BREWING DEVICE

DISPOSITIF DE BRASSAGE

English Abstract

A brewing device, particularly for brewing tea or coffee. In one embodiment, the steeping portion (11) is formed with the handle (10) and the squeezing means includes an actuator element (13) arranged to extend through the handle. Such a device is thus arranged to compress the steeping portion by means of a pulling action on the actuator element. In an alternative embodiment, the squeezing means is formed with the handle (51) and the steeping portion is formed with an actuator element (54) arranged to extend through the handle. By such an arrangement, the device is arranged to compress the steeping portion by means of a pushing or pressing action on the actuator element.

French Abstract

L'invention porte sur un dispositif de brassage, en particulier pour brasser du thé ou du café. Dans un mode de réalisation, la partie de trempage (11) est constituée du manche (10) et le moyen de pressage comprend un élément d'actionneur (13) agencé pour s'étendre à travers le manche. Un tel dispositif est ainsi conçu pour comprimer la partie de trempage au moyen d'une action de tirage sur l'élément d'actionneur. Dans un mode de réalisation alternatif, le moyen de pressage est constitué du manche (51) et la partie de trempage est constituée d'un élément d'actionneur (54) agencé pour s'étendre à travers le manche. Par un tel agencement, le dispositif est conçu pour comprimer la partie de trempage au moyen d'une action de poussée ou de compression sur l'élément d'actionneur.

Claims

7
CLAIMS:
1. A brewing device comprising a first part comprising a handle portion with
an
integral first frame portion including an end proximal said handle and an end
distal said handle, a second part comprising an actuator arranged to extend
through said handle and an integral second frame portion including an end
proximal said actuator and an end distal said actuator, said first and second
frame portions cooperating, with distal ends of said first and second portions
in
contact, to provide a reversibly deformable steeping portion for retaining a
porous
filter bag, wherein relative motion of said handle and actuator urges said
distal
ends towards each other to deform, and change the volume of said steeping
portion and the retained filter bag.
2. A brewing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second frame portion
is
reversibly deformable, and wherein said relative motion deforms said second
frame portion to reduce the volume of said steeping portion and the retained
filter
bag.
3. A brewing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first frame portion is
reversibly deformable, and wherein said relative motion deforms said first
frame
portion to reduce the volume of said steeping portion and the retained filter
bag.
4. A brewing device as claimed in any one of claims 1-3 wherein said
reversibly
deformable portion is resiliently deformable.
5.A brewing device as claimed in any one of claims 1-4 wherein at least one of
the frame portions is triangular or circular
6. A brewing device as claimed in any one of claims 1-5 wherein the handle is
formed as an elongate element, preferably tubular.
7. A brewing device as claimed in any one of claims 1-6, further comprising
locking means to retain said steeping portion in a deformed orientation.

8
8. A brewing device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said locking means
comprises
at least one barb, flap or stud on the actuator for engaging said handle
portion.
9. A brewing device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said at least one barb has
a
first non-locking configuration in which it is flush with the actuator and a
second
locking configuration in which it projects from the actuator, said second
configuration being obtainable by bending the actuator.
10. A brewing device as claimed in any one of claims 1-9 formed substantially
from paper, preferably waxed or water resistant paper.
11. A brewing device as claimed in any one of claims 1-10, wherein the handle
portion further comprises a compartment for storing powdered milk, sugar,
artificial sweetener, or mixtures thereof.

