WO2005048792A1

WO2005048792A1 - Taste customizing beverage maker

Info

Publication number: WO2005048792A1
Application number: PCT/IN2004/000360
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gurbakshish Gill; Simrat Gill
Original assignee: Gurbakshish Gill; Simrat Gill
Priority date: 2003-11-18
Filing date: 2004-11-18
Publication date: 2005-06-02
Also published as: GB2423921B; GB0611971D0; GB2423921A

Abstract

A device comprised of a reservoir (59), dispenser, stirrer, sampler and strainer which enable an user to calibratedly dispense mixed or separately stored ingredients, stir, sample and strain the beverage to obtain a beverage whose taste conforms precisely to the individual preference of the user.

Description

TASTE CUSTOMIZING BEVERAGE MAKER

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to beverage making devices, specifically to devices that can be used to customize the taste and other characteristics of the beverage to conform to individual preference of each user.

The invention is disclosed by means of an embodiment which can be used to make tea. It should not be construed as the only use of the invention but a manner to disclose the invention completely as the invention is used to make a commonly used beverage from commonly known ingredients.

PRIOR ART

Tea is conventionally made by adding tea leaves, sugar and milk according to taste and heating till desired degree of infusion occurs. Since this method can provide customization to one taste only at a time it is very time consuming and hence not commercially suitable. An alternative is available wherein a predetermined quantity of sugar and milk are added to water. This mix is heated and is offered with a tea bag which can be removed when the desired degree of infusion has occurred. This alternative does not permit customization of milk and sugar.

Tea from vending machines contains a predetermined quantity of milk, tea and sugar. They provide a low sugar option but this does not provide 'stepless' customization. Since potency of each ingredient varies in each batch ideal customization cannot be done without sampling the tea. Vending machines do not provide a sampling facility.

Restaurant offer 'readied' tea ingredients which permit customization but the time taken to ready the ingredients is, generally, excessive. Additionally the tea is costlier due to establishment costs.

In each of the aforementioned cases the user must reach the place where the tea is made to enjoy freshly made tea. This requires time, effort and is very inconvenient.

OBJECT OF INVENTION

Each tea consumer has an individually preferred taste requirement. One object of the invention is to provide a cup of tea whose taste conforms precisely to the taste requirement of each of the numerous consumers even though each may have a- different taste requirement. Another object is to provide a fresh cup of tea wherever the consumer is located. Other objects are to provide a commercially usable device which provides a cup of tea quickly and at relatively moderate price.

To attain the objects the invention stores each ingredient separately. The consumer can calibratedly dispense required quantity of required ingredient. The sampler provided enables the consumer to check the taste of the resulting tea. Required quantity of deficient ingredient can be additionally dispensed to make the taste of the tea conform precisely to the taste required by the consumer. DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION One embodiment of the invention is disclosed on pages 4 & 5 of the drawing. A dispenser actuator cum stirrer cum sampler is shown in figs. 9 & 15 on pg. 4. This part can be made by injection moulding any suitable food grade polymer. The part has a closed upper end with an orifice 50 near the upper end. The part has a toothed ring 51 in the middle, another orifice 52 covered by strainer 53 and blades 54 and 55 on its lower end.

Dispensed quantity dial 56 and pointer seal 57 is shown in fig. 10 on page 4. This is made by printing graduations on, and there after cutting the paper to obtain the shown shape.

A pointer 58 is shown in figure 11 on page 4. This can be made by extruding, injection moulding or thermo-forming any suitable polymer.

Ingredient reservoir 59 is shown in fig. 12 on page 4. Each reservoir has an orifice. 60 at the top, a slit 61 towards the base and a base plate seat 62 at the base of the reservoir.

This invention can have several such reservoirs and each reservoir has an open lower end.

A cup adaptor cum heat retaining plate cum joining plate 63 is shown in fig. 12 on page 4.

An air vent cum viewing window 64 is shown in fig. 12 on page 4.

A hole 65 is shown in figure 12 on page 4. The part shown in fig.12 on page 4 can be injection moulded or thermo formed using any suitable food grade polymer which is suitable for joining inseparably to its counterpart. The orifices, slits, air vent and hole can be made by punching especially in case of thermo forming.

A dispenser is shown in fig. 13 on page 4. It can be made by injection moulding any suitable food grade polymer. The dispenser has a shaft 66, a triangular base 67 and a toothed ring 68. A base plate cum baffle is shown in fig. 14 on page 4. The plate 69 has a discharge 70 and a baffle 71 below the discharge. The whole part can be made by injection moulding any suitable food grade polymer.

A strainer is shown in fig. 16 on page 5. This can be made from paper used for making tea bags.

A strainer mount is shown in fig. 17 on page 5. This can be injection moulded from any suitable food grade polymer. It has a drainage outlet 72 near or on the upper edge of the lowest circular member.

