A sterile container comprising: a container trough, a container lid and a closure/locking mechanism, wherein the container lid can be locked to the container trough in a preferably fluid-tight manner by means of the closure/locking mechanism and is arranged on an upper edge of the container trough, wherein the closure/locking mechanism comprises: - an actuating lever which is, preferably pivotally, mounted on one of the container lid and the container trough, - a pulling yoke or claw/clamping jaw directly or indirectly coupled to the actuating lever, and - an engagement element forming an undercut laterally on the other of the container trough and the container lid, with which the pulling yoke or claw/clamping jaw can be brought into undercutting operative engagement in order to exert a tensile force on the engagement element for pressing the container trough and the container lid together when the actuating lever is actuated into a locking position, characterized in that - the pulling yoke or claw/clamping jaw is displaceably mounted on the container lid or the container trough transversely, preferably at a substantially right angle, to the tensile force to be exerted, and in that - a spring (18, 18', 18") or similar prestressing element is provided, which is arranged relative to the pulling yoke or claw/clamping jaw in such a way in an operative position, preferably spaced apart position, in the direction of displacement of the pulling yoke, that the spring (18, 18', 18") or similar prestressing element only applies a compressive force to the pulling yoke or claw/clamping jaw in the direction of the tensile force to be exerted when the actuating lever is in a predetermined actuating position and consequently in a predetermined/pre-determinable displacement position of the pulling yoke or claw/clamping jaw, in which the pulling yoke or claw/clamping jaw already engages behind the engagement element. - an actuating lever which is, preferably pivotally, mounted on one of the container lid and the container trough, - a pulling yoke or claw/clamping jaw directly or indirectly coupled to the actuating lever, and - an engagement element forming an undercut laterally on the other of the container trough and the container lid, with which the pulling yoke or claw/clamping jaw can be brought into undercutting operative engagement in order to exert a tensile force on the engagement element for pressing the container trough and the container lid together when the actuating lever is actuated into a locking position, - the pulling yoke or claw/clamping jaw is displaceably mounted on the container lid or the container trough transversely, preferably at a substantially right angle, to the tensile force to be exerted, and in that - a spring (18, 18', 18") or similar prestressing element is provided, which is arranged relative to the pulling yoke or claw/clamping jaw in such a way in an operative position, preferably spaced apart position, in the direction of displacement of the pulling yoke, that the spring (18, 18', 18") or similar prestressing element only applies a compressive force to the pulling yoke or claw/clamping jaw in the direction of the tensile force to be exerted when the actuating lever is in a predetermined actuating position and consequently in a predetermined/pre-determinable displacement position of the pulling yoke or claw/clamping jaw, in which the pulling yoke or claw/clamping jaw already engages behind the engagement element.