Patent Publication Number: US-2022219867-A1

Title: Food storage container having attached lid

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/137,558 filed Jan. 14, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This application relates to the field of storage containers. More specifically, this application relates to reusable, non-toxic food storage containers having a permanently attached re-closable lid. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Currently, most food is stored in single use plastic or paper containers that are discarded after use. If disposed of properly, these food containers wind up in landfills where they take decades if not centuries to degrade. Many disposable food containers, however, do not make into a trash can and are often discarded in the natural environment where the food containers endanger wildlife and pollute water, forests, and other natural resources. Despite their prevalence, many disposable food containers are unsafe to use. The harmful chemicals included in the container material may seep into the food and effect the health of people consuming the food. Many common reusable containers are also unsafe to use, especially in the microwave. Reusable food containers are typically made of soft plastics, therefore, when the reusable containers are exposed to microwaves, the soft plastic materials become unstable and melt or degrade. The degraded material can then contaminate the food stored in the container and prevent the reusable container from being used again. 
     Moreover, reusable food containers commonly have a detachable lid that is separate from the storage compartment of the food container. These detachable lids are small and often lost, misplaced, or otherwise separated from the other pieces of the food container. Additionally, there is no standard size for food storage containers so additional lids that fit the container&#39;s storage compartment cannot be easily found or purchased. Without a lid, the reusable container is not usable and must be discarded. Similar to disposable food containers, incomplete reusable containers make up a large portion of waste in landfills and frequently end up as pollution in the natural environment. Therefore, there is a need for a reusable food container that is made out of durable, non-toxic material that will not degrade under extreme hot or extreme cold. It is also desirable to have a reusable food container that has a lid attached to the storage compartment of the container to ensure the pieces of the food container are never separated. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect disclosed herein are food containers comprising a storage compartment including a base portion and one or more side portions that extend from the base portion to a rim that runs along a perimeter of a top side of the storage compartment; a lid that fits over the top side of the storage area, the lid including a plurality of locking elements that are moveable relative to the lid, the locking elements configured to secure the lid to the storage compartment; and a hinge connected to the lid and fixed to the storage compartment by one or more connectors, the hinge formed from a durable, flexible material and configured to join the lid to the storage compartment and allow a bottom side of the lid to fold over the top side of the storage compartment. 
     In one aspect, the storage area is formed from a durable, non-toxic borosilicate glass material. In one aspect, the locking elements include an “L shaped” piece of material that extends down from an exterior edge of the lid toward an interior side of the lid. In one aspect, the “L shaped” piece of material is hinged at an attachment point that joins the locking elements to the lid, wherein the locking elements pivot at the attachment point to arrange the food container in a locked position and in an unlocked position. In one aspect, “L shaped” piece of material includes a horizontal rectangle that runs parallel to the interior side of the lid and a vertical rectangle that runs perpendicular to the interior side of the lid. In one aspect, the locked position includes the “L shaped” piece of material wrapped around the rim of the storage container and a horizontal rectangle of the “L shaped” piece of material is pushed into contact with a surface area on a bottom side of the rim. In one aspect, the unlocked position includes the “L shaped” piece of material lifted away from the rim of the storage container with the horizontal rectangle of the “L shaped” piece of material positioned away from a surface area on a bottom side of the rim. 
     In one aspect, the side portion storage slopes outwardly along a side portion edge that extends from the base portion to the rim so that a perimeter of the rim is greater than a perimeter of the base portion. In one aspect, an inner surface of the lid includes a groove along a perimeter of the inner surface. 
