GB2566737A

GB2566737A - Infusion device

Info

Publication number: GB2566737A
Application number: GB1715510.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Milne Downey Donald
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2017-09-25
Filing date: 2017-09-25
Publication date: 2019-03-27
Also published as: GB201715510D0

Abstract

An infusion device comprising: a sachet 11 formed of porous water-resistant material, two threads 12, 13 and a tag 20, the sachet having a top region 14 and a bottom region 15 , the bottom region having two spaced apart corner regions 18, 19, the tag having flap members 21, 22, which are hinged relative to each other, each thread having a first length within the sachet and a second length extending outside the sachet, a first end of the first length of each thread being attached to the interior of the sachet adjacent to a respective corner region, and the second length extending upwardly from the top of the exterior of the sachet, each thread extending from the interior of the sachet to the exterior through a respective hole 16, 17, in the top region of the sachet, the tag being mounted on the threads outside the sachet. The sachet may be in the form of a pyramid or a polyhedral, and cut from a large strip of material then folded into shape. The threads may be formed from a single thread folded or doubled over to form two threads. The sachet may contain tea.

Description

Infusion Device

The present invention relates to an infusion device and to a method of making it.

Infusion devices are well-known. A common example is a tea-bag. Such devices usually comprise a sachet formed of a porous, water-resistant material, and the sachet contains an infusionable substance such as tea leaf material or herbs. A drawback of most devices is that after use, usually in hot water, the sachet contains tea (or other infusionable material) which is saturated with liquid. The saturated sachet drips infused liquid when removed from the main body of liquid (e.g., hot water in a cup), and the drips are a nuisance to the user. The drips are of a relatively concentrated infusate and thus represent a waste of useful product. Usually, the saturated sachet is discarded so that the concentrated infusate therein is wasted.

The device of the present invention provides one or more advantages compared to known devices.

The present invention provides an infusion device as defined in claim 1 of the set of claims following this description. Preferred and/or optional features of the device are the subjects of the other claims of the set of claims following this description.

The invention is now described with reference to non-limitative embodiments and with reference to the diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view of an infusion device according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows the device of Fig. 1 after use;

Figure 3 illustrates an early stage in the manufacture of the device of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 shows, to a larger scale, a later stage in the manufacture of the device of Fig. 1;

Figure 5 is the same as Fig. 4 but viewed from the opposite side;

Figure 6 shows an early stage in the folding of the assembly of Figs 4 and 5;

Figure 7 shows a later stage of folding subsequent to Fig. 6.

In Fig.l, the device is indicated generally by reference 10. The device 10 comprises a sachet 11 formed of porous water-resistant material such a paper, plastics material (preferably biodegradable). The sachet, which may be of pyramidical or polyhedral form, contains an infusionable substance (not shown) such as tea leaf material. The device comprises a thread which is doubled over itself to form two threads 12,13. The sachet has a (normally) top region 14 and a bottom region 15. The threads 12, 13 extend downwards from above the top region 14 of the sachet 11 and through respective holes 16, in opposite sides of the sachet and into the interior of the sachet. The threads are preferably a close fit in the holes 16,17. The bottom ends of the two threads within the sachet are adhered to the interior of the sachet at locations 18,19 at opposite corner regions of the bottom regions 15 of the sachet 11.

The threads may be adhered at location 18,19 using any suitable technique (e.g., adhesive, heat sealing, welding). A tag member 20 is slidably mounted on the threads 12,13. The threads may be accommodated in the tag via respective close fitting holes or a slot therein (not shown). The tag may be of card or plastics material and comprises two flaps 21,22 formed by folding the card or plastics material so that the flaps are effectively hinged to each other. It will be noted that the threads 12,13 are formed from a single thread which is doubled over at location 23 to form the two threads.

In use, the sachet is immersed in hot water (not shown) to infuse its contents. When the infusion is completed, the device is withdrawn from the liquid and the top (e.g., loop 23) of the threads is held by the user. The tag 20 is slidden down the threads so that the flaps 21, 22 are on opposite sides of the sachet, whereupon the user can squeeze the sachet sideways by means of the flaps and squeeze the sachet vertically as the bottom region of the sachet is drawn upwardly against the tag by the tension in the threads, thereby expelling infusate from the sachet, which augments the infusate already obtained, and reduces or eliminates the tendency to drip. Fig. 2 shows the sachet being squeezed by the flaps and upwardly collapsed. For a given amount of infusionable substance (such as tea) in the sachet, the quantity of infusate recoverable with the device of the invention is greater than would be the case with a conventional tea-bag sachet. Accordingly, the amount of infusionable substance in the sachet of the present device may be reduced to obtain a given infusate.

Reference is now made to Figs. 3 to 7 which show stages in the manufacture of a device of the invention. In Fig. 3, a continuous sheet 25 of porous, water-resistant material is withdrawn from a source (not shown) such as a roll of suitable paper. At regular intervals along the sheet are disposed tags 20 (as described herein) each mounted for sliding along two threads 12,13 formed from a single thread which has been looped back on itself as indicated by reference 23. The threads extend on the top (i.e., visible) face of the sheet 25 as far as respective holes 16,17 therein (described herein) which they are threaded through to the other, underneath, face of the sheet 25. The ends of the threads are located on, and adhered to, the underneath face of the sheet 25 as explained herein. The portions of the sheet 25 each bearing a tag 20 and threads 12,13 are cut as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. Each thus cut portion has the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 5 shows the upper face of a cut portion, and shows the threads 12,13 passed via close-fitting holes 16,17 to the underneath face of the sheet

25. Fig. 4 shows the underneath face of the portion shown in Fig. 5. The ends 18,19 of the threads 12, 13 are adhered to the underneath face (at the location indicated by references 18,19). The threads can be passed from the top face to the underneath face of the sheet in any convenient manner, e.g., by means of a sewing needle (not shown).

Fig. 6 shows the construction of Figs. 4 and 5 at a stage of folding into a device 10 of Fig. 1, as seen from one side. Fig. 7 shows the part-folded construction of Fig. 6 as viewed from the opposite side.

The operations involved in making the device 10 can all be automated using techniques which are known in the art.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An infusion device comprising a sachet formed of porous water-resistant material, two threads and a tag, the sachet having a top region and a bottom region, the bottom region having two spaced-apart corner regions, the tag having flap members which are hinged relative to each other, each thread having a first length within the sachet and a second length extending outside the sachet, a first end of the first length of each thread being attached to the interior of the sachet adjacent to a respective corner region of the sachet and the second length extending upwardly from the top region of the exterior of the sachet,,each thread extending from the interior of the sachet to the exterior through a respective hole in the top region of the sachet, the tag being slidably mounted on the threads outside the sachet.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the sachet is of generally pyramidical or polyhedral form.

3. The device of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the sachet has been formed by folding a flat strip of material.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the flat strip has been obtained by transversely cutting the strip from a length of said material.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein first lengths of the two threads each have one end attached to the strip at respective locations which will be spaced-apart interior corner regions of the sachet when the strip is folded to a pyramidical or polyhedral form.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the first lengths are disposed on one face of the strip and second lengths of the threads extend on the opposite face of the strip, there being holes at locations of the strip corresponding with the top region of the sachet when the strip is folded to a pyramidical form, the threads passing through the holes in the strip.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the tag is slidably mounted on the threads on the said one face of the strip before the strip is folded to its pyramidical or polyhedral form.

8. The device of any preceding claim wherein the two threads are a single thread which is folded and/or doubled over to form the two first and second threads.

9. The device of any preceding claim wherein the sachet contains an infusionable substance such as tea.