A strainer cage is shown in fig. 18 on page 5. It can be made by injection moulding any suitable food grade polymer. The cage has a joining flange 73 and a drainage outlet 74 located on the lowest circular member exactly as drainage outlet 72 is located on strainer mount. ASSEMBLY OF INVENTION The whole part shown in fig.12 on page 4 is inverted. Inverted dispensers are dropped into corresponding reservoirs ensuring the shaft 66 passes through orifice 60. Predetermined quantity of instant tea, sufficient for any consumer, is dropped into the reservoir manufactured to accommodate such quantity of ingredient. Each of the other ingredients e.g. milk powder, sugar and flavourant are dropped separately into reservoirs designed for each ingredient ensuring no ingredient is dropped into the triangular base 67.

Reservoir base plate cum baffle in fig. 14 page 4 is inverted and dropped into each reservoir ensuring the discharge 70 is exactly above the triangular base 67.

Dispenser actuator cum stirrer cum sampler figs 9 & 15 page 4 is inverted and is passed through hole 65.

The strainer fig. 16 page 5 is wrapped over the strainer mount fig. 17 page 5 with one vertical edge overlapping over the other. The strainer top edge is aligned with the upper edge of the upper circular member of the strainer mount. The lower strainer edge that extends beyond the lower end of the mount is turned towards the center of the base of the mount.

Then the drainage outlets 72 and 74 are aligned and the strainer and mount assembly is dropped into the strainer cage fig. 18 on page 5.

Thereafter the whole aforementioned assembly is inverted and its joining flange 73 is aligned with and placed over joining plate 63. Then the joining flange can be inseparably joined to the joining plate by ultrasonic welding etc.

Thereafter the beverage make is uprighted and pointer 58 is fitted on to the protruding shaft of the dispenser.

And finally the dial cum seal fig. 10 page 4 is affixed atop each reservoir.

USE OF INVENTION A vendor, carrying hot water, cups and beverage makers, can approach consumers at their location. The consumer is given a cup of hot water with the beverage maker lower part inserted into the cup, The displaced air exits from air vent.

The consumer breaks the seals by turning the pointers. Then consumer dispenses a little of each of the required ingredients by turning the pointers or by turning the dispensing actuator after engaging the toothed ring through slit with toothed ring on dispenser. Before the seals were broken the seals immobilized the pointer and thereby the dispenser.

Since the base of the dispenser kept the discharge covered no dispensing occurs during handling on in transit. But upon rotating about the shaft axis the dispenser uncovers the discharge and proportionally and circularly pushes the ingredient towards the discharge through which it falls down.

The downwardly sloping sides of the baffle ensure no part of ingredient is retained thereon and ensure upwardly rising vapors do not enter the reservoir to clump the ingredients: Thereafter the stirrer is rotated to quicken and increase infusion maximally. The consumer then samples the tea by sucking the top end of sampler. Due to suction the strained tea enters the inlet orifice 52 and exits from the exit orifice 50.

The consumer can redispense required quantity of deficient ingredients, restir and resample till the tea taste conforms precisely to the taste he or she requires. This incrementally dispensing method will ensure no over dispensation of any ingredient whereby even the first cup of tea will be savored. Secondly this will accquaint the consumer with the position of the pointers on each dial which ensures precise taste compliance. For subsequent cups the pointers can be set to the same position at the very outset.

The whole beverage maker is then raised upwards to allow tea inside strainer to drain into the cup below. Thereafter the maker is tilted towards the drainage outlet to drain tea from ingredients at the bottom of the maker. This creates some space for residual tea drops which may still remain in the strainer. When the beverage maker is straightened for disposal the residual drops will find space at the bottom below the drainage outlets instead of soiling consumer clothes etc.

The cup adapter plate is sized to prevent submerging baffles in the liquid if a wider cup is used and to sit atop to cup rim if a narrower cup is used. The plates prevents heat loss too.

Upon use the white strainer turns brown. To reuse the beverage maker a person will need to replace the strainer which would otherwise clearly indicate the used status. The strainer cage, especially the lower circular member, prevents strainer replacement, until the maker is dissembled. The inseparable joining precludes dissembly and thereby reuse.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in figs. 1 to 8 on pages 1 to 3. Parts similar to the first embodiment are: dial cum seal in fig. 2 on page 1, stirrer cum sampler in fig. 3 on page 2, strainer mount in fig.4 on page 2, strainer in fig. 5 on page 2, dispenser in fig. 7 on page 3. Parts different from the corresponding parts of the first embodiment are: half reservoirs & strainer cage shown in fig. 1 & 6 on page 1 & 3. common baffle shown in fig. -8 on page 3.

