Patent ID: 7416093

Claim:
A container with controlled-opening lid comprising: a container body having an interior space configured and dimensioned for receiving user-supplied contents; a lid assembly configured and dimensioned for attachment to the container body, the lid assembly including: an aperture for providing access to the interior of the container body; a cover member configured and dimensioned to cover the aperture when in a first position and permit access to the aperture when in a second position; a hinge comprising a first biasing member operative to move the cover member from the first position to the second position, the hinge including a damping mechanism for damping a biasing force provided by the first biasing member when the cover member moves from the first position to the second position; and an activator configured and dimensioned to activate the hinge for moving the cover from the first position to the second position in response to user input, comprising a second biasing member operative to return the activator to an initial position after the user input, the second biasing member operating independently of the first biasing member.