ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 31 -- United States Patent no. 12,509,284, issued on Dec. 30.
"Lunch box" was invented by Antonio Chiti (Serravalle Pistoiese, Italy).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "Lunch container comprising a container body made of a metal material, provided with a bottom wall and a continuous side wall, the trailing edge of which is provided with a toroidal relief projecting radially outwardly, and a lid, comprising a flat plate, made of a metal material, along the peripheral edge of which a gasket made of an elastomeric material is overmolded, so as to encompass a portion of the peripheral edge of the plate, the gasket being formed so as to cooperate with the toroidal relief protrudin...