GB2533616A - Infusion device and method for making same - Google Patents

Abstract

An infusion device has two chambers, 41, 42, fig 7; 206, 207, fig 32 (e.g. a double tea bag), and an elongate stiffener 12/ 203 above the chambers to act as a handle. The lower part of the stiffener 12/ 203 may be between, around, or have opposite sides attached to the chambers. The stiffener 12/ 203 can stir drinks. A retainer 205 (57, fig 11; 81, fig 14; 303, fig 36) may slide to compress the chambers; squeezing the tea bags to expel excess liquid can reduce drips when removing the device; a separate spoon is not needed. Adhesive may secure chambers to the stiffener, possibly loosening in hot water, to allow the chambers to be squashed. The stiffener may be a loop extending around the chambers (e.g. figs 24 to 39). The stiffening member may be wood, card, paper, plastics or a composite, possibly with a crease line (88, fig 17) to snap the stiffener, to use it as a separate stirrer. The twin chambers may be made either from respective sheets of liquid-permeable material (e.g. fig 7), or a single, folded sheet of material, which may have a slot (202, fig 28) to receive the stiffener.

Description

Infusion Device and Method of Making Same The present invention relates to an infusion device and to a method of making same.

Infusion devices are known for purposes of making infusions in liquids of extracts from infusionable substances such as tea, herbs and medicinal substances. In this description, reference will be made to tea as an infusionable substance, by way of non-limitative example. Commonly known infusion devices using tea as the infusionable substance are so-called "tea-bags". Tea-bags usually comprise a water-permeable sachet or bag containing tea leaves. The bag sometimes is attached to a cord so that after use in making "tea" (an infusion of tea) by immersing the tea-bag in hot water, the cord can be used to remove the wet tea-bag from the water without contacting the user's fingers with the hot tea.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved infusion device.

The present invention provides an infusion device as defined by claim 1 of the set of claims following this description. Optional and/or preferred features of the infusion device are the subject of the other claims directed to an infusion device in the said set of claims.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of making an infusion device as defined in the first method claim of the set of claims following this description. Optional and preferred features of the methods are the subject of other claims directed to the method in the said set of claims.

The invention is now described by way of non-limitative examples and with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tea-bag of the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view, in a vertical plane, of the tea-bag of Fig.1; Figure 3 shows a sheets of water-permeable paper (or other material such as perforated plastics material) from which the tea-containing chamber is formed; Figure 4 shows the sheet of Fig. 3 formed into a tube; Figure 5 shows the tube of Fig. 4 being folded about its central region to form two chambers; Figure 6 shows the two chambers of Fig. 5 after their open ends are sealed, and an elongated stiffener disposed to be received between the chambers; Figure 7 is a cross-section similar to Fig. 2 but of a different embodiment.

Figure 8 is similar to Fig.3 but for a different embodiment; Figure 9 shows the part of Fig. 8 at a later stage; Figure 10 shows the part of Fig. 9 at a later stage; Figure 11 is a view of a tea-bag of the invention; Figure 12 shows the tea-bag of Fig. 11 after or during use for infusion; Figure 13 shows the tea-bag of Fig. 11 after use for infusion; Figure 14 is a view of another embodiment of a tea-bag; Figure 15 figuratively shows the tea-bag of Fig. 14 being collapsed; Figure 16 shows the tea-bag of Fig. 15 after the collapse shown in Fig. 15; Figure 17 shows a view of another embodiment of a tea-bag.

Figures 18, 19 and 20 show stages in the assembly of another embodiment; Figures 21 and 22 are, respectively, front and side views of the assembled tea-bag; Figure 23 shows the tea-bag of Figs. 21 and 22 after use for infusion.

Figures 24 to 32 relate to another embodiment of a tea-bag (or other infusion device) and show various parts and stages of assembly and usage of the embodiment.

Figures 33 to 40 relate to another embodiment of a tea-bag (or other infusion device) and show various parts and stages of assembly and usage of the embodiment.

Referring to Figs. land 2, the tea-bag, generally indicated by reference 10, comprises an elongate stiffener 12 of wood, water-resistant card or plastics material having its lower part 13 received between two chambers 14, 15 which contain an infusionable substance 16 such as tea leaves or herbs. The top regions 17, 18 and the bottom regions 19, 20 are sealed to prevent tea leaves escaping from the chambers 14, 15. The seals are effected in any suitable manner, such as by the application of heat and/or pressure and/or by means of a suitable adhesive. The top region 21 of the stiffener 12 extends beyond the top regions 17, 18 of the chambers 14, 15 so as to be used as a handle for the tea-bag 10. The bottom regions 19, 20 of the chambers 14, 15 are joined to each other by a middle region 22 which forms a pocket (Fig. 2) in which the bottom end 23 of the stiffener 12 is received. The stiffener 12 is maintained in position between the two chambers 14, 15 by any suitable means, such as a suitable adhesive and/or one or more suitable physical attachment means such as clip(s), stud(s), and staple(s) (not shown). Adhesive is indicated in Fig.2 by 37 and 38, described hereafter.

