Patent ID: 7614519

Claim:
A plastic container lid, comprising: a plastic lid bottom, comprising a sealing portion and a latching and releasing portion adjacent the sealing portion, the latching and releasing portion flexibly joined to the sealing portion, and the lid bottom having an open central dispensing area, wherein the releasing portion comprises: a plurality of guides, each of which extends outwardly from the releasing portion toward the sealing portion and upwardly from the sealing portion, and each of which is coupled to the sealing portion; and a plastic solid lid top further comprising a catch for mating with the latching portion, the lid top hingedly and flexibly connected to the bottom portion; wherein the guides direct the lid top into releasable interaction with the lid bottom and limit the downward motion of the lid top as the plastic container lid transitions from an open configuration to a closed configuration; and wherein the flexible pivoting of the releasing portion causes the guides attached to the releasing portion to move in an upward direction towards the container lid and urge the container lid away from the container bottom, thereby initiating movement of the plastic container lid from a closed configuration to an open configuration.