GB2583955A

GB2583955A - Tea bag assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2583955A
Application number: GB1906871.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Milne Downie Donald
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2019-05-15
Filing date: 2019-05-15
Publication date: 2020-11-18
Also published as: GB201906871D0

Abstract

A tea bag assembly comprising a tea bag (6) with a thread (2) extending therefrom, the thread being bonded to a first side of the tea bag (8), and at least one other surface of the tea bag having a hook (12) through which the thread extends to retain the thread in a loop formation around the tea bag. The thread may also be releasably tacked to another surface of the tea bag. The thread may also extend through a tab (14) that is slidable along the thread to engage with and squeeze the tea bag. The tab may be made of waterproofed corrugated card or paper and be thermally insulative and may be foldable so as to form a V-shape. The bag may comprise a rectangular shape (figure 5A) or a pyramidal shape (figure 5B).

Description

Tea bag assembly

Field of invention

The present invention relates to a tea bag assembly. More especially the invention relates to a tea bag assembly that includes means attached to the tea bag to expel excess fluid from the tea bag once it removed from the cup.

Backqround to the invention Tea is one of the most widely drank hot drinks in the world. In many countries of the world, tea is provided in tea bags. One disadvantage with the use of tea bags is the variable concentration of the flavour that is expelled through the tea bag, often in only a short period of time. The available flavour from the tea leaves within the bag is seldom maximised in the resulting cup of tea.

A further disadvantage concerns the excess liquid around the tea bag when it is removed from the cup which often drips on to the surrounding surface when the tea bag is removed from the cup. In an attempt to avoid drippage, one will often use a spoon to remove the tea bag. This can though accentuate the aforesaid first disadvantage, as the tea bag is too hot to be touched and much the flavour available remains in the tea leaves within the un-squeezed tea bag.

So called "tag and string" tea bags are known which include a thread bonded to the tea bag to allow the tea bag to be lifted from the cup once the user is happy that the tea is of the desired strength however the thread is delicate and only really useful for removing the tea bag. The thread is not able to squeeze the tea bag to remove excess liquid or release more flavour. There is a no mechanism to allow squeezing of the tea bag to expel excess fluid or release further flavour.

It is often the case that the use of the tag and thread to lift the tea bag often results in actually causing more spillage and drippage because the tea bag is left hanging with uncontrolled movement while the bag is removed. Moreover it is difficult to place the tea bag in desired location following its removal as the tea bag is still hot to the touch.

The present invention seeks to provide a tea bag that is easily squashed and squeezed to allow the consumer to expel excess fluid from the tea bag at the time it is removed from the cup so that as much as possible of the flavour from the tea leaves is transferred into the drink and such that the tea bag no longer drips when being transferred to the bin.

Statements of invention

According to a first aspect on the invention there is provided a tea bag assembly comprising a tea bag having at least two sides and a thread extending therefrom, the thread having an end which is bonded to a first side of the tea bag and at least one other surface of the tea bag having a hook through which the thread extends to retain the thread in a loop formation around the tea bag.

Preferably the or each hook comprises a piece of thread bonded at each end to 20 the side surface of the tea bag to form a loop.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a tea bag assembly comprising a tea bag having at least two sides and a thread extending therefrom, the thread having an end which is bonded to a first side of the tea bag and wherein part of the thread is tacked in a releasable manner to a second opposing side of the tea bag.

Preferably the thread extends through a tab that is slidable along the thread to engage with, and squeeze the tea bag.

Preferably the tab is made from a thermally insulative material. Preferably the tab is made from flute corrugated paper or card.

Preferably at least one face of the tab is coated with a waterproof material.

Preferably the tab is foldable so as to form a V-shape in order to squeeze the bag.

Preferably the tab comprises two sections that overlap and are bonded at the overlap either side of the centre.

Preferably the apparatus further comprises an end tab located at the distal end of the thread.

Brief description of the drawings

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures in which: Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of the invention used in conjunction with a flat tea bag; Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of the embodiment used in conjunction with a pyramid tea bag; Figure 3 is perspective view of a squeeze tab of the invention; Figure 4 is a side view of the squeeze tag when folded; Figures 5A and 5B are perspective views showing the invention in use on a flat tea bag; Figure 6 is a perspective of a tea bag assembly constructed in accordance with a second embodiment when applied to flat and pyramid tea bags; and Figure 7 is a perspective of a tea bag assembly constructed in accordance with a third embodiment when applied to a pyramid tea bag.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

Figure 1 is a schematic illustration showing the general components of the invention. The components comprise a length of thread 2 at one end of which is attached an end tab 4.

