Container and locking lid

Claim 1

An improved latch for a container and lid therefor comprising: a latch arm having inner and outer ends; means mounting said latch arm between its ends, to the exterior of the sidewall of said container below the rim thereof and for pivotal movement between a first and second position about a substantially transverse axis, said axis being spaced outwardly from the sidewall of said container; said sidewall of said container, at least in the region thereof which is adjacent said pivotal axis, being of resilient, deformable and flexible construction, the distance between said pivotal axis and said region of said container sidewall being less than the distance from said pivotal axis to the extremity of said inner end of said latch arm, the relative dimensions and location of the pivotal axis, latch arm and said region of said container sidewall being such as to cause said region of said sidewall to yieldably obstruct said inner end of said latch arm as said latch arm is pivoted from one of its positions to the other, said region of said container sidewall being resiliently deformed when said latch is pivoted from one of its positions to the other and returning toward its substantially undeformed shape in said one or other positions, said region of said container sidewall being cooperative with the inner end of the latch arm, when the latch is in either of its positions, to retain the latch arm in that position; a member connected to and extending downwardly from the periphery of the container lid, said member having a transverse portion which, when the lid is on the container, may extend downwardly and be engaged by a portion of said latch arm; said portion of said latch arm including means for engaging said transverse portion of said member to retain said member and draw said lid member downwardly in response to pivotal movement of said latch arm from one position thereof to the other.