HK1178871B - Container seal with deflecting lip - Google Patents

Description

Container seal with flexing lip

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a container for storing material. More particularly, the present invention relates to a container apparatus that forms a flexible seal between a container body and a lid.

Background

Containers having structures for forming a seal with a removable lid or closure are well known in the art, particularly containers of the type used for storing consumable materials such as food and dietary supplements. Conventional containers of this type typically include a lid that is releasably secured to the container. The lid forms a seal with the container to prevent leakage of the stored material. The seal between the lid and the container also serves to prevent foreign material from entering the container and contaminating the stored product, especially when the stored product is intended for human consumption. The stored product contained within the container may be a liquid or a solid. Generally, the solid material stored in such containers is in a granular or powder state.

During use of conventional hand-held containers of this type, a lid is opened or removed from the container by a user to access a portion of the stored product. Generally, only a small portion of the product is expected to be used at a given time, while the remaining portion will be used later. Upon removal of the desired amount, the lid is closed against the container until the next use, thereby preventing leakage or contamination of the remaining product. In many applications, the container may be accessed multiple times per day.

Repeated daily access by the user can cause the seal between the lid and the container to wear and become less effective in preventing leakage or contamination. Access to the powder or granule contents is typically done in one of two ways. First, the user can use a scoop to remove a dose of powder from the container. Second, the user may pour the powdered material directly from the storage container into another container. During any of these processes for transferring the powder contents from the storage container to the outer container, individual particles of powder are easily spilled along the edge or sealing structure on the storage container. When the lid is reapplied to a conventional container, particles located on the rim or sealing structure of the container may prevent full contact between the lid and the container, thereby creating a gap in the sealing portion through which additional particles may pass, thereby leaking or contaminating the stored contents.

The sealing pressure between the lid and the container is another factor affecting the reliability of the seal. The sealing pressure may be a function of the geometry of the container. For example, a circular container with a circular sealing interface generally experiences uniform sealing pressure around the circumference of the sealing portion. However, containers having non-circular seal perimeters, i.e., containers having an elliptical or polygonal shape, may experience non-uniform sealing pressure around the perimeter of the seal portion. Non-uniform sealing pressure between the lid and the container can result in leakage at areas of lower sealing pressure and can result in accelerated wear at areas of higher sealing pressure.

Conventional sealing elements for containers typically include a lid portion that mates with a container portion to form a seal. The seal may be provided on the lid portion or the container portion. The lid portion must generally be precisely aligned on the container portion to ensure adequate alignment and engagement of the sealing structure between the two portions. Thus, the manufacturing tolerances of each part must fall within a narrow range. Manufacturing the lid and container portions within relatively narrow tolerances to ensure precise alignment of the sealing structures between the portions increases manufacturing time and costs.

There is a need for a container for storing materials having a container and a lid and having a releasable sealing arrangement disposed between the container and the lid to prevent leakage of contents to prevent contamination of the stored contents and to provide sufficient sealing pressure and/or to allow for a wider range of manufacturing tolerances.

Disclosure of Invention

One aspect of the present invention provides a container for storing material, particularly particulate material, the container comprising a container body having a sidewall defining an opening in the container. A lip or flange (sometimes referred to herein as a flexible lip or resilient flange) projects laterally outward from the sidewall. The lid engages the container body. The lid includes a lid surface spanning the opening and a lid rim projecting downwardly from the lid surface toward the container body. The lid rim includes an inner rim surface that generally faces the lip. The inner rim surface deflects the lip to form a first seal between the container and the lid.

Another aspect of the invention provides a container for storing material. The container includes a container body including a sidewall. In certain embodiments, the sidewall includes a neck that defines an opening in the container body for accessing the stored substance. A resilient flange or lip projects laterally outwardly from the neck. The closure is releasably mated with the neck. The closure includes an annular cap rim having an inner rim surface, and in certain embodiments the inner rim surface includes a tapered region oriented at an acute angle of taper. The tapered region engages the resilient flange to form a first seal between the closure and the container body.

