Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Foraminous material infusion type – or foraminous container... – Multiple compartment
Patent
1992-09-11
1994-10-25
Ball, Michael
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Foraminous material infusion type, or foraminous container...
Multiple compartment
426 80, 426 83, 426394, 531342, B65B 2902, B65B 6114
Patent
active
053587243
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to infusion bags and the like; more particularly, this invention concerns an improvement intended to overcome some of the drawbacks presently associated with such bags.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The infusion bags relevant to this invention are those of the type which contain a measured quantity of substance enclosed in a membrane. Such bags are intended for infusion, for example in a hot liquid, and may incorporate a handle to facilitate both the suspension of the bag in the infusion liquid and the removal of the bag from the liquid. In some forms, the handle constitutes a short length of string stapled or glued to the bag. The free end of the string may have a tag attached for easy handling.
The bag itself may take any number of configurations. The most common form of bag represents a simple envelope or pouch, with walls of a thin porous paper-type material sealed on all edges (the "single chamber" bag). Another form of bag comprises a short length of tube or similar material. The free ends of the tube are fixed together so that the tube forms a loop which may be folded to any desired configuration (the "double chamber" or "flow-through" bag). In yet another form, the bag may be spherical or drop-shaped. It is to be understood that the present invention is applicable to all types of infusion bags, whatever their precise shape.
It is well recognised that infusion bags have gained immense popularity in recent years. In particular, infusion bags containing tea or herbs are in common use in many parts of the world and billions of such bags are sold every year.
While an infusion bag has many advantages and is generally convenient to use, it does suffer from two major drawbacks. The first arises after the bag has been immersed in the infusion liquid for the required period of time and it is desired to remove the bag from the liquid. It is invariably the case that residual liquid drips from the bag as it is withdrawn and care must be taken to ensure that the dripping liquid does not wet or stain surrounding surfaces or material.
The second drawback relates to the extraction of maximum flavour from the infusion bag. Simple infusion is not always sufficient for this purpose. Where the infusion bag is provided with a handle, the bag may be stirred through the infusion liquid by using the handle to oscillate (or "jiggle") the bag through the liquid and this can aid extraction. However, this method falls short of effecting maximum extraction.
Both drawbacks have been recognised and there have been attempts to overcome the drawbacks. For example, where the infusion bag is intended to be used to produce a cup of tea, some users employ a teaspoon or similar implement to squash the teabag between the teaspoon and the internal surface of the cup while this method can assist in extracting extra tea flavour from the bag, the method has very little success in preventing drips unless the bag can be held clear of the infusing liquid (hot water) during the operation. Normally, there is a maximum of two centimetres between the surface of the water in the cup and the lip of the cup. As a result, there is inadequate dry cup surface and the squashing method is not very effective. There is also the substantial danger that pressure on the inside surface of the cup, adjacent the lip, will cause the cup to tip and spill its contents.
In another prior art attempt to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks, a pair of tongs has been provided for squeezing infusion liquid and flavour from the bag. This method is somewhat more successful than the first method described above. However, one of the main advantages of infusion bags is their convenience in terms of storage and transportation, as well as their low manufacturing cost. It is not always convenient to have access to a pair of tongs for use with infusion bags; the provision of one of more pairs of tongs in cartons of infusion bags would add substantially to costs.
More sophisticated attempts to overcome these problems are disclosed in U.S.
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Ball Michael
Crispino Richard
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