Patent ID: 8172101

Claim:
An assembly comprising a laboratory vessel in the form of a tube having an open end and a closed end and a lid hingedly mounted in proximity to the open end of said laboratory vessel by a hinge defining an axis of rotation, the lid having a top wall configured for closing the open end in said laboratory vessel, at least one tab projecting outwardly from said top wall for receiving digital pressure for hingedly rotating said lid relative to said laboratory vessel, and a shield between said top wall and said tab, said shield being spaced from said hinge, said shield terminating at a free edge and being dimensioned and configured for preventing digital contact with portions of the vessel adjacent to the open end during hinged rotation of said lid relative to said laboratory vessel, said tab located closer to said top wall than said free edge, wherein said at least one tab comprises first and second spaced apart tabs, said first and second tabs each having a center at a position offset from, and not collinearly aligned with, a line passing through said hinge and said lid perpendicular to said axis of rotation, said centers of said first and second tabs being on opposite sides of said line and in alignment with said shield.