Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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CONTAINER HAVING FOLDABLE LID
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application
No.
60/901,080 filed February 13, 2007, the subject matter of which is
incorporated herein by
reference.
TECHNOLOGY FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to a storage container. More
particularly, the
present invention relates to a storage container having a foldable lid that is
adapted to be stored
with the storage container.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Plastic, fluid-tight and air-tight storage containers for food and
other goods have
become increasingly popular in today's everyday storage needs. As a result,
many
improvements have been made to such storage containers to address issues such
as space savings
and consumer confidence in a sealed container. A few issues remain, however,
with storage
containers that have not yet been adequately addressed.
[0004] For example, storage container bodies are typically manufactured with
separate
lids, and the lids and container bodies are stacked and stored separately for
efficient use of space.
This system causes consumers to expend time searching for matching lids.
Furthermore, while
shipping the containers from the manufacture to the retail stores, the
containers and lids must
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either be stacked separately, which requires assembling at the destination
retailer, or be shipped
in the closed position, which is inefficient in terms of space.
[0005] Additionally, typical storage containers use a press-fit, friction-seal
lid, which is
not ideal for consumers. First, such a press-fit lid is not necessarily secure
against spills or leaks.
For example, if a consumer were to squeeze or roughly handle the storage
container, the lid of
the container may pop off, thereby spilling the contents of the container.
Second, it may be
difficult to seal and/or remove a press-fit lid from its container body. For
example, while sealing
a press-fit lid onto its container body, a consumer may be required to apply
pressure to the entire
rim of the container to get a proper seal. Furthermore, while removing the
press-fit lid from its
container body, the consumer may be required to use his or her fingernails to
pry open and then
remove the container lid, due to the amount of frictional force needed to keep
a friction-sealed
lid securely on the container body.
[0006] Therefore, there exists a need for further improvements to be made to
the design
and operation of storage containers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] A storage container having a lid that can be easily removed from the
container
body, folded, and then stored with the container body is provided. Such a
storage container
includes a container body and a corresponding lid for covering the container
body. The
container body includes a base and a sidewall extending up from the base to a
rim. The rim
defines an opening into the container body. The sidewall, the rim, and the
opening define a
cavity within the container body. The lid may include a central portion, an
outer perimeter
extending from the central portion, and a foldable portion extending across
the central portion.
The outer perimeter of the lid may be adapted to mate with the rim of the
container body to
thereby hold the lid to the container body. When the storage container is to
be stored, the lid
may be folded about the foldable portion to form a folded lid. The folded lid
may fit through the
opening and into the cavity of the container body to be stored within the
container body so that
the lid and container body can be stored together.
[0008] The lid may also include a latching mechanism disposed at each end of
the
foldable portion. The latching mechanism may help securely fasten the lid to
the container body.
The latching mechanism may also provide consumer confidence that the contents
of the storage
container will not spill or leak out of the container body. The latching
mechanism may also
allow the consumer to easily seal the lid onto the container body and/or
remove the lid from the
container body.
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[0009] The lid may also include a skirt extending down from a bottom surface
of the lid
proximate to the outer perimeter. When the lid is securely fastened to the
container body, the
skirt may abut the sidewall of the container body. Such an arrangement may
ensure that the
contents of the storage container do not leak or spill out of the container
body during use.
[0010] The skirt may include a protrusion that is adapted to engage a recess
formed in
the sidewall of the container body, when the lid is sealed onto the container
body. This
arrangement may further help secure the lid onto the container body.
[0011] The foldable portion may have multiple configurations. For example the
foldable portion may include one or more living hinges, a flexible material,
and/or one or more
mechanical hinges.
[0012] A storage container system comprising multiple stackable containers for
efficient storage of multiple containers is also provided. Such a storage
container system may
include a first container body, a foldable lid, and at least a second
container body. The first
container body may have a first base and a first sidewall extending up from
the first base. The
first sidewall may have a rim that defines an opening into the first container
body. The foldable
lid may be adapted to cover the opening of the first container body, when the
lid is in an
unfolded configuration. The second container body may have a second base and a
second
sidewall extending up from the second base. The second sidewall may have a rim
that defines a
second opening into the second container body. The foldable lid may be placed
within the first
container body, when the foldable lid is in a folded configuration. The second
container body
may then be received by the first container body such that the second
container body is stacked
on top of the first container body. A space is formed between the first base
of the first container
body and the second base of the second container body and the foldable lid may
fit within the
space.