Reference is now made to Figs. 3 to 6 which figuratively show stages in the manufacture of the tea-bag 10 of Figs. land 2. In Fig. 3, a sheet 25 of water-permeable paper is provided. The sheet 25 may suitably have dimensions of 20 to 30mm width (e.g., 25mm or thereabouts) and 150 to 175mm length (e.g., 155 to 170mm, such as 150 to 160mm). The sheet 25 has at least one longitudinal edge region 26 which is suitable for heat-sealing or other adhesion technique. Fig. 4 shows the sheet 25 rolled up to form a tube 28 wherein the edge region 26 is heat sealed to the now-adjacent opposed edge region 27. In Fig.5, the tube 28 is folded crossways about its middle region 29 to form two tubes 30, 31. At this stage, tea (or other infusionable substance), not shown, is dispensed into the two tubes 30, 31. The amount of tea dispensed depends on the nature of the tea and would be known to those skilled in the art. Fig. 6 shows the open top ends of the tubes 30,31 have been sealed (32, 33), e.g., by heat sealing and/or with adhesive. The bottom ends 34,35 have also been sealed, and preferably form the pocket shown in Fig. 2. An elongate stiffener 36 is disposed between the opposed faces of the tubes 30, 31. The stiffener 36 may be of water-resistant card, or of suitable wood, or of plastics material. It may have any suitable dimensions, such as: length 10 to cm, width 3 to 10mm. The stiffener 36 is provided on both longitudinal sides with heat-sealing adhesive at two locations, indicated by 37 and 38. The opposed faces of the tubes 30, 31 are brought into contact with the stiffener 36 under suitable conditions to cause the tubes to adhere to the stiffener due to the action of the adhesive. Preferably, the bottom end of the stiffener 36 is received in the pocket formed by the sealed bottom ends 34, 35 of the tubes 30, 31. Thus, the tea-bag 10 of Figs. land 2 is formed. In use, the tea-bag 10 is held by the top 21 of the stiffener 12 and the tea-containing chambers 13, 14 immersed in hot water contained in a cup. The stiffener is used to stir the tea-bag 10 in the water resulting quickly in a suitable infusion. The stirring action can be used to stir other ingredients into the tea, such as sugar and milk. When the infusing and stirring are complete, the stiffener can be used to remove the tea-bag from the liquid. The tea-bag of the invention obviates the need for spoons to stir the infusion and to remove the tea-bag from the infusion. Moreover, the stiffener can be used to wipe and/or press the chambers against the sides of the receptacle containing the infusion to reduce the amount of liquid in the chambers and thereby reduce or eliminate drips of infusion from the chambers while or after the tea-bag is being discarded.

Fig. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a tea-bag, generally indicated by reference 40, comprising two tea-containing chambers 41, 42 attached by suitable adhesive spots 43 to respective opposite sides of a stiffer 44. The top region 45 of the stiffener 44 extends upwards beyond the chambers 41,42 for use as a handle. The bottom region 46 may extend below the chambers 41, 42. The dimensions of the chambers 41,42 are: length 75 to 85 mm, and width 20 to 30mm. The tea-bag 40 is used in the same way as the tea-bag 10.

