Patent ID: 8875927

Claim:
A plastic food container comprising: a base and a lid; the base having a base rim and the lid having a lid rim; the lid rim forming a downwardly descending retaining bead; the base rim and lid rim adapted for sealing engagement with each other, the sealing engagement achieved by the downwardly descending retaining bead snap fitting within and being frictionally held by the base rim by virtue of that snap fit; the base rim and lid rim each having a vertically oriented segment; the vertically oriented segments of the base rim and lid rim each having a mating surface; the mating surfaces of the vertically oriented segments adapted for complementary engagement with each other when the container is in sealed engagement; the mating surfaces when engaged creating a first vertical seal zone extending around the periphery of the container, the first vertical seal zone having a width defined by the engaged mating surfaces when the container is in the sealed arrangement; one or more vent channels disposed on the lid rim or base rim and extending upwardly and partially into the width of the first vertical seal zone, each of the one or more vent channels defining an area of partial peripheral discontinuity of the first vertical seal zone where the mating surfaces of the vertically oriented segments do not contact each other when the container is in the sealed arrangement; the mating surfaces when engaged also creating a second vertical seal zone, the second vertical seal zone constituting a portion of the first vertical seal zone; and the second vertical seal zone being continuous about the periphery of the container and being defined by the portion of the width of the first vertical seal zone located above the one or more vent channels.