[0013] Additional features and advantages of the invention will be made
apparent from
the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments that proceeds
with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The forgoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of
preferred
embodiments is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended
drawing. For the
purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings
exemplary constructions of
the invention; however, the invention is not limited to the specific methods
and instrumentalities
disclosed. Included in the drawing are the following FIGs.
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[0015] FIG. 1 is an exploded view depicting an embodiment of a lid and
container
combination in accordance with the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2A is top view of the lid depicted in FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 2B is a side view of the lid depicted in FIG. 2A;
[0018] FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view of the lid depicted in FIG. 2A
through the line
A-A;
[0019] FIG. 3 is an isometric view depicting the lid and container of FIG. 1
being
unlatched;
[0020] FIG. 4A is a partial cross-sectional view of the lid and container
combination
depicted in FIG. 1, in a closed configuration;
[0021] FIG. 4B is an expanded view of section C shown in FIG. 4A
[0022] FIG. 5A is a partial top view of the lid and container combination
depicted in
FIG. 1;
[0023] FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the lid and container combination
depicted
in FIG. 5A through the line D-D;
[0024] FIG. 5C is an expanded view of section F shown in FIG. 5B.
[0025] FIG. 6A is a partial side view of the lid and container combination
depicted in
FIG. 1;
[0026] FIG. 6B is a cross sectional view of the lid and container combination
depicted
in FIG. 6A through the line B-B;
[0027] FIG. 6C is an expanded view of section E shown in FIG. 6B;
[0028] FIG. 7A is a top view of the lid depicted in FIG. 1 after it has been
folded;
[0029] FIG. 7B is a side view of the lid depicted in FIG. 7A.
[0030] FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional view of the lid depicted in FIG. 7A
through the line
A-A;
[0031] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view depicting an embodiment of a stackable
container system;
[0032] FIG. 9A is an isometric view of another embodiment of a lid;
[0033] FIG. 9B is a side view of the lid depicted in FIG. 9A;
[0034] FIG. 9C is an isometric view of the lid depicted in FIG. 9A sealed onto
a
container body;
[0035] FIG. 10A is an isometric view of another embodiment of a lid including
a
flexible material;
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[0036] FIG. lOB is an isometric view of the lid depicted in FIG. 10A after it
has been
partially folded;
[0037] FIG. 11 is an isometric view depicting another embodiment of a lid;
[0038] FIG. 12A is an isometric view of another embodiment of a lid including
multiple foldable portions;
[0039] FIG. 12B is a side view of the.lid depicted in FIG. 12A in an unfolded
configuration;
[0040] FIG. 12C is a side view of the lid depicted in FIG. 12A being folded;
[0041] FIG. 12D is a side view of the lid depicted in FIG. 12A being folded;
[0042] FIG. 12E is a side view of the lid depicted in FIG. 12A being folded;
[0043] FIG. 12F is a side view of the lid depicted in FIG. 12A being folded;
[0044] FIG. 13 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a lid adapted to be
written on;
[0045] FIG. 14 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a lid including a
locking
mechanism;
[0046] FIG. 15 is an expanded view depicting an embodiment of a latch;
[0047] FIG. 16A is a top view of another embodiment of a lid;
[0048] FIG. 16B is a side view of the lid depicted in FIG. 16A;
[0049] FIG. 16C is a top view of the lid depicted in FIG. 16A after it has
been folded;
[0050] FIG. 16D is a side view of the folded lid depicted in FIG. 16C;
[0051] FIG. 17 is a schematic illustrating an alternative relationship between
an outer
perimeter of a lid and a rim of a container body; and
[0052] FIG. 18 is an isometric view depicting another embodiment of a foldable
lid.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0053] The present invention is directed to an improved storage container
having a
foldable lid. Such a container may have a lid that can be removed from a
container body, folded
and stored with the container body. By storing the lid with the container
body, the consumer will
no longer have the frustration of matching lids with container bodies nor will
the consumer have
to deal with the frustration of looking for misplaced lids.
