Foods and beverages: apparatus – Beverage – Infusors
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-08
2001-09-04
Alexander, Reginald L. (Department: 1761)
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Beverage
Infusors
C099S319000, C099S323000, C099S323300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283013
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a tea steeper for a coffeemaker, and more particularly, to a reusable filter that enables an automatic drip coffeemaker to brew tea as well as coffee.
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,291, issued to Wallin on May 17, 1988, is incorporated herein by reference for its representation of an automatic drip coffeemaker. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,634, issued to Graham on Jul. 6, 1993, is incorporated herein by reference for its representation of a carafe having an integral handle and spout assembly. The disclosure of U.S. Design Patent No. D378,970, issued to Brady et al. on Apr. 29, 1996, is incorporated herein by reference for its representation of an automatic drip coffeemaker with a carafe having an integral handle and spout assembly with a carafe lid pivoted thereto.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Tea is typically brewed by placing tea leaves in a filter which is placed in hot water for a period of time to permit the tea leaves to steep in the hot water.
In a conventional automatic drip coffeemaker, heated water is delivered to a filter basket and infused into coffee grounds in the basket. This produces brewed coffee which drains through an outlet port in the bottom of the filter basket and into a carafe supported beneath the filter basket. Conventional automatic drip coffeemakers may be used to brew tea but usually without uniform results. An automatic drip coffeemaker does not provide a reliable control over the period of time during which the tea leaves are steeped in hot water. One problem is that tea leaves are preferably steeped for a period of time, but the heated water in an automatic drip coffeemaker will often pass too quickly through the tea leaves. Also, tea leaves can clog the drain port of a coffee filter basket in which case the heated incoming water may overflow the filter basket.
There are tea makers which have a reusable filter in a carafe closed by a lid. The filter may be removably suspended from the rim of the carafe body and hot water poured through the filter. These have the advantage that the user can remove the filter when the desired strength of the brewed tea is reached. Of course, they are not suitable for brewing coffee.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a reliable method of brewing or steeping tea using an automatic drip coffeemaker. Another object is to provide a filter that allows a conventional automatic drip coffeemaker to be used to brew tea.
A further object of this invention is to provide a tea filter for an automatic drip coffeemaker that is reliable, simple to use, and inexpensive to manufacture.
A further object of this invention is to provide a tea filter that can be easily and safely inserted and removed from a carafe.
In accordance with this invention, a tea steeper or filter comprises a filter basket which has a support rim at its upper end by which the filter may be supported by the spout of a carafe with the filter basket suspended into the carafe. In addition, the upper rim of the filter is formed with upstanding finger grip surfaces so that the filter can be easily and safely inserted into and removed from the carafe.
Further in accordance with this invention, the projection of the tea filter above the portion of the carafe rim on which it is supported is sufficiently short that the filter can be supported by the spout of an automatic drip coffeemaker carafe without interfering with the closing of the lid of the carafe. Accordingly, an automatic drip coffeemaker can be converted to a tea maker by, after filling the cold water reservoir of the coffeemaker with sufficient water for the brewing process, simply inserting the filter of this invention into the coffeemaker carafe, placing tea leaves in the filter, closing the lid of the carafe, and placing the carafe on the warmer plate beneath the filter basket of the coffeemaker. The coffeemaker is then turned on and operates in its normal fashion to deliver hot water to the filter basket above the carafe. The hot water will flow down through the filter basket, through the usual opening in the lid of the carafe, into the filter suspended in the carafe and ultimately into the surrounding volume of the carafe. When the desired strength of the brewed tea is obtained, the user can simply remove the carafe from the warmer plate and remove the filter from the carafe.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.
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patent: 638698 (1899-12-01), Bourie
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patent: 936997 (1909-10-01), Grimm
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patent: 105282 (1938-10-01), None
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patent: 3719 (1906-09-01), None
Romandy Mark K.
Salyers Gregory E.
Warner Dean C.
Alexander Reginald L.
Dybvig Roger S.
Hamilton Beach, Proctor-Silex, Inc.
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