Package

Claim 1

AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE ADAPTED FOR USE WITH A PRESS FIT REMOVABLE LID HAVING A DEPRESSED BODY PORTION AND A CIRCUMFERENTIAL BEAD PORTION WHICH MERGES INTO A CIRCUMFERENTIALY EXTENDING UPSTANDING WALL PORTION; SAID ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE COMPRISING: A SEAMLESS PLASTIC CONTAINER HAVING A BOTTOM, AND A SIDE PORTION TERMINATING IN A TOP PORTION; A CHANNEL FORMED IN THE SIDE PORTION OF THE CONTAINER ADJACENT THE TOP PORTION THEREOF; SAID CHANNEL INCLUDING AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING BOTTOM SURFACE PORTION AND A CONTINUOUSLY UPWARDLY AND INWARDLY EXTENDING TOP SURFACE PORTION; SAID CHANNEL PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM THE INTERIOR OF AND EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AROUND SAID CONTAINER AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE BEAD OF THE PRESS FIT LID; THE CHANNEL AND THE BEAD EACH HAVING A CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGRURATION SUCH THAT AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE CHANNEL SURFACE IS IN CONTINUOUS CIRCUMFERENTIAL SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BEAD WHEREBY THE CONTENTS OF THE CONTAINER ARE NORMALLY SEALED FROM THE ATMOSPHERE WHEN THE LID IS IN PLACE; SAID TOP PORTION OF THE CHANNEL MERGING INTO AN OUTWARDLY FLARING WALL SECTION; A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED, PORTING FLUTES ORIGINATING AT POINTS ON THE OUTWARDLY FLARING WALL SECTION AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE TOP PORTION OF THE CHANNEL TO PROVIDE PORTS BY VENTING THE INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER TO THE ATMOSPHERE; THE POINTS AT WHICH THE FLUTES ORIGINATE BEING LATERALLY OUTWARDLY OFFSET WITH RESPECT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE OUTWARDLY FLARING SIDE WALL AN APPROXIMATE DISTANCE AT LEAST AS GREAT AS THE DEPTH OF THE CHANNEL WITH RESPECT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE OUTWARDLY FLARING SIDE WALL; WHEREBY EXCESS PRESSURE EXERTED AGAINST THE BOTTOM OF THE LID IS ALLOWED TO EXHAUST AND THE CONTENTS OF THE PACAKAGE ARE SUBSEQUENTLY SEALED FROM THE ATMOSPHERE.