BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an integrated beverage infuser and lid for use with a drinking vessel in accordance with the principles of the invention, showing the brewing basket in a deployed position.
FIG. 2 is a sectional, side elevational view, taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.
FIGS. 3
a and 3b are side elevational views of the integrated beverage infuser and lid showing the brewing basket in both a deployed position, and a retracted or stowed position, respectively. FIG. 3c is a bottom, left perspective view of the integrated beverage infuser and lid shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b with the brewing basket in the stowed position. FIG. 3d is a top left perspective view of the integrated beverage infuser and lid in an inverted position, shown with the brewing basket opened for receipt of a consumable brewing product, such as loose tea.
FIGS. 4
a, 4b, and 4c are side elevational views of an alternate embodiment of the invention showing the brewing basket with the fulcrum in an alternate location.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
An integrated beverage infuser and lid in accordance with the principles of the invention are generally indicated at reference numeral 10 in the various Figures of the attached drawings, wherein numbered elements in the Figures correspond to like-numbered elements herein.
As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lid 10 includes a substantially cylindrical main body 12 having a substantially planar upper portion 14, defining a drinking aperture 16 and a venting aperture 18. The main body also has a substantially annular sidewall, 20 defining a transverse axle bearing or sleeve 22 adjacent the drinking aperture 16. The annular sidewall 20 terminates in a circumferential lip 24, which, together with the annular sidewall, and planar upper portion defines a downwardly directed, generally open-ended cavity 26 for removable receipt of a perforated brewing basket 30 in a stowed position substantially within the cavity 26, as shown in FIGS. 3b, 3c, and 3d; and a deployed position, below and substantially outside of the cavity 26, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3a.
The main body 12 of the lid 10 is preferably provided with external threads 32 on an exterior surface of the annular sidewall 20 such that the lid can be received in an insulated tumbler or the like 34, shown in FIGS. 4a, 4b, and 4c. Those of ordinary skill in the art are well aware of other means for removably securing the lid 10 to the insulated tumbler 34, such as a bayonet mount, press fit, and the like, any of which is suitable for removably joining the lid to the tumbler in a leakproof, fluid-tight configuration.
The lid 10 is provided with a transfer mechanism generally indicated at reference numeral 40 including an elongated lever arm 44 having a first end 46 pivotally connected to the brewing basket 30, and a second end 48 connected to a transverse axle 50 that is journalled for rotation within the axle bearing 22 in the annular sidewall 20 of the main body 12 so as to penetrate the main body and be fixedly attached to an actuating lever 52 or the like, which is external to the main body 12. As will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, rotating the actuating lever 52 applies a torque to the axle 50, thus rotating the lever arm 44 in either a clockwise fashion, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, so as to deploy the basket 30, or a counterclockwise fashion so as to raise the basket to the stowed position shown in FIGS. 3c and 4a. In order to stow the brewing basket 30 in a substantially nested position shown in FIGS. 3b, 3c, and 4a, the brewing basket 30 is provided with a fulcrum 56 on a distal edge of the basket with respect to the transverse axle 50 and first end 46 of the lever arm 44 for urging against an interior surface such as circumferential lip 24 of the main body 12. By selecting the length of the lever arm 44 as long as possible, (i.e., a lever arm distance—the distance defined between the transverse axle 50 and the first end 46 of the lever arm 44) and minimizing a fulcrum distance, defined as a distance between the first end 46 and the distal edge or fulcrum 56, the deployment distance of the brewing basket into hot water or the like contained within the insulating tumbler 34 is maximized. Such a configuration is optimized for brewing as it is desirable to place the brewing basket as close to the middle of the volume of hot water as possible. Nevertheless, this geometric configuration maximizes the torque on the transverse axle 50 and actuating lever 52 in a possibly disadvantageous manner. An example of an alternate embodiment of the invention employing a different configuration using an alternate geometry is shown in FIGS. 4a through 4c, in which the fulcrum 56 of the brewing basket 30 reacts against a protrusion 58 adjacent the upper surface portion 14 of the lid 10. In this configuration, it is preferable to manufacture the lever arm 44 from a sturdy material, such as stainless steel or a metal wire, as shown in FIG. 2 because of the increased torque applied to the lever arm.