Description

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1
Brewing device
The present invention relates to brewing devices, particularly to a brewing
device for
brewing tea or coffee.
Tea and coffee are typically prepared by infusion brewing, i.e., by steeping
tea leaves
or coffee grounds in hot water. A variety of devices are available for
separating spent
coffee grounds or tea leaves from a brewed drink. For example, a French press
uses a
mesh filter fitted to a plunger to extract spent coffee grounds from the brew.
When
brewing loose-leaf tea, it is traditional to use a tea infuser. A commonly-
used tea
infuser comprises a mesh cage, which separates the tea leaves from the brew
during
steeping. The press and mesh cage must each be emptied and cleaned after use.
The present invention seeks to provide a brewing device for brewing tea or
coffee by
infusion. It is an aim of the present invention to provide a single-use device
that is
convenient, cost-effective to produce and simple to use.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a brewing device comprising a
handle
portion and a steeping portion, wherein the device further comprises steeping
portion
compressing or squeezing means.
Preferably, the steeping portion is resiliently deformable, more preferably,
the
steeping portion is reversibly deformable.
Preferably, the steeping portion comprises a frame, more preferably a
triangular or
circular frame.
Preferably, the squeezing means comprises a strip, strap, film or string,
which engages
at least a part of the frame of the steeping portion.

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Preferably, the frame is triangular and the squeezing means engages an edge of
the
frame, such that, in use, operation of the squeezing means comprises the frame
between the edge and an apex of the triangular frame.
Suitably, the handle is formed as an elongate element, preferably tubular.
In one embodiment, the steeping portion is formed with the handle and the
squeezing
means includes an actuator element arranged to extend through the handle. Such
a
device is thus arranged to compress the steeping portion by means of a pulling
action
on the actuator element.
In an alternative embodiment, the squeezing means is formed with the handle
and the
steeping portion is formed with an actuator element arranged to extend through
the
handle. By such an arrangement, the device is arranged to compress the
steeping
portion by means of a pushing or pressing action on the actuator element.
In a preferred embodiment, the brewing device is made substantially from
paper,
preferably waxed or water-resistant paper.
In preferred embodiments, the squeezing means is made from paper, preferably,
waxed or water-resistant paper.
Advantageously, the squeezing means comprises locking means. Preferably, the
locking means comprises at least projection for engaging the handle portion.
Suitably, the projection is a barb, flap or stud.
In one embodiment, at least one barb has a first configuration, in which it is
flush with
the squeezing means and a second configuration, in which it projects from the
squeezing means. Conveniently, in its second configuration, the barb engages
the
handle portion.

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In one embodiment, the brewing device is packaged with a porous bag containing
loose-leaf tea, broken-leaf tea, fannings or ground coffee. Preferably, the
porous bag
is retained by the steeping portion. In one embodiment, the porous bag is
secured to
the steeping portion by means of an adhesive strip.
Advantageously, the device comprises at least one compartment for storing
powdered
milk, sugar, sweetener or a mixture thereof. Suitably, at least one
compartment is
provided on an exterior wall of the handle portion or within the actuator
element.
The above and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in
further
detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in
which:
Figure 1 illustrates two perspective views of a first embodiment of a brewing
device
in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 illustrates a porous bag suitable for use with the embodiment of
Figure 1;
Figures 3a and 3b are a series of partial perspective views of the embodiment
1,
illustrating locking of the squeezing means;
Figure 4 illustrates two perspective views of the embodiment of Figure 1,
showing the
apparatus in use;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a brewing device in
accordance with the present invention, in a first configuration;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 5 in a second
configuration;
Figure 7 illustrates the operation of the embodiment of Figure 5 in use; and

