A container

Abstract

A container comprising a receptacle having an opening, a lid located over the opening of the receptacle and removably attached to the receptacle, and a tab attached to the lid; wherein detachment of the tab from the lid creates or exposes an aperture in the lid.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A container comprising:
 a receptacle having an opening,   a lid located over the opening of the receptacle and removably attached to the receptacle, and   a tab attached to the lid;   wherein detachment of the tab from the lid creates or exposes an aperture in the lid.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the receptacle has one or more sidewalls. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the receptacle has a single cavity. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the receptacle has two or more cavities separated from each other by one or more sidewalls. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the receptacle comprises at least one side wall and a bottom, defining a cavity for holding liquid or other fluid food. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 1  wherein upper edges of the one or more sidewalls defines one or more openings of the receptacle. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the lid extends over the entire opening of the receptacle to seal the receptacle. 
     
     
         8 . The container of anyone of the preceding claims  claim 1  wherein the tab is releasably attached to the lid. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the tab is integral with the lid. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the tab is moveable from a first position in which the tab is adhered to the lid to a second position in which the tab is detached from the lid. 
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 1  in which the lid includes an aperture that is sealed by the tab. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the aperture is sized to accommodate a typical straw. 
     
     
         13 . A method of unsealing a container including the steps of:
 moving a tab from a first position in which the tab is attached to the lid, the lid also attached to a receptacle, to a second position in which the tab is detached from the lid to cause air to pass into the receptacle.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the detachment of the tab causes a pre-existing aperture in the lid to be exposed. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the detachment of the tab causes an aperture to be created in the lid. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the force required to detach the tab from the lid is less than the force required to detach the lid from the receptacle.