Reference is now made to Figs. 8 to 13 which refer to another embodiment of a tea-bag. Figs 8 and 9 depict the same features as Figs land 2. Figure 10 shows the cylinder of liquid-permeable material folded about its middle region 50 to form two open-topped tubes or chambers 51,52 which receive tea leaves or other infusionable substance, such as herbal material (not shown). An elongate stiffening member 53 is received between the chambers 51, 52, and with the bottom end of the stiffener 53 adjacent to the middle region of the cylinder (i.e., near the bottom of the space between the chambers 51, 52. The stiffener 53 is provided with a spot 54 of a suitable adhesive on each of its sides at a location which is near the bottom of the space between the chambers 51, 52. Fig. 11 shows the completed tea-bag device indicated by reference 55. The completed tea-bag 55 comprises the two chambers 51, 52 attached on each side of the lower part of the stiffener 53 held in place relative to the chambers 51, 52 by adhesive 54 (not visible in Fig. 11) and a cap member 57 which closes the open tops of the chambers 51, 52 and holds the tops of the chambers together. The cap member 57 has the form of an inverted "U" and comprises two arm parts 58,59 connected at their top regions to each by a bridge member 60. The arms 58,59 of the cap member 57 are attached to the outer faces of the respective chambers 51, 52 by suitable adhesive (not shown). The cap member has a slot through which the stiffener 53 protrudes upwardly to serve as a handle for the tea-bag 55. For use in making an infusion of tea, the user (not shown) holds the upper part of the stiffener 53 and employs it to immerse the tea-containing chambers 51, 52 in hot water contained in a cup, and to stir the chambers 51,52 in the hot water to promote infusion of tea into the hot water, and optionally to promote mixing of other ingredients of the infusion, such as sweetener and/or milk. When the user has completed using the tea-bag 55, it can readily be discarded without using a spoon or other utensil and without contacting the user's fingers with the tea-bag or infusion by employing the upper part of the stiffener 53 as a handle to dispose of the whole tea-bag device. Figs.12 and 13 show another way of disposing of the used tea-bag 55 after use. In Fig. 12, the downward-pointing arrows 63, 64 indicate downward pressure applied to the top of the cap member 57. Such pressure may be applied manually, e.g., using the fingers, preferably after the tea-bag 55 has been removed (e.g., by elevation) from the hot infusion. The downward pressure on the cap causes the chambers 51, 52 to buckle and/or collapse downwardly as diagrammatically depicted in Fig. 12. Some of the liquid residues in the chambers 51, 52 are squeezed out, thereby substantially avoiding drips of liquid from the chambers 51, 52. Preferably, the adhesive is so selected that contact between the infusion liquid and the adhesive 54 (shown in Fig. 10) for a certain time (e.g., 15 to 25 seconds, preferably 20 seconds or thereabouts, weakens the adhesive effect of the adhesive. If the downward pressure on the cap is adequate, the ensemble comprising the chambers 51, 52 and the cap 60 detaches as a unit 65 from the stiffener 53, as shown in Fig. 13. The stiffener and the unit 65 can each be disposed of in an environmentally-appropriate manner. Alternatively, the unit 65 can be discarded and the stiffener used as a stirrer for sweetener and/or milk and/or other ingredients of the infusion.

Reference is now made to Figs. 14 to 17. Fig 14 shows an infusion device, generally indicated by reference 70. The device 70 comprises two chambers or sachets 71, 72 which are of the type described with reference to Fig. 6 wherein they are indicated by respective references 30 and 31. The lower part of a stiffening member 73 is received between the sachets 71, 72, the upper part 74 of the stiffener 73 extending upwards beyond the sachets 71, 72 so as to be utilisable as a handle for the device 70. The stiffener 73 is retained relative to the sachets 71,72 by a suitable adhesive.

Some adhesive is applied as "spots" between the upper regions of the sachets 71, 72 on each side of the stiffener so that the upper regions of the sachets adhere to each other on each side of the stiffener 73. The locations where the spots of adhesive are applied between the sachets are indicated by broken lead lines 75, 76. It will be appreciated that the upper regions of the sachets 71, 72 and the stiffener 73 can slide relative to each other. The lower end of the stiffener 73 is adhered between and to the adjacent faces of the lower end regions 77, 78 of the sachets 71, 72 by suitable adhesive spots on each side of the lower end of the stiffener 73. These spots are not visible in Fig. 14 but are shown as "spots" 79, 80 in Fig. 16. The spots 79, 80 permanently adhere the lower end of the stiffener 73 to the inward faces of the lower ends of the sachets 71, 72. A sleeve member 81 encircles part of the upper part 74 of the stiffener 73 and preferably rests on the top of the sachets 71, 72. The sleeve 72 is preferably of ring shape or cylindrical form which is flattened so that it is held in place by friction with the stiffener 73. The sleeve 72 may be a length of a flattened drinking straw or similar element. In use, the sachets 71, 72 contain infusionable substance (not shown) such as tea leaves or herbal or medicinal substances, and the sachets 71, 72 are immersed in hot water to contact the infusionable substance and form an infusion therefrom. During such use, the device 70 is conveniently held and manipulated by the user's fingers holding the upper part 74 of the stiffener 73. The user can stir the device in the liquid to enhance the formation of the infusion. When the device 70 has been used, the infusionable substance (not shown) in the sachets 71,72 becomes saturated with concentrated infused liquid. The device 70 is adapted to recover at least some of the concentrated liquid, if desired by the user. The manner in which this is accomplished is figuratively described and shown in the diagram of Fig. 15.

