WO2011154969A1

WO2011154969A1 - Tea bag

Info

Publication number: WO2011154969A1
Application number: PCT/IN2011/000075
Authority: WO
Inventors: Satish Gokhale
Original assignee: Satish Gokhale
Priority date: 2010-06-08
Filing date: 2011-02-02
Publication date: 2011-12-15

Abstract

A tea bag is provided. The tea bag comprises a sachet (100) containing the brewing material and a folded flap (200) which substantially covers the sachet. The folded flap (200) comprises a resilient planar sheet (202) folded in the transverse direction to form a crease (204), the sachet (100) is attached along the crease (204) between the folded flap (200), and the folded flap (200) extends beyond the peripheral boundary of the sachet (100). The folded flap (200) has three operative configurations: a) a sealed configuration adapted to hold the sachet (100) within the folded flap (200) in a secure manner; b) an extended resilient configuration adapted to mount the folded flap (200) on the mouth of a beverage container; c) a pressed configuration adapted to squeeze a sodden sachet (100). The tea bag of the present invention is easy to manufacture, highly economical, and conveniently used for a variety of beverage containers.

Description

TEA BAG

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of tea bags.

DEFINITIONS

As used in the present specification, the following words and phrases are generally intended to have the meanings as set forth below, except to the extent that the context in which they are used indicates otherwise.

In the context of this specification, the term "tea bag" particularly refers to a beverage infusion bag, in a broader sense which may include a bag containing black tea leaves, filter coffee, infused tea, green tea, herbal tea, soup powder, and the like. ft

In the context of this specification, the term "brewing material" particularly refers to the material contained in the tea bag.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION & PRIOR ART

Tea bags were invented to make brewing a convenient, easy, and pleasant experience with the added advantage of customizing our cup of beverage as per our liking. A tea bag is a small, porous, sealed bag containing a brewing material, which after brewing can be disposed of conveniently without any need for filtering. Additionally, a tea bag can contain herbal infusions which provide beneficial properties like stimulation, relaxation, antioxidant, and the like. Tea bags are commercially available as simply sealed pouches or sealed pouches with a string or a thread attached to the pouch provided with a tag or a label that assists in handling the tea bag, identifying the brewing material, and the brand or the manufacturer. To better preserve the freshness, flavor or aroma and prevent any contamination of the brewing material, more recently, the tea bag packaging and distribution companies, individually wrap each tea bag in airtight packets. However, after steeping the brewing material in hot water, the user is often left with sticky, messy, soggy, and dripping tea bags. Thus, there is a need to package a tea bag such that the user enjoys his cup of beverage without the encumbrance of awkward, unsightly and dripping used tea bags. Another drawback of the commercially available tea bags is that they cling to the sides of the cup, glass, or mug, which causes the flavor of the brewing material to be more concentrated surrounding the tea bag. Thus, to evenly distribute the flavor, the brew must be stirred or the tea bag must be moved continuously. Therefore, there is also a need to provide a tea bag which when brewed evenly disperses the flavor of the brewing material in the brew.

Several attempts have been made to provide tea bags or tea bag packaging for overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks; some of the related inventions are discussed in the following section dealing with the prior art.

ESi 202846 discloses a stirring device comprising a stirring body having at one end a squeezing means for squeezing out sodden beverage infusion bags in a post stirring configuration. IN202846 also discloses a groove or a slit for holding the string of a tea bag provided at one end of the stirrer body. The stirring device as disclosed in IN 202846 is provided as a separate component for stirring the beverage which also allows squeezing the sodden beverage infusion bag before disposal.

Indian patent application no. 2409/MUM/2008 discloses a tea bag holder comprising a stirrer portion and a tea bag holding portion slightly connected to each other and a flat squeezer element slideably fitted on the stirrer portion and adapted to be slid towards the tea bag holding portion which accommodates for manual squeezing of the tea bag. The tea bag holder and its components as disclosed in IN 2409/MUM/2008 are made from polymer, wood or bamboo, and is a separate component manufactured specifically for making stirring and squeezing while preparing a beverage convenient. The manufacturing costs involved in providing the disclosed tea bag holder are high and also wide-spread application of the product might not be possible.

