Patent ID: 9706874
Date: 2017-07-18
CPC Classifications: A47J,B65D

Claim:
1. An apparatus to brew tea or coffee, comprising: a. a flexible spring leg having a rounded top portion and a first spring leg section and a second leg spring leg section which cross each other at a location to provide a spring effect, the first and second spring leg sections contacting oppositely disposed sections of an interior sidewall of a drinking container when the apparatus is inserted into the drinking container; b. the first spring leg section having a distal end which is affixed to a fixed soft flexible press stopper by a rivet, the second flexible spring leg section having a distal end which is affixed to the fixed soft flexible stopper by a rivet, the soft flexible press stopper is circular with a central opening which surrounds a fixed filter which is affixed to the soft flexible press stopper; c. movably resting on the fixed filter is a movable flapper valve having a round base sized to fit within the opening of soft flexible press stopper and resting over the filter, the movable flapper valve having a raised section having a first arcuate top, a second arcuate top which join at a flat top section which is aligned with the crossed location of first and second spring leg sections; d. affixed adjacent a top portion of the first and second spring legs sections is a flexible sealing member supported by a plate, the flexible sealing member having a flowered circumference with a multiplicity of spaced apart petals with a liquid flow opening between each respective petal, the flexible sealing member having a central opening with an interior circumference by which the flexible sealing member is slide able and press fit retained onto the first and second spring leg sections adjacent the rounded top portion of the spring leg which serves as a handle; and e. the drinking container having a bottom wall, a sidewall and an open top, the bottom wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the sidewall having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the bottom and sidewall interior surfaces surround an interior chamber having an interior diameter from oppositely disposed sections of the interior sidewall surfaces, the fixed soft flexible press stopper having a press fit outer diameter relative the interior diameter of the drinking container, the diameter of the flowered circumference of the flexible sealing member press fit relative to the interior diameter of the drinking container; f. whereby, the apparatus as defined in elements a, b, c, d and e is used in conjunction with a multiplicity of tea leaves or coffee grinds wherein the tea leaves or coffee grinds are placed into the interior chamber of the drinking container so that the tea leaves or coffee grinds rest on the interior surface of the bottom wall, the interior chamber is filled with hot water, the apparatus is inserted into the interior chamber and pushed down so that first and second spring leg sections cause a bottom surface of the fixed soft flexible press stopper to compress the tea leaves or coffee grinds and because the diameter of the soft flexible press stopper is press fit retained against the interior diameter of the drinking container, the fixed soft flexible press stopper seals off the tea leaves or coffee grinds from the hot water and the pressure of the fixed soft flexible press stopper causes tea or coffee to flow through the filter and the movable flapper value moves toward the crossing point of the first and second spring leg sections and the flat top of the movable flapper valve comes in contact with the crossing point of the first and second spring leg sections to prevent the movable flapper valve from further rising in the water, but the movement creates an opening above the filter so that the hot water is immersed with tea or coffee, and after the downward pressure on the apparatus is released, the movable flapper valve returns to its position above filter and hot tea or hot coffee is brewed, the flexible sealing member prevents hot water from flowing out of the interior chamber since its diameter is also press fit retained against the interior diameter of the drinking container to thereby create a top seal, the respective openings between the multiplicity of petals permits hot tea or hot coffee to be sipped through the top opening of drinking container.