Sealing foil liners to containers
An apparatus for sealing a foil liner to a container. The apparatus comprises a seal head that includes a body having a first end, a second end, and an axis extending through the first and second ends. The body further includes a sealing surface at the second end thereof facing away from the first end. The seal head further includes fluid path(s) for passing fluid through and out of the seal head and onto the foil liner. A method for sealing a foil liner to a container is also provided wherein a sealing surface of a seal head is aligned with a sealing surface of the container, wherein a peripheral edge of the foil liner is disposed between the sealing surfaces of the seal head and the container. Fluid is then passed through fluid path(s) in the seal head and out of the seal head and onto the foil liner.
1. A method of sealing a foil liner to a sealing surface of a container that surrounds a mouth of the container, comprising:
aligning a sealing surface of a seal head with the sealing surface of the container, wherein at least a peripheral edge of the foil liner is disposed between the sealing surfaces of the seal head and the container;
applying heat between the seal head and the container to heat the foil liner and the sealing surface of the container, the peripheral edge of the foil liner being sealed to the sealing surface of the container and the foil liner extending across the mouth of the container; and
passing fluid through one or more fluid paths in the seal head and out of the seal head and onto at least a portion of the foil liner radially inward of the peripheral edge of the foil liner.
2. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the applying step comprises applying heat between the seal head and the container by the seal head.
3. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the applying step comprises applying heat onto a portion of the foil liner by the seal head.
4. The method set forth in claim 1 , further comprising varying the flow of the fluid through the one or more fluid paths and onto the foil liner to adjust a pressure applied to the foil liner.
5. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the passing step is performed during the sealing of the foil liner to the sealing surface of the container.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising passing fluid through the one or more fluid paths in the seal head and onto the foil liner following the applying step to cool a head space of the container and thus locking a seal between the foil liner and the sealing surface of the container.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said passing step comprises blowing gas through the one or more fluid paths in the seal head and onto the foil liner.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising separating the seal head from the container and then passing fluid onto the foil liner to cool the foil liner and a head space of the container and to cause a vacuum to form in the container.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to the applying step, the method further comprises pressing the seal head and the container together to compress the peripheral edge of the foil liner.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein passing fluid through the one or more fluid paths comprises passing fluid through an inlet passageway of the seal head, onto the foil liner, and out of an outlet passageway of the seal head.