ASSEMBLY OF INVENTION

Part shown in fig. 6 on page 3 is laid horizontally with open side of reservoirs upwards. Half quantity of each ingredient is dropped into the reservoir designed for the ingredient. For this embodiment the flavourant is mixed with instant tea. ^•

The strainer is wrapped over the strainer mount and the assembly is dropped between strainer cage members 21 & 25 in fig. 6 on page 3. Upper end of the stirrer is passed through hole 40 of baffle in fig. 8 on page 3 and then through arms 38 of dispenser shown in fig. 7 page 3 but without pin 37. The lower part of stirrer is put into strainer mount, the baffle side projections 39 are placed on upper ends of members 25 & 21 and the dispenser is placed in the central half reservoir. Then the other two dispensers, without arms 38 are placed in outer reservoirs halves, ensuring the triangular bases are aligned with the discharge of reservoirs 19 and shaft between lever 34 and dispenser passes through half orifice 17. Thereafter the remaining part of each ingredient is added and the part shown in fig. 1 on page 1 is aligned with and placed on counter parts. There after parts 27, 28, 33, 20, 21 & 25 are inseparably joined to their counter parts by ultrasonic welding etc. Finally the dial cum seals are affixed atop the reservoirs.

USE OF INVENTION This embodiment of the invention is used in the same way as the first embodiment. Another variant of the second embodiment is thermoformed reservoir and strainer which has pores to strain or has slits with straining medium.

Similarly another variant of the first embodiment is a thermoformed lower part which has pores to strain or has slits with straining medium. In other variants the^' strainer may have any shape, other than circular shown, that is aligned with the discharges of the reservoirs and is just wide enough to receive all the discharged quantity of ingredients.

Fig. 19 on page 6 shows another embodiment which has a plurality of reservoirs comprised of at least two compartments each, one atop the other, open from two sides, packed with one ingredient in each reservoir, and providing a cover which can be slid upwards to calibratedly expose any ingredient to the action of the solvent.

Fig. 20 on page 6 shows another embodiment which has a plurality of reservoirs, each comprised of at least one compartment atop another, and each reservoir has a cover which can be slid upwards or upwardly removed to calibratedly dispense each ingredient. Fig. 21 on pg.6 shows one of a plurality of reservoirs having a lever protruding through slits in the housing to be turned to dispense ingredient calibratedly. Fig. 22 on page 6 shows one of a plurality of reservoirs which has a slit on its inclined sidewalls and a dispenser having a slit covering and a ingredient pushing plate which will push an amount of ingredient proportional to degree of its rotation.

Fig. 23 on page 6 shows one of a plurality of reservoirs, open from below and having a shaft attached off center to a base plate which will create discharge proportional to the shaft rotation.

Fig. 24 on page 7 shows one of a plurality of reservoirs having an open upper end to allow quantity of ingredient proportional to raising the dispenser, to fall over the upper edge of reservoir.

Fig. 25 on page 7 shows one of a plurality of reservoirs having one end open where from a quantity of ingredient, proportional to degree of slide of dispenser iz dispensed.

Fig. 26 on page 7 shows one of a plurality of reservoirs having a slit on the lower side wherefrom a quantity of ingredient proportional to the degree of slide or removal of affixed cover is dispensed.

The option used so far has been to permit varying the quantity of each ingredient separately. A second option, which provides relatively constrained taste compliance, is to first mix the ingredients and then permit varying the quantity oi a mixture ot ingredients. The embodiments aforementioned allow both options, while following embodiments allow only the second option.

Fig. 27 on page 7 shows a reservoir with numerous pores on its sides or without front and rear sides, covered with strainer to be immersed in water till required taste is obtained. The lower end of the stirrer cum sampler is outside the reservoir walls or strainer.

Fig. 28 on page 6 shows a reservoir with a slidable compartment alized dispenser, covered with a strainer to be pushed down or alternately the reservoir to be pulled up to expose to water as many compartments of ingredients as are required.

Fig. 29 on page 8 shows reservoir with at least one slit, covered with strainer and having either only a slit covering plate connected to a lever or another identical reservoir inside connected to lever which can be turned to open slit as much as required.

Fig. 30 on page 8 shows a cylindrical reservoir having a 'straightened' side to prevent rolling, with a inclined base which has a discharge on the higher side and the base of the strainer extending on obtuse angle to the 'straightened' side to remain tilted. Desired quantity of ingredients are dispensed by maintaining a converse tilt for proportional time.

When the beverage maker is to be used to make coffee the strainer can be omitted from embodiments.

Fig. 31 on page 8 shows a reservoir with a sloping base having a discharge on me mgner siue anu a memoer projecting oeiow ine αiscnarge to sucn lengtn and at such angle that the reservoir sits securely over the cup edge even as the base remains tilted to prevent dispensing ingredient mixture till required. To dispense, the maker is tilted to slide ingredients towards discharge. The projection can be used to stir ingredients.

