Patent ID: 8376177

Claim:
A molded plastic container for use as a lunch box having a plurality of discrete compartments each of which can be sealed to prevent the contents thereof from spilling or comingling comprising: a bottom section having a plurality of discrete spaced apart compartments each defined by a continuous wall having an outer surface and an upper rim terminating in a flat area; a lid having a periphery, an outer surface and an inner wall having a plurality of discrete downwardly extending spaced apart ribs disposed inwardly from said periphery, each of said ribs being dimensioned to be received within said upper rim of one of said plurality of compartments; a separate channel surrounding each of said spaced apart ribs; a ring of resilient material disposed in each of said channels; means disposed on the periphery of said lid for securing said lid to said bottom section to engage said resilient material with said flat areas of said upper rims to seal at least the outer portions of each discrete compartment; a member in the form of a rod having a fingers extending thererfrom movable between first and second positions extending through an orifice in said lid and disposed inwardly from the periphery and generally centrally thereof; an inclined plane disposed on said bottom section and positioned to be engaged by said finger on said movable member when said movable member is moved from one of said first and second positions to the other to cause the central portion of said lid to be urged into engagement with said flat areas of said bottom section to thereby compress said resilient material to create said seal in said central portion and remain in that position thereby overcoming any irregularities in said lid; said rod has first and second ends, an outwardly extending flange as said first end disposed on an outer surface of said lid, said finger being disposed at but displaced from said second end, a plurality of outwardly extending protuberances on said rod and displaced from said flange and engaging the inner wall of said lid to retain said rod in rotatable position in said orifice; and said flange includes a tab extending outwardly therefrom and said outer surface of said lid includes a stop member protruding therefrom, said flange having a generally ogival shape, having a vertex, said tab and said vertex portion of said flange limiting rotation of said rod by engaging said stop member.