Food container

Abstract

A container including a lower portion and lid. The lower portion has a sidewall and a base portion that define a hollow interior having an opening defined by a distal portion of the sidewall. The sidewall has a keyway. The lid has a body portion with a peripheral portion. A flap is attached to the peripheral portion. A key member is positioned on the flap. The key member is receivable inside the keyway of the lower portion. The body portion is configured to be pivoted relative to the flap when the key member is received inside the keyway to position the body portion adjacent the distal portion of the sidewall to close the opening of the hollow interior. The lid may include additional flaps with tabs configured to be received inside recesses formed in the lower portion. A tray and/or freezer pack may be positioned inside the hollow interior.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A container comprising:
 a lower portion comprising a base portion and a sidewall extending away from the base portion, the sidewall comprising a distal portion opposite the base portion, the sidewall further comprising a keyway, the base portion and the sidewall defining a hollow interior having an opening defined by the distal portion of the sidewall; and   a lid removably couplable to the sidewall of the lower portion, the lid comprising a body portion having a peripheral portion, a flap positioned on the peripheral portion, and a key member positioned on the flap, the key member being receivable inside the keyway, the body portion of the lid being configured to be pivoted relative to the flap when the key member is received inside the keyway to position the body portion adjacent to the distal portion of the sidewall to close the opening of the hollow interior defined by the distal portion of the sidewall.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a seal extending along the distal portion of the sidewall of the lower portion, the seal being positioned between the peripheral portion of the body portion of the lid and the distal portion of the sidewall of the lower portion to form a leak proof seal therebetween when the body portion is adjacent the distal portion of the sidewall and closing the opening of the hollow interior defined by the distal portion of the sidewall.   
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a removable tray positioned inside the hollow interior of the lower portion.   
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a freezer pack positioned between the base portion of the lower portion and the tray.   
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 3 , wherein the lower portion comprises at least one support projecting into the hollow interior from the sidewall, and
 the tray comprises an outwardly projecting portion configured to rest upon and be supported by the at least one support of the lower portion.   
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the tray comprises a base portion, and
 the at least one support of the lower portion is positioned such that when the outwardly projecting portion of the tray rests upon and is supported by the at least one support of the lower portion, a gap is defined between the base portion of the tray and the base portion of the lower portion.   
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 at least one freezer pack or at least one warming element sized to be positionable within the gap.   
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a removable tray positioned inside the hollow interior of the lower portion, the tray comprising an upwardly opening interior divided into a plurality of sub-compartments each configured to hold one or more food items.   
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall of the lower portion comprises a first recess having an upper portion adjacent a lower portion,
 the keyway is formed in the upper portion of the first recess,   the lower portion of the first recess is configured to receive the key member, and   the key member is receivable inside the keyway by sliding the key member within the first recess from the lower portion into the keyway formed in the upper portion of the first recess.   
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 9 , wherein the flap is a first flap,
 the sidewall comprises a second recess having a lip portion,   the lid further comprises a second flap positioned on the peripheral portion of the body portion,   the second flap comprises a tab, and   the second flap is pivotable relative to the body portion to position the tab inside the second recess and into engagement with the lip when the body portion of the lid is positioned adjacent the distal portion of the sidewall and closes the opening of the hollow interior defined by the distal portion of the sidewall.   
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 9 , wherein the key member has a support portion and an overhang portion that at least partially overhangs the support portion,
 the keyway has an overhang portion that partially encloses a portion of the upper portion of the first recess,   a passage is formed in the overhang portion of the keyway,   the support portion of the key member is configured to pass through the passage to position the overhang portion of the key member inside the partially enclosed portion of the keyway, and   the overhang portion of the keyway prevents lateral removal of the overhang portion of the key member from the keyway.   
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the flap is a first flap,
 the sidewall comprises a recess having a lip portion,   the lid further comprises a second flap positioned on the peripheral portion of the body portion,   the second flap comprises a tab, and   the second flap is pivotable relative to the body portion to position the tab inside the recess and into engagement with the lip when the body portion of the lid is positioned adjacent to the distal portion of the sidewall and closes the opening of the hollow interior defined by the distal portion of the sidewall.   
     