[0054] The foldable lid may fold along a foldable portion. The foldable
portion may
include one or more mechanical hinges, one or more living hinges, and/or one
or more areas that
include a flexible material for example.
[0055] The storage container may also include several features to help
securely seal the
lid to the container body. For example, the lid may include a latching
mechanism.
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[0056] FIG. 1 depicts an example embodiment of a storage container in
accordance
with the present invention. As shown, a storage container 10 includes a
container body 14 and a
lid 18. The storage container 10 may be injection molded and may be made of a
durable material
such as plastic. The storage container 10 may have a variety of shapes and
dimensions. For
example, the storage container 10 may be generally square-shaped, circular,
rectangular, and/or
elliptical.
[0057] As shown in FIG. 1, the container body 14 may include a base 22 and a
sidewall
26 extending up from the base 22 to a rim 30. The rim 30 may define an opening
34 into the
container body 14. The sidewall 26, the rim 30, and the opening 34 may define
a cavity 38
within the container body 14. In the embodiment shown, the base 22 is
rectangular, and the
sidewall 26 includes a first sidewal142, a second sidewall 46, a third
sidewall 50, and a fourth
sidewal154 joined by corners 56. The corners 56 may be rounded or right-
angled. The first
sidewall 42 and the second sidewall 46 have a length L, and the third sidewall
50 and the fourth
sidewall 54 have a length W. L may define the length of the storage container
10 and W may
define the width of the storage container 10. The storage container 10 may
have a variety of
lengths L and widths W.
[0058] As shown in FIG. 1, the lid 18 may be adapted to cover the opening 34
of the
container body 14. As shown, the lid 18 may include a central portion 58, an
outer perimeter 62
extending from the central portion 58, and a foldable portion 66 extending
across the central
portion 58. The lid 18 may also include a latch mechanism 70 for securely
holding the lid 18 to
the container body 14. As shown, the latch mechanism 70 may be disposed at
each end of the
foldable portion 66.
[0059] FIGs. 2A and 2B depict top and side views of exemplary lid 18. As shown
in
FIG. 2A, the central portion 58 of the lid 18 may be separated by the foldable
portion 66 into
multiple sections, such as first segment 74 and second segment 76 of FIG. 2A.
Each segment 74
and 76 may have a substantially flat peripheral portion 78 surrounding an
inner portion 82. As
shown, the inner portion 82 may slope downward from the foldable portion 66
toward the outer
perimeter 62. The sloped inner portion 82 may provide a recess for the feet of
a container placed
above it, allowing for multiple containers to be stacked without falling.
[0060] As shown in FIGs. 2A and 2B the outer perimeter 62 of the lid 18 may
extend
around the central portion 58 and may have a radius of curvature. The outer
perimeter 62 may
have cut outs 86 on either side of the latch mechanism 70. As shown in FIG. 3,
the cut outs 86
may provide an opening for a consumer to rest their thumb as they lift the
latch mechanism 70
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with their finger 88. Therefore, the lid 18 may be more easily removed from
the container body
14.
[0061] The foldable portion 66, may include one or more living hinges, a
flexible
material, and/or one or more mechanical hinges. Referring back to FIG. 2A, the
foldable portion
66 may be a double living hinge and may include two hinges 90. Each segment 74
and 76 may
fold about its respective hinge 90, to form a folded lid. The folded lid may
be adapted to fit
through the opening 34 and into the cavity 38 of the container body 14. It
should be understood
that the foldable portion 66 is not limited to a double living hinge and that
other designs are
envisioned, as will be discussed.
[0062] FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view of the lid 18 shown in FIG. 2A
through the
line A-A. As shown, the lid 18 may include a peripheral skirt 94 near the
outer perimeter 62.
The skirt 94 may extend down from a bottom surface 98 of the lid 18 and may
extend around the
periphery of the lid 18.