The thread 2 is preferably made from cotton but could be of any similar material.

The end tab 4 is made of card or similar material and is of a design already widely used with conventional tag and string tea bags, for example. The end tab 4 typically carries the brand to identify the origin of the product.

The other end of the thread 2 is attached, for example tacked or bonded, to a tea bag 6. The tea bag 6 shown in figure 1 is a conventional square or rectangular flat tea bag 6. One point 8 of the thread 2 is tacked to a first side of the tea bag 6 near its top (the top being the end facing upwards toward the end tab 4 during use). The thread 2 extends down the length of the tea bag 6, around its base and up the other side. The end of the thread 2 is then bonded to that side (the rear side when viewing figure 1) of the tea bag 6 near the top, at a point 12 generally opposite the tack point 8. As a result, the thread 2 provides a loop arrangement around the tea bag 6.

Attached to the thread 2, between the end tab 4 and the tea bag 6, is provided a squeeze tab 14, the structure and purpose of which will be described below.

Figure 2 illustrates the invention of figure 1 but applied to a pyramid-style tea bag 16. In order to provide a loop arrangement in the same way as for flat tea bags, a point 18 of the thread 2 is again tacked to the top of a first face 20 of the tea bag 16. The thread 2 then extends generally diagonally across the first face and around a first side edge 22 after which the thread extends diagonally across the opposing face to the and around the base of the tea bag 16 generally at its centre. The thread 2 then extends diagonally across the first face 20 and back around the second side edge 24 before extending diagonally up the opposing face to a point 26 where it be bonded to the opposing face at the top of the tea bag 16 in a generally central location.

As will be explained later, it is the loop arrangement of the thread that provides the squeezing process of the bag when the squeeze tab 14 is utilised. The loop arrangement is held in place by the tack points 8, 18 prior to use of the tea bag 6, and the squeezing process relies on the tack point 8, 18 first being broken as the thread is pulled through the squeeze tab 14.

The assembly of the squeeze tab 14 will now be described with reference to figures 3 and 4.

The squeeze tab 14 comprises a composite structure made up of flute corrugated paper or card bonded to a waterproof layer. The flute corrugated paper or card provides a thermally insulative main structure which provides protection against the fingers of the user when the tab 14 is used to squeeze a tab bag 6, 16 that has just been removed from hot water.

The water proof layer preferably consists of a coating of heat transfer fluid such 20 as one marketed under the brand Paratherm®. In use the tab 14 is arranged such that the waterproof layer covers the face of the tab 14 that directly abuts the tea bag 6, 16 to be squashed The tab 14 comprises two generally rectangular sheet sections 28, 30 of the composite. The sheet sections 28, 30 overlap across their lateral axis and are bonded together at the overlap on either side of the centre (see bonding points 32). The centre of the overlapping edges is not bonded to allow a gap through which the thread 2 can extend. The gap is sufficiently large to allow the tab 14 to slide along the thread 2 when in use. The bonding points 32 either side of the centre ensure that the thread 2 is maintained within the tab 14 structure.

The end edge 34 of one composite section 28 includes a central V-shaped or U-shaped recess 36. The thread 2 extends along the length of tab 14 between the two composite seconds 28, 30. The thread 2 exits the tab 14 through the recess 36. In such a construction the squeeze tab 14 is able to slide along the thread 2 in use, between the end tab 4 and the tea bag 6, 16 (see figures 1 and 2).

As can be seen in figure 4, the first tab section 28 is foldable along the base of the recess 36 towards the second tab section 30 such the tab 14 forms V-shape. In use the tea bag 6, 16 is squeezed between the two sections 28, 30. The water proof layer is provided on the opposing inner face 38, 40 of each tab so that excess fluid squeezed from the tea bag 6, 16 is not absorbed into the tab 14 to weaken its structure. The thermal insulative properties of the tab sections 28, 30 prevent the user from burning their fingers when applying pressure to the outer surfaces of the section 28, 30 to thereby squeeze tea bag 6, 16 in between.

Branding may be provided on the squeeze tab 14 rather than, or addition to, the end tab 4. In an alternative embodiment, an end tab is not present.

Figures 5A and 5B show the apparatus in use to squeeze a flat rectangular tea bag 6 and a pyramid tea bag 16, respectively.

