Flip top container

Abstract

A container body has a closed bottom and a peripheral wall defining a hollow interior for receipt of desired contents. A cap for the container has a depression constructed and arranged to fit tightly over a top rim of the container body to seal the contents within the hollow interior. The cap can be pried upward to an open position to allow access to the hollow interior. An opening tab hinged to the cap normally extends downward alongside the container body when the cap is closed, but is swingable upward to a horizontal orientation. The tab and cap have cooperating abutments that limit further upward swinging of the tab relative to the cap such that the tab can be used to pry the cap open.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A flip top container comprising:
 a container body having a closed bottom, a continuous peripheral wall defining a hollow interior, and an open top for access to the hollow interior and having a top rim portion;   a cap for the container, the cap having a central portion and a continuous peripheral wail defining a depression of a size to fit tightly over the rim portion of the container body to seal the hollow interior in a closed position of the cap but movable upward to an open position allowing access to the hollow interior; and   an elongated, cantilever opening tab joined to the peripheral wall of the cap by a tab hinge having a swinging axis, the opening tab being swingable about the tab hinge axis when the cap is in the closed position from a first orientation extending down from the cap alongside the peripheral wall of the container body to a horizontal orientation extending outward from the tab hinge in a direction away from the cap central portion, the cap and opening tab having cooperating abutments adjacent to the tab hinge which abutments are positioned to engage when the opening tab is swung to the horizontal orientation thereby enabling the cap to be pried upward by manipulation of the opening tab as it is moved to and beyond the horizontal position with the cooperating abutments engaged, said abutments including at least one cap stub integral with the peripheral wall of the cap and extending therefrom to a position close to the tab hinge and a tab stub integral with the opening tab and extending therefrom to a position close to the tab hinge, the tab stub being aligned with the cap stub so as to engage against the cap stub when the tab is moved to and beyond the horizontal position.   
     
     
         16 . The container defined in  claim 15 , in which the cooperating abutments of the tab and the cap are adjacent to but on opposite sides of the swinging axis of the tab hinge, respectively. 
     
     
         17 . The container defined in  claim 15 , in which the abutments include two cap stubs integral with and spaced apart circumferentially of the peripheral wall of the cap, each of the cap stubs extending from the peripheral wall of the cap to a position close to the tab hinge, and two upright walls integral with the opening tab, each wall extending from the opening tab and terminating at a position close to the tab hinge, the two stubs and two walls being aligned so as to engage against each other when the opening tab is moved to and beyond the horizontal position. 
     
     
         18 . The container defined in  claim 17 , in which the tab walls and the cap stubs are adjacent to but on opposite sides of the swinging axis of the tab hinge, respectively, 
     
     
         19 . The container defined in  claim 18 , in which the cap is joined to the container body by an integral cap hinge located at the opposite side of the container body from the tab hinge. 
     
     
         20 . The container defined in  claim 19 , in which the container body, cap, and opening tab are plastic and integral with each other. 
     
     
         21 . The container defined in  claim 20 , in which the opening tab is swingable approximately  90  degrees from the first orientation to the horizontal orientation before the cooperating abutments engage. 
     
     
         22 . The container defined in  claim 17 , in which the opening tab and the container body have cooperating components that interfit to latch the opening tab to the side of the container body in the first orientation. 
     
     
         23 . The container defined in  claim 22 , in which the latch includes a tamper-evident component that is permanently deformed by movement of the opening tab from the first orientation to the horizontal orientation for indicating that the tab has been so moved. 
     
     
         24 . The container defined in  claim 23 , in which the latch tab has an aperture therethrough, the tamper-evident component including a projection with resilient wings positioned to pass through the latch tab aperture as the tab is swung from the horizontal orientation to the first orientation, the wings being constructed and arranged to be permanently deformed when the latch tab is swung from the first orientation to the horizontal orientation. 
     
     
         25 . The container defined in  claim 17 , in which the opening tab has a curved finger notch at its end portion remote from the tab hinge such that the opening tab has a free end portion spaced outward from the peripheral wall of the container body when the tab is in the first orientation. 
     
     
         26 . The container defined in  claim 25 , in which the latch includes a tamper-evident component that is permanently deformed h movement of the opening tab from the first orientation to the horizontal orientation for indicating that the tab has been so moved. 
     
     
         27 . The container defined in  claim 26 , in which the latch tab has an aperture therethrough, the tamper-evident component including a projection with resilient wings positioned to pass through the latch tab aperture as the tab is swung from the horizontal orientation to the first orientation, the wings being constructed and arranged to he permanently deformed When the latch tab is swung from the first orientation to the horizontal orientation.