     In one aspect, the food container further comprises a ring that fits into the groove, wherein the ring is formed from an elastomeric material. In one aspect, the ring is configured to compresses against the rim to form an airtight and moisture tight seal when the lid is closed over the top side of the storage compartment and the locking elements are arranged in a locked position. In one aspect, the ring is removable from the groove and wherein the ring is formed from a durable silicone material. In one aspect, the connectors include a flexible material having an hourglass shape, the hour glass shape including a first head joined by a middle portion to a second head, wherein the first and second heads have a greater circumference relative to the middle portion. In one aspect, the first head of the connectors is inserted into a hole in the side portion of the storage compartment and the second head of the connectors is inserted into a hole in the hinge to connect the lid to storage compartment. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various objectives, features, and advantages of the disclosed subject matter can be more fully appreciated with reference to the following detailed description of the disclosed subject matter when considered in connection with the following drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary food storage container, according to embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an exemplary food storage container in a closed configuration, according to embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an exemplary food storage container in an open configuration, according to embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a front elevational view of an exemplary food storage container, according to embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a back elevational view of an exemplary food storage container, according to embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view of an exemplary food storage container, according to embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an exploded view of an exemplary food storage container, according to embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates an exemplary connector that is assembled, according to embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates different perspectives of an exemplary connector that is disassembled, according to embodiments of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Food Storage Device Hardware Overview 
     Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a sufficient understanding of the subject matter presented herein. But it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. Moreover, the particular embodiments described herein are provided by way of example and should not be used to limit the scope of the invention to these particular embodiments. In other instances, well-known components have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments of the invention. 
       FIGS. 1-7  illustrate different perspectives of an exemplary food container  100 .  FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of the exemplary food container  100 . As shown, the food container  100  includes a storage compartment  102  and a lid  104 . The storage compartment  102  may include a base portion  118  and a side portion  122  that extends from the base portion  118  to the rim  116  of the storage compartment  102 . The side portion  122  may slope outwardly along the side portion edge  120  of the storage compartment  102  from the base portion  118  to the rim  116 . The sloped side portion edge  120  allows the storage compartment to be wider at the rim  116  relative to the base portion  118 . For example, the side portion  122  may slope outwardly along the side portion edge  120  that extends from the base portion  118  to the rim  116  so that the perimeter of the rim  116  is greater than the inner perimeter and or outer perimeter of the base portion  118 . In various embodiments, the side portion  122  may slope outwardly at an angle between 5 and 10 degrees. The storage compartment  102  may have a width running from a left side  134  of the storage compartment  102  to the right side  136  of the storage compartment that measures between 4 inches (in) and 6 in. The storage compartment  102  may have a length running from a first end  138  of the storage compartment  102  to a second end  140  of the storage compartment that measures between 6 in and 8 in. The storage compartment may have a depth running from the base portion  118  to the rim  116  that measures between 2.0 in and 3.5 in. The side portion  122  of the storage compartment may have a thickness measuring between 0.125 in and 3.75 in various embodiments and between 0.0625 in and 0.125 in other embodiments. 
     The storage compartment  102  may be made out of a durable, non-toxic material, for example, borosilicate glass. The storage compartment  102  may also be made out of a Bisphenol A (BPA) free plastic, for example, Tritan. The material of the storage compartment  102  allows the food container  100  to be reused and safely washed. The material of the storage compartment  102  also ensures the food container  100  will not degrade over time or when the storage compartment  102  is exposed to extreme cold conditions, for example, storage in a freezer, and or extreme hot conditions, for example, in a microwave, conventional oven, or other heating element. For example, the storage compartment  102  may be made of borosilicate 3.3. glass which has a low thermal expansion and therefore is a safe material that is safe to use even at high heat. The material of the storage compartment  102  may also be a good thermal insulator to allow the storage compartment to retain heat and or cold for a long period of time relative to thermally conductive materials. 
     The storage compartment  102  may also include a rim  116  around the top side of the storage compartment  102  opposite the base portion  118 . The rim  116  may extend out from the top side of the storage compartment to provide a surface area to seal, grip, and or hold the food container without touching the walls and or the base of the storage compartment  102 . The rim  116  may have a width between 0.25 in and 0.375 in. The surface area on the bottom side of the rim  116  may also allow the food container  100  to be carried safely without touching the side portion  122  and or base portion  118  of the storage compartment  102  which may be hot from direct contact with a heating element. The surface area of the rim  116  may also help seal the lid  104  over the top side of the storage compartment  102 . 