When high solubility ingredients are used even the stirrer may be omitted.

Fig. 33A & 33B on page 8 shows frontal and side view respectively of the beverage maker consisting of only a reservoir with unequal sides, discharge on the shorter side, with an inclined base, lower part of reservoir fitting securely into cup top, having lines at predetermined angles to the discharge side and quantities of ingredient indicated thereon whereby a quantity, mentioned on the line which is made parallel to the cup top edge by tilting the maker, will be dispensed

Claims

We claim: 1. A device for preparing a beverage of customizable taste comprising at least one reservoir for storing and calibratedly dispensing beverage ingredients.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reservoir side walls are of equal height.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the reservoir comprises discharge located on the side wall.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reservoir side walls are of unequal height.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the reservoir comprises a discharge located at the base of the reservoir.

6. A device as claimed in claim 2 & claim 4 wherein the reservoir comprises a discharge located on the top of the reservoir.

7. A device as claimed in claim 3, 5 and in claim 4 wherein the reservoir side comprises lines and quantities marked at predetermined angles to the discharge side, which line when made parallel to cup top edge by tilting the reservoir causes a quantity of ingredient mentioned thereon to be. dispensed

8. A device as claimed in claims 3,5 & 6 comprising a member projecting below the reservoir base.

9. A device as claimed in claims 3 & 6 comprised of walls projecting below reservoir base at right angles and device claimed in claim 5 comprised of walls projecting below reservoir base at an angle other than right angle to the base.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9 comprised of a strainer formed by said walls having a base parallel to reservoir base in device in claims 3 & 6 and base parallel to cup base in device in claim 5.

11. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprising of a slit on a side of the said reservoir wherein is inserted an outwardly pullable reservoir base to vary discharge of ingredients.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the reservoir base upper side comprises markings to indicate quantity of ingredients dispensed when said marking emerges from the reservoir.

13. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reservoir is comprised of a container without a base and further including a strainer at the base.

14. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reservoir is comprised of two open sides covered by a slidably removeable cover.

15. A device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the reservoir is attached to the lower end of a stirrer and a vertical member sliding on the stirrer is attached to the top of the cover slideable over the open sides of reservoir.

16. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reservoir comprises one open side and further comprising a cover over the open side, the said cover removeable incrementally starting at the upper end.

17. A device as claimed in claim 16 comprising at least two compartments in reservoir, one atop other and further comprising a cover removeable incrementally starting at the lower end.

18. A device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reservoir is comprised of an open side and further comprising a slit on any side except the lower side and slidably receiving a dispenser comprising two sides connected by a connecting member with said connecting member including a lever slidable in said slit.

19. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reservoir comprises an open upper side slideably receiving a dispenser which comprises of an upper, side, on lower side said sides connected by a connecting member and a tab on the upper end of the said connecting member.

20. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reservoir comprises a container without a base from where said reservoir receives an dispenser comprising of a lever, a base and a connector, said connector joined to the base not at its center.

21. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprising of a reservoir with a slit on its inclined walls and comprising of a dispenser with a slit covering plate at the peripher and a ingredient pushing plate connecting the said coverage plate to a lever shaft.

22. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprise of an open top reservoir slidably receiving from top a dispenser comprises of a stem connecting two plates and continuing upwards to form a stirrer.

23. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprising a orifice at the base of the said reservoir and comprising of stirring means connected to the lower plate through the said orifice.

24. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprised of a stirrer.

25. A device as claimed in claim 24 further comnrised of a samnler

26. A device as claimed in claim 25 still further comprised of dispenser actuating ring.

27. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprised of a dial cum sealer.

28. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprised of a pointer cum dispensing lever.

29. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprised of a reservoir having an orifice at its top.

30. A device as claimed in claim 29 comprised of a seat at its lower end.

31. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprised of a cup adapting plate cum heat retaining plate cum joining plate.

32. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprised of a discharge sealer cum dispenser.

33. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprised of a base plate cum baffle.

34. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprised of a strainer/

35. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprised of a strainer mount having a drainage outlet.

36. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprised of a strainer cage having a joining flange and a drainage outlet.

37. A device as claimed in claim 30 further comprised of an actuating window.

38. A device as claimed in claim 31 further comprised of an air vent and viewing window.

39. A device as claimed in claims 26, 27, 28, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 , 37 & 38 assembled with the strainer in the said cage and around the said mount; the reservoir containing the dispenser above the base plate, the lever cum pointer above the dial which is above the reservoir, with the stirrer blade in strainer and the stem passing through hole in plate and said plate joined to joining flange of said cage.

40. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprised of a plurality of joining lips.