The embodiment of Figs. 14, 15 and 16 employs adhesive spots 75, 76 (of Fig. 14) which lose adhesion after immersion in hot water after one to three minutes. This loss of adhesion enables the sachets 71 and 72 to be moved relative to the stiffener 73. Accordingly, the user can push the sleeve 81 downwardly against the tops of the sachets 71, 72, as indicated by the downward-pointing arrows 84, 85, so that the sleeve 81 slides downwardly along the stiffener 73 and downwardly compresses the sachets 71, 72. The adhesion of the lower regions of the sachets 71,72 via the adhesive spots 79, 80 to the lower region of the stiffener 73 prevents the lower regions of the sachets 71, 72 separating from the lower region of the stiffener 73 and as a result, downward pressure on the sachets exerted via the sleeve 81 causes the sachets to be collapsed or squashed downwardly, concertina-fashion, with the top regions of the sachets 71,72 being displaced along the stiffener towards their respective bottom regions, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 15. The squashing of the sachets 71, 72 squeezes the contents of the sachets and causes the expulsion therefrom of concentrated infusion which may be used either to supplement the infusion otherwise obtained and/or to discard to reduce the drips and drops which would otherwise be formed on removal of the device 70 from the infusion liquid, and which can be a nuisance with conventional infusion devices. Increased downward pressure on the sleeve 81 causes the adhesion between the stiffener 73 and the squeezed sachets 71, 72 via the adhesive spots 79, 80 to be broken, and the sachets 71,72 separate downwardly from the remainder of the device 70, as indicated diagrammatically in Figure 16. Preferably, the adhesive of the adhesive spots 79, 80 weakens after a certain period (e.g., 1 to 3 minutes) of contact with the infusion liquid, thereby facilitating the separation of the sachets from the stiffener. The thus separated squeezed sachets 71, 72 can then be discarded, and the stiffener 73, preferably after the sleeve 81 has been removed therefrom, can be used to stir the infusion and/or to stir added ingredients, such as sweetener and/or milk, into the infusion.

The embodiment of Fig. 17 is similar to that of the embodiment of Figs. 14 to 16 except that the stiffener 73 has a crease or line of weakness, generally indicated by reference 88, which facilitates snapping off of the upper part 89 of the stiffener 73 above the crease 88 from the lower part 90 below the crease 88. In this embodiment, the upper part 89 of the stiffener 73 may be snapped of or otherwise separated and may then be used as a stirrer for the infusion and/or for ingredients added thereto. The lower part 90 of the stiffener 73 may remain adhered between the sachets 71, 72, and the adhesive spots 79,80 (not visible in Fig. 17) may be such that they retain their adhesive properties during exposure to infusion liquid and maintain the adhesion between the sachets 71, 72 and the lower part 90 of the stiffener 73. In this version of the embodiment, the squeezed sachets 71, 72, the adhering lower part 90 of the stiffener 73, and the sleeve 81 may then be discarded as a single unit.

Reference is now made to Figs. 18 to 23. The stages of assembly of the tea-bag embodiment shown in Figs. 18 to 20 are similar to those shown and described with reference to Figs. 3,4 and 5 and to Figs. 8,9 and 10 and are therefore not described in detail. It is noted that the sheet 100 of permeable paper (or other material) has a crease or fold-line 101 extending across the width of the sheet 100 halfway between the longitudinal ends of the sheet. The fold-line 101 is to facilitate folding the tube 102 formed and shown in Fig. 19 into the folded configuration shown in Fig. 20. It is to be understood that a fold-line may be formed or provided in some or all embodiments of the invention to facilitate folding as described with reference to Figs. 18 to 20. Referring to Fig. 20, spots 103, 104 of a suitable adhesive are applied to the edge regions of one of the two tubes 107, 108 formed by folding the tube 102. A stiffener member 105 of wood, plastics material, water-resistant card or rolled-up water-resistant paper is provided with a close-fitting sleeve or tube 106 slidable thereon. The stiffener 105 is longer than the two tubes 107, 108 and may be sufficiently long to be useful as a handle in the fully assembled tea-bag, described herein. The sleeve 106 may be of water-resistant paper or plastics material and may be from 0.25 to 0.5 times the length of the stiffener 105. A spot 109 of suitable adhesive is applied on both sides of the bottom region of the stiffener 105 so that when the stiffener is emplaced with its bottom region in the pocket provided at the juncture of the tubes 107, 108, the adhesive ensures that the stiffener 105 is retained in the pocket at the juncture between the tubes 107, 108. (i.e., in the vicinity of the fold-line 101). Spots 110 of suitable adhesive are provided on both sides of the bottom region of the sleeve 106 so that when the bottom region of the sleeve 106 is emplaced between the top regions of the tubes 107, 108, it is firmly retained in position. Referring to the assembled tea-bag, generally indicated by reference 112, and shown in Figs. 21 and 22, the tubes 107, 108 are at least partially filled with tea leaves (not shown) and sealed, e.g., by heat-sealing and/or by adhesive (preferably with applied pressure), at the top 113 and bottom 114. In Fig. 22, the tubes 107, 108 are depicted as swollen following immersion in hot water to form an infusion of tea or some other infusion. During the contact of the tea-bag 112 with hot water, the user may hold the accessible part of the stiffener 105 and/or the accessible part of the sleeve 106 to use the tea-bag 112 to stir and/or agitate the hot water in order to enhance the infusion process. The stiffener 105 and/or the sleeve 106 may be rested against the container (e.g., cup or mug) for the hot water. When the infusion process is complete, the tea-bag 112 may be manually removed from contact with the hot water and discarded. Alternatively, the infusion process may be enhanced by the step described with reference to Fig. 23. In Fig. 23, the user applies pressure to the top of the tubes 107, 108 as indicated by arrows 115. The pressure may be applied by the user holding the upper part of the stiffener 105 and sliding the sleeve 106 downwardly so that the tubes 107, 108 are compressed or squashed against the resistance of the adhered (by means of the adhesive spots 109) bottom region of the stiffener 105. The compression of the tubes 107, 108 compresses or squashes the wetted tea leaves and expels concentrated infusion therefrom. The concentrated infusion is expelled from the tubes and can be recovered as a supplement to the infusion already produced in the hot water, thereby strengthening and/or enhancing the infusion. After the tubes have been squashed or compressed in this manner, they are less able to give rise to drips of infused liquid. They may then be discarded.