     The lid  104  may include one or more locking elements  106  that secure the lid  104  to the storage compartment  102 . The locking elements  106  may include an “L shaped” piece of material that extends down from an exterior edge  124  of the lid  104  toward the interior side  128  of the lid  104 . The “L shaped” piece of material may include a horizontal rectangle  130  that runs parallel to an interior surface  128  of the lid  104  and a vertical rectangle  132  that runs perpendicular to the interior surface  128  of the lid. The locking elements  106  may be hinged at the attachment point  126  with the lid  104  so that the locking elements  106  are moveable relative to the lid  104 , such hinge may be a living hinge made of the same material as the locking elements  106 . The locking elements  106  may pivot at the attachment point to wrap around the rim  116  and attach to the surface area of the rim  116  to secure the lid  104  to the storage compartment  102 . In particular, the lid  104  may be secured to the storage compartment  102  when the food container  100  is in locked position and the lid  104  may be moveable relative to the storage compartment  102  when the food container  100  is in an unlocked position. When the food container is in a locked position the “L shaped” piece of material included in the locking elements  106  wraps around the rim  116  of the storage compartment  102  and the horizontal rectangle  130  of the “L shaped” piece of material is pushed into contact with a surface area on a bottom side of the rim  116 . When the food container  100  is in an unlocked position the “L shaped” piece of material included in the locking elements  106  is lifted away from the rim  116  of the storage compartment  102  with the horizontal rectangle  130  of the “L shaped” piece of material positioned away from the surface area on the bottom side of the rim  116 . 
     The locking elements  106  may be made out of a hard plastic or silicone material so that they are durable and easy to maneuver to lock and unlock the lid  104 . For example, the locking elements  106  may be made out of a hard plastic material that snaps into place over the rim  116  and in contact with the surface area when pushed into a locked position using a friction fit and releases away from the rim  116  when lifted into an unlocked position. The locking elements  106  may have a thickness that measures between 0.100 in and 0.150 in. In various embodiments, the thickness of the locking elements may be 0.125 in. The lid  104  may be made of a durable, non-toxic material, for example, borosilicate glass, Tritan, or other BPA free plastic and the like so that the lid  104  is food safe, reusable, and washable. The lid  104  may have a thickness that measures between 0.100 in and 0.150 in. In various embodiments, the thickness of the lid  104  may be 0.125 in. The hinge that connects the locking elements  106  and the lid  104  at the attachment point  126  may be made of a silicone and or flexible plastic material so that the locking elements  106  may pivot on the lid  104 . The hinge may have a thickness that measures between 0.060 in and 0.130 in. In various embodiments, the hinge may have a thickness that measures between 0.065 in and 0.125 in. In various embodiments, the thickness of the hinge may be 0.125 in. The materials used to form the locking elements  106 , lid  104 , and hinge may not degrade overtime or when exposed to extreme cold or extreme heat conditions so that the food container  100  may be sealed when used to freeze and or heat food. 