As can be seen the looped formation of the thread 2 around the tea bag 6, 16 causes the tea bag 6, 16 to be squeezed about its centre.

Once the tea bag 6, 16 is lifted from a cup (not shown) using the thread 2, the squeeze tab 14 is slid down the thread 2 (or the thread 2 is pulled upwardly through the tab 14) to the point at which the tab 14 abuts the top of the tea bag 6, 16. As the thread 2 is drawn upwardly through the tab 14 the thread is pulled away from the tea bag 6, 16 at the tack point 8, 18 to release the thread 2 from its first attachment and allow continued drawing of the thread 2 through the tab 14.

With the flat tea bag 6, the thread 2 is also tacked at a point 42 near the base of the bag which is also released as the squeeze tab 14 is utilised.

With the pyramid tea bag 16, the thread 2 is also tacked at three more points point 444, 46, 48 on the near the base and edges of the bag 16 all of which are also released as the squeeze tab 14 is utilised.

Once the tea bag 6, 16 is positioned between the two composite sections 28, 30 of the tab 14, the thread 2 maintains a loop 36 formation around the tea bag 6, 16 as the distal end of the thread 2 remains bonded to the rear face of the tea bag 6, 6, whilst the thread 2, although no longer tacked to the tea bag 6, 16 extends across the front face tea bag 6, 16 to and through the squeeze tab and thereafter to the end tab 4. Continued downward pressure on the tab 14 causes the sections 28, 30 to fold together over the tea bag 6, 16 thereby squeezing it.

Both the end tab 4 and the squeeze tab 14 may be tacked to the tea bag 6, 16 during storage and before use, in order to retain the thread 2 against the tea bag 6, 16 and preventing the thread 2 from accidentally breaking from the tea bag 6, 16 at its tack point 8, 18 before the tea bag 6, 16 is used.

Figure 6 shows a second embodiment in which a thread hook 50 is provided on the tea bag 6, 16 under which the thread 2 extends to retain the thread 10 in a loop formation against surface of the tea bag 6, 16. Each thread hook 50 comprises a piece of thread separate to the main thread 2 which is bonded to the surface of the tea bag 6, 16 at each end to form a loop or hook through and under which the main thread 2 can pass.

In this embodiment, the thread 2 does not need to be tacked onto the tea bag 6, 16 as the hooks retain the thread 2 around the tea bag 6, 16 in a loop formation both before and during squeezing.

The distal end of the thread 2 though remains bonded to the tea bag 6, 16. The bond point is shown as numeral 12.

Figure 7 shows a third alternative embodiment for an assembly for us with a pyramid tea bag 16. This embodiment also uses thread hooks rather than taking however the loop formation of the thread is maintained by a plurality of thread hooks 52, 54, 56 located strategically on three separate faces of the pyramid tea bag 16. It will be appreciated that two, or more than three thread hooks may be provided.

The end 12 of the thread 2 is bonded to the tea bag 16. Figure 7B shows the way in which the tea bag 16 is squeezed with the squeeze tab 14 not shown for clarity. It can be seen that the loop contracts around the centre of the tea bag 16 to fold the tea bag 16 into three parts. It will be understood, that the various embodiments described herein have been described by way of example only and that modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1 A tea bag assembly comprising a tea bag having at least two sides and a thread extending therefrom, the thread having an end which is bonded to a first side of the tea bag and at least one other surface of the tea bag having a hook through which the thread extends to retain the thread in a loop formation around the tea bag.
2 An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the or each hook comprises a piece of thread bonded at each end to the side surface of the tea bag to form a loop.
3 A tea bag assembly comprising a tea bag having at least two sides and a thread extending therefrom, the thread having an end which is bonded to a first side of the tea bag and wherein part of the thread is tacked in a releasable manner to a second opposing side of the tea bag.
4. An assembly according to any one of claims claim 1 to 3, wherein the thread extends through a tab that is slidable along the thread to engage with, and squeeze the tea bag.
5. An assembly according to claim 4, wherein the tab is made from a thermally insulative material.
6. An assembly according to claim 5, wherein the tab is made from flute corrugated paper or card.
7. An assembly according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein at least one face of the tab is coated with a waterproof material.
8. An assembly according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the tab is foldable so as to form a V-shape in order to squeeze the bag.
9 An assembly according to claim 8, wherein the tab comprises two sections that overlap and are bonded at the overlap either side of the centre.