US 20100040740 discloses an infusion system for processing a brewing material which comprises a pouch to contain the brewing material, a packet to contain the pouch, an attachment member coupled to the pouch and a tag coupled to the attachment member. When brewing, the packet is opened to discharge the pouch in the infusion medium, after brewing the tab which is attached to the attachment member is pulled to withdraw the used pouch back into the packet, the packet is then conveniently disposed. The infusion system disclosed in US 20100040740 thus provides the user with an additional level of control over the brewing process. However, the infusion system as disclosed in US 20100040740 does not evenly disperse the flavor of the brewing material in the brew. US 20090162491 discloses a brewing sachet which comprises a sachet containing the brewing material provided with a holding element and a pulling device fastened to the sachet. The brewing sachet as disclosed in US 20090162491 can be suitably used in take-away containers, cups, glass or mugs, where by means of the holding element the brewing sachet is suspended on the edge of the vessel in the hot fluid. After brewing, the sachet is pulled using the pulling device which also squeezes out the fluid from the sachet and rolls it conveniently for disposal. The brewing sachet as disclosed in US 20090162491 is mainly suitable for take-away containers and does not completely eliminate the messiness due to drippage. Also, the flavor is not evenly distributed in the brew and stirring is required.

US 20070128316 discloses a tea bag pouch attachable to a beverage cup sleeve that is attached to a beverage cup for holding a tea bag, the tea bag pouch comprises a pouch member for receiving the tea bag and means for attaching the pouch to the beverage cup sleeve. The tea bag pouch as disclosed in US 20070128316 can only be used in take-out beverage cups having a cup sleeve, wherein the pouch member is used to dispose the tea bag after use. The pouch member is made of an absorbent material to soak fluid from a used tea bag and coated with a polymeric film to prevent the fluid from seeping through. The tea bag pouch disclosed in US 20070128316 is an additional component attached to the cup sleeve solely for disposing used tea bags without any hassle while traveling.

DE 19958395 discloses a tea bag provided with a cardboard flap threaded on to its string allowing the tea bag to be squeezed after use. In DE 19958395, a thread is attached to the end of the tea bag; the other end of the thread is attached to a piece of paper which can be a tag or a label and a cardboard flap referred to as the pressure medium. When the tea bag is immersed in hot water, the pressure medium and the piece of paper remain outside water. The pressure medium is movable along the thread; once the tea is brewed, the pressure medium can be moved to hold the tea bag between the flaps and squeeze it to remove fluid from the water laden tea bag, thus, making the disposal convenient. Due to the complexity and the number of components involved, manufacturing tea bags as disclosed in DE 19958395 can be expensive.

The tea bags or tea bag packaging discussed in the prior art display one or more of the following drawbacks: does not completely prevent drippage, can be used only for particular type of beverage cups, do not provide even dispersion of the flavor of the brewing material, are complex, and expensive because of the high manufacturing costs. Therefore, there is a need to provide a tea bag which will overcome the drawbacks listed in the prior art.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a tea bag.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tea bag which allows drip-free handling.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a tea bag which is simple to manufacture. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a tea bag which is highly economical.

One more object of the present invention is to provide a tea bag which can be used in a cup, glass, mug, disposable cup, and the like.

Yet one more object of the present invention is to provide a tea bag which allows even dispersion of the flavor of the brewing material.