     An interior surface of the lid  104  may include a groove. For example, the groove may be positioned along the outer perimeter of the lid  104  just to the inside of the exterior edge  124  of the lid  104 . The groove may run along the entire perimeter of the lid  104  and or along a portion of the lid  104 . The groove may have a width that measures between 0.20 in and 0.50 in and a depth that measures between 0.20 in and 0.50 in. In various embodiments, the width of the groove may be 0.25 in and the depth of the groove may be 0.25 in. A ring  114  may be placed inside the groove. To allow the ring  114  to fit snuggly inside the groove, the ring  114  may have a width that measures between 0.150 in and 0.400 in. In various embodiments, the thickness of the ring  114  may be 0.200 in. The ring  114  may be formed from a food grade silicon, rubber, or any other elastomeric material and may have a round and or rectangular cross section. The ring  114  may extend out from the interior surface of the lid  104  so that the ring  114  is compressed when the lid  104  is over the rim  116  and the locking elements  106  are locked into a locked position. In various embodiments, the ring  114  may have a height that measures between 0.300 in and 0.500 in. In various embodiments, the ring  114  may have a height that measures between 0.3125 in and 0.375 in. The height of the ring  114  may be greater than the depth of the groove so that the ring  114  extends out from the grove. In various embodiments, the ring  114  may extend out from by container a distance between 0.125 in and 0.25 in. In various embodiments, the height of the ring may be 0.375 in so that the ring extends out from the groove (e.g., a groove having a depth of 0.25 in) a distance measuring 0.125 in. Once compressed, the ring  114  seals the inside of the food container  100  to prevent air and moisture from entering and or exiting the food container  100 . The seal provided by ring  114  keeps food items stored in the storage compartment  102  dry and fresh for an extended period of time (i.e., hours, days, weeks, or any other period of time having a duration greater than 1 hour) and prevents food from going stale inside the food container  100 . The seal provided by the ring  114  also prevents liquids stored in the storage compartment  102  from leaving the food container  100  and making a mess. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates an exploded view of the food storage container. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the food storage container may be assembled using two connectors  112  and a hinge  110  that attach the lid  104  to the storage compartment  102 . The two connectors  112  may be inserted into one or more holes  702  cut into one or more sides of the storage compartment  102  and one or more openings  704  in the hinge  110 . The holes  702  for inserting the connectors  112  may be cut in a middle portion of a side of the storage compartment  102  or another other location on the side portion  122 . The openings  704  for inserting the connectors  112  may be cut in a middle portion of the hinge  110  or any other location on the hinge  110  so that the openings  704  align with the holes  702 . In one embodiment, the holes  702  may be cut between 1.3 in and 2.4 in up from the bottom of the side portion  122  (i.e., approximately two thirds of the height of the side portion  122 ) and between 1.5 in to and 2.7 in to the right and or left from the lateral center point of the side portion  122  (i.e., approximately one forth to one third of the total length of the side portion  122  away from the lateral center point of the side portion  122 ). The holes  702  and openings  704  may be spaced between 0.125 in and 1.000 in apart. The holes  702  and openings  704  may have a diameter that measures between 0.25 in and 0.5 in so that the circumference of the holes  702  and openings  704  may be between 0.785 in and 1.58 in. Although  FIGS. 1-5 and 7  illustrate only two holes  702 , two openings  704 , and two connectors  112 , any number of holes  702 , openings  704 , and or connectors  112  may be used to secure the lid  104  to the storage compartment  102 . 
     The holes  702  may be cut and or bored into the side of the storage compartment  102  using a carbide bit to avoid cranking or breaking the storage compartment  102 . Using the carbide bit, the holes  702  may be bored into the storage compartment  102  by first drilling at a low revolutions per minute (rpm) (i.e., 30 rpm to 100 rpm) to create a dimple in the side of the storage compartment  102 . The carbide bit may then be placed in the dimple and spun at an rpm of between 350 rpm to 500 rpm to bore the holes  702  in the storage compartment  102 . Some oil may also be added to the area of the storage compartment  102  in contact with the carbide bit to provide lubrication for the bit and reduce the tendency to chip the side of the storage compartment  102 . The circumference of the holes  702  may then be ground or otherwise machined to smooth any sharp edges. Alternatively, the hinge  110  and storage compartment  102  may be manufactured with the openings  704  and holes  702  respectively already in place to reduce the rate of material failure during manufacturing. In such embodiments, the holes  702  may be formed during the casting process of the storage compartment  102  and not cut with a drill. The hinge  110  may be manufactured with the openings  704  already in place. 
