| Preparing tea with the aid of a tea pad and a coffee maker -> Monitor Keywords |
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Preparing tea with the aid of a tea pad and a coffee makerRelated Patent Categories: Food Or Edible Material: Processes, Compositions, And Products, Foraminous Material Infusion Type, Or Foraminous Container Per SePreparing tea with the aid of a tea pad and a coffee maker description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080089982, Preparing tea with the aid of a tea pad and a coffee maker. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] The invention relates to a tea pad for preparing tea, more particularly at least one consumption unit of tea, with the aid of a coffee maker. The invention further relates to a method for preparing tea, more particularly at least one consumption unit of tea, with the aid of a coffee maker, while the coffee maker is provided with a holder for receiving at least one pad, the holder being provided with at least one outflow path and means for pressing hot water under pressure through the pad for obtaining an extract which leaves the holder via the outflow path. [0002] The invention further relates to an assembly of a holder comprising an inside space formed by a bottom and an upstanding sidewall of the holder, a pad received in the holder, which pad is filled with a product to be extracted, and a lid bounding the inside space of the holder with which the holder is closed off, while the holder is provided with an outflow path beginning in the bottom of the holder and ending outside the holder for dispensing the extract while, in use, hot water is fed to the holder and is pressed through the pad for obtaining the extract which, thereupon, leaves the pad and then leaves the inside space and the holder via the outflow path. [0003] The invention further relates to a coffee maker provided with a holder or a like assembly. [0004] The use of coffee makers with which coffee is prepared with the aid of a pad filled with ground coffee has strongly increased over the last years. Here, the Senseo coffee maker is involved. The coffee maker is provided to this end with a holder for receiving a pad and means for pressing hot water under pressure through the pad for obtaining a coffee extract. Preferably, a coffee maker is involved in which the applied pressure of the water is 1-2 bar. [0005] The object of the invention is to provide a tea pad so that it becomes possible to also prepare tea with such a coffee maker while the applied pressure of the water is preferably 1-2 bar. According to the invention, the tea pad is thereto provided with a covering such as filtering paper, which is at least partly transmissive to a liquid such as water and which is at least virtually non-transmissive to tea, while the covering comprises at least one space which is filled with tea. Here, it is preferred that the tea pad has a flat form. More particularly, the tea pad has the form of a disc. [0006] It further preferably holds that the tea in the space forms a tea bed with a flat form. More particularly it holds that the tea bed has the form of a disc. [0007] It is important that, during the preparation of tea extract, channels are prevented from being formed in the bed of the tea via which the hot water can flow through the tea pad. The fact is that this has as a drawback that no proper extraction of the tea takes place, resulting in a relatively weak extract being obtained. It is further of importance that the applied pressure of the water can preferably be 1-2 bar. Also, if desired, the tea pad should be suitable for preparing one consumption unit of tea of, for instance, 100-170 ml, more particularly for instance about 140 ml, plus or minus 15%. Here, an amount of water should be pressed through the tea pad in a period of approximately 20-40 seconds for obtaining the tea extract. The water may then have a temperature of 88-95 C..degree., while it is further important that, if desired, deposition of scale which, together with polyphenols, forms an unattractive film on the tea, can be prevented. It is also important that in use, the tea can swell sufficiently in the pad for obtaining a proper flavour of the extract. [0008] At least a number of these objects can be met when the tea bed has a greatest diameter of 30-55 mm. More preferably, it holds that the tea bed has a greatest diameter of 35-45 mm. Preferably, it further holds that the tea bed has a greatest height smaller than 10 mm, more preferably a greatest height smaller than 7 mm. Due to such dimensions, the risk of the formation of channels is reduced. [0009] Preferably, it holds that the tea pad is filled with 1-6 gr of tea, more particularly 1-2.5 gr of tea. It is preferred that the tea pad is filled with an amount of tea that is smaller than approximately 1.9 gr of tea. In order to realize at least a number of the above-mentioned objects, it also holds that the volume of the tea is 60-90% of the volume of the space in the tea pad in which the tea is included. More preferably, it holds that the volume of the tea is 75-85% of the volume of the space in the tea pad in which the tea is included. In this manner, in use, the tea can swell sufficiently. [0010] It holds in particular that the tea pad is filled with 3-8 ml of tea. More preferably, it holds that the tea pad is filled with 4-7 ml of tea. [0011] Further, it preferably holds that the tea particles have a size of 0.1-1.2 mm, more specifically 0.24-0.96 mm. Such sizes can be effected by, for instance, grinding the tea. It appears that with such sizes, a good extraction can be obtained in the coffee maker. In other words, the tea pad comprises tea with a coarseness which is for instance larger than PD, and smaller than OP. However, according to a special embodiment it holds that the tea pad comprises tea with particles having a size which is greater than 0.8 mm and/or particles having a size which is smaller than 0.35 mm. [0012] Preferably, the tea comprises at least a first type of tea and a second type of tea while a greatest diameter of the particles of the first type of tea differs from the greatest diameter of the particles of the