Continuous seal container assembly

Abstract

The present invention is a container assembly for food and liquids. The container assembly has a lid and a base each of which has a series of prongs. The prongs of the base and lid interlock to form a continuous seal with high surface area and passages with many bends that together prevent air and bacteria from entering the container assembly and prevent food and liquids from leaking out of the container assembly. One or more of the lid prongs has a protrusion that fit into corresponding depressions between the base prongs to urge the rims together and create and maintain the seal. In a second embodiment, the outermost prong of the lid also has a protrusion attached to it which locks around the outermost base prong further urging the rims together and further creating and maintaining the seal.

1 . A container assembly comprising: 
 a base having a substantially planar bottom, a base perimeter wall extending upward from said bottom, and a base rim extending outward from said base perimeter wall;    a lid having a substantially planar top, a lid perimeter wall extending downward from said top, and a lid rim extending outward from said lid perimeter wall;    wherein said lid rim has at least three prongs extending vertically downward wherein the innermost prong is attached to the lid rim and extends vertically upward and wherein at least one interior prong has a protrusion attached to said at least one interior prong;    wherein said base rim has at least two prongs extending vertically upward wherein the innermost prong is attached to the base rim and extends vertically upward and wherein at least one space between the prongs has a depression to receive the protrusion of said at least one interior prong of said lid rim;    wherein said lid rim prongs and said base rim prongs are sized and shaped to mate together; and    wherein the mating of said protrusion of said at one least one inner prong of said lid rim and said depressions in said at least one space between said prongs of said base rim urges said lid rim and said base rim together to seal said container assembly.    
   
   
       2 . The base according to  claim 1  wherein said base contains a protrusion along the outer perimeter of said substantially planar bottom of said base.  
   
   
       3 . The base according to  claim 1  wherein said base perimeter wall is inclined from the vertical, slanting outward from said substantially planar bottom toward said base rim.  
   
   
       4 . The base according to  claim 1  wherein said substantially planar bottom is curved inward.  
   
   
       5 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein said lid contains a depression along the outer perimeter of the substantially planar top of said lid.  
   
   
       6 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein said lid perimeter wall is inclined from the vertical, slanting outward from said substantially planar top toward said lid rim.  
   
   
       7 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein said substantially planar top is curved inward.  
   
   
       8 . A container assembly comprising: 
 a base having a substantially planar bottom, a base perimeter wall extending upward from said bottom and a base rim extending outward from said base perimeter wall;    a lid having a substantially planar top, a lid perimeter wall extending downward from said top and a lid rim extending outward from said lid perimeter wall;    wherein said lid rim has at least three prongs extending vertically downward, wherein the innermost prong is attached to the lid rim and extends vertically upward, wherein at least one interior prong has a protrusion attached to said at least one interior prong, and wherein the outermost prong has a protrusion attached to said outermost prong;    wherein said base rim has at least two prongs extending vertically upward wherein the innermost prong is attached to the base rim and extends vertically upward and wherein at least one space between the prongs has a depression to receive the protrusion of said at least one inner prong of said lid rim;    wherein said lid rim prongs and said base rim prongs are sized and shaped to mate together;    wherein the mating of said protrusion of said at one least one interior prong of said lid rim and said depression in said space between said prongs of said base rim urges said lid rim and said base rim together to seal said container assembly; and    wherein said protrusion of said outer prong of said lid rim fits around the outermost prong of said base rim further urging said lid rim and said base rim together and further sealing said container assembly.    
   
   
       9 . The base according to  claim 8  wherein said base contains a protrusion along the outer perimeter of said substantially planar bottom of said base.  
   
   
       10 . The base according to  claim 8  wherein said base perimeter wall is inclined from the vertical, slanting outward from said substantially planar bottom toward said base rim.  
   
   
       11 . The base according to  claim 8  wherein said substantially planar bottom is curved inward.  
   
   
       12 . The lid according to  claim 8  wherein said lid contains a depression along the outer perimeter of the substantially planar top of said lid.  
   
   
       13 . The lid according to  claim 8  wherein said lid perimeter wall is inclined from the vertical, slanting outward from said substantially planar top toward said lid rim.  
   
   
       14 . The lid according to  claim 8  wherein said substantially planar top is curved inward.  
   
   
       15 . A method for sealing foods and liquids in a container assembly comprising: 
 placing a food or liquid into a base wherein said base comprises a substantially planar bottom, a base perimeter wall extending substantially vertically upward from said bottom and a base rim extending outward from said base perimeter wall;    said base rim has at least two prongs wherein the innermost prong is attached to the base rim and extends vertically upward and wherein the space between the prongs has a depression to receive a protrusion of an interior prong of a lid rim;    covering said base with a lid having a substantially planar top, a lid perimeter wall extending vertically downward from said top and said lid rim extending outward from said lid perimeter wall;    wherein said lid rim has at least three prongs extending vertically downward, wherein the innermost prong is attached to said lid rim and extends vertically upward, and wherein said at least one inner prong has a protrusion attached to said at least one inner prong;    wherein said lid rim prongs and said base rim prongs are sized and shaped to mate together; and    wherein the mating of said protrusion of said at one least one interior prong of said lid rim and said depression in said space between said prongs of said base rim urges said lid rim and said base rim together to seal said food or liquid inside said container assembly.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said outermost prong of said lid rim further has a protrusion attached to said outermost prong; and 
 wherein said protrusion of said outermost prong of said lid rim fits around said outermost prong of said base rim further urging said lid rim and said base rim together and further sealing food or liquid inside said container assembly.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said base contains a protrusion along the outer perimeter of said substantially planar bottom of said base, wherein said base perimeter wall is inclined from the vertical, slanting outward from said substantially planar bottom toward said base rim, and wherein said substantially planar bottom is curved inward.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said lid contains a depression along the outer perimeter of the substantially planar top of said lid, wherein said lid perimeter wall is inclined from the vertical, slanting outward from said substantially planar top toward said lid rim, and wherein said substantially planar top is curved inward.