In yet another aspect, the present invention provides another embodiment of a container for storing a substance. The container includes a container body having a sidewall defining an opening for accessing a substance. The lid is attached to the container body. The cover includes a cover surface spanning the opening. An annular lid rim projects from the lid surface toward the container body and defines an inner rim surface generally facing the container body. A lip projects radially outwardly from the sidewall. The lip has a length L of between about 2 millimeters and about 5 millimeters and a thickness T of between about 0.1 millimeters and about 0.5 millimeters. The lip defines an interference ratio with the inner rim surface of between about 1.05 and about 10.0. The interference ratio is defined as the length of the lip (labeled a in fig. 4B) divided by the distance from the local sidewall adjacent the bottom of the lip to the local inner rim surface (labeled B in fig. 4B) at the same height as the lip.

Yet another aspect of the present invention provides a method of sealing a container comprising the steps of: (a) providing a container body comprising a resilient flange having a thickness T and a length L projecting laterally outward from a sidewall of the container, wherein the ratio of L divided by T is greater than about 2; (b) positioning a cap on a container body, the cap including an annular cap rim having a tapered inner rim surface; and (c) engaging the container body with the lid such that the inner rim surface presses against the resilient flange and the resilient flange angularly deflects thereby forming an annular seal between the flange and the inner rim surface.

Many objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following disclosure when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a containment device in partial cutaway.

FIG. 2A illustrates a partial cross-sectional exploded view of one embodiment of a container apparatus.

Fig. 2B illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the containment device of fig. 2A.

FIG. 3A illustrates a detailed cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a containment device.

FIG. 3B illustrates a detailed cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a containment device.

FIG. 3C illustrates a detailed cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a containment device.

FIG. 4A illustrates a detail cut-away exploded view of one embodiment of a container apparatus.

FIG. 4B illustrates a detailed cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a containment device.

Figure 4C illustrates a detailed cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a lip.

Figure 4D illustrates a detailed cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a lip.

FIG. 5A illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a containment device.

FIG. 5B illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a containment device.

Detailed Description

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a partial cut-away view of one embodiment of a containment device 10. For purposes of clarity, not every drawing may include every reference numeral. In addition, positional terms such as "upper", "lower", "side", "top", "bottom", and the like, refer to the container in the orientation shown in the drawings. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the container, when used, may have a different orientation.

The container apparatus 10 includes a container body 12 and a closure or lid 14. The container body 12 includes a container sidewall 16. In one embodiment, sidewall 16 forms an elliptical cross-sectional profile and defines an opening 18 in container body 12. The lid 14 is attached to the container 12 such that the lid 14 can be rotated or removed to access the opening 18. In one embodiment, lid 14 is pivotally attached to container body 12 by a hinge member (not shown). In another embodiment, the lid 14 may be removable from the container body 12. The opening 18 is substantially opened when the lid 14 is completely removed from the container 12 or pivoted away from the container 12 about the hinge member. The storage material is contained in the container body 12 and accessed by the user through the opening 18 after the lid 14 has been removed or pivoted away from the container body 12. While the embodiment shown in fig. 1 includes an elliptical cross-sectional profile, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the principles of the present invention may be applied to containers having various other cross-sectional profiles including, but not limited to, circular, rectangular, polygonal, and other linear or curvilinear shapes.

As can be seen in FIG. 2A, the lid 14 includes a lid surface 26 that spans the opening 18. A lid rim 28 projects from the lid surface 26 generally toward the container body 12. In one embodiment, the lid rim or annular lid rim 28 comprises a continuous ring shape. The lid rim 28 includes an inner rim surface 30 that generally faces the interior of the container body 12 when the lid 14 is positioned on the container body 12.

With further reference to FIG. 2A, in one embodiment, the inner rim surface 30 includes a tapered region 32 oriented at an acute taper angle 34 relative to a horizontal reference axis 36, as can also be seen in FIG. 4A. In one embodiment, the horizontal reference axis 36 is oriented substantially parallel to the lid surface 26 of the lid 14. In certain embodiments, the taper angle 34 may range between about thirty degrees and about eighty-nine degrees. It should be appreciated that the taper angle 34 may vary around the perimeter of the inner rim surface 30, and may be locally obtuse or may include a linear or curvilinear shape. In one embodiment, the lid 14 is formed by an injection molding process in which heated plastic is introduced into an injection mold having the shape of the lid 14. Once the plastic cools and solidifies, the cap 14 is then removed from the injection mold. The injection mold may include a draft angle that facilitates removal of the molded part from the molding cavity. Accordingly, in one embodiment, the taper angle 34 is substantially equal to the draft angle used in the injection mold in order to allow removal of the cover 14. In yet another embodiment, the taper angle 34 is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal reference axis 36. In yet another embodiment, the taper angle 34 is between about sixty and about ninety degrees. In another embodiment, the taper angle 34 is between about 72 degrees and about 78 degrees. The tapered region 32 is generally configured to releasably engage the lid or resilient flange 20 extending from the container body 12.