Still one more object of the present invention is to preserve the flavor of the brewing material and eliminate contamination.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, therein is provided a tea bag for effectively dispersing the flavor of a brewing material and allowing a trouble-free handling, the tea bag comprising:

• a sachet comprising a fluid-permeable envelope being adapted to contain the brewing material; and

• a folded flap comprising a resilient planar sheet folded in the transverse direction to form a crease, the sachet being attached along the crease between the folded flap, the folded flap extending beyond the peripheral boundary of the sachet; the folded flap having three operative configurations;

a) a sealed configuration adapted to hold the sachet within the folded flap in a secure manner to prevent contamination and preserve the flavor of the brewing material;

b) an extended resilient configuration adapted to mount the folded flap on the mouth of a beverage container to allow repeated dipping of the sachet in a brewing medium by applying minimal pressure along the crease of the folded flap; and

c) a pressed configuration adapted to squeeze a sodden sachet to extract remnants of the brewing medium absorbed in the sachet.

Typically, in accordance with the present invention, the resilient planar sheet is selected from the group consisting of paper, paper laminate, cardboard laminate and polymer.

Preferably, in accordance with the present invention, the thickness of the resilient planar sheet is between 80 - 120 gsm.

In accordance with the present invention, the folded flap is adapted to act as a moisture barrier.

Preferably, in accordance with the present invention, the resilient planar sheet is thermally insulating.

Alternatively, in accordance with the present invention, the folded flap is sealed or scored with very fine perforations to form a peelable, detachable or tearable edge. Alternatively, in accordance with the present invention, the sealed or scored folded flap is adapted to provide an external packaging for the sachet.

Typically, in accordance with the present invention, the sachet is stapled, stitched, or fixed along the crease of the folded flap.

Alternatively, in accordance with the present invention, at least one pair of resilient clutching means are provided on the folded flap adapted to removably attach the folded flap on the mouth of the beverage container.

Additionally, in accordance with the present invention, the resilient clutching means enable the folded flap to be extended operatively outwards in a V-shaped configuration.

Additionally, in accordance with the present invention, the folded flap is embellished with colored patterns, images, logos, brand identity, and the like.

Further the sachet and/or the flaps may be presented in different desirable shapes and configurations, for example, the sachets and/or flaps may be in the shape of a butterfly or tea leaves or clover leaves or in a geometric shape, such as, a circle.

Typically, in accordance with the present invention, the fluid-permeable envelope used for the sachet is of food grade filter paper or gauze material. In accordance with the present invention, therein is provided a method for using a tea bag, the method comprising the following steps:

(i) opening a folded flap of the tea bag to reveal a sachet containing a brewing material;

(ii) immersing the sachet in a brewing medium by mounting the folded flap on the mouth of a beverage container;

(iii) dipping the sachet in the brewing medium by intermittently pressing at the crease of the folded flap;

(iv) removing the sachet from the brewing medium by holding the folded flap and closing the flap tightly;

(v) squeezing the sachet between the folded flap for removing remnants of the brewing medium absorbed in the sachet; and

(vi) disposing the sachet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which;

FIGURE 1 illustrates a schematic of the sachet, in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 illustrates a schematic of the folded flap, in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 3 illustrates one embodiment of the tea bag, in accordance with the present invention; FIGURE 4 illustrates another embodiment of the tea bag, in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 5 illustrates yet another embodiment of the tea bag, in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 6 illustrates still another embodiment of the tea bag, in accordance with the present invention; and

FIGURE 7 illustrates still another embodiment of the tea bag, in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which do not limit the scope and ambit of the invention. The description provided is purely by way of example and illustration.

The present invention envisages a tea bag which aims at making brewing a pleasant and hassle-free experience. The tea bag in accordance with the present invention along with providing a trouble-free handling also provides a more effective dispersion of the flavor of the brewing material in the brew without a stirrer. The tea bag in accordance with the present invention is easy to manufacture and is suitable for use by tea-bag manufacturers, packagers, and distributors because of its low-cost. The tea bag in accordance with the present invention comprises a sachet containing the brewing material, and a folded flap which forms a double-sided flap covering the sachet, the sachet is attached to the folded flap and further the sachet can also be sealed or enclosed within the folded flap; such that, the folded flap is adapted to provide multiple functions in various operative configurations, including preventing drippage, preventing contamination, preserving flavor/fragrance, and providing easy brewing.

