Container and sealing cover

A combination of a generally rectangular container having an open top and a rectangular cover for closing and sealing the open top when the cover is in a closed position comprising:

• a one-piece generally rectangular container having a bottom wall and an upstanding peripheral wall forming side and end walls and terminating in an upper edge surrounding an open mouth, the upper edge defining a pair of horizontally extending handles on opposed end walls, the peripheral wall further defining a continuous upper inside sealing surface;
• a one-piece generally rectangular cover having a top wall and an outer rim flange extending from the top wall along side and end walls, the outer rim flange being interrupted by a pair of axels on opposing side walls, and fitting over the upper edge of the container except for the axles in the closed position, the cover having a continuous downwardly extending inner sealing flange canted outwardly at an angle Φ to the vertical and terminating with a free edge which has a greater periphery than the periphery of the container inside sealing surface which the free sealing edge contacts in the closed position so that in the closed position the free edge of the sealing fin applies an outwardly directed horizontal pressure to the container inside sealing surface to establish a seal between the container inside sealing surface and the sealing flange;
• and
• a latch handle pivotally mounted on each axle, each latch handle defining an upper and lower surface with a protruding locking tab extending downwardly from the lower surface and arranged to snap under a section of the peripheral upper edge of the container when the latch handle is rotated downwardly to lock the cover in place over the container open top with the inner sealing flange engaging the upper portion of the container side wall to secure the cover over the open top, each latch handle further defining a manually actuable tongue extending outwardly of the locking tab, whereby a user may break the seal and release the cover by pressing the tongue of each latch upwardly with a finger of one hand while simultaneously pressing an area of the top wall of the cover adjacent the latch handle downwardly with another finger of the hand.

A container/lid for storing food stuffs comprising:

• a one-piece lid having a top wall with a downturned peripheral wall and an annular downwardly depending sealing fin disposed inwardly of the downturned peripheral wall;
• a one-piece container with a circumscribing wall having an inner surface and a peripheral upper edge defining a mouth, the upper portion of the inner surface of the circumscribing wall defining an outwardly tapering inner sealing surface, the annular downwardly depending sealing fin on the lid being arranged such that when the lid is mated with the container, the fin seats against the inner sealing surface of the wall applying horizontal pressure thereto and establishing a seal between the wall and the fin, the interface between the cover fin and the container sealing surface providing the only seal between the cover and container;
• and
• a pair of latch handles pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the cover, each latch handle defining an upper and lower surface with a protruding locking tab extending downwardly from the lower surface and arranged to snap under a section of the peripheral upper edge of the container circumscribing wall when the latch handle is rotated downwardly to lock the cover in place over the container open top with the cover fin engaging the inner surface of the container wall to secure the cover over the open mouth, each latch handle further defining a manually actuable tongue extending outwardly of the locking tab, whereby a user may break the seal and release the cover by pressing the tongue of each latch upwardly with a finger of one hand while simultaneously pressing an area of the top wall of the lid adjacent the latch handle downwardly with another finger of the hand.

A container/lid for storing food stuffs and the like comprising:

• a one-piece rectangularly-shaped container having a bottom wall, a pair of side and end walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall and terminating in an upper edge surrounding a mouth, the upper portion of the side and end walls defining an interior rectangular sealing area;
• a one-piece lid having a depressed planar top wall which merges into an upwardly extending medial portion joined to a downwardly extending outer rim skirt circumscribing at least the major portion of the lid, the lid having a downwardly extending sealing fin disposed inwardly of the skirt, the fin tapering outwardly at an angle Φ of about 4° to 8° and having a free edge with a slightly greater periphery than the periphery of the container sealing area so that the free edge of the fin is flexed inwardly to form an interference fit with the rectangular sealing area of the container end and side walls when the lid is seated over the container mouth the interference fit between the cover fin and the container sealing area providing the only seal between the cover and container;
• and
• a pair of latch handles pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the cover adjacent the outer rim skirt thereof, each latch handle defining an upper and lower surface with a protruding locking tab extending downwardly from the lower surface and arranged to snap under a section of the peripheral upper edge of the container side wall when the latch handle is rotated downwardly to lock the cover in place over the container open top with the inner sealing flange engaging the upper portion of the container side wall to secure the cover over the open top, each latch handle further defining a manually actuable tongue extending outwardly of the locking tab, whereby a user may break the seal and release the cover by pressing the tongue of each latch upwardly with a finger of one hand while simultaneously pressing an area of the top wall of the lid adjacent the latch handle downwardly with another finger of the hand.