Referring now to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3A, a detailed view of the upper region or neck 22 of the sidewall 16 from FIG. 2A is generally shown. A lip 20 projects laterally outwardly from the side wall 16. In one embodiment, sidewall 16 forms an uninterrupted outer perimeter of container body 12, and lip 20 extends continuously from sidewall 16 around the uninterrupted outer perimeter. The lip 20 projects a length L from the side wall 16 and includes a thickness T. The length L is measured from the local side wall 16 near the bottom of the lip 20 to the distal tip 38 of the lip 20. In certain embodiments, the lip has a length L of between about 2 millimeters and about 5 millimeters and a thickness T of between about 0.1 millimeters and about 0.5 millimeters. The thickness T and length L may vary along the lip 20 due to manufacturing tolerances within an allowable range. In yet another embodiment, the thickness T and length L may be intentionally varied along the lip 20 to affect sealing performance. In one embodiment, as can be seen in fig. 3A, the thickness T of the lip 20 is substantially uniform along the length L. Referring to fig. 3B, in yet another embodiment, thickness T varies along length L of lip 20. In this embodiment, the non-uniform thickness T provides a unique deflection profile. For example, in one embodiment, the lip 20 includes a distal tip or distal end 38 of the lip 20 having a distal thickness T1 and a proximal end having a proximal thickness T2 greater than T1. The proximal end is positioned closer to the sidewall than the distal end 38. In certain embodiments, the lip 20 defines a rate of change equal to the distal thickness T1 divided by the proximal thickness T2. The ratio of the thickness T1 of the distal end 38 to the thickness T2 of the proximal end of the lip 20 may be referred to as a rate of change. In certain embodiments, a rate of change equal to 1 represents a uniform thickness lip 20. In still other embodiments, the rate of change is between about 0.1 and about 0.9, forming the lip 20 with a distal end that is more flexible than the proximal end. In further embodiments, the rate of change is between about 1.0 and about 3.0, forming the lip 20 with a proximal end that is more flexible than the distal end.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2A and 4A, the lid 14 is secured to the container body 12 by pressing the lid 14 onto the container body 12 from above, resulting in the fully seated configuration shown in the partial cross-sectional views of fig. 2B and 4B. Initially, as lid 14 is pushed downwardly against container body 12, inner rim surface 30 engages distal tip 38 of lip 20. The lip 20 forms an interference fit with the inner rim surface 30 of the lid rim 28 such that the lip 20 will flex under the action of the inner rim surface 30, as can be seen in fig. 2B and 4B, thereby forming a first seal 44 between the lid 14 and the container body 12. With further reference to fig. 4B, the interference ratio is defined as the distance a from local sidewall 16 to the initial or non-flexed distal tip position 40 of lip 20 divided by the distance B from local sidewall 16 to local inner rim surface 30' at the same height as the bottom or proximal end of lip 20. The interference ratio, A divided by B or A/B, is greater than 1. Thus, as the lid 14 is urged onto the container body 12 toward the fully seated position seen in fig. 4B, the lid 14 engages and transmits a bending moment onto the lip 20, causing the lip 20 to bend or flex away from the lid surface 26. In one embodiment, inner rim surface 30 defines an uninterrupted inner rim perimeter that continuously engages lip 20. In certain embodiments, the interference ratio (distance a divided by distance B, as seen in fig. 4B) is between about 1.05 and about 10.0; in other embodiments, the interference ratio is between about 1.1 and about 3.0. In certain embodiments, distance a is between about 1.1 millimeters and about 4.0 millimeters and distance B is between about 1.0 millimeters and about 3.0 millimeters, wherein distance a is greater than distance B. In yet another embodiment, distance a is between about 1.8 and about 2.5 millimeters and distance B is between about 1.7 and about 2.4 millimeters, again, distance a is greater than distance B. It should also be understood that in certain embodiments, the interference ratio, a divided by B, may be greater than 10.

