Universal lid system and methods
AssigneeMighty Leaf Tea
InventorsJill Portman, Gary Shinner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A universal lid system and methods for use with any of a selection of teapots for quick and sanitary beverage preparation. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a system and methods including a lid sized and shaped to facilitate the storage of a retention element such as a tea bag. The retention element may be held out of contact with the beverage by a retention element stabilizing component.
Claims19
A universal lid system for preparing a beverage in a teapot, which has a teapot rim that defines a teapot opening, the beverage prepared using water and leaves introduced into the water in a retention element, wherein one end of a string is attached to the retention element and another end of the string is attached to a tag to form a string/tag arrangement configured to permit manipulation of the retention element such as raising and lowering of the retention element into or out of the water, said system comprising:
- a lid wall sized and shaped to meet with the teapot rim and including an upper lid wall, a lower lid wall, a side lid wall, and a lid perimeter, the upper lid wall further comprising a retention element stabilizing component for receiving the string of the retention element;
- a closure component connected to said side lid wall, wherein said closure component is configured to be releasably connected to the teapot rim;
- a support member comprising both a first portion including a plurality of perforations and a second portion including an aperture, the first portion for supporting the retention element on the plurality of perforations and the second portion for passing the retention element through the aperture, the support member positioned between the lid wall and the teapot rim;
- said retention element stabilizing component comprising a first arced border and a second arced border each joined by a first round border forming a round outlet for positioning of the string of the retention element, said retention element stabilizing component receives and stabilizes the string of the retention element such that the retention element may be moved to a position separated from contact with the beverage but releasably supported on the support member to permit service of the beverage.
A universal lid system for preparing a beverage in a teapot, which has a teapot rim that defines a teapot opening, the beverage prepared using water and leaves, said system comprising:
- a retention element having an inner volume sized and shaped for enclosure of the leaves and having sufficient porosity such that the water can flow readily in and out of said inner volume;
- a manipulation element connected to the retention element such that a user may manipulate position of the retention element using said manipulation element;
- a lid wall including an upper lid wall, a lower lid wall, a side lid wall, and a closure component;
- said closure component including a lid threading sized and shaped to be received in a thread path positioned on an inner wall of the teapot adjacent to the teapot rim such that said lid wall is releasably connectible to the teapot;
- a support member positioned between the lid wall and the teapot rim, the support member including an upper support side and a lower support side, the support member comprising both a perforated resting level on which the retention element sits and an aperture through which the retention element passes into the inner volume, the perforated resting level planar with the aperture;
- said upper lid wall of said lid wall including a wall outlet for positioning of the manipulation element of the retention element, wherein the wall outlet comprises a first arced border and a second arced border each joined by a first round border, the wall outlet sized and shaped to receive and stabilize the manipulation element of the retention element such that said retention element may be moved to a position supported by the upper support side of the support member such that said retention element is separated from contact with the beverage to permit service of the beverage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.