Referring to FIGURE 1, therein is disclosed a sachet in accordance with the present invention. The sachet, referenced in FIGURE 1 by numeral 100, comprises a fluid-permeable envelope 102 which is made from a food grade filter paper or gauze material. The fluid-permeable envelope 102 contains a brewing material 104, wherein the brewing material 104 is selected from leaf tea, farmings, herbal tea, infused tea, green tea, flavored tea* filter coffee, ginseng, hibiscus tea, lemongrass, and the like. The fluid-permeable envelope 102 filled with the brewing material 104 is typically sealed at the operative top.

The folded flap in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIGURE 2, referred by numeral 200. The folded flap 200 comprises of a resilient planar sheet, generally referenced in FIGURE 2 by the numeral 202. The resilient planar sheet 202 is folded in the transverse direction; to form a crease 204 where the resilient planar sheet 202 is folded, providing the folded flap 200 in accordance with the present invention. The length of the folded flap 200 must be longer than the sachet 100, such that the folded flap 200 extends beyond the peripheral boundary of the sachet 100; wherein the sachet 100 is to be attached along the crease 204 between the folded flap 200. The resilient planar sheet 202 is preferably made from a food grade material selected from paper, paper laminate, cardboard laminate, polymer, and the like; the resilient planar sheet 202 having a thickness between 80 - 120 gsm. Further, the resilient planar sheet 202 is thermally insulting to prevent the heat from sachet 100 to reach the operative exterior surface of the folded flap 200.

The folded flap 200 has three operative configurations for providing multiple functions like: holding the sachet 100 inside the folded flap 200 in a secured manner such as to form an external packaging for the sachet 100, thus, eliminating any requirement for further packaging; mounting on the mouth of a beverage container to allow repeated dipping of the sachet 100 in the container; squeezing a sodden sachet 100 to extract remnants of the brewing medium absorbed therein for a convenient disposal.

Referring to FIGURE 3, therein is disclosed an embodiment of the tea bag in accordance with the present invention, the embodiment referenced by numeral 300. In FIGURE 3 is shown a first operative configuration of the tea bag wherein the sachet 100 is held within the folded flap 200 in a sealed configuration. As shown in FIGURE 3, the sachet 100 is secured between the folded flap 200, the sachet 100 is attached or fastened along the crease 204 of the folded flap 200 by means of an attaching means 302. The attaching means 302 is a staple or stitch or the sachet 100 can be fixed along the crease 204 of the folded flap 200. The folded flap 200 is further adapted to prevent any contamination due to humidity, bacteria or dust, and preserve the flavor of the brewing material 104 before use, making storage of the tea bag 300 very handy. The sealed configuration 300 of the tea bag is also provided to obtain an external packaging for the tea bag, thus, further eliminating additional costs involved in packaging a tea bag for protection and preservation.

The sealed configuration 300 of the tea bag can be achieved by either sealing or scoring the folded flap 200; wherein the edges of the folded flap 200 can be sealed and provided with a peelable flip 304 on at least one corner of the folded flap 200. The folded flap 200 can be scored by providing very fine perforations along the edges (not shown in figure 3) of the folded flap 200, to form a detachable or tearable edge. The edge of the folded flap 200 can be easily opened to reveal the sachet 100. Thus, until being used, the sachet 100 is safely secured within the folded flap 200, which does not cause any contamination to the fluid-permeable envelope 102 or the brewing material 104 contained therein. Alternately, to make the tea bag more presentable and reduce the expense of providing the brand name on a separate tag, the operative exterior surface of the resilient planar sheet 202 of the folded flap 200 is embellished with colored patterns, logos, images, brand identity, and the like. Further, the sachet 100 and/or the folded flap 200 are provided with different desirable shapes and configurations selected from the group consisting of butterfly shape, tea leaves shape, clover leaves shape and a geometric shape, such as, a circle.