[0063] As shown in FIGs. 4A and 4B, when the lid 18 is sealed onto the
container body
14, the skirt 94 may abut the sidewall 26. For example, the skirt 94 may abut
the first sidewall
42, the second sidewall 46, the third sidewall 50, and the fourth sidewal154
of the container body
14. The skirt 94 may also abut the corners 56 of the sidewa1126. Preferably
the skirt 94 applies
a pressure to the sidewall 26 when the lid 18 is sealed onto the container
body 14. Such an
arrangement will help prevent the contents of the storage container 10 from
leaking or spilling
out while being used. Such an arrangement may also, help make the storage
container 10 air-
tight.
[0064] Additionally, FIGs. 4A and 4B depict a relationship between the outer
perimeter
62 of the lid 18 and the rim 30 of the container body 14. As shown, the rim 30
may include a
first protrusion 102 extending from a curved portion 106, and a second
protrusion 108 extending
down from the first protrusion 102. When the lid 18 is sealed to the container
body 14, the outer
perimeter 62 of the lid 18 may curve down and terminate at the first
protrusion 102 near the
second protrusion 108. As shown, the outer perimeter 62 may smoothly merge
with the rim 30,
such that the outer perimeter 62 does not protrude out further than the rim 30
of the container
body 14. This arrangement may help direct the consumer to the latch mechanism
70 as opposed
to trying to remove the lid as if it were a frictional fit lid as in
traditional lid and container
combinations.
[0065] FIGs. 5A-5C depict certain mechanisms to help secure the lid 18 to the
container body 14. FIG. 5B depicts a cross-sectional view of the storage
container 10 shown in
FIG. 5A through the line D-D and FIG. 5C depicts detail F of FIG. 5B. As shown
in FIGs. 5B
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and 5C, the skirt 94 may include a protrusion 110 and the sidewall 26 may
include a
corresponding recess 114. When the lid 18 is sealed onto the container body 14
and the skirt 94
is pressed against the sidewall 26, the protrusion 110 may mate with the
recess 114 to thereby
help securely hold the lid 18 onto the container body 14. When the lid 18 is
to be removed from
the container body 14, the lid 14 can be lifted at the latch mechanisms 70 to
partially fold the lid
14 and disengage the protrusion 110 from the recess 114. The storage container
10 may have
multiple protrusion 110 and recess 114 combinations. For example, a protrusion
110 may extend
from the skirt 94 proximate each corner of the skirt 94 and a recess 114 may
be formed in the
sidewall 26 proximate each corner of the sidewall 26. Therefore, including the
two latch points
from the latch mechanism 70, the storage container 10 may have multiple
locking or holding
points around the perimeter of the container body. It should be understood
that the location of
the protrusion/recess may be reversed, such that the protrusion may be formed
on the container
body and the corresponding recess may be formed on the lid.
[0066] FIGs. 6A-6C depict how the exemplary latch mechanism 70 may help secure
the
lid 18 to the container body 14. FIG. 6B depicts a cross-sectional view of the
storage container
shown in FIG. 6A through the line B-B and FIG. 6C depicts detail E of FIG. 6B.
As shown in
FIGs. 6B and 6C the latch mechanism 70 may include a curved portion 120, a
first protrusion
124 extending out from the curved portion 120, and a second protrusion 128
extending down
from a first end of the curved portion 120. The second end of the curved
portion 120 may be
connected to the foldable portion 66 by a pivot 132. The first protrusion 124
may have an upper
surface 136 that abuts a bottom surface 140 of the rim 30 of the container
body 14 when the latch
mechanism is employed to securely hold the lid 18 to the container body 14.
The second
protrusion 128 may provide a grip for a consumer to use to unlatch the latch
mechanism 70 to
thereby remove the lid 18 from the container body 14. A similar type structure
for the latch
mechanism 70 may be used for either end of the foldable portion 66.
[0067] When the storage container 10 is not being used a consumer may want to
store
the storage container 10. So that the consumer does not have to store the
container body 14 and
the lid 18 separately, the lid 18 may be removed, folded, and stored within
the cavity 38 of the
container body 14.
