Foods and beverages: apparatus – Cereal-puffing
Patent
1996-06-03
1997-04-29
Jenkins, Robert W.
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Cereal-puffing
426 77, A47J 3100
Patent
active
056238657
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to an apparatus for holding a solid from which a substance, such as a flavour or a colour is to be extracted by immersion in a liquid. In particular the invention relates to an infuser for holding granular material such as coffee grounds or tea leaves or dust, to be brewed to obtain a flavoured drink.
It is well known to infuse the flavour extracts from coffee grounds or tea leaves to obtain a drink. The disposal of the spent grounds or leaves has been a problem.
To attempt to alleviate this problem, Thomas Sullivan in 1904, placed a predetermined mount of tea leaves in small silk bags which became known as "tea bags".
There are presently two types in the market place, the first being a flat rectangular package having a suing extending therefrom; the boiling water is poured over the teabag in a cup and the bag is moved up and down in the hot water by means of the string. When the desired flavour has been infused the "tea bag" removed by means of the string. The thus removed "tea bag" is soggy and messy, and the tea bag drips liquid when it is removed.
The second type is the flat circular bag which is placed in the bottom of the cup and boiling water is poured on top. The problem with this type is that it is difficult to control the extraction of the tea flavour, as the bag is left in the cup. Again removal of this bag is messy, due to the soggy nature of the spent bag.
Many attempts have been made to provide infusion units which contain a predetermined charge of tea or the like. For example Conrey U.S. Pat. No. 3,193,388, Thompson U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,369. However, these did not alleviate the problem of the soggy nature of the spent charge.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,102,465 attempted to overcome this problem by telescopically enclosing a perforated cylindrical infusion holding chamber, within a cylindrical sheath element, having a single open end which is enclosed by a closure means. The problem with this infusion unit is that it is not a disposable unit and is difficult to use without touching of the perforated cylindrical infusion holding chamber.
Further, these devices are complicated in their manufacture.
The present invention seeks to ameliorate the above disadvantages by providing an infuser, adapted to hold solids to infuse a substance into a liquid in which the infuser is immersed, comprising:
an elongated member having an outer surface and a gripping portion located at a first end;
an infusion charge holding chamber located at or adjacent the other end of the elongated member, and having perforations or porous material therealong communicating between the chamber and the said outer surface;
an external sleeve adapted to move along or over said elongated member such that in a first position the perforations are exposed, whereby, in use, with the infusion charge held in said chamber, when said chamber is immersed in a desired liquid, infuses a substance into the liquid, while in a second position the sleeve covers the perforations or porous material to resist leakage of liquid from said chamber, said sleeve and said elongated member being so dimensioned that, in use, the elongated member is held by a user, at the grip portion and the sleeve moved along or over said elongated member, without the need for the user to touch the perforations or porous material of the infusion charge holding chamber.
The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates schematically a flavour infuser container according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates a pan sectional view of the particulate holding chamber of the flavour infuser shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 illustrates the flavour infuser shown in FIG. 1 with the sleeve in its sealing position;
FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrate another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the sleeve has a spoon-element integral therewith;
FIG. 5 illustrates a close up view of the spoon of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4a and 4b;
FIG. 6 illustrates a variation of t
REFERENCES:
patent: 1313582 (1919-08-01), Cowan
patent: 3102465 (1963-09-01), Montesano
patent: 3946652 (1976-03-01), Gorin
patent: 4215628 (1980-08-01), Dodd
patent: 4338338 (1982-07-01), Popkes
patent: 4821630 (1989-04-01), Roberts
patent: 4986451 (1991-01-01), Lowe
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