Referring to FIGURE 4, therein is disclosed another embodiment of the tea bag in accordance with the present invention, the embodiment is referenced by numeral 400. The embodiment as disclosed in FIGURE 4 is the second operative configuration of the folded flap 200 and is referred to as an extended resilient configuration of the folded flap 200. When brewing a cup of beverage using the tea bag of the present invention; the folded flap 200 is opened to reveal the sachet 100 and in the extended resilient configuration 400 of the tea bag, the folded flap 200 can be mounted on the mouth of a beverage container 402, such that the folded flap 200 is in contact with the periphery of the beverage container 402 and the sachet 100 stays immersed in the brewing medium 404, typically hot water, as shown in FIGURE 4. The beverage container 402 can be a cup, mug, short glass, and the like. Further, the beverage container 402 can be a take-away paper or plastic beverage cup having various sizes.

In the extended resilient configuration 400, the sachet 100 is repeatedly dipped in the brewing medium 404 by applying a minimal pressure on the crease 204 of the folded flap 200 which rests on the periphery of the beverage container 402. The extended resilient configuration 400 eliminates any physical contact with the brew or the sachet 100 while brewing, thus, preventing contamination due to dirty fingers. Further, since in the extended resilient configuration 400 the sachet 100 is placed at the centre of the beverage container 402 and continually moved by applying pressure along the crease 204 of the folded flap 200; stirring is achieved and the flavor of the brewing material 104 is uniformly dispersed in the brew, without the need for a stirrer. Once desirably brewed, the folded flap 200 is picked from the mouth of the beverage container 402.

In FIGURE 5 is disclosed yet another embodiment of the tea bag in accordance with the present invention, referred in FIGURE 5 by numeral 500. The embodiment 500 as disclosed in FIGURE 5 is the third operative configuration of the folded flap 200 of the present invention, referred to as a pressed configuration. After brewing, the sachet 100 is lifted from the rims of the beverage container 402 by holding the operative top of the folded flap 200 at the crease 204. In the pressed configuration 500, the sodden sachet 100 is squeezed between the folded flap 200, as shown by direction arrows 502, to extract remnants of the brewing medium 404 absorbed therein during brewing. Even when the brewing medium 404 is very hot, the sodden sachet 100 can be easily squeezed without hurting the fingers, because of the thermal insulation provided by the folded flap 200. The folded flap 200 in the pressed configuration 500 is adapted to act as a moisture barrier and prevent any seepage to the operative exterior of the resilient planar sheet 202 of the folded flap 200. Thus, even in the pressed configuration 500 when squeezing a sodden sachet 100 no moisture leaks to the operative exterior surface of the folded flap 200, keeping the folded flap 200 dry and firm at all times. Also, since the size of the folded flap 200 is greater than the size of the sachet 100, in the pressed configuration 500 as shown in FIGURE 5 the folded flap 200 encompasses the sachet 100, thus, physical contact with the sachet 100 is completely eliminated to prevent contamination and messiness, and provide a trouble-free brewing experience. The used sachet 100 in the pressed configuration 500 is conveniently disposed.

