Latching structure for food container

A container for food or other articles comprising:

• a lid having a horizontal flange extending around the periphery thereof,
• a base having a front and a rear and a horizontal flange extending around the periphery thereof and engageable with the horizontal flange of said lid when said container is in closed condition,
• means for latching the front of said lid to said base, said latching means including:
• at least one male rib having an oblong cross-section depending from said horizontal flange of said lid, opposite sides of said rib having an S-shaped sidewall forming a protuberance adjacent a bottom wall thereof, the remaining sides of said rib being arcuate,
• at least one female recess having a rectangular cross-section formed in said flange of said base dimensioned to receive a cooperating male rib in said lid, opposite sides of said female recess having an S-shaped side wall forming an outwardly extending recess matable with said protuberance of said male rib in said lid, the remaining sides of said female recess being straight and spaced from the arcuate sides of the male rib when the rib is received within said recess, the contacting sides of said male rib and said female recess being constructed and arranged to deflect with respect to each other so that when said male rib is pressed into said female recess the protuberance on said male rib will snap into position into the outwardly extending recess in the sidewall of said female recess and interlock therewith to latch said lid to said base.