     To attach the lid  104  to the storage compartment  102 , one or more connectors  112  may be threaded through each hole  702  cut into the side of the storage compartment. The connectors  112  may then be attached to the hinge  110  fixed to the lid  104 . Once attached to the connectors  112 , the hinge  110  provides a joint for the lid  104  to pivot on and fold over the top side of the storage compartment  102 . To attach the hinge  110  to the connectors  112 , the connectors  112  may be threaded through the one or more openings  704  in the hinge  110 . The hinge  110  may also be fused to the connectors  112  or otherwise joined to the connectors  112  (e.g. using an adhesive and or heat molding). In one embodiment, the hinge  110  may be detached from the connectors  112  so that the lid  104  may be selectively detachable from the storage compartment  102 . For example, the lid  104  may be detached from the storage compartment  102  to facilitate cleaning the food container  100 . Removing the lid  104  from the storage compartment  102  may also allow the storage compartment  102  to function as a serving dish that may be used to extract portions of food during a meal, for example, a buffet style meal. 
     Other configurations of the lid  104  may include a lid  104  that has a lip so that the lid  104  remains attached to the storage compartment at all times and can fold away from the storage compartment  102  without the need for the holes  702  or hinge  110 . This configuration would require the lid  104  to have four locking elements instead of the three locking elements shown in  FIGS. 1-7 . The additional locking element ensures the lid  104  seals evenly around the perimeter of the storage compartment  102 . Another configuration of the lid  104  may include a second silicone ring that wraps around the perimeter of the storage compartment  102  just below the lip to cover the locking elements and hold them in place to seal and secure the lid  104  over the storage compartment  102 . This configuration may make the lid easily removable for cleaning and would not include holes  702  or other permanent alterations to the glass material of the storage compartment  102 . 
     The connectors  112  and hinge  110  may be made out of a soft flexible material, for example, food grade silicon or another elastomeric material. The material used to form the connectors  112  and the hinge  110  may also be durable, non-toxic and thermal insulators to allow the food container  100  to retain heat for a long period of time once hot and or remain old for a long period of time once chilled. The hinge  110  may be connected to the food container by inserting one or more of the connectors  112  through at least one hole  702  in the side of the storage compartment and at least one opening  704  in the hinge  110 . The hinge  100  may have a height that measures between 0.8 in and 2.1 in. In various embodiments, the height of the hinge may be 1.10 in. More details of the connectors  112  and the hinge  110  are discussed in detail below in  FIGS. 8-9 . 
     Closed Configuration 
       FIGS. 2-5  illustrate alternate configurations of the food container  100 . In particular,  FIGS. 2 and 4-5  illustrate the food container  100  in a closed configuration with the lid  104  in a locked position secured on top of the storage compartment  102 . In the locked position, the locking elements  106  are locked in place covering the rim  116  and compressed against the surface area  402  on the bottom side of the rim  116 . In the locked position, the ring  114  is also pressed against the top side  404  of the rim  116  to seal the inside of the storage compartment  102  from air and moisture.  FIG. 2  illustrates a three dimensional perspective view of the food container  100  in the locked position.  FIG. 4  illustrates a front elevational view of the food container  100  in the locked position and  FIG. 5  illustrates a rear elevational view of the food container  100  in the locked position. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the connectors  112  to be threaded through the hinge  110  to secure the lid  104  to the storage compartment  102 . To keep the connectors  112  in place, the connectors  112  may be fixed inside the holes and or the openings in the hinge  110  using an adhesive. Once threaded inside the holes, the connectors  112  may also be fused to the storage compartment holes and or hinge  110  openings. 
     Configuring the food container  100  in the closed configuration enables solid food and liquids to be securely stored inside the food container  100 . Locking the locking elements  106  in a locked position causes the ring  114  to seal in the inside of the food container  100  allowing food to be stored for several days or weeks. 