Reference is now made to other embodiments described with reference to Figures 24 to 32 and Figs. 33 to 40. A feature of these embodiments is that the stiffener surrounds the two chambers. In the embodiments of Figs. 1 to 23, the stiffener is partially disposed between the two chambers.

Referring to Figs. 24 to 32, Fig. 24 shows a sheet 200 of liquid permeable material of the types used to form tea-bags. The material may be of paper or plastics material. The sheet may be approximately 80mm x 120mm and is provided with three fold-lines, shown dotted. Fig.25 shows the sheet 200 after folding along the longitudinal fold lines and after heat-sealing the longitudinal overlap 201 to form a tube of approximate dimensions 40mm x 120mm. A slot 202 is formed in the overlap 201 along the lateral centre-line. Fig. 26 shows a stiffener 203 having the general form of a capital U. The stiffener may be of suitable wood, bamboo, plastics material, card, paper, composite. Fig. 27 shows a securing device comprising a T-shaped lower member 204 and a short upper tube member 205. The member 204 may be of water-resistant card, and the tube 205 may be of water-resistant card, paper or a composite. The vertical leg of the lower member 204 can be received in the tube 205. In Fig. 5, the tube formed from the folded sheet 200 of Fig. 2 is partially filled with tea leaves (or other infusionable substance) and folded at the lateral centre-line to form two chambers 206, 207 which are each heat-sealed at their longitudinal ends 208, 209, 210, 211 to retain the tea-leaves therein. The lower member 204 is received between the chambers 206, 207 with its vertical leg uppermost and extending through the slot 202 and its cross-piece located immediately below the slot 202. The tube 205 is located above the chambers 206, 207 so as to receive the vertical leg of the lower member 204 as a close fit therein. Fig. 6 shows the combination of the chambers 206, 207 with the member 204 and the tube 205 when assembled. Figure 7 shows the stiffener 203 when emplaced around the chambers 206, 207 in the final assembly of the infusion device. The lower parts of the stiffener surround the chambers 206, 207. The upper parts of the stiffener 203 pass between the tops of the chambers 206, 207 and the lower edge of the tube 205 and extend upwardly through the tube 205. The vertical leg of lower member 204 closely engaged with the tube 205, together with the engagement of its lateral cross-piece against the underside of the middle region between the chambers 206, 207, serves to maintain the integrity of the assembly without the use of adhesive or physical fixing items. Fig. 31 is a cross-sectional view of the tea-bag assembly of Fig. 30 showing the parts already described, and their mode of interaction. When the device of Fig. is in use for infusing tea, the user can hold the upper part of the stiffener 203 to stir the tea-containing chambers 206, 207 in the infusing hot water and thereby enhance the infusing operation. The device may be "parked" with the tea-containing chambers in hot water in a cup with the upper part of the stiffener 203 leaning against the inner side of the cup. When the infusing operation is complete, the user may hold the upper part of the stiffener 203 while pushing the tube 205 downwards as shown in Fig. 32. The chambers 206,207 are squashed between the tube 205 and the bottom region of the stiffener 203 thereby expelling infused liquid from the chambers. The expelled liquid can be added to the infusion. Moreover, the expulsion of infused liquid reduces the tendency of the used device to drip liquid, which can be a nuisance.