As seen in certain embodiments shown in fig. 4B, 4C and 4D, lip 20 forms a deflection profile when deflected by inner rim surface 30. The deflection profile of lip 20 may affect the performance of the seal between lip 20 and inner rim surface 30. The deflection profile of the deflected lip 20 is influenced by any or all of several factors including, for example, the acute angle of taper 34 of the inner rim surface 30, the interference ratio (a divided by B), the length L of the lip 20, the thickness T of the lip 20, and the modulus of elasticity of the material forming the lip 20. These parameters may be used independently or in combination to produce a seal having a desired deflection profile and desired performance characteristics. It should be understood that the deflection profile may vary along the circumference of the seal between the lid 14 and the container body 12. As can be seen in fig. 4C, in one embodiment, the deflection profile establishes line contact between a point on the lip 20 and the inner rim surface 30. As can be seen in fig. 4D, in yet another embodiment, the deflection profile establishes a face-to-face contact between lip 20 and inner rim surface 30. In other embodiments, in accordance with the present invention, there is line contact and face-to-face contact between lip 20 and inner rim surface 30 at different locations along the circumference of annular seal 44.

Referring again to fig. 3A, as can be seen in one exemplary embodiment of fig. 4B, lip 20 includes dimensional parameters that affect the deflection profile of the deflected lip. Specifically, as can be seen from fig. 3A, the aspect ratio of the lip 20 is equal to the length L divided by the thickness T or L/T (when the rate of change is a value other than 1.0, the thickness used in determining the aspect ratio is the average thickness of the lip 20). In addition, the aspect ratio also affects the flexibility of the lip 20 when a bending moment is applied to the distal end 38 by the inner rim surface 30 of the lid rim 28. A lower aspect ratio generally results in lip 20 being more resistant to bending, while a higher aspect ratio generally results in lip 20 being more flexible. In certain embodiments of the invention, the aspect ratio is greater than about 2, and typically no greater than about 30. In yet another embodiment, the aspect ratio is between about 6 and about 12. In some other embodiments, the aspect ratio may be between about 12 and about 30. Although there is no technical upper limit to the aspect ratio of the lip 20 that can be used, a practical upper limit is reached at about fifty.

Other dimensional parameters also affect the flexibility and performance of lip 20. For example, the thickness T of the lip 20, in combination with the aspect ratio and/or interference ratio, affects flexibility and sealing performance. Lip 20 has an aspect ratio greater than about 6 and also has a relatively large thickness, i.e., greater than about 3 millimeters, such a flange may not have the desired ability to resiliently flex when applying lid 14 to container 12 and removing it from container 12. Lip 20 of the present invention generally includes a thickness T having dimensional parameters selected to allow lip 20 to flex when engaged with inner rim surface 30 and to resiliently return to at least a partially unflexed position when lid 14 is removed or rotated away from container 12. The thickness T and aspect ratio (length L divided by thickness T) are selected to achieve the desired curved profile.

Referring again to fig. 4B, the contact interface between lip 20 and inner rim surface 30 forms a first seal 44. First seal 44 may be released, allowing lid 14 to be disengaged from container body 12 and lip 20 to separate from inner rim surface 30. The lip 20 or resilient flange comprises a resiliently deformable material. In one embodiment, lip 20 and container body 12 are integrally formed from the same resiliently deformable material, i.e., an injection molded thermoplastic polymer such as, but not limited to, polypropylene. As such, when lid 14 is removed from container body 12, lip 20 returns to the initial position or a position near the initial position, see, e.g., fig. 4A. In one embodiment, as seen in fig. 4A, the dimensional parameters including interference ratio, aspect ratio, and thickness are selected such that lip 20 is only subjected to elastic deformation stresses at the point of maximum deflection when lid 14 is removed from container 12, allowing lip 20 to return fully to the original position. In yet another embodiment, when lid 14 is applied to container body 12, the localized deformation stress experienced by lip 20 in certain areas exceeds the elastic deformation limit, and lip 20 undergoes localized plastic deformation. Upon removal of lid 14 from container body 12, the localized plastic deformation causes lip 20 to only partially elastically return to its original position. For example, the lip 20 may include a first region that undergoes only elastic deformation and a second region that undergoes plastic deformation. In one embodiment, lip 20 forms an annular shape having an elliptical profile around the perimeter of container body 12. Thus, the container comprises a first region having a first radius of curvature and a second region having a second radius of curvature smaller than the first radius of curvature. In such an embodiment, the lip 20 may only undergo elastic deformation along the region with the higher radius of curvature and may undergo plastic deformation along the region with the lower radius of curvature in accordance with the present invention. In one embodiment, the container body 12 comprises a thermoset or thermoplastic material and has an elastic modulus between about 0.1GPa and about 5.0 GPa. In yet another embodiment, the container body 12 comprises polypropylene and has an elastic modulus between about 1.3 and about 1.8 GPa.

