Patent ID: 8720728

Claim:
A trash container comprising: a trash can body defining an interior cavity configured to receive trash, the trash can body having an upper opening through which trash can be inserted into the interior cavity; a lid assembly pivotally attached to the trash can body so as to move between opened and closed positions, the lid assembly comprising: a lid member sized to cover substantially the entire upper opening of the trash can body, at least a portion of the lid member being spaced from the upper opening when the lid assembly is in the opened position, the lid member covering substantially the entire upper opening when the lid assembly is in the closed position; a hinge mechanism attached to the lid member and configured to support the entire lid member through pivoted movement of the lid member; and a latch mechanism supported by the lid member, the latch mechanism comprising a slidable latch member mounted so as to be slidable relative to the lid member, the latch member being slidable from a first, locked position in which the latch member engages the trash can body so as to lock the lid assembly in the closed position and a second, unlocked position in which the latch member does not engage the trash can body and the lid assembly is free to pivot to the opened position, the latch member comprising a portion that has a cross-sectional profile that generally corresponds to a cross-sectional profile of the lid member when the latch member is in the second, unlocked position, such that an edge adjacent the latch member on the lid member is positioned at substantially the same outer extent as that of the latch member when the latch member is in the second, unlocked position, and such that outer surfaces of the latch member and lid member are substantially flush with each other along the lid assembly when the latch member is in the second, unlocked position.