Patent ID: 7017775

Claim:
A container comprising: a bowl having a sidewall terminating in a rim; and a lid, said lid including: (i) a center panel; (ii) a peripheral sealing lip surrounding said panel, said peripheral sealing lip having a generally U-shaped cross section defined by an inner wall, an outer wall, and an annular web disposed between said inner wall and said outer wall, the inner wall, the outer wall, and the annular web defining a channel into which the rim fits; and (iii) venting and denesting means disposed between said panel and said inner wall for venting said container when said lid is loosely positioned on the bowl such that the channel is substantially aligned with the rim of the bowl, and for abutting a corresponding lid to impede nesting when said lid is stacked upon the corresponding lid, said venting and denesting means comprising at least one ridge that is interrupted by at least one gap, said ridge having a circumferential length that is greater than the circumferential length of gap.