Referring to fig. 4B, it is apparent that in one embodiment, the resiliency of the lip 20 allows the annular cap rim 28 to move relative to the neck 22 without separation of the first seal 44. This aspect of an embodiment of the invention allows for manufacturing within a wider range of manufacturing tolerances, as the fit between the lip 20 and the inner rim surface 30 does not require finishing to ensure contact between the lip 20 and the inner rim surface 30. Rather, the interference ratio (distance a divided by distance B) and other design parameters are selected such that contact between lip 20 and inner rim surface 30 will provide first seal 44 across a wide range of manufacturing tolerances. This aspect of an embodiment of the present invention further provides improved sealing performance, allowing lid 14 to move relative to container body 12 without interfering with first seal 44.

Referring again to fig. 4B, another aspect of the present invention provides a dual seal configuration wherein a first seal 44 is formed between lip 20 and inner rim surface 30, and a second seal 54 is formed between sidewall 16 and lid 14. More specifically, in one embodiment, sidewall 16 includes an upper region or neck 22, and upper region or neck 22 defines opening 18 for accessing material stored in container body 12. The neck 22 is adapted to engage the cap 14. As can be seen in fig. 4A and 4B, the neck 22 includes an upper edge 52. As can be seen in fig. 3A, in some embodiments, lip 20 is vertically offset from upper edge 52 by an offset height H. In one embodiment, the offset height H may range up to a maximum distance between the upper edge 52 and the side edge 24. As can be seen in fig. 3C, in some embodiments, the offset height H is 0, and the lip 20 is substantially coextensive with the upper edge 52. In another embodiment, H is greater than 0. In other embodiments, H is greater than 0.01 millimeters. In yet another embodiment, H is greater than 0.1 mm. In another embodiment, the offset height H is up to about 2.0 millimeters. In yet another embodiment, the offset height H is at least about 0.4 millimeters. As can be seen in fig. 4B, when the lid 14 is fully seated on the container body 12, the lid surface 26 or closing face engages the upper edge 52, thereby forming a second seal 54. In one embodiment, the upper rim 52 has an annular shape that continuously engages the lid surface 26 around the entire circumference of the annular upper rim 52. A second seal 54 is formed by the contact interface between the upper edge 52 and the lid surface 26. As such, the second seal 54 may be released by removing the lid 14 from the container body 12. In one embodiment, first seal 44 may remain intact even when second seal 54 begins to be separated by a gap distance. For example, if container 10 is subjected to rough handling such that second seal 54 is disengaged, lip 20 may remain in contact with inner rim surface 30.

Referring now to fig. 5A, latch member 62 is generally shown. As can be seen in fig. 5A, lip 20 flexes when lid 14 is fully seated on container body 12. Because the lip 20 is formed of a resilient material, an upward force is transmitted to the lid 14 when the lip 20 is in the downwardly flexed position. In one embodiment, the upward force causes the lid 14 to be pushed away from the container body 12. Thus, securing means are required to maintain the lid 14 in the closed and fully seated position and prevent the lid 14 from being pushed away from the container body 12. As can be seen in fig. 5A, in one embodiment, the lid 14 is secured in the closed position by a latch member 62 positioned on the lid rim 28. The latch member 62 includes a latch hook 66 that projects toward the container body 12. The latch hooks 66 engage the lateral ribs 24 protruding from the side walls 16 when the lid 14 is in the fully seated and closed position. In one embodiment, the lateral rib 24 includes an extended area for engaging the latch hook 66. As can be seen in fig. 5B, in one embodiment, the latch member 62 includes a latch tab 64 that can be selectively lifted by a user in order to release the latch member 62. Generally, the user may lift the latch tab 64, allowing the latch hook 66 to pass over the lateral rib 24 to open the container. The latch member 62 generally comprises a resilient material and is resiliently flexible when lifted by a user. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the latch member 62 described herein is merely one of several ways to secure the lid 14 in a closed position against the container body 12 to maintain a seal between the lid 14 and the container body 12.