[0068] As shown in FIGs. 7A and 7B, the lid 18 may be folded about the
foldable
portion 66 to form a folded lid 150. In particular the first segment 74 of the
lid 18 may fold
about its respective hinge 90 and the second segment 76 of the lid 18 may fold
about its
respective hinge 90. As shown in FIG. 7C, which is a cross-sectional view of
the folded lid 150
of FIG. 7A through the line A-A, when the lid 18 is folded, the first segment
74 may be offset
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from the second segment 76 so that the skirt 94 of the first segment 74 does
not interfere with the
skirt 94 of the second segment 76. Alternatively the skirt 94 of the first
segment 74 may deform
so that it does not interfere with the skirt 94 of the second segment 76, when
the lid 18 is folded.
[0069] When the lid 18 is folded it may have a folded lid length L', a folded
lid width
W', and a folded lid height H'. In order for the folded lid 150 to fit within
the cavity 38 of the
container body 14, the folded lid width W' must be less than the container
body width W.
[0070] As shown in FIG. 8, several storage containers 10 may be stacked and
stored
together. As shown, the sidewalls 26 of each container body 14 may extend up
from their
respective bases 22 at an angle a (draft angle) so that a first storage
container 154 can receive a
second storage container 158. The angle a may be any angle, such as 5 degrees
from the
vertical. When the second storage container 158 is received by the first
storage container 154, a
space 162 is created between the base 22 of the first storage container 154
and the base 22 of the
second storage container 158. The space 162 may have a height H". H" may be
greater than H'
so that the folded lid 150 can be placed and stored within the space 162.
Therefore, multiple
storage containers 10, including their respective container bodies 14 and lids
18, may be stacked
and stored in one place.
[0071] FIGs. 9A-9C depict another embodiment of a lid for a storage container
in
accordance with the present invention. As shown, a lid 218 may include a
central portion 222,
an outer perimeter 226 extending around the central portion 222, and a
foldable portion 228
extending across the central portion 222. The foldable portion 228 may split
the lid 218 into
multiple sections, such as first segment 232 and second segment 236. A latch
mechanism 240
may be disposed at either end of the foldable portion 228. The lid 218 may
also include a skirt
244 extending down from the outer perimeter 226 proximate the ends of the lid
218. The lid 218
may also include side extensions 248 extending from the outer perimeter 226
proximate the sides
of the lid 218.
[0072] As shown, each latch mechanism 240 may include a portion 252 of the
fold able
portion 228 and two wings 256 extending out from the portion 252. Therefore,
when the lid 218
is folded each wing 256 folds may fold as well. The wings 256 may also aid the
consumer in
unlatching the latch mechanism 240.
[0073] As shown in FIG. 9C, the lid 218 may be sealed onto a corresponding
container
body 260 to form a storage container 262. When the lid 218 is sealed onto the
container body
260, skirt 244 may abut a sidewall 264 of the container body 260. Preferably,
the skirt 244
applies a pressure to the sidewall 264 to ensure that none of the contents of
the storage container
262 leak or spill out. Furthermore, the side extensions 248 may extend around
a rim 266 of the
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container body 260 when the lid 218 is sealed onto the container body 260.
When storage
container 262 is no longer being used, the lid 218 may be removed, folded
about the foldable
portion 228 and stored within the container body 260.
[0074] Multiple embodiments of a lid that is adapted to fold about a foldable
portion
are envisioned. For example, FIGs. 10A and lOB depict a lid 280 having a
foldable portion 284
made of a flexible material, such as santoprene or any other flexible
thermoplastic, for example.
When the lid 280 is to be stored within a corresponding container body, the
lid 280 may be
folded about the foldable portion 284, as shown in FIG. lOB. The foldable
portion 284 may also
be thinner than the remaining portion of the lid 280.
[0075] FIG. 11 depicts another embodiment of a lid that is adapted to fold
about a
foldable portion. As shown, a lid 300 may include a single living hinge 304.
Therefore, when
the lid 300 is to be stored within a corresponding container body, the lid 300
may be folded
about the single living hinge 304. Also, the lid 300 may not include latching
mechanisms, and
therefore, the lid 300 may be removed from any of the four corners like a
conventional friction-
fit lid.
[0076] Lids according to the present invention may include multiple foldable
portions.
