Carton and latch construction

Claim 1

A carton for containment of eggs comprising a bottom portion formed with a plurality of egg-receiving cells and vertically extending posts between adjacent cells, a top portion having sidewalls and formed to fit over and contain eggs placed in said egg cells, said bottom and top portions meeting when closed in respective pairs of common outer edges, said common edges meeting in a common horizontal plane and defining the outer dimensions of the carton in said plane, latch means for e releasably securing the top and bottom portions together along one pair of common outer edges, said latch means comprising a hollow vertical protrusion formed in said bottom portion inside said common edge thereof, said protrusion being located between a pair of adjacent egg cells and comprising generally vertical extensions of the walls of said adjacent egg cells merging into a joint portion at their upper ends, said wall extensions and said joint portion terminating in a common vertical plane disposed inwardly of said common outer edge and exposing the hollow interior of said protrusion, the joint portion thereby providing a hook extending outwardly towards and terminating terminating interiorly of the edge of the carton, and a catch for engaging said hook, said catch being formed in said top portion adjacent the corresponding common outer edge thereof, and comprising and inwardly extending bulge formed in a sidewall of said top portion, no part of said sidewall extending beyond the outer edge of said top portion, said sidewall, including latch means, having no apertures therein, and means for securing the top and bottom portions together along a pair of common edges opposite to said common edges adjacent said latch means.