GB2576726A - A clip for use with a tea bag - Google Patents

Abstract

The clip comprises a first arm 1 and a second arm 2 joined via a bridge portion 3 to impart flexible resilience between the sides. The bridge portion may be ‘U-shaped’ though alternative embodiments are shown in further drawings: a hairclip like means; a pincer like means; or a hinged or pivoted means. In use, the clip may be slid over the rim of a cup, mug or beaker 7 with side 2 on the outer side of the drinking vessel and the bridge resting on the rim or lip of the vessel. A clip may be made from sheet metal or by plastic moulding. A teabag or the like may be slid under side 1. Teeth 4 act to clasp or clamp the bag against the inner side of the mug during infusion and whilst the contents of the cup or mug are drunk.

Description

A CLIP FOR USE WITH A TEABAG

The present invention is a clip which secures a tea bag to the inside of a cup, mug or other container so as to retain it in a single position whilst the cup is in use.

Traditional tea comes from the cured leaves of the tea plant and is the second most widely consumed drink in the world after water. It is made by infusing the tea plant material in hot or boiling water. However there are alternative teas available which are becoming increasingly popular and these are Tisanes which are often also called herbal or fruit teas.

Herbal or fruit teas called Tisanes can be made with herbs, fresh or dried flowers, leaves, seeds, roots or other plant material. They are made by pouring hot water over the plant parts and letting them steep for a few minutes. Seeds and roots can also be boiled on a stove. The herbal tea is then strained, sweetened, if desired, and served. However due to the increasing popularity of such herbal teas many companies produce herbal tea bags for such infusions. These tea bags simplify the process of preparing the drink for consumption and can be used in much the same way as traditional tea bags by covering them in hot water most frequently within the container from which the drink will be consumed. There are well over 50 different Tisanes available today.

The process of making a herbal tea with a tea bag though much the same as traditional teas is often a more lengthy process with the actual infusion taking much longer than with tradition teas. In fact the process of infusion is often allowed to continue whilst the drink is consumed and requires that the tea bag is left in the water to allow the infusion to increase in strength and flavour. This results in a number of problems, for example when the container is tilted to drink from it the tea bag moves into contact with the user and apart from the obvious discomfort, often the contents have retained a higher temperature and can cause burning to the face or lips of the user.

Clips for tea bag are well known in the art but most examples are focussed on suspending the tea bag within the container whilst the infusion takes place but requiring withdrawal during consumption of the drink. Others are available which are intended to assist in accelerating the infusion process by allowing the user to squeeze the tea bag in order to extract further flavour.

Examples of this art are as follows:DE 20 2004 005 385 U1 Features a tea bag retaining clip intended, in use, to suspend the tea bag by skewering the tea bag and resting the clip on the rim of the container. This patent is a German “Petty Patent” and has not been subjected to a full examination.

DE 20 2006 015 318 U1 This patent is a tea clip which can be used to suspend the tea bag within the container whilst an infusion is taking place but it does not secure it to the side of the container. This is mainly because it is not intended for the teabag to remain in place when the drink is consumed. The clip is mainly designed for squeezing the tea bag to extract the maximum flavour and then withdrawing the tea bag before the drink is consumed. This patent is a German “Petty Patent” and has not been subject to a full examination.

Many artisan herbal tea drinkers prefer to leave the tea bag within the cup whilst drinking believing that it enhances the flavour. The present invention is intended to solve the problems which arise as a result of retaining the tea bag within the container as the drink is consumed. It consists of a clip which secures the tea bag to the side of the cup or other container in a fixed position to allow a continuous infusion to take place even when the cup or other container is in use. In use the clip retains the tea bag in a fixed position so as to avoid accidental contact between the tea bag and the user of the cup when the cup is tilted in order to enable the user to consume the infusion contained within the cup.

In this specification to words “container”, “cup” and “mug” all have the same meaning.

According to the invention there is provided a tea bag retaining clip which is intended to secure the tea bag against the side of a container allowing the tea bag to remain immersed in the water within the container so that the infusion process may take place and also continue whilst the drink is consumed.

There are several embodiments of the present invention containing many variations on shape and style and the preferred embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings. Basically the clip is a II shape consisting of a first part which in use is within the container, a second part which, in use, is outside of the container and a connecting part which joins the first and second parts together and in use rests on the rim of the container. The said connecting part may comprise a single resilient member which is a continuation of the said first and second parts OR the said connecting part may consist of a hinge element connecting the said first and second parts. This hinge element would include a resilient member to ensure the first and second parts close together.

A grab portion may be provided to give a user something to hold so as to allow easy withdrawal of the clip from the container. This grab portion may be a single element attached to the connecting part or may be two elements which are extensions of the first and second parts respectively. Provision is also made for a flat surface for applying branding to a finished product.

The present invention is intended, in use, to trap a teabag against the side of a container where it can be under the surface of any liquid (usually hot water) which is within the container. This allows a continuous infusion to take place even when the container is in use and prevents the tea bag from moving from its location within the container.

The first part which in use is within the container may include a gripper portion which, in use, is intended to grip the tea bag in order to hold the tea bag in its trapped position between the first part and the side of the container. This gripper portion may rely on pressure to retain the tea bag or in a preferred embodiment may contain formed teeth to assist the retention of the tea bag.