Conversely, by minimizing the length of the lever arm 44 and maximizing the fulcrum distance between the first end 46 thereof and the fulcrum 56, torque on the axle 50 and actuating lever 52 is minimized. Consequently, the deployment distance will be greatly shortened and the effectiveness of the infusion process will be hampered. The applicants herein have discovered that a preferred distance between the lever arm's first end and the axle or axle bearing is approximately twice that of the fulcrum distance. In this configuration, the deployment distance of the basket is sufficient to provide proper infusion of hot water within the tumbler 34, while not placing an excessive torque on the transverse axle 50 or actuating lever 52. By controlling these parameters, the designer may depart from the specific embodiment shown herein with respect to the particular configuration of the lever arm 44 for the materials used in connection therewith. By way of example and not limitation, the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 employs a lever arm 44 in the form of a yoke having two second ends 48, each journalled for rotation within the annular sidewall 20 of the main body 12. In this embodiment, the torque is not so great and the geometric structure of the lever arm 44 is sufficiently robust so as to permit construction of the lever arm 44 from either metal or a polymer material. Conversely, the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4a through 4c are preferably manufactured with either a thickened lever arm 44, manufactured from a polymer such as thermoplastic, or a stronger material such as metal, due to the relatively short fulcrum distance between the first end 46 of the lever arm 44 and the fulcrum 56.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3a through 3d, the brewing basket 30 is perforated throughout its exterior and is generally cylindrical in configuration. The brewing basket preferably has a substantially planar ceiling 60 connected to a downwardly depending circumferential sidewall 62. The basket includes a circular door 64 attached to the circumferential sidewall by a hinge 66 attached at one edge thereof. The fulcrum 56 on the distal edge of the basket is preferably a rolled-over portion of the door 64 to provide a circular bearing surface against the circumferential lip 24, as best seen in FIG. 3b.
In use, the user would turn the lid 10 upside down as shown in FIG. 3d and open the basket 30, as shown, to prepare the lid 10 for receipt of a consumable, brewable product, such as tea, (e.g., loose), a teabag, or a coffee brewing packet. The user would then close the door 66 such that the rolled-over portion at the fulcrum 56 will engage a tab 68 in a latching configuration so as to maintain the door 64 in a closed position. As shown in FIG. 3c, the user would then invert the entire lid 10 and connect the lid to a tumbler prefilled with hot water as shown in FIG. 4a. The user would then rotate the actuating lever 52 in a clockwise direction shown in FIG. 4b to deploy the basket 30 into the hot water contained within the insulated tumbler 34. Upon completion of an appropriate brewing time, the user would then counterrotate the actuating lever 52 in a counterclockwise direction to the position shown in FIG. 4a to terminate the brewing process. The main body 12 is preferably provided with a protrusion or pip 69 receivable in a corresponding detent in the actuating lever to selectively maintain the brewing basket 30 in the stowed position.
The lid 10 is also preferably provided with an external, articulated cap 70 having a drinking aperture plug 72 for sealing the drinking aperture 16 when the cap 70 is in the closed position, as shown in FIG. 4a. The cap 70 may be positioned as shown in FIGS. 4b and 4c to an open position to allow the user to drink from the drinking aperture 16. The venting aperture 18 is preferably positioned sufficiently distant from the drinking aperture 16 so that the user's lips do not cover the same. In this manner, air pressure within the tumbler will be equalized when fluid is removed from the drinking aperture 16.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will conceive of other embodiments of this invention upon reviewing this disclosure. For example, the actuating lever 52 may be in the form of a knob, dial, or the like, depending on the torque experienced by the transverse axle 50, which is dependent upon the ratio of the lever arm distance to the fulcrum distance. The materials used in construction of the lid 10 and basket 30, while presumably food-grade thermoplastic materials and stainless steel, respectively, are within the discretion of those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, the specific configuration of the external, articulated cap 70 forms no part of this invention and is subject to modification by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit of this invention. Thus, the invention is not to be limited to the above description, but is to be determined in scope by the claims that follow.
Patent Application
20080060526