Reference is now made to Figs. 33 to 40 relating to another embodiment. A tea-bag according to this embodiment is shown in Fig. 38 and in longitudinal cross-section in Fig. 39. Fig. 33 shows a sheet 300 of liquid-permeable material such as paper, plastics material or fabric (woven or felted) of approximate size 80mm x 120mm having two longitudinal fold lines and a lateral, central fold line as shown. Fig. 34 shows the sheet 300 after folding about the longitudinal fold lines to form a tube of approximate dimensions 40mm x 120mm. The longitudinal fold lines are so arranged that in the folded configuration of Fig. 34, there is a longitudinal strip 301 of overlap which is maintained by heat-sealing and/or by adhesive (not shown) in the overlap. Fig. 35 shows a U-shaped stiffening member 302 which may be of wood, water-resistant card, bamboo, plastics material. Fig. 36 shows a retainer member 303 which may be of water-resistant card or plastics material. The retainer 303 is in the form of a relatively narrow strip having a central hole 304 and two other holes 305, 306 near respective ends of the strip. The retainer has a central fold line 307, and for use, the retainer 303 is folded about fold line 307 to bring the outer holes 305, 306 into registration, as indicated by the arrow 308. In Fig. 27, the tube of Fig. 2 has been partially filled with tea (not shown) in the known way, and folded about its centre-line 309 to form two tea-containing chambers 310, 311 which are heat-sealed (or otherwise closed) at their distal ends 312, 313 and joined to each other at their proximate ends in the region of the centre-line 309. The retainer 303, in its folded configuration, is disposed upright with the holes 305, 306 just above the top of the distal ends 312, 313 of the chambers 310, 311. The parts of the retainer below the holes 305, 306 are adhered to each other by adhesive (shown as item 314 in Fig. 39) or in any other convenient manner. Fig. 38 shows the main features of a completed tea-bag device, generally indicated by reference number 315. The lower part of the stiffener 302 surrounds the chambers 310, 311 and each "arm" of the U-shaped stiffener 302 above the top ends 312, 313 of the chambers 310, 311 passes through a respective lower hole 305, 306 of the retainer 303 and extends upwardly through the hole 304 at the top of the retainer to provide a handle 316 for holding and manipulating the tea-bag device 315. The features described herein and with reference to Fig. 38 are shown in the cross-sectional view of Fig. 39. Additionally, it will be noted that the adhesive 314 bonds the retainer 303 to the inward-facing walls of the chambers 310, 311. The tea-bag device of Figs. 38 and 39 is used in much the same manner as the device described with reference to Figs. 30 and 31. When the used device of Figs. 38 and 39 is to be discarded, the user holds the handle 316 and pushes the retainer303 downwards against the top ends 312, 313 of the chambers 310, 311. This action compresses the chambers and their contents between the retainer 303 and the bottom 320 of the stiffener 302, thereby squeezing out liquid from the tea which can be used to augment an infusion and/or reducing the tendency of the used device to drip infused liquid from liquid-saturated chambers.

Claims (27)

