Manual Container Sealer and Methods

A container sealing device comprising

• a base;
• a lower die member mounted for generally vertical translation relative to the base between a home position and a lower die sealing position generally below the home position and for pivotal movement, generally about a horizontal lower die pivotal axis, between an initial lower die alignment position at an initial die alignment angle and a sealing position at a sealing angle;
• a biasing mechanism to provide a biasing force to bias the lower die member upwardly toward the home position when the lower die member is displaced below the home position;
• and
• an upper die member mounted for pivotal movement relative to the device support member about an upper die pivotal axis at least substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the lower die pivotal axis,
• the upper die member being pivotable to and from an upper die open position and an initial upper die alignment position, the upper die open position being at an inclined, open upper die angle higher than said initial die alignment angle, to permit placement of a peripheral container flange of a container and a cover for the container overlapping at least a portion of the container flange onto the lower die member, and removal of the sealed container comprising the container flange and cover from the lower die member, and the initial upper alignment position being at said initial die alignment angle;
• and
• the upper die member being pivotable to and from the initial upper die alignment position and an upper die sealing position at a generally horizontal sealing angle lower than said initial die alignment angle, at which the upper die member substantially uniformly engages the lower die member in the lower die sealing position, wherein when a container flange and cover are disposed between an upper die sealing surface of the upper die member and a lower die sealing surface of the lower die member, a force from the biasing mechanism is applied to provide generally uniform clamping pressure to the container flange and cover between the upper and lower die sealing surfaces to permit uniform sealing of the cover to the container flange, the upper die member in a lowering pivotal movement from the upper die open position toward the upper die alignment position being configured to initially engage part of the lower die member when the lower die member is not disposed at the initial die alignment angle upon initial contact with the upper die member during said lowering pivotal movement of the upper die member, and to impart movement to the initially engaged part of the lower die member to impel the lower die member to pivot to the initial die alignment angle as said lowering pivotal movement of the upper die member approaches the initial die alignment angle.