For example, FIGs. 12A-12F depict a lid 310 having a first foldable portion
314, a second
foldable portion 318, a third foldable portion 322, and a fourth foldable
portion 326. The
foldable portions 314, 318, 322, and 326 may separate the lid 310 into a first
segment 330, a
second segment 334, a third segment 338, a fourth segment 342, and a fifth
segment 344. The
first segment 330 may fold about the first foldable portion 314, the second
segment 334 may fold
about the second foldable portion 318, the third segment 338 not fold, the
fourth segment 342
may fold about the third foldable portion 322, and the fifth segment 344 may
fold about the
fourth foldable portion 326. As shown in FIGs. 12D-12F the first segment 330
may fold into the
second and third segments 334 and 338, and the fifth segment 344 may fold over
and cover the
first, second, and third segments 330, 334, and 338.
[0077] Lids according to the present invention may also include portions that
may be
written on. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, a lid 360 may include a writable
portion 364, on
which a consumer can write with a writing utensil, such as a dry-erase pen.
Therefore, the
storage containers can be labeled. Preferably, the writable portion 364 is an
opaque region such
as a label area or pigment region, and is erasable so that the storage
container can be relabeled.
By using an opaque region on a generally transparent lid may provide the
contrast needed to
easily read the written label. Furthermore, the writable portion 364 may be
located on the
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underside of the lid so that repeated erasing of the marker does not scratch
the label or pigment
area.
[0078] Lids according to the present invention may also include locking
mechanisms to
ensure that the latches do not accidentally open. As shown in FIG. 14, a lid
370 may include a
foldable portion 368, a latching mechanism 374 and a locking mechanism 378.
The locking
mechanism 378 may be located near the latching mechanism 374 on a top surface
of the foldable
portion 368. When the lid 370 is placed onto a corresponding container body
382, the latching
mechanism 374 may be employed to securely fasten the lid 370 to the container
body 382. To
provide added security to the container, the locking mechanism 378 may be
activated (e.g.
rotated).
[0079] FIG. 15 depicts another embodiment of a latching mechanism for securely
fastening a foldable lid to a corresponding container body. As shown, a
latching mechanism 386
may include a slot 390. When the latching mechanism 386 is latched, a
protrusion 394 may
extend through the slot 390 to prevent the lid from being lifted off of the
container body. When
the latching mechanism 386 is to be opened, the latching mechanism 386 may be
rotated up
toward the top of the lid. A protrusion 398 may provide the consumer a place
to rest their thumb
as they open the container by lifting the latch mechanism 386 with their index
finger.
[0080] FIGs. 16A-16D depict an embodiment of a lid according to the present
invention having an elliptical shape. As shown, a lid 410 may include a
central portion 414, an
outer perimeter 418 extending from the central portion 414, a foldable portion
422 extending
across the central portion 414, and a latch mechanism 426 located at each end
of the foldable
portion 422. The lid 410 may also include a skirt 432 extending from the
bottom of the lid 410
proximate to the outer perimeter 418. As shown in FIGs. 16C and 16D, the lid
410 may fold
about the foldable portion 422 to become a folded lid. The folded lid may then
be placed and
stored within a corresponding container body.
[0081] FIG. 17 is a schematic illustrating another lid and container body
arrangement
according to the present invention. In the depicted arrangement an outer
perimeter 450 of a lid
includes a recess 458, and a sidewa11462 of a container body includes a
protrusion 466. When
the lid is sealed onto the container body, the protrusion 466 may engage the
recess 458 to create
an interference fit.
[0082] FIG. 18 depicts another embodiment of a foldable lid having protrusions
extending from all four sides of the skirt. As shown, a lid 500 may include a
central portion 514,
an outer perimeter 518 extending from the central portion 514, a foldable
portion 522 extending
across the central portion 514, and a skirt 526 extending down from the
central portion 514
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proximate to the outer perimeter 518. The skirt 526 may have protrusions 530
extending from
each side of the skirt 526. The protrusions 530 may each mate with a
corresponding recess
formed in a container body.
[0083] It should be understood that the features described for the container
lid and the
features described for the container body may be reversed. That is, the
storage container may
have a substantially flat lid-like base and a container body-like lid to cover
the lid-like base. In
this embodiment, the container body-like lid may include a latch mechanism and
a foldable
portion.
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