1. CLAIMS: 1. An infusion device comprising an elongate stiffening member and two chambers for containing an infusionable substance, the chambers having walls of liquid-permeable material, a lower part of the stiffening member being disposed between or around the chambers, the upper part of the stiffening member extending beyond the chambers to serve as a handle for the device.
2. 2. The device of claim 1 wherein opposite sides of the stiffening member are attached or adhered directly or indirectly to the walls of the respective chambers.
3. 3. The device of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the chambers each have a top region and a bottom region, and wherein the said upper part of the stiffening member extends beyond the top regions of the chambers to serve as a handle for the device.
4. 4. The device of any of claims 1 to 3 wherein each chamber is formed from a respective sheet of liquid-permeable material.
5. 5. The device of any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the bottom regions of the chambers are joined to each other.
6. 6. The device of claim 5 wherein the chambers are both formed from a single sheet of liquid-permeable material.
7. 7. The device of claim 6 wherein the single sheet of liquid-permeable material is folded lengthwise to form a tube, the tube being folded about its middle region to form the two chambers, the bottom regions of the two chambers being joined to the middle region.
8. 8. The device of claim 7 in which the middle region provides a pocket or recess in which the bottom end region of the lower part of the stiffening member is received.
9. 9. The device of any of claims 5 to 8 comprising a relatively stiff cap member which engages against the top regions of both chambers and has a slot in which the upper part of the stiffening member is movably received.
10. 10. The device of claim 9 wherein the cap is arranged and adapted to transmit downward pressure onto the chambers to compress the chambers and to express liquid therefrom.
11. 11. The device of claim 10 wherein the chambers are adapted and arranged to separate downwardly from the stiffening member upon a selected downward pressure being exerted on the cap.
12. 12. The device of any of claims 5 to 11 comprising a sleeve member surrounding part of the stiffening member adjacent to the upper regions of the chambers, the sleeve member being slidable on the stiffening member, the sleeve member being arranged and adapted so that downward force exerted on the sleeve is transmitted to the upper regions of the chambers to cause them to collapse or buckle in a downward sense.
13. 13. The device of claim 12 wherein the sleeve and chambers are arranged and adapted to cause the chambers to separate downwardly from the stiffener upon sufficient downward movement of the sleeve, relative to the stiffener.
14. 14. The device of any of claims 5 to 13 in which the stiffener has a line of weakness or a crease across its length at a region normally between the chambers, the said line being adapted and arranged to enable the portion of the stiffener above the said line to be separated from the portion below the said line.
15. 15. The device of any of claims 1 to 14 comprising a sleeve member surrounding an upper part of the stiffener, the sleeve being adhered and/or attached to respective upper regions of the chambers, and the stiffener is adhered and/or attached to both chambers at a location which is between the bottom regions of the chambers and the top regions thereof.
16. 16. The device of claim 15 wherein the bottom region of the sleeve is attached and/or adhered to both chambers at respective top regions of the chambers so that adequate downward pressure exerted via the sleeve onto the chambers causes the chambers to collapse and/or buckle downwardly relative to the stiffener, serving to expel liquid from the chambers.
17. 17. The device of any of claims 1 to 8 wherein the single sheet of liquid-permeable material is folded lengthways to form a tube, the tube being folded about its middle region to form two chambers, the top regions of the chambers being joined to the middle region.
18. 18. The device of claim 17 wherein a lower part of the stiffening member is disposed around the two chambers.
19. 19. The device of claim 18 wherein the middle region has a hole in which is received a retainer means to retain the upper part of the stiffening member relative to the chambers.
20. 20. The device of claim 19 comprising a tubular member disposed to slidably receive a lower part if the upper part of the stiffening member.
21. 21. The device of claim 20 comprising a retainer means having substantially the form of an inverted "T" whereof the vertical part protrudes upwardly through the hole of the middle region and is received with a close fit in the tubular member, and whereof the horizontal part abuts the underside of the middle region.
22. 22. The device of claim 15 or 16 wherein the single sheet of liquid-permeable material is folded lengthways to form a tube, the tube being folded about its middle region to form two chambers, the bottom regions of the two chambers being joined to the middle region.
23. 23. The device of claim 22 comprising a retainer means for retaining at least the lower part of the upper region of each stiffener member adjacent to the top regions of the chambers. 10 24. The device of claim 23 wherein the retainer means comprises a relatively stiff strip having three evenly-spaced holes therethrough, the strip being folded such that a central hole is substantially at the fold line and the other two holes substantially align or register with each other, a portion of the stiffening member on respective sides of the chambers is slidably received in a respective side hole of the strip.25. The device of any preceding claim wherein the chambers contain an infusionable substance.26. A method of making an infusion device, comprising providing two chambers of liquid-permeable material and an elongate stiffening member, and adhering or attaching the chamber to opposite sides of the lower part of the stiffening member, the upper part of the stiffening member extending beyond the top regions of the chambers to serve as a handle for the device.27. The method of claim 26 in which each chamber is formed from a respective sheet of liquid-permeable material.28. The method of claim 26 in which both chambers are formed from a single sheet of material.29. The method of claim 28 in which the single sheet is folded longitudinally to form a tube, and longitudinal edge regions of the sheet are slightly overlapped and adhered to each other.30. The method of claim 29 in which the tube is folded laterally about its central region to form two chambers connected by the central region.31. The method of claim 30 in which the lower part of the stiffening member is received between the two chambers and the stiffening member is adhered or attached to the chambers by means which loses its adherence upon contact with liquid.32. The method of claim 30 in which the lower part of the stiffening member forms a loop which surrounds both chambers and a slidable member receives and retains the upper part of the stiffening member.Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS: 1 An infusion device comprising a relatively stiff elongate member and two chambers for containing an infusionable substance, the chambers having walls of liquid-permeable material, a lower part of the elongate member being disposed between the chambers, the upper part of the elongate member extending beyond the chambers to serve as a handle for the device, a bottom region of the elongate member between the chambers being attached to respective adjacent walls of the chambers, and a movable member surrounding part of the elongate member adjacent to the upper regions of the chambers, the movable member being slidable on or along the elongate member and arranged or adapted so that downward force exerted on the movable member is transmitted to the upper regions of the chambers to cause them to collapse or buckle in a downward sense.2. The device of claim lin which the movable member comprises a hollow sleeve member which is slidably received on the upper part of the elongate member.3. The device of claim 1 or claim 2 comprising a relatively stiff cap member which engages against the top regions of both chambers, the cap member having a hole therethrough in which the upper part of the elongate member is movably received.CD 4. The device of claim 3 as dependant on claim 2 wherein the cap member is disposed between the hollow sleeve and the top regions of the chambers.5. The device of claim 4 wherein the cap is arranged and adapted to transmit downward pressure onto the chambers to compress the chambers and to express liquid therefrom 6. The device of any of claims 1 to 5 wherein each chamber is formed from a respective sheet of liquid-permeable material.7. The device of any of claims 1 to 6 wherein the bottom regions of the chambers are joined to each other.8. The device of claim 7 wherein the chambers are both formed from a single sheet of liquid-permeable material.9. The device of claim 7 or claim 8 wherein the single sheet of liquid-permeable material is folded lengthwise to form a tube, the tube being folded about its middle region to form the two chambers, the bottom regions of the two chambers being joined to the middle region.10. The device of claim 9 in which the middle region provides a pocket or recess in which the bottom end region of the lower part of the elongate member is received.11. The device of any of claims 8 to 10 wherein the chambers are adapted and arranged to separate downwardly from the elongate member upon a selected downward pressure being exerted on the cap.12. The device of any of claims 8 to 11 wherein the movable member and chambers are arranged and adapted to cause the chambers to separate downwardly from the elongate member upon sufficient downward movement of the movable member relative to the elongate member.13. The device of any of claims 1 to 12 in which the elongate member has a line of weakness or a crease across its length at a region normally between the chambers, the said line being adapted and arranged to enable the portion of the elongate member above the said line to be separated from the portion below the said line.14. The device of any of claims 1 to 13 comprising a movable member surrounding an upper part of the elongate member, the movable member being adhered and/or attached to respective upper regions of the chambers, and wherein the elongate member is adhered and/or attached to both chambers at a location which is between the bottom regions of the chambers and the top regions thereof.o 15. The device of claim 14 wherein the bottom region of the movable member is attached and/or adhered to both chambers at respective top regions of the chambers so that adequate downward pressure exerted via the movable member onto the chambers causes the chambers to collapse and/or buckle downwardly relative to the elongate member, serving to expel liquid from the chambers.16. The device of any of claims 1 to 15 wherein the single sheet of liquid-permeable material is folded lengthways to form a tube, the tube being folded about its middle region to form two chambers, the top regions of the chambers being joined to the middle region.17. The device of any of claims 1 to 16 comprising a retainer means having substantially the form of an inverted "T" whereof the vertical part protrudes upwardly through the hole of the middle region and is received with a close fit in the tubular member, and whereof the horizontal part abuts the underside of the middle region.18. The device of any preceding claim wherein the chambers contain an infusionable substance.19. A method of making an infusion device comprising providing a relatively stiff elongate member and forming two chambers for containing an infusionable substance, the chambers having walls of liquid-permeable material, disposing a lower part of the elongate member between the chambers, the upper part of the elongate member extending beyond the chambers to serve as a handle for the device, attaching a bottom region of the elongate member between the chambers to respective adjacent walls of the chambers, and disposing a movable member around part of the elongate member adjacent to the upper regions of the chambers, the movable member being slidable on or along the elongate member and arranged or adapted so that downward force exerted on the movable member is transmitted to the upper regions of the chambers to cause them to collapse or buckle in a downward sense.20. The method of claim 19 in which the movable member comprises a hollow sleeve member which is slidably received on the upper part of the elongate member.21. The method of claim 19 or claim 20 comprising providing a relatively stiff cap member engaging against the top regions of both chambers, the cap member having a hole therethrough in which the upper part of the elongate member is movably received.22. The method of claim 21 as dependant on claim 20 comprising disposing the cap member between the hollow sleeve member and the top regions of the chambers.23. The method of any of claims 19 to 22 comprising forming each chamber from a respective sheet of liquid-permeable material.
24. 24. The method of any of claims 19 to 22 comprising forming both chambers from a single sheet of liquid-permeable material.
25. 25. The method of claim 24 comprising folding the single sheet longitudinally to form a tube, with longitudinal edge regions of the sheet slightly overlapped and adhered to each other.
26. 26. The method of claim 25 comprising folding the tube laterally about its central region to form two chambers connected by the central region.
27. 27. The method of any of claims 19 to 26 comprising receiving the lower part of the elongate member between the two chambers and adhering and/or attaching the elongate member to the chambers by means which loses its adherence upon contact with liquid.