Plastic lids and pails

Claim 1

In a molded flexible thermoplastic open top pail having a top section, a middle section and a bottom section, said top section having engagement means for assembly with a lid having an inverted U-shaped rim portion that contains mating engagement means in the outer leg of said rim, said middle section being the predominant volumetric portion of said pail, the improvement comprising a top section with a plurality of integrally molded reinforcement members disposed about the circumference of said pail, said members projecting outwardly from the sidewall of said pail and extending downwardly from the open end of said pail a distance sufficient to transfer vertical deflection to said middle section, the number of said members and the width to depth ratio of said members being sufficient to stiffen said top section without a material increase in the mass of said top section and wherein said engagement means are in the form of screw threads, said threads extending outwardly from the sidewall of said top section for engagement with said lid at positions outwardly of the inner face of the outer leg of said inverted U-shaped rim, said threads being integrally molded with said reinforcing members whereby the free edge of said threads is stiffened.