Container with locking lid

Abstract

A container comprising a bottom portion comprising a rectangular bottom section and a front wall, rear wall, and two opposing side walls extending from the edges of the bottom section, the bottom portion further comprising a first locking projection extending from a first corner and a second locking projection extending from a second corner, and a top portion comprising a rectangular top section and a front wall, rear wall, and two opposing side walls extending from the edges of the bottom section, the top portion further comprising a first opening configured to receive the first locking projection and a second opening configured to receive the second locking projection.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A container comprising:
 a bottom portion including a bottom panel and upstanding walls extending upwardly from peripheral edges of the bottom panel;   a top portion including a top panel;   first and second locking projections projecting from one of the bottom portion and top portion; and   first and second through openings of the other of the bottom portion and the top portion for receiving the respective first and second locking projections, the locking projections and through openings being arranged and configured so that as the bottom portion and top portion are closed together, the locking projections are received by an interference fit in the respective through openings to resist removal of the top portion from the bottom portion.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the first and second locking projections are resiliently flexible to allow the projections to resiliently deflect as the projections are received in the corresponding through openings. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the first and second locking projections project upward from the bottom portion and the first and second through openings extend through the top portion. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the first locking projection and the second locking projection are inclined relative to the bottom panel. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 4  wherein the at least one of the upstanding walls is inclined relative to the bottom panel at the same inclination as the locking projections relative to the bottom panel. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the bottom panel is flat, and the first locking projection and the second locking projection have a distance therebetween in a direction parallel to the flat bottom panel that is greater than a distance between the first through opening and the second through opening in the same direction. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the top portion includes depending walls extending downwardly from peripheral edges of the top panel. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 7  wherein the depending walls are oblique to the top panel. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the first and second locking projections are formed of a folded sheet of material. 
     
     
         10 . A container comprising:
 a bottom portion including:
 a bottom panel; 
 a first wall extending from a first edge of the bottom panel; 
 a second wall extending from a second edge of the bottom panel; 
 a third wall extending from a third edge of the bottom panel; 
 a fourth wall extending from a fourth edge of the bottom panel; 
 a first corner between the first wall and the second wall; 
 a second corner between the first wall and the third wall; 
 a third corner between the fourth wall and the second wall; and 
 a fourth corner between the fourth wall and the third wall, 
 whrein an angle between the bottom panel and each of the four walls is greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees; 
   a top portion including;
 a top panel; 
 a first wall extending from a first edge of the top panel; 
 a second wall extending from a second edge of the top panel; 
 a third wall extending from a third edge of the top panel; and 
 a fourth wall extending from a fourth edge of the top panel, 
 wherein an angle between the top panel and each of the four walls of the top portion is greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees; 
   a first projection extending from at least one of the walls of the bottom portion at the first corner; and   a second projection extending from at least one walls of the bottom portion at the second corner, and   wherein the first projection and the second projection are received within a first opening and a second opening respectively in the top panel of the top portion.   
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 10  wherein a distance between outer points of the first projection and the second projection is greater than a distance between an outside edge of the first opening and an opposite outside edge of the second opening such that when the projections are inserted, the projections are deformed by the top portion. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 11  wherein the distance between an end point of the first projection and an end point of the second projection is less than a distance between bottom edges two opposite walls of the top portion. 
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 10  further comprising a third projection extending from the third corner of the bottom portion and a fourth projection extending from the fourth corner of the bottom portion,
 wherein top panel of the top portion further comprises a third opening configured to receive the third projection and a fourth opening configured to receive the fourth opening. 
 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 10  wherein the bottom portion and the top portion are distinct structures. 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 10  wherein the first projection is folded at the first corner to have a generally L-shaped cross section. 
     
     
         16 . A container comprising:
 a bottom portion comprising:
 a generally flat bottom panel; 
 at least one generally upstanding side wall, the at least one upstanding side wall being oblique to the bottom panel; 
 a first projection extending from a top edge of the at least one side wall; and 
 a second projection extending from the top edge of the at least one side wall such that spacing between the first projection and the second projection in a direction parallel to the bottom panel becomes greater as the projections extend upwardly; and 
   a top portion having a first opening configured to receive the first projection and a second opening configured to receive the second projection.   
     
     
         17 . The container of  claim 16  wherein a distance between a top end of the first projection and a top end of the second projection is greater than a distance between the first opening and the second opening. 
     
     
         18 . The container of  claim 16  wherein the top portion comprises a top panel and at least one depending sidewall that is oblique to the top panel.