Nestable produce container

Abstract

A produce container comprises a basket portion and a closure portion, which are hingedly secured to one another to be relatively movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration. The container can be secured in the closed configuration by at least one tab projecting distally from a front edge of a basket portion peripheral lip or closure portion peripheral lip, which tab is received within a corresponding slot defined inwardly of the front edge of the other peripheral lip. Each slot extends into a collocated recess in the outer surface of that peripheral lip, and each tab has an outwardly extending locking projection which, in the closed configuration, engages a corresponding recess engagement surface. Each locking projection terminates inwardly of the outer surface of the front edge of the respective peripheral lip and each tab terminates below the upper surface of the respective peripheral lip.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A produce container, comprising:
 a basket portion, the basket portion comprising a base and four basket portion walls extending between the base and a basket portion peripheral lip, each basket portion wall being secured to each adjacent basket portion wall;   a closure portion, the closure portion comprising a terminal rim and four closure portion walls extending between the terminal rim and a closure portion peripheral lip, each closure portion wall being secured to each adjacent closure portion wall;   wherein the basket portion peripheral lip and the closure portion peripheral lip are hingedly secured to one another at respective rear edges thereof so that the basket portion and the closure portion are relatively movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration in which the basket portion peripheral lip and the closure portion peripheral lip are in registration with one another;   and wherein:   one of the basket portion peripheral lip and the closure portion peripheral lip has at least one tab projecting distally from a front edge thereof, each at least one tab including an outwardly extending locking projection;   a front edge of the other of the basket portion peripheral lip and the closure portion peripheral lip includes at least one receiving slot defined inwardly of an outer surface of a front edge of the other of the basket portion peripheral lip and the closure portion peripheral lip for receiving a corresponding tab, each receiving slot extending into a collocated recess defined in the outer surface of a front edge of the other of the basket portion peripheral lip and the closure portion peripheral lip and having a recess engagement surface;   so that, when the basket portion and the closure portion are in the closed configuration, the at least one tab is received within the at least one corresponding receiving slot so that each respective locking projection extends into the respective recess and an engagement surface on the respective locking projection cooperates with the respective recess engagement surface to secure the container in the closed configuration, each respective locking projection terminating inwardly of the outer surface of the front edge of the other of the basket portion peripheral lip and the closure portion peripheral lip and each tab terminating spaced from a distal surface of the other of the basket portion peripheral lip and the closure portion peripheral lip.   
     
     
         2 . The produce container of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one tab projects upwardly from the front edge of the basket portion peripheral lip; and   the at least one receiving slot is defined in the outer surface of the front edge of the closure portion peripheral lip and terminates below the upper surface of the closure portion peripheral lip.   
     
     
         3 . The produce container of  claim 2 , wherein each at least one tab projects upwardly from a position spaced inwardly from an outer surface of the basket portion peripheral lip, and wherein each locking projection terminates inwardly of the outer surface of the basket portion peripheral lip. 
     
     
         4 . The produce container of  claim 3 , wherein the receiving slots are defined in a lower surface of the front edge of the closure portion peripheral lip and extend through the closure portion peripheral lip into their respective recesses. 
     
     
         5 . The produce container of  claim 4 , wherein the closure portion peripheral lip includes backing regions of increased thickness projecting inwardly, the backing regions being collocated with the receiving slots and comprising part of an inner surface of the front edge of the closure portion peripheral lip. 
     
     
         6 . The produce container of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one tab comprises two tabs spaced from one another and the at least one receiving slot comprises two receiving slots spaced from one another. 
     
     
         7 . The produce container of  claim 6 , wherein:
 each tab has a height of approximately 5 millimeters, measured from an upper surface of the basket portion peripheral lip;   the front edge of the closure portion peripheral lip has a height of approximately 7 millimeters, measured from the lower surface of the closure portion peripheral lip to the upper surface of the closure portion peripheral lip; and   the recesses extend downwardly from the upper surface of the closure portion peripheral lip by approximately 4.5 millimeters.   
     
     
         8 . The produce container of  claim 6 , wherein the basket portion and the closure portion collectively define approximately a one-quart volume. 
     
     
         9 . The produce container of  claim 2 , further comprising a lid removably secured to the terminal rim. 
     
     
         10 . The produce container of  claim 9 , having a quantity of produce disposed therein. 
     
     
         11 . The produce container of  claim 10 , wherein the produce is strawberries. 
     
     
         12 . A lid for a produce container having a generally square terminal rim forming part of a closure portion of the produce container, comprising:
 a substantially square, substantially planar covering portion having four edges;   four spacing walls depending downwardly from the edges of the covering portion;   each spacing wall continuing into an outwardly extending upper support surface which is substantially parallel to the covering portion so that there are four upper support surfaces, the four upper support surfaces being, collectively, co-extensive with an upper surface of the terminal rim of the container, each upper support surface having defined therein a plurality of downwardly extending upper engagement fingers;   each upper support surface continuing into a substantially downwardly extending side wall so that there are four such side walls, the side walls terminating in a generally outwardly extending peripheral skirt, each side wall having a plurality of inwardly extending side wall engagement fingers;   wherein:   the upper engagement fingers are vertically spaced from the side wall engagement fingers by a distance corresponding to the vertical height of the terminal rim, and the lid is removably securable to the container by an interference fit of the terminal rim between the upper engagement fingers and the side wall engagement fingers.   
     
     
         13 . The lid of  claim 12 , wherein the upper engagement fingers and the side wall engagement fingers are in an offset, opposed relationship so that each upper engagement finger is vertically spaced above, and horizontally positioned between, two side wall engagement fingers, and each side wall engagement finger is vertically spaced below, and horizontally positioned between, two upper engagement fingers. 
     
     
         14 . The lid of  claim 13 , wherein two spaced-apart upper engagement fingers are disposed on each upper support surface, and one upper engagement finger is positioned at each corner junction joining adjacent upper support surfaces, and wherein each side wall has three inwardly extending side wall engagement fingers, one side wall engagement finger being positioned approximately at a midpoint of the respective side wall, and one side wall engagement finger being positioned at each end of the respective side wall. 
     
     
         15 . The lid of  claim 13 , wherein each of the side wall engagement fingers has a generally triangular shape, including a downwardly sloping upper surface and an upwardly sloping lower surface. 
     
     
         16 . The lid of  claim 12 , wherein the covering portion has a plurality of apertures defined therein adjacent the edges of the covering portion, the apertures being positioned so as to define a corner region of the covering portion that is free of apertures, further comprising a generally triangular adhesive label applied to the corner region.