second type of tea. It is preferred here that the size of the particles of the first type of tea is smaller than 0.5 mm, more specifically smaller than 0.35 mm. More particularly, the size of the particles of the second type of tea is greater than 0.6 mm, more specifically greater than 0.8 mm. [0013] In this application, tea is understood to include, inter alia, black tea, fruit tea, green tea, rooibos tea, herbal tea or herb mixtures and particular compositions thereof. Tea is further understood to include any aromas, fruit parts and spices which are further added. [0014] The method according to the invention is characterized in that at least one tea pad is placed in the holder of the coffee maker, which tea pad is provided with a covering such as filtering paper which is at least partly transmissive to a liquid such as water and which is at least virtually non-transmissive to tea, while the covering comprises at least one space which is filled with tea. Here, it preferably holds that with the aid of the coffee maker, hot water is fed to the at least one tea pad at a pressure of 1-2 bar. It further preferably holds that a pressure drop across the at least one tea pad is 0.1-0.2 bar. More particularly it holds that a pressure drop across the outflow path is greater than a pressure drop across the at least one tea pad. [0015] An assembly according to the invention is characterized in that the pad comprises a tea pad as described hereinabove. Preferably, it holds here that a tea bed of the tea pad has a greatest height which is smaller than a greatest height of the inside space. In this manner, during use, the tea can swell properly. In particular it holds here that the tea bed of the tea pad has a greatest height which is at least 10%, and preferably at least 20% smaller than the greatest height of the inside space. [0016] It further preferably holds that the tea pad has a width which corresponds at least virtually with a width of the inside space. [0017] According to a highly advanced embodiment, it further holds that the outflow path is provided with a flow restriction so that in use, a pressure drop across the tea pad is smaller than a pressure drop across the outflow path. Due to the flow restriction, pressure drop across the tea pad is reduced so that the hot water in the coffee maker is prevented from being pressed through the tea bed too rapidly. If this were to happen, no optimal extraction could take place and, moreover, channel formation might occur. The flow restriction can for instance consist of a narrow passage formed in a channel, but can also consist of, for instance, a semi-permeable material such as a sinter plate through which the formed tea extract would have to flow. Preferably, the inside space has a diameter of 40-60 mm while a tea bed of the tea pad has a diameter of 35-45 mm. [0018] A coffee maker provided with such a holder is characterized in that the coffee maker is provided with a flow restriction that can be switched on and off, upstream of the holder for preparing tea with a tea pad in the holder using the flow restriction, and for preparing coffee with a coffee pad in the holder without using the flow restriction. The flow restriction that can be switched on and off can for instance be arranged in the feed via which the hot water is fed to the holder. A tap which, for instance, can be partly closed and re-opened can be considered here. When the tap is partly closed a large part of the pressure drop will take place across the tap and not across the tea pad. This has as an advantage that the hot water will not flow through the tea pad too rapidly, so that a proper extraction is guaranteed. When, with the same coffee maker, coffee is prepared, the flow restriction can be switched off by, for instance, opening the tap and, in that case, for the purpose of preparing coffee, the flow restriction can be provided in the outflow path of the holder, for instance in a manner such that foam is formed. The result is that also when preparing coffee with the aid of a coffee pad, a part of the pressure will drop across the restriction and, hence, not across the coffee pad while what is also achieved here is that an extract is formed with a fine-bobble froth layer. If then, for the tea, a holder is used which is not provided with such a restriction, no foam is formed, but, as a result of the flow restriction that can be switched on and off, hot water can be prevented from being pressed through the tea pad too rapidly when the tea pad is used in the holder destined thereto. [0019] The invention will presently be elucidated further with reference to the drawing. In the drawing: [0020] FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of the tea pad according to the invention; [0021] FIG. 2 shows a top-plan view of the tea pad according to FIG. 1; [0022] FIG. 3 shows a possible embodiment of a holder and a tea pad received in the holder, and a part of a coffee maker in which the holder with the tea pad is received; [0023] FIG. 4 shows a top-plan view of the holder according to FIG. 3; [0024] FIG. 5 shows a top-plan view of an alternative embodiment of the holder according to be invention; Continue reading about Preparing tea with the aid of a tea pad and a coffee maker... Full patent description for Preparing tea with the aid of a tea pad and a coffee maker Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Preparing tea with the aid of a tea pad and a coffee maker patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Preparing tea with the aid of a tea pad and a coffee maker or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Method of improving gas cell formation of frozen desserts Next Patent Application: Sealed pack of ingredients for an individual smoothie, and associated methods and apparatuses Industry Class: Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Preparing tea with the aid of a tea pad and a coffee maker patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.42122 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Medical: Surgery , Surgery(2) , Surgery(3) , Drug , Drug(2) , Prosthesis , Dentistry 174 |
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