Patent Application
20190029449
The present invention relates to methods and devices for brewing, infusion and consumption of tea, herbs, coffee and other botanicals. The invention also relates to drinking straw designs and to a lesser extend to vaporizers and inhalators.
Tea and herbs have been used for thousands of years to infuse water and other liquids. Over the years many world cultures have developed deep-rooted traditions, procedures and tools for preparing and drinking of these plant liquids. As a result of this cultural heritage, recent innovations in the tea industry have been somehow limited. For example, the last major innovation in the field was the invention of the tea bag by Thomas Sullivan in 1908. It was a revolutionary idea providing ease and simplicity of brewing. Unfortunately, most tea innovation since then have been improvements in materials and shape of the tea bag. For example, William Hermanson invented heat-sealed paper tea bags in 1930, Lipton Tea Company patented the so-called “flo-thru” bag, which has four sides instead of two in 1952, Tetley launched the round tea bag in 1992, Brooke Bond invented the pyramid tea bag shape in 1997. In recent years, ‘tea socks’ have become popular amongst some full-leaf tea drinkers.
The coffee industry, on the other hand, has been a good example of innovation. For example, new roasting and brewing techniques, creative retail shops and packaging were developed. Some notable innovations in this area include: the French press invented in the 1850's; the Espresso machine created in 1822; Emerson's vacuum brewer invented in 1922; Nespresso brewing machine and capsules designed in 1996; “The Clover”, an automated French press, capable of making a hot beverage in less than 60 seconds introduced in 2006 by The Coffee Equipment Company; and the BKON brewing machine that infuses coffee, tea and other substances invented by Vastardis in 2013.
Drinking straws, first introduced by Sumerians around 3,000 B.C.E, have skyrocketed in popularity during the last century. There have been innovations in the materials, shape and functionality of the straw. In addition, numerous suggestions of integrating flavoring agents into straws have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,538 by Villani et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,861 by D'Auguste et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 2,867,536 by Mead et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,770 by Harvey; U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,595 by Guttag; U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,713 by FolWer; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 332,198 by Goodman Jr.; US. Pat. No. US 2003/0203075 A1 by Sutherland et. al.; US. Pat. No. US 2003/0087005 A1 by Rothwell et. al.; and US. Pat. No. US 2003/0042324 A1 Sughrue et. al.
Presently, straws are mostly used for cold drinks as the majority of the designs do not address the discomfort and risk of mount burn when hot drinks are consumed. Nevertheless, there have been some suggestions to tackle these issues (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 7,537,173 B1 by Kogan; U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,777 B2 by Float et. al.).
Another recent development is the increased use of vaporizers and e-cigarettes as a substitute to conventional tobacco smoking. Many devices with all shapes and forms have been introduced. Most of these devices are battery or gas heated and use glycerin-based flavoring agents. There are also dry herb vaporizers, which use conduction or convection methods to vaporize the herbs. While vaporizers and e-cigarettes are considerably better choice than the regular cigarettes they can still have adverse effects on our health.
All of the above-mentioned examples indicate that a need clearly exists for products and methods for brewing, infusion and consumption of botanical substances that provide innovative solutions, quality improvements and new customer experiences.
The present invention can be described as a novelty device and method for brewing, infusion, flavor extraction, drinking and inhalation of tea, herbs, coffee and other botanicals. It integrates three devices, namely an infuser, a straw, and an inhalator, into one compact, multi-functional device that uses a variable-pressure, multi-stage, multi-layer infusion and flavor extraction method. The invention creates a completely new experience allowing users to fully enjoy the flavors of botanical substances in both liquid and gas (vapor) forms. The device features a nested design comprising:
The proposed device can be used as a botanical brewer and infuser. In this case, the user immerses the device in a glass of liquid and the infusion starts. The device can also be conventionally used as a drinking straw wherein the user draws the liquid with it. Finally, the same device can be utilized as an inhalator. In this case the user pulls the device out of the liquid and inhales from it. The aroma extraction is immediate.
The invention with its main components is best understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings:
We propose a novelty device and method for brewing, infusion, flavor extraction, drinking and inhalation of tea, herbs, coffee, and other botanicals. The device integrates an infuser, a straw, and an inhalator, into one compact, multi-functional device that uses a variable-pressure, multi-stage, multi-layer infusion and flavor extraction method. The invention creates a completely new experience allowing users to fully enjoy the flavors of botanical substances in both liquid and gas (vapor) forms. In addition, the device addresses some of the limitations in the existing packaging and usage of the abovementioned botanical substances as well as straw designs and liquid infusion methods.
It has been a challenge for tea, herbs, coffee and other botanical substances that are in natural, grinded, shredded or dried form to be successfully integrated in a straw design. This is due to their specific properties and requirements, namely a volume expansion when soaked, a temperature requirement for infusion, a change of flavor when substances are compressed and a need for some sort of filtering. No previous art is known to successfully solve these issues in a straw design.
Our solution to these challenges is a compact device of nested members comprising:
It should be noted that the flow and infusion regulators as well as the temperature meter add extra features to the device. However, the device can also work without them.
In addition, the following clarifications should be made:
The proposed device can be used as a botanical brewer and infuser. In this case, the user first removes one of the infusion chamber caps and fills the chamber with botanical(s) (in stacks) with the help of a funnel. The user then closes the chamber with the cap and immerses the device into a reservoir of liquid so that a part of the device is above the liquid level. The infusion slowly begins in the section of the device that is below the liquid line. This is the initial first stage infusion, which is very similar to the one observed when a tea bag is placed in a glass of liquid.
The device can also be conventionally used as a drinking straw. In this case, the user starts drawing the liquid with it, creating a negative pressure inside the infusion chamber and rod bore pulling the slightly infused liquid and further infusing it with the botanical substance(s) above the liquid line. This is a second stage infusion characterized with a rapid extraction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are the building blocks of the aroma. Because of the close proximity to our receptors and the encapsulation of these VOC gases the complexity and intensity of the aroma is enhanced. The liquid absorption with non-volatile compounds, which are associated with the sense of taste, is also enhanced because of the variable-pressure environment inside the infusion chamber. In particular, a cyclical reduction in pressure is observed when the liquid is drawn and subsequently left to balance with the atmospheric pressure.
The infusion can also be multi-layered. Instead of mixing all botanicals into one substance and blend their flavors we can stack them in the infusion chamber. This allows the substances to semi-independently brew and infuse, releasing complex blends of tastes and aromas. The type of substances, their volumes, layer positions and the speed of drawing all affect the final flavor.
Finally, the same device can be utilized as an inhalator. In this case the user pulls the device out of the water and starts inhaling from it. The aroma extraction is immediate.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62538709 | Jul 2017 | US |
