US20090214714A1

US20090214714A1 - Instant teacup

Info

Publication number: US20090214714A1
Application number: US12/036,700
Authority: US
Inventors: Hsin-Chieh LI
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-02-25
Filing date: 2008-02-25
Publication date: 2009-08-27

Abstract

An instant teabag includes a cup and a teabag. The cup includes an open end and a closed end. The teabag includes a sealed perimeter and receives a content. The sealed perimeter is fixed to an inner face of the closed end at at least one point. A cotton yarn includes an end fixed to the sealed perimeter at another point opposite to the at least one point. A piece of paper is fixed to the other end of the cotton yarn. The tealeaves or powder in the teabag can expand or spread when water is poured into the cup. Furthermore, a user can move the yarn and hence the teabag with a slight force to expand or spread the tealeaves or tea powders in the teabag. The teabag can be pulled off the closed end of the cup.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an instant teacup and, more particularly, to an instant teacup including a teabag fixed to a closed end thereof Applicant's Taiwan Utility Model No. M240933 discloses a teacup including a cup and a teabag. The teabag includes a sealed perimeter fixed by heating or high frequency waves at a point to an inner face of the closed end of the cup. The teabag floats when hot water is poured into the cup, as the teabag is only fixed at one point. The tealeaves or tea powder in the teabag can spread and, thus, obtain the desired brewing effect. However, the teabag will not move after a period of time if no further water is poured into the cup. Furthermore, the teabag is fixed to the closed end of the teabag and, thus, difficult to remove when it is desired to discard the teabag.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An instant teabag according to the preferred teachings of the present invention includes a cup and a teabag. The cup includes an open end and a closed end. The teabag includes a sealed perimeter and receives a content. The sealed perimeter is fixed to an inner face of the closed end at at least one point. A cotton yarn includes an end fixed to the sealed perimeter at another point opposite to the at least one point. A piece of paper is fixed to the other end of the cotton yarn. The tealeaves or powder in the teabag can expand or spread when water is poured into the cup. Furthermore, a user can move the yarn and hence the teabag with a slight force to expand or spread the tealeaves or tea powders in the teabag. The teabag can be pulled off the closed end of the cup.
The present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of this invention described in connection with the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The illustrative embodiment may best be described by reference to the accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of an instant teacup according to the preferred teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the instant teabag of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the teabag of FIG. 1, illustrating use of the instant teabag.

All figures are drawn for ease of explanation of the basic teachings of the present invention only; the extensions of the Figures with respect to number, position, relationship, and dimensions of the parts to form the preferred embodiment will be explained or will be within the skill of the art after the following teachings of the present invention have been read and understood. Further, the exact dimensions and dimensional proportions to conform to specific force, weight, strength, and similar requirements will likewise be within the skill of the art after the following teachings of the present invention have been read and understood.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, an instant teabag according to the preferred teachings of the present invention includes a cup 1 and a teabag 2. The cup 1 is a heat-resistant container of any shape and made of paper or plastic material. The cup 1 includes an open end 11 and a closed end 12. The teabag 2 can be placed into the cup 1 via the open end 11. The open end 11 includes a notch 111 in an end edge thereof The teabag 2 includes two layers that are made of a material selecting from a group consisting of non-woven cloth, paper, plastic material, or a combination thereof The layers are processed to form a bag having a sealed perimeter 22 receiving a content 21 such as instant food, health-aid products, or beverage including sheet-like or powder tealeaves, coffee, cocoa, flower, herb, vegetable. The sealed perimeter 22 of the teabag 2 is fixed by heating or high frequency waves at at least one point 23 to an inner face of the closed end 12 of the cup 1. An end of a cotton yarn 24 is fixed to another point of the sealed perimeter 24 opposite to the fixed point 23 of the teabag 2. The other end of the cotton yarn 24 can be attached to a piece of paper 25 for easy gripping. The cotton yarn 24 can be retained in the notch 111 such that the teabag 2 can be floatingly fixed in a desired position.
With reference to FIG. 3, a user can grip the piece of paper 25 and move the teabag 2 with a slight force such that the tealeaves or tea powders in the teabag 2 can completely expand or spread. The teabag 2 can be pulled off the closed end 12 of the cup 1 when the user grips the piece of paper 25 and applies a large force to pull the teabag 2 upward. Thus, the teabag 2 can be easily removed and discarded for environmental protection purposes.
Thus since the invention disclosed herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or general characteristics thereof, some of which forms have been indicated, the embodiments described herein are to be considered in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is to be indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.

Claims

1. An instant teabag comprising:

a cup including an open and a closed end, with the closed end having an inner face; and

a teabag including a sealed perimeter and receiving a content, with the sealed perimeter being fixed to the inner face of the closed end at at least one point, with a cotton yarn including an end fixed to the sealed perimeter at another point opposite to said at least one point.

2. The instant teacup as claimed in claim 1, with the open end of the cup further including a notch for retaining the cotton yarn.

3. The instant teacup as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a piece of paper fixed to another end of the cotton yard for gripping.