The connecting part which links the first part to the second part is intended to be a resilient member so that in use pressure can be maintained between the first part and the second part in order to retain the tea bag which is held in place by the first part. The pressure applied by the first part to the tea bag is balanced by an equivalent pressure developed between the outside of the container and the second part. In use the tension so developed is maintained either by the resilience of the connecting part or the provision of an additional resilient member.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :Figure 1 Is a preferred embodiment of the invention showing a clip with teabag retaining teeth and a first and second part which are of unequal length.

Figure 2, Shows an alternate design where the first part is curved and a grab portion is provided to assist in the removal of the tea clip from a container.

Figure 3, This shows another alternate design which lends itself to a plastic moulding process.

Figure 4, Illustrates a variation on the design shown in figure 1 however this design is more suitable for forming from sheet material of any kind including stainless steel.

Figure 5, shows the clip illustrated in figure 4 in use in a cup, the teabag is not shown but when present would be retained by the teeth which form the gripper portion.

Figure 6, Is an alternate design which incorporates all of the elements previously described with additional elements and introduces the option for a centre pivot point. It shows teeth which may or may not be present.

Referring now to Figure 1, This shows a tea clip which can be produced by any means including forming it from a flat sheet of any material the preferred means is a plastic moulding. The first part 1, contains water circulation holes 5, and may have teeth 4 which are intended for gripping a tea bag. The second part 2 is much shorter than the first part and is intended, in use, to rest against the outside of the container. The connecting part 3, which may be a continuation of the first and second parts and which joins the first part to the second part is resilient and in use rests on the lip or rim of the container. The resilient connecting part 3, allows the teeth 4, in use, to maintain pressure on the tea bag holding it against the inside side wall of the container preferably below the surface of the liquid in the container. The said first part is illustrated with teeth 4, but there are other embodiments without teeth where the tea bag is retained by pressure between the first part and the side of the container. A flat surface at 3, can be used for applying branding.

Figure 2 is an alternate design which can be cut or pressed from flat sheet and has the same functionality as the embodiment illustrated in figure 1, except that there is a grab portion 6 attached to the connecting part which a user may hold in order to remove the tea clip from the container.

Figure 3 Is another design with the same functionality as the previous embodiments but is intended for a moulding process.

Figure 4 Is a variation on figure 1 intended for forming from a flat sheet of either metal or plastic though the preferred material is stainless steel. It is shown in place on a cup but the tea bag is not illustrated. In use the tea bag would normally be located between the first part and the inside wall of the cup or container. The tea bag would be gripped by the teeth 4 to keep it in place or the tea bag would be held in place by pressure from the first part in the absence of teeth 4.

Figure 5 simply shows the invention in use in place in a typical cup though the tea bag is not shown here.

Figure 6 is a different embodiment where the connecting part 3 may be moulded into the shape so that this embodiment consists of one piece of material using the natural resilience of the material. Or, the connecting part may be two parts a and b which are pivoted or hinged at point 8 and made to be resilient by use of a separate resilient member not shown. Such embodiments may also contain two grab portions 6a and 6b each of which are extensions of the first and second parts 1 and 2 giving the design a pivoted action centred around the pivot point 8. This embodiment would therefore consist of first and second parallel arms connected together by pivotal means 8 on or near their centres. The first parallel arm has a first part 1 equivalent in function to the first part previously described in this specification connected in linear fashion to a grab portion 6a and a pivot point 3a located between the first part and the grab portion. The second parallel arm has a second part 2 which is equivalent in function to the second part previously described in this specification connected in linear fashion to a grab portion 6b and a pivot point 3b located between the first part and the grab portion. In this pivoted action squeezing together the two grab portions 6a and 6b will open the first and second parts. Teeth 4 which are optional are shown mounted on the first part for the purpose of gripping a tea bag. In this embodiment the shape of the connecting part at point 8 may vary to control the resilience required where no separate resilient member is used.

It will be understood that there can be many different embodiments which are not show in the drawings all of which would include the features described here in this specification as a first part, a second part and a connecting part.

Claims (9)

1. A tea bag retaining clip consisting of a first part a second part and a connecting part which parts in combination and in use secure a tea bag against the inner side wall of a cup or other drinks container so that the said tea bag is retained against the inner side wall of the said container whilst the liquid contents of the said container are consumed.

2. A tea bag retaining clip according to claim 1 where a first part and a second part are joined together by a connecting part to form a II shape so that in use when placed on the side of a container the said first part is inside the said container and the said second part is outside the container and the said connecting part is resting upon the rim of the said container.

3. A tea bag retaining clip according to claim 2 where the said connecting part is also a resilient member which is a continuation of the said first and second parts so that all three parts are one single continuous component so shaped as to form the said three parts.

4. A tea bag retaining clip according to claim 2 where the said connecting part is a hinge element connecting the said first and second parts together and where a separate resilient member is included and where the said hinge element may consist of two halves which connect together pivotally and where each half is a feature which is formed into the first and second parts respectively.

5. A tea bag retaining clip according to any previous claim where the said resilient member is intended to maintain pressure between the said first and second parts so that in use pressure is maintained upon the said tea bag ensuring that the tea bag is retained against the side of the said container.

6. A tea bag retaining clip according to any previous claim which includes a grab portion attached to the connecting part.

7. A tea bag retaining clip according to any previous claim where the said grab portion may be a single element attached to the connecting part or two elements which are extensions of the said first and second parts.

8. A tea bag retaining clip according to any previous claim where the first part which in use is inside of the said container includes means for gripping the said tea bag.

9. A tea bag retaining clip according to any previous claim where the first part may contain water circulation holes.