Patent Application
20120132651
The present invention relates generally to a teacup cover, and, more specifically, to a teacup cover for holding and securing a teabag string, and for facilitating squeezing liquid from a teabag after use.
When drinking tea, a teabag is placed within the hot liquid contained within the teacup, and a string and tag attached to the teabag can be used to bob the teabag in and out of the hot liquid, or the string and tag can be draped over the teacup edge, leaving the teabag in the teacup. The purpose of the string and tag is to allow the drinker to easily bob and/or remove the teabag in/from the hot liquid without having to scoop the teabag out with a spoon. However, the teabag often sinks to the bottom of the teacup and pulls the string and tag into the water, leaving the drinker helpless and unable to bob the teabag in the water or remove the teabag without using a spoon.
Once a drinker does remove the teabag from the teacup, after determining that it has been properly steeped, there is often an attempt to squeeze the remaining liquid out of the teabag and into the cup. A common approach is that the teabag is pressed against the inside of the cup by a spoon, or is held on a spoon while the string is wrapped around the teabag and the spoon. However, both of these approaches are generally inadequate and difficult to perform; often resulting in liquid being spilled.
Once the majority of the liquid has been extracted from the teabag, the drinker faces the problem of disposing the teabag. In many instances, this involves placing the teabag on a plate or elsewhere, allowing the remaining liquid to leak out of the teabag and creating potential for a further mess.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome one or more of the above-described drawbacks and/or disadvantages of the prior art.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages and shortcomings of the prior art by providing an improved cup cover.
In preferred embodiments, the cup cover comprises a base having a first slit extending from an edge of the base toward a center of the base; and a protrusion extending from the base, the first slit is configured to receive a string, the protrusion is divided into a first half and a second half by a through-slot, the through-slot is configured to receive the string, and the first half and the second half secure the string therebetween.
One advantage of the present invention is that it provides a cup cover which can secure the string of a teabag. Another advantage is that the cup cover can be used to squeeze liquid from a teabag into the teacup. Yet another advantage is that the cup cover can retain excess liquid that may drip from the teabag.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention and/or of the currently preferred embodiments thereof will become more readily apparent in view of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
For a complete understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to
In the embodiment of
The radial slit 112 extends from the edge 108 radially inward toward the center of the base 102. Specifically, the radial slit 112 extends through the base 102, from the top surface 106 to the bottom surface 110 thereof, which allows an object, e.g., a teabag string, to extend through the base 102. In some embodiments, the radial slit 112 extends inward approximately ¾ of an inch and is a few millimeters wide. The radial slit 112 is configured to accommodate a teabag string. The teabag string can be inserted into the radial slit 112 whereby the teabag is below the base 102 while a portion of the teabag string is above the base 102. Thus, the teabag string can extend through the base 102. In some embodiments, the radial slit 112 includes a plurality of chamfered edges 114 connecting the edge 108 with the radial slit 112. The chamfered edges 114 provide an opening towards the radial slit 112 to facilitate inserting a teabag string into the radial slit 112.
The divided protrusion 104 extends from the central portion of the base 102, and the divided protrusion 104 is connected to the base 102 by the fillet 116. Preferably, the divided protrusion 104 and the base 102 are monolithically formed as a single unit. The divided protrusion 104 generally acts as a handle for the teacup cover 100, facilitating handling of the teacup cover 100. Specifically, the divided protrusion 104 can be grasped to place the teacup cover 100 on a teacup or to remove the teacup cover 100 from a teacup. The divided protrusion 104 is generally cylindrical in shape and separated into a first protrusion half 104a and a second protrusion half 104b. The first protrusion half 104a and the second protrusion half 104b are generally half-cylindrical in shape and are separated by a through-slot 122. In the exemplary embodiment, the first protrusion half 104a and the second protrusion half 104b are mirrored structures, and, as such, have identical and matching elements. However, it should be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art, that the first protrusion half 104a and the second protrusion half 104b do not have to be identical structures but may each have their own respective design based on a particular use or need. For example, the first protrusion half 104a may be contoured to include a singular imprint, while the second protrusion half 104b may be contoured to include multiple imprints which would facilitate in gripping the divided protrusion 104. The top of the divided protrusion 104 could include indicia or a design.
The first protrusion half 104a includes a first radial wall 124, a first top 126, and a first inner wall 128 (see
The second protrusion half 104b includes a second radial wall 132, a second top 134, and a second inner wall 136 (see
It should be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that while the first protrusion half 104a and the second protrusion half 104b are shown, and described, to have a semicircular shape, in other embodiments, they may have varying shapes and/or sizes. For example, there may be any one of a numerous amount of geometric shapes or contoured shapes, all of which would be appropriate and are considered herein. Further, the through-slot 122 of the divided protrusion 104 may be a vertical slot, a horizontal slot, or a slanted slot, or may be in the form of a retaining member such as a recess or a notch.
Referring to
The first protrusion half 104a and the second protrusion half 104b are configured to be adjacent such that the first inner wall 128 and the second inner wall 136 are substantially parallel, a first end 129 of the first inner wall 128 and a first end 131 of the second inner wall 136 are connected by a connecting member 140. The connecting member 140 acts to connect the first protrusion half 104a with the second protrusion half 104b, so as to integrally form a single divided protrusion 104 which is liquid tight and attached to the base 102. The connecting member 140 further provides a location at which the base 102 can bend.
In some embodiments, the teacup cover 100 is monolithically formed from a flexible material such as silicone, which may be achieved through injection molding. However, it should be understood that any other material may be utilized. Such a construction, and material, provide a flexibility to the teacup cover 100 that is advantageous during use. Specifically, the base 102 can be folded and bent at the connecting member 140. This allows a user to squeeze an associated teabag with the teacup cover 100. When the teacup cover 100 is bent, the first protrusion half 104a and the second protrusion half 104b separate while the connecting member 140 keeps the two halves connected. Another benefit of using silicone is the heat insulating characteristics it possesses. Specifically, an aspect of the present invention is that the teacup cover 100 retains heat within the beverage. Silicone will act to minimize the heat loss of an associated beverage.
Referring to
When a user 170 has determined that the teabag 160 has been in the teacup 150 for enough time, the user can remove the teacup cover 100 by first gripping the first protrusion half 104a and the second protrusion half 104b, and then lifting the teacup cover 100 up. This motion will result in the teabag 160 being lifted with the teacup cover 100, while the teabag 160 is held over the teacup 150 and allowed to drip. The teabag string 162 can then be pulled so that the teabag 160 is held tight to the teacup cover 100. The teacup cover 100 can then be tilted, as shown in
At this point, the majority of the liquid 152 has been removed from the teabag 160 and the teabag 160 can be disposed. Due to the shape of the teabag cover 100, the teabag 160 can be held therein and any remaining liquid 152 will be caught in the first void 130 and the second void 138 while the teabag 160 is transported to a garbage. Thus, no liquid 152 is spilled or dripped during disposal of the teabag 160.
It will be understood that the embodiments of the present invention described herein are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make many variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. For example, the present invention could include any retaining mechanism to hold the string in place. All such variations and modifications, including those discussed above, are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
This application claims priority to and is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/379,998, filed on Nov. 29, 2010, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 29379998 | Nov 2010 | US |
| Child | 13075829 | US |