     Open Configuration 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a three dimensional perspective view of the food container  100  in an open configuration. As shown, the lid  104  may be attached to the storage compartment  102  when the food container  100  is in an open configuration to ensure the lid  104  is never separated from the storage compartment  102  and that all pieces of the food container  100  remain together. In the open configuration, the locking elements  106  may be in an unlocked position in which the locking elements are open and removed from the rim  116 . The hinge  110  may also be flexed to allow the lid  104  to be removed from the rim  116  and open the top side of the storage compartment  102 . Configuring the food container  100  in the open configuration enables solid foods and liquids to be removed from the storage compartment  102 . When in an open configuration, the food container  100  may be used as a cooking dish to cook food or a serving dish to extract portions of food for consumption. The open configuration also allows the food container  100  to be cleaned to remove any excess food or liquid residue from the inside of the lid  104  and or storage compartment  102 . The food container  100  may also be stored in the open configuration to allow multiple food containers to be stacked on top on each other. The sloped side walls of the storage compartment  102  facilitate stacking by allowing the base portion of a top food storage container to be inserted into the top side of a bottom food storage container. 
     Connectors and Hinge 
       FIGS. 6 and 8-9  illustrate more details of the connector  112  and hinge  110 .  FIG. 6  illustrates a cross sectional view of the food container  100 . As shown, the food container  100  may have the lid  104  attached to the storage compartment  102 . The lid  104  may be attached to the storage compartment  102  using one or more connectors  112  and a hinge  110 .  FIGS. 8-9  illustrate more details of the connectors  112 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , the connectors  112  may be formed from a flexible material having an hour glass shape and an “I” shaped cross section. The connectors may include two circular heads (i.e., a first head  610  and a second head  612 ) joined by a middle portion  614 . Each head may have a greater surface area, circumference, and or perimeter, relative to the middle portion  614  of the connectors  112 . The middle portion  614  may be a cylindrical shaft. For example, the middle portion  614  may have a diameter between 0.25 in and 0.5 in so that the circumference of the middle portion  614  may be between 0.785 in 1.58 in. In various embodiments, the diameter of the middle portion  614  may be 0.375 in and the circumference of the middle portion may be 1.178 in. Each head may have a diameter that measures between 0.5 in and 1.0 in and each head may have a circumference that measures between 1.57 in and 3.14 in. In various embodiments, the diameter of each head may be 0.75 in and the circumference of each head may be 2.36 in. 
     To connect the hinge  110  and storage compartment  102 , a first head  610  may be threaded through the hole in the side wall of the storage compartment  102  to connect the connectors  112  to the storage compartment  102 . A second head  612  may be threaded through the opening in the hinge  110  to connect the connectors to the hinge  110 . The first head  610  and the second head  612  may be joined by the middle portion  614 . The middle portion  614  may have a length that matches a combined width of the side wall of the storage compartment  102  and the hinge  110  exactly so that the first head  610  of the connector  112  fits tightly against an interior side wall surface  606  of the storage compartment  102  and the second head  612  compresses the hinge  110  tightly against an exterior side wall surface  602  of the storage compartment  102 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a double cap press rivet configuration of the connector  112 . As shown in the figure, the first head  610  may have a rivet portion  902  that extends down from the cap portion at the top of the first head  610 . The rivet portion  902  may be inserted into a cavity  904  included in center of the middle portion  614  of the connector  112  between the two heads. The width of the rivet portion  902  may be greater than the width of the cavity  904  so that the rivet portion  902  expands the width of the middle portion  614  to create a bulge  906  when inserted into the middle portion  614 . The width of the rivet portion  902  secures the first head  610  inside the soft flexible middle portion  614  to allow the connector  112  to maintain its hourglass shape and “I” cross section when assembled. The soft flexible material of the middle portion  614  also enables the middle portion  614  to compress around the rivet portion  902  to create the bulge  906  when the connector  112  is assembled. The compression force of the middle portion  614  against the rivet portion  902  however may be overcome to pull the rivet portion  902  out of the cavity  904  and disassemble the connector  112 . Accordingly, the double cap press rivet configuration enables the connector  112  to be assembled and dissembled by hand. 
