusher. 
     
     
         21 . The closure system of  claim 20 , wherein a lower portion of the engaging face of the heater band is located in spaced-apart relation above the lower portion of the engaging face of the lid pusher and the lower portion of the engaging face of the burp plug. 
     
     
         22 . The closure system of  claim 17 , wherein the heater band and the burp plug cooperate to form a monolithic component. 
     
     
         23 . The closure system of  claim 22 , wherein the heater band is arranged to extend between and interconnect the lid pusher and the heater band. 
     
     
         24 . The closure system of  claim 23 , wherein the lid pusher further includes a brim-receiving surface arranged to extend between and interconnect the engaging face of the lid pusher and the engaging face of the heater band and is shaped to compliment of the lid when the sealing head is in the engaged position. 
     
     
         25 . The closure system of  claim 20 , wherein the lid pusher is spaced apart from the heater band. 
     
     
         26 . The closure system of  claim 25 , wherein the heater band is spaced apart from the burp plug. 
     
     
         27 . The closure system of  claim 26 , wherein the burp plug includes a burp hub located in spaced-apart relation to the head foundation, a burp ring coupled to the burp hub to extend away from the burp hub toward the heater band, and a burp post arranged to extend between and interconnect the burp hub and the head foundation to cause the burp hub and burp ring to move therewith. 
     
     
         28 . The closure system of  claim 27 , wherein the burp ring and the burp hub cooperate to provide the engaging face of the burp plug. 
     
     
         29 . The closure system of  claim 17 , wherein the sealing-head mover is configured to provide means for moving the sealing head into a burping position before the engaged position in which the engaging face of the burp plug contacts the lid prior to the engaging face of the lid pusher. 
     
     
         30 . The closure system of  claim 17 , wherein the heater band is adapted to supply heat in excess of a selected temperature to the lid to cause spilled product extant remaining on an upwardly-facing surface of the brim to be gasified.