FIGURE 6 discloses an additional embodiment of the tea bag in accordance with the present invention, referred in FIGURE 6 by numeral 600. The embodiment 600 as disclosed in FIGURE 6 is suitable mainly for tall glasses, typically, take-out coffee or tea cups or glasses for brewing on-the- go without any hassle. The embodiment 600 comprises at least one pair of resilient clutching means 602 provided on the folded flap 200; the resilient clutching means 602 typically being provided along the edge of the folded flap 200 and adapted to removably attach the folded flap 200 to a mouth 604 of a beverage container 606 so as to enable the folded flap 200 to be extended operatively outwards in a V-shaped configuration (as shown in FIGURE 6). Preferably, the resilient clutching means 602 are disposed operatively opposite with respect to each other. The tea bag can further be sealed with the help of the resilient clutching means 602, wherein each pair of the resilient clutching means 602 can be made to intertwine with each other. Once the tea bag is opened, the clutching means 602 are clipped to the mouth 604 of the beverage container 606 so that the folded flap forms the V- shaped configuration, increasing the length of the tea bag, making it adaptable for use in tall glasses. The sachet 100 is immersed in the brewing medium 404 and can be intermittently moved by releasing the clutching means 602 and pulling the folded flap 200. Once sufficiently brewed the clutching means 602 are released and the sachet 100 is removed from the brewing medium 404 with the help of the folded flap 200; the sachet is squeezed between the folded flap 200 to extract remnants of the brewing medium 404 and subsequently disposed. FIGURE 7 illustrates still another embodiment of the tea bag, in accordance with the present invention.

Therefore, the tea bag of the present invention provides trouble-free handling by simply eliminating any possibility to drippage or messiness. The tea bag can be conveniently used for a variety of beverage containers, easily manufactured at a low cost, and can be made to look attractive, thus, making brewing a pleasant experience.

TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS A tea bag for providing trouble-free handling, in accordance with the present invention has several technical advantages including but not limited to the realization of:

• completely eliminates drippage when brewing using tea bags by providing a flap for extracting remnants of the brewing medium from a sodden sachet;

• protecting fingers by providing a thermally insulated flap between the fingers and a heated sodden sachet;

• the. exterior surface of the tea bag, held by the user, is kept dry and firm at all times;

• the flap provided completely eliminates any physical contact with the brew or the sachet, preventing contamination and messiness;

• a more effective dispersion of flavor of the brewing material in the brew without the use of a stirrer;

• prevents any contamination to the sachet and preserves the flavor of the brewing material, by securing the sachet within the flap; and

• simple to manufacture at an highly economical cost, can be used for a wide variety of beverage containers, eliminates the need for any additional external packaging, thus, very suitable for tea bag manufacturers, packagers, and distributors.

In view of the wide variety of embodiments to which the principles of the present invention can be applied, it should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only. While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the particular features of this invention, it will be appreciated that various modifications can be made, and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principle of the invention. These and other modifications in the nature of the invention or the preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the invention and not as a limitation.

Claims

Claims:

1. A tea bag for effectively dispersing the flavor of a brewing material and allowing a trouble-free handling, the tea bag comprising:

2. The tea bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient planar sheet is selected from the group consisting of paper, paper laminate, cardboard laminate and polymer.

3. The tea bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the resilient planar sheet is between 80 - 120 gsm.

4. The tea bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the folded flap is adapted to act as a moisture barrier.

5. The tea bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient planar sheet is thermally insulating.

6. The tea bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the folded flap is sealed or scored with very fine perforations to form a peelable, detachable or tearable edge.

7. The tea bag as claimed in claim 1 & 6, wherein the sealed or scored folded flap is adapted to provide an external packaging for the sachet.

8. The tea bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sachet is stapled, stitched, or fixed along the crease of the folded flap.

9. The tea bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one pair of resilient clutching means are provided on the folded flap adapted to removably attach the folded flap on the mouth of the beverage container.

10. The tea bag as claimed in claim 9, wherein the resilient clutching means enable the folded flap to be extended operatively outwards in a V-shaped configuration.

11. The tea bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the folded flap is embellished with colored patterns, images, logos, brand identity, and the like.

12. The tea bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sachet and/or the flaps are provided with different predetermined shapes and configurations.

13. The tea bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid-permeable envelope used for the sachet is of food grade filter paper or gauze material.

14. A method for using a tea bag, the method comprising the following steps:

(vi) disposing the sachet.