     The double cap press rivet configuration may increase the speed in which the lid can be attached and detached from the storage compartment by enabling the thinner portions of the connector  112  to be threaded through the openings in the hinge and holes in the storage compartment instead of the wider first  610  and second heads  612 . For example, to assemble the food storage container, the middle portion  614  may be threaded through the hole in the storage compartment so that the cavity  904  faces away from the center of the storage compartment and the inner surface of the second head  612  is flush against the inner surface of the side portion of the storage compartment. The rivet portion  902  may then be threaded through the opening in the hinge so that the rivet portion  902  extends forward through the opening and the inner surface of the first head  610  is flush against the back surface of the hinge. The rivet portion  902 , while threaded through the hinge, may then be inserted into the cavity  904  while the middle portion  614  is threaded through the side portion of the storage compartment until the rivet portion  902  is secured inside the cavity  904  and the sides of the middle portion  614  expand to create the bulge  906 . The lid may then be removed from the storage compartment by removing the rivet portion  902  from the cavity  904 . Accordingly, the lid may be removed from the storage compartment without having to thread either of the first  610  or second heads  612  through the hole in the storage compartment or the openings in the hinge. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5-6 , the hinge  110  and the lid  104  may be manufactured as one part and may be formed form the same material. Alternatively, the lid  104  may be attached to the hinge  110 . For example the hinge  110  may be fused or otherwise attached to the lid  104  at an attachment surface  616 . The attachment surface  616  may be at a bottom side of the lid  104 . The hinge  110  may be flexed to remove the lid  104  from the storage compartment  102 . The length of the hinge  110  may measure between 1 in and 2.5 in so that the length of the hinge  110  is equivalent to approximately 1.5 times the distance between the holes in the storage compartment  102  and the top of the lid  104 . The dimensions of the hinge  110  allow the hinge  110  to easily reach over the top of the rim  116  around the perimeter of the storage compartment  102  without stretching and without excess slack. When the lid  104  is sealed around the rim  116 , the hinge  110  may be tight but not strained or stretched. 
     The hinge  110  may be an elastomeric material that allows the lid  104  to rotate up to 180° from the closed configuration shown in  FIG. 2  to the open configuration shown in  FIG. 3 . The hinge  110  may be compressed to allow the lid  104  to be rotated over the top side of the storage compartment  102  to the closed configuration when the lid  104  is attached to the storage compartment  102 . When the food container  100  is in the closed configuration and the compressed hinge  110  may be folded against a side surface  618  of the rim  116  along the rear side of the food container to ensure the lid  104  can fully cover the rim  116  when attached to the storage compartment  102 . The arrangement of the hinge  110  against the side surface  618  and elastomeric material of the hinge  110  allows food container  100  to be converted from the open configuration to the closed configuration and vice versa without separating the lid  104  from the storage compartment  102  and or requiring excess material for the hinge  110 . Increasing the amount of material required for the hinge  110  may make storing the food container  100  more difficult and may detract from the appearance of the food container  100  making it less desirable than other food containers. 
     Grooves and Ring 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the lid  104  may include an edge  604  having a groove  608  cut into the center of the edge  604 . The groove  608  may receive a ring  114  that is inserted into the groove  608 . The ring  114  may extend out from the groove  608  to a distance that is greater than the width of the edge  604 . The portion of the ring that extends beyond the edge  604  of the lid  104  may be compressed against the rim  116  to from a seal when the food container  100  is in a closed configuration. The perimeter of the groove  608  have straight edges as shown to receive a ring  114  having a rectangular cross section. The perimeter of the groove  608  may also have one or more curved edges to receive a ring  114  having a circular cross section. The cross section of the ring  114  and shape of the perimeter of the groove may be manipulated to provide a seal that may be particular to a particular type of food, storage condition, and or shape of the food container  100 . For example, a curved groove  608  and ring  114  having a circular cross section may be used to provide a strong seal for food containers  100  having a circular shape. A straight edged groove  608  and ring  114  having a rectangular cross section may be used to provide a strong seal for food containers  100  having a rectangular shape. The strength of the seal may be sufficient to form an airtight and or water tight seal that secures food stored inside the storage compartment. The force of the seal generated by the locking elements may be similar to other food storage containers and not be more than a young child is capable of generating so that the food storage container may be used by a wide variety of people to store food. 
     The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the illustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.