Latch for a medical instrument sterilization container

A container comprising:

• a first wall;
• a second wall;
• and
• a latch mechanism secured to said first wall,
• said latch mechanism having a guide part secured to said first wall and a slide part carried by said guide part, shiftable relative to the guide part between a closed position restraining said second wall to secure said first wall and said second wall, and an open position releasing said slide part from said second wall thereby freeing said first wall from said second wall,
• said guide part including a guide catch part,
• said slide part including a depressible flap and a slide catch part positioned on and extending from said depressible flap,
• said guide catch part positioned to impede said slide catch part thereby restraining said slide part against movement from said closed position into said open position, whereby actuating said depressible flap into an actuated position releases said slide catch part from being restrained by said guide catch part and frees said slide part for movement from said closed position to said open position,
• said guide part having a guiding rail integral with said guide part and said slide part having a sliding rail integral with said slide part, wherein, in said open position, said guiding rail restrains said sliding rail, thereby restraining said slide part from complete separation from said guide part.

A method for unlatching a latch mechanism having an open and a closed position, the method comprising the steps of:

• attaching a guide part to a first container portion;
• actuating a depressible flap attached to a slide part into an actuated position, thereby freeing a slide catch part positioned on and extending from said depressible flap from the restraint in the closed position of a guide catch part integral with said guide part;
• retaining said depressible flap in an actuated position;
• and
• shifting said slide part relative to said guide part to the open position, wherein said slide part is guided by at least one sliding rail engaged with at least one guiding rail thereby disengaging at least one lip integral with said slide part from a second container portion.