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Figure 8 illustrates a storage compartment in the embodiment of Figure 5.
Figure 1 illustrates a brewing device having a handle 10, a steeping portion
11 and a
squeezer strip 12. Handle 10 is a hollow element having a grip end 20 and a
stirring
end 21. Steeping portion 11 adjoins stirring end 21 of handle 10. Squeezer
strip 12
engages steeping portion 11 and handle 10. In particular, squeezer strip 12
engages
an edge 14 of steeping portion 11 and is received by an open base of stirring
end 21 of
handle 10. Squeezer strip 12 extends from stirring end 21 to grip end 20. Grip
end 20
has a sealed top, adjacent which is a slit 36 for engaging squeezer strip 12.
Steeping portion 11 comprises a generally triangular-shaped frame 22. A porous
bag
40, containing tea leaves or coffee grounds, is retained in triangular frame
22. Bag 40
has an adhesive strip 39 for attaching bag 40 to frame 22. Triangular frame 22
has an
upper apex 15 and two lower apices 30, 31. Upper apex 15 adjoins stirring end
21 of
handle 10. Opposite apex 15 is edge 14.
A first end of squeezer strip 12 comprises a loop that encircles steeping
portion 11. In
particular, the loop encircles edge 14 of triangular frame 22. A second end of
squeezer strip 12 comprises an actuator element in the form of tab 13. Tab 13
projects from slit 36. Locking means, in the form of a plurality of barbs 37,
is
provided on squeezer strip 12 (Figures 3a and 3b). In one embodiment, barbs 37
have
a first configuration in which they are flush with squeezer strip 12, and a
second
configuration, in which they project outwards from squeezer strip 12 (Figure
3a). The
second configuration is obtainable by bending squeezer strip 12.
Squeezer strip 12 is operated by pulling tab 13 in a direction that is away
from frame
22 and perpendicular to edge 14. Triangular frame 22 is reversibly deformable,
and in
particular, edge 14 can be moved towards, and away-from, apex 15 by operation
of
squeezer strip 12. Movement of edge 14 towards apex 15 causes compression of
bag
retained within triangular frame 22. Once the pulling force is removed from
tab

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13, squeezer strip 12 will relax and frame 22 will return to its original, non-
compressed, configuration.
In certain embodiments, handle 10 includes one or more storage compartments
(not
5 shown) for storing a portion of powdered milk, sugar or artificial
sweetener (or
mixture thereof). Conveniently, the compartment is formed on an outer wall of
handle 10.
It is intended that the brewing device of the present invention will be
packaged with a
porous bag 40, containing either tea leaves or coffee grounds, retained in
steeping
portion 11. In use of the brewing device, steeping portion 11 (and bag 40,
retained
therein) is submerged in a cup of hot water and stirred using handle 10.
During
steeping, tab 13 can be pulled (to compress bag 40) and released, in order to
speed-up
the infusion process. Once a drink has been prepared, the device is removed
from the
water and tab 13 is pulled to squeeze liquid from bag 40. Tab 13 can be pulled
and
released several times to squeeze additional liquid tea or coffee from bag 40.
Prior to
disposal of the device, barbs 37 are aligned adjacent slit 36 (Figures 3a and
3b) by
pulling tab 13. Tab 13 is held in this final, locked, position by engagement
of one of
barbs 37 with handle 10.
A second embodiment 50 is illustrated in Figures 5 to 9. This embodiment is
arranged to provide a "push to squeeze" operation, but the construction is
broadly
similar. Handle 51 is formed integrally with squeezing strip 52. Frame 53 of
the
steeping portion is formed integrally with squeezing actuator element 54 which
passes
within handle 51. Actuator element 54 and handle 51 are conveniently both
tubular.
As can be seen by a comparison of Figure 5 and Figure 6 and also from Figure
7,
pushing down on squeezing actuator 54 causes the lower edge of frame 53 to
pull
upwards against a bag 55 positioned within the frame, thereby compressing the
bag 55
against a lower portion of frame 53, restrained by squeezing strip 52.

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As shown in Figures 5 to 7, advantageously, this embodiment of the brewing
device
also includes locking means into the form of a series of studs 60 formed on
squeezing
actuator 54 engageable with an aperture 61 formed in corresponding location in
handle 51.
As shown in Figure 8, suitably tubular actuator element 54 forms or includes a
container to contain sugar or powdered milk or cream; or a mixture of the two,
sealed
by a cap or seal 62. It will be appreciated that the container will also have
a closure at
a lower end to retain the powdered materials.
The brewing device of the present invention is intended as a single-use
product, sold
as a factory-assembled unit. Since the device is not intended to brew multiple
servings of tea or coffee, the handle and steeping portions can be formed
entirely from
paper, preferably waxed or water-resistant paper. Consequently, the device is
simple
and cost-effective to produce, as well as being straightforward to recycle.
Furthermore, once a drink has been prepared, the device and bag can be
disposed of
as a single unit.

Representative Drawing