     
         13 . A food container for storing one or more food items, the container comprising:
 a lower portion having an opening into an interior compartment configured to receive and store the one or more food items, a keyway spaced apart from the opening, and a recess spaced apart from both the opening and the keyway; and   a lid removably couplable to the lower portion to close the opening, the lid comprising a key member positioned on a first flap and a tab positioned on a second flap, the lid being coupled to the lower portion when the key member is positioned inside the keyway and the tab is received inside the recess, the lid being selectively rotatable toward and away from the lower portion when the key member is inside the keyway, and the second flap being rotatable relative to the lower portion to selectively position the tab inside and outside the recess.   
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 13 , wherein the first flap is bendable, and
 the first flap bends when the key member is inside the keyway and the lid is rotated toward the lower portion.   
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a seal positioned between the lid and the lower portion, the seal being configured to seal the opening into the interior compartment to prevent leaks therefrom.   
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 13  for use with the one or more food items having a temperature, the container further comprising:
 a tray positionable inside the interior compartment of the lower portion configured to receive and store the one or more food items, an insulating air gap being defined between the tray and the lower portion when the tray is positioned inside the interior compartment of the lower portion, the insulating air gap helping to maintain the temperature of the one or more food items. 
 
     
     
         17 . The container of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a freezer pack; and   a tray positionable inside the interior compartment of the lower portion configured to receive and store the one or more food items, a gap being defined between the tray and the lower portion when the tray is positioned inside the interior compartment of the lower portion, the gap being sized to receive the freeze pack therein between the tray and the lower portion.   
     
     
         18 . The container of  claim 13 , wherein the lid and the lower portion are each dishwasher safe. 
     
     
         19 . A container comprising:
 a lid having a peripheral portion with a plurality of flaps positioned therealong, a key flap of the plurality of flaps having a key member, others of the plurality of flaps being locking flaps each having a tab, each of the plurality of flaps being rotatable relative to the peripheral portion; and   a lower portion having an interior compartment at least partially defined by a sidewall, the sidewall having a plurality of recesses formed therein, a keyway recess of the plurality of recesses having a keyway formed therein, others of the plurality of recesses being locking recesses each having a lip formed therein, the key member of the key flap being receivable inside the keyway of the keyway recess, the peripheral portion of the lid being positionable adjacent the sidewall of the lower portion when the key member is received inside the keyway, the tab of each of the locking flaps being positioned to be received inside a corresponding different one of the locking recesses to engage with the lip formed therein to couple the lid to the lower portion when the peripheral portion of the lid is adjacent the sidewall of the lower portion.   
     
     
         20 . The container of  claim 19 , wherein each of the plurality of flaps is connected to the peripheral portion of the lid by a hinge portion that defines a bending location for the flap, each of the plurality of flaps being bendable at the bending location and thereby rotatable relative to the peripheral portion. 
     
     
         21 . The container of  claim 19 , wherein the keyway recess has an upper portion adjacent a lower portion,
 the keyway of the keyway recess is formed in the upper portion of the keyway recess,   the lower portion of the keyway recess is configured to receive the key member of the key flap,   the key member is receivable inside the keyway by sliding the key member within the keyway recess from the lower portion into the keyway formed in the upper portion of the keyway recess,   the key member has a support portion and an overhang portion that at least partially overhangs the support portion,   the keyway has an overhang portion that partially encloses a portion of the upper portion of the keyway recess,   a passage is formed in the overhang portion of the keyway,   the support portion of the key member is configured to pass through the passage to position the overhang portion of the key member inside the partially enclosed portion of the keyway, and   the overhang portion of the keyway prevents lateral removal of the overhang portion of the key member from the keyway.