As can also be seen in FIG. 3A, the neck 22 includes an offset region 58 oriented at the neck offset angle 56 relative to the offset reference axis 76. As can be seen in fig. 3A, in certain embodiments, the offset reference axis 76 is substantially parallel to the sidewall 16 adjacent the offset region 58. In certain embodiments, the neck offset angle 56 is between about fifteen and about sixty degrees. As can be seen in fig. 4B, the offset region 58 defines a deflection gap 60 for receiving the lip 20 in the deflected position.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of sealing a container. The method comprises the following steps: (a) providing a container body comprising a resilient flange having a thickness T and a length L projecting laterally outward from a sidewall of the container, wherein the ratio of L divided by T is greater than about 2; (b) positioning a cap on a container body, the cap including an annular cap rim having a tapered inner rim surface; and (c) engaging the container body with the lid such that the inner rim surface is pressed against the resilient flange and the resilient flange is angularly deflected towards the container, thereby forming an annular seal between the flange and the inner rim surface. In another embodiment, an additional step includes latching the lid to the container body, thereby maintaining sealing pressure between the lid and the flange.

Thus, while particular embodiments of the present invention have been described with respect to new and useful improved container seals, such references should not be construed as limitations on the scope of this invention except as set forth in the following claims.

Claims (12)

1. A container for storing material, the container comprising:

a container body having a sidewall defining an opening in the container;

a lip projecting laterally outwardly from the sidewall, the sidewall including a neck defining an opening for accessing a substance;

a lid engaging the container body, the lid including a lid surface spanning the opening and a lid rim projecting from the lid surface, the lid rim including an inner rim surface generally facing the lip, the inner rim surface deflecting the lip toward the container and forming a first seal between the container body and the lid; and

a latch member projecting from the lid rim toward the container body, the latch member including a latch hook extending from the latch member; and

a lateral rib extending from the neck portion,

wherein the latch hook engages a lateral rib to secure the lid to the container.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the lip has a thickness T and projects from the sidewall a length L, the lip defining an aspect ratio equal to length L divided by thickness T, the aspect ratio being greater than 2.

3. The container of claim 2, wherein the aspect ratio is between 6 and 30.

4. The container of claim 1, wherein the inner rim surface is oriented at an acute conical angle relative to the lip.

5. The container of claim 1, wherein the lip is integrally formed on the sidewall.

6. The container of claim 1, wherein:

the sidewall includes an upper edge;

the lip is vertically offset below the upper edge by an offset height H greater than 0.01 millimeters; and is

The upper edge contacts the lid surface to form a second seal between the container body and the lid.

7. The container of claim 1, wherein:

the sidewall comprises an uninterrupted outer perimeter; and is

The lip extends continuously around the uninterrupted outer perimeter.

8. The container of claim 7, wherein the inner rim surface defines an uninterrupted inner cap perimeter that continuously engages the lip.

9. The container of claim 1, wherein:

the lip projects laterally outward from the neck;

said cap being releasably matable with said neck, said cap rim being an annular cap rim, said inner rim surface including a tapered region oriented at an acute angle of taper; and is

The tapered region engages the lip to form a first seal between the lid and the container body.

10. The container of claim 9, wherein:

the neck includes an upper edge;

the lip is vertically offset from the upper edge by an offset height H; and is

The upper edge continuously engages the lid surface to form a second seal between the lid and the container body.

11. The container of claim 1, wherein:

the lip includes a proximal end integrally formed on the container body and a distal end projecting away from the container body;

the distal end has a first thickness T1; and is

The proximal end has a second thickness T2 greater than T1.

12. A method of sealing a container comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a container body comprising a lip having a thickness T and a length L projecting laterally outward from a sidewall of the container, wherein the ratio of L divided by T is greater than 2, and wherein the container further comprises a lateral rib extending from the neck;

(b) positioning a lid on a container body, the lid comprising an annular lid rim having a tapered inner rim surface, the lid comprising a latch member projecting from the annular lid rim toward the container body, the latch member comprising a latch hook extending from the latch member; and

(c) engaging the container body with the lid such that the inner rim surface presses against the lip and the lip angularly deflects toward the container thereby forming an annular seal between the lip and the inner rim surface and such that the latch hook engages the lateral rib to secure the lid to the container.