Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Foraminous material infusion type – or foraminous container... – Having flow compeller means – e.g. – compressor – etc.
Patent
1995-01-20
1997-10-07
Weinstein, Steven
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Foraminous material infusion type, or foraminous container...
Having flow compeller means, e.g., compressor, etc.
426394, B65B 2904, B65D 3306
Patent
active
056745451
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to packages for infusible substances such as tea and coffee, and to methods for their manufacture.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Tea bags are sealed soft porous bags containing tea leaves which are placed in cups, mugs or teapots of boiling water to produce a drink of tea. The bags can theoretically be of any shape, but are generally either rectangular or round. When the bags are placed in cups or mugs of boiling water, they are usually removed prior to the tea being drunk--this can also, although not necessarily, be the case when the bags are placed in the teapot. When removing the bags either from the cup, mug or teapot, it is quite normal to squeeze the bags into a relatively dry state, usually by employing a kitchen utensil such as a teaspoon. Removal of excess liquid from the tea bag, in order to prevent the tea bag from dripping or leaving puddles of liquid on the surface with which it is in contact, is most desirable in view of the strongly staining nature of tea. However, a problem with using such kitchen utensils is that it is not easy to achieve efficient removal of excess liquid from the tea bag, and frequently the tea bag will have a tendency to drip even after it has been squeezed. One approach to this problem has been to provide a string harness around the tea bag, the string harness being tightened about the bag after use to squeeze liquid from the bag. However, a disadvantage of such an arrangement is that the string tends to exert a very localised squeezing effect, and consequently does not efficiently express fluid from the bag. Moreover, the complexity of such string harnesses means that as a practical matter, it would be extremely difficult to produce tea bags having such harnesses efficiently and economically on a large scale.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the aforesaid problems by providing a tea bag which has means for efficient removal of excess liquid from the bag. In particular it is an object of the present invention to provide means for removing excess liquid from the tea bag such that the tea bag thereafter does not drip.
In a first aspect, the invention provides an infusion package comprising a closed bag containing an infusible substance for infusion in a liquid, the bag being formed from panels of porous materials sealed together at their peripheral margins; and at least one string; the or each string extending through a seal between the panels, entering the interior of the bag at one point on the peripheral margins, and extending across the interior of the bag to an anchoring point at or adjacent the peripheral margins; wherein the length of that portion of the or each string which extends across the interior of the bag between the said one point and the anchoring point, is greater than the distance between the said one point and the anchoring point; the arrangement being such that pulling the or each string initially causes withdrawal from the bag interior of slack string length disposed therein.
Preferably the or each string is or are anchored by being held between two sealed-together portions of the panels.
The bag can be provided with a single string which can be tagged in known fashion. The tagged string can act as a means for suspending the bag (e.g. a tea bag) in a cup or pot.
The tag can be provided with an aperture through which the string may pass, so that the tag is slidable along the string. The sliding tag advantageously comprises two hinged panels with the aperture preferably being located on or about the hinge line. In use, the string can be used to draw the bag up into the area between the two panels which can then be squeezed to express liquid from the bag. In such an arrangement, the end of the string is conveniently provided with a fixed tag to prevent the sliding tag from sliding off the end of the string. The fixed tag can be formed integrally with the sliding tag for detachment therefrom immediately prior to use.
In another
REFERENCES:
patent: 2308241 (1943-01-01), Hogaboom
patent: 2468464 (1949-04-01), Salfisberg
patent: 2791505 (1957-05-01), Barnett
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patent: 2986269 (1961-05-01), Goldberg
patent: 3223229 (1965-12-01), Welin-Berger
patent: 3237550 (1966-03-01), Christopher
patent: 3396032 (1968-08-01), McCraw et al.
patent: 4055668 (1977-10-01), Kopp
patent: 5358724 (1994-10-01), Raffaele
Shakspeare Anthony Evan
Stevenson John Frank Thomas
Tidy Tea Limited
Weinstein Steven
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