Canister with a sealed lid

Abstract

A canister has a base with a bottom, a side wall extending up from a perimeter of the bottom, and a top opening near a top end of the side wall. The canister can have a handle formed as a part of the back wall extending upward from the base above the side wall and around at least part of the top opening. The canister can also have one or more seals created at different points of contact between the lid and the base with the lid installed on the base. One of the seals can be formed between an upward facing ledge on the base and a downward facing shoulder on the lid. Another of the seals can be formed between an outward facing projection on a skirt wall of the lid and an interior surface of the base side wall. Another seal can be created between a gasket that is carried on an exterior surface of a lid skirt wherein a portion of the gasket bears against the interior surface of the base side wall. The canister can also have a positive lid retention structure. The structure can include one or more ribs that project inward from the base interior side wall and a snap projection extending outward from a skirt wall of the lid. The projection can snap downward over the one or more ribs with the lid installed on the base.

1 . A canister comprising: 
 a base having a bottom, a side wall extending up from a perimeter of the bottom, and a top opening near a top end of the side wall;    a back wall extending upward from the base above the side wall and around at least part of the top opening;    a hand opening formed through a portion of the back wall creating a handle on the back wall above the hand opening;    a lid having a top panel and a skirt wall coupled to the top panel and extending around a perimeter of the lid, the skirt wall having at least a lower section depending below the top panel with an exterior surface sized to fit within the top opening of the base; and    a lid seal extending around the perimeter of the lid and creating a circumferential seal between the lid and the base near the top opening.    
   
   
       2 . A canister according to  claim 1 , wherein the storage receptacle is a rectangular cylinder and the side wall includes four panels including a back panel.  
   
   
       3 . A canister according to  claim 2 , wherein the back wall projects upward from the top end along at least the back panel.  
   
   
       4 . A canister according to  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 a transition wall integrally connected to each opposed end of the back wall and coupled respectively to opposed side panels of the side wall.    
   
   
       5 . A canister according to  claim 1 , wherein the lid seal is formed on the exterior surface of the skirt wall lower section and includes a projection that interferingly bears against an interior surface of the side wall with the lid installed on the base.  
   
   
       6 . A canister according to  claim 5 , wherein the lid seal is a gasket coupled to the skirt wall lower section.  
   
   
       7 . A canister according to  claim 5 , wherein the lid seal includes a projection carried on and extending from the exterior surface of the skirt wall that interferingly bears against the interior surface of the side wall with the lid installed on the base.  
   
   
       8 . A canister according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 one or more ribs projecting inward from an interior surface of the side wall of the base near the top opening; and    a projection extending circumferentially around and projecting radially outward from the skirt wall lower section, wherein the projection is snapped downwardly over the one or more ribs with the lid installed on the base.    
   
   
       9 . A canister according to  claim 8 , wherein the circumferential projection interferingly bears against an interior surface of the side wall to create the lid seal.  
   
   
       10 . A canister comprising: 
 a base having a bottom, a side wall extending up from a perimeter of the bottom, and a top opening near a top end of the side wall;    a lid having a top panel and a skirt wall coupled to the top panel and extending around a perimeter of the lid, the skirt wall having at least a lower section depending below the top panel with an exterior surface sized to fit within the top opening of the base;    a gasket carried on an exterior surface of the lower section of the skirt wall and having a seal surface facing outward and configured to interferingly bear against an interior surface of the base side wall below the top opening to form a first circumferential seal with the lid installed on the base; and    a second circumferential seal defined by part of the lid and configured to bear against a surface of the base near and around the top opening with the lid installed on the base.    
   
   
       11 . A canister according to  claim 10 , wherein the lid seal includes a projection extending radially outward from the skirt wall lower section that interferingly bears against the interior surface of the base side wall below the top opening to form the second circumferential seal.  
   
   
       12 . A canister according to  claim 11 , wherein the second circumferential seal is formed below the first circumferential seal below the gasket.  
   
   
       13 . A canister according to  claim 11 , further comprising a downward facing shoulder positioned above and extending radially outward relative to the skirt wall lower section, wherein the shoulder rests on and seats against the ledge of the rim with the lid installed on the base to create a third circumferential seal.  
   
   
       14 . A canister according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 one or more ribs projecting inward from and extending generally around the interior surface of the base side wall and positioned near the top opening; and    a projection extending radially outward from and circumferentially around the skirt wall lower section, wherein the projection is snapped over and downward relative to the one or more ribs with the lid installed on the base, and wherein the projection bears against the interior surface of the base side wall to form the second circumferential seal.    
   
   
       15 . A canister according to  claim 10 , wherein the base has a rim extending around the side wall near the top end and extending outward around the top opening to form an upward facing ledge.  
   
   
       16 . A canister according to  claim 15 , further comprising a downward facing shoulder positioned above and extending radially outward relative to the skirt wall lower section, wherein the shoulder rests on and seats against the ledge of the rim with the lid installed on the base to create the second circumferential seal.  
   
   
       17 . A canister according to  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a back wall extending upward from an edge of the rim above at least a back of the canister and around at least part of the top opening; and    a hand opening formed through a portion of the back wall creating a handle on the back wall above the hand opening.    
   
   
       18 . A canister comprising: 
 a base having a bottom, a side wall extending up from a perimeter of the bottom, and a top opening near a top end of the side wall;    one or more ribs projecting inward from an interior surface of the side wall near the top opening;    a lid having a top panel and a skirt wall coupled to the top panel and extending around a perimeter of the lid, the skirt wall having at least a lower section depending below the top panel with an exterior surface sized to fit within the top opening of the base; and    a projection extending circumferentially around and radially outward from the lower section of the skirt wall, wherein with the lid installed on the base the projection is resiliently snapped downward past the one or more ribs to removably retain the lid installed, and wherein with the lid installed the projection interferingly bears against the interior surface of the side wall to create a first circumferential seal around the top opening.    
   
   
       19 . A canister according to  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 a gasket carried on an exterior surface of the lower section of the skirt wall and having a seal surface facing outward and configured to interferingly bear against an interior surface of the base side wall below the top opening to form a second circumferential seal with the lid installed on the base.    
   
   
       20 . A canister according to  claim 19 , wherein the base has a rim extending outward around the side wall near the top end and having an upward facing ledge surrounding the top opening, and wherein the lid has a downward facing shoulder positioned above and extending radially outward relative to the skirt wall lower section that rests on and bears against the rim ledge with the lid installed on the base to form a third circumferential seal.  
   
   
       21 . A canister according to  claim 18 , wherein the base has a rim extending around the side wall near the top end and having an upward facing ledge surrounding the top opening, and wherein the lid has a downward facing shoulder positioned above and extending radially outward relative to the skirt wall lower section that rests on and bears against the rim ledge with the lid installed on the base to form a second circumferential seal.