Abstract:
A tea bag pouch for use with a hot beverage cup sleeve includes a pouch member having front, back, and bottom walls that define an open top for receiving a tea bag. The pouch member includes an absorbent layer for absorbing moisture from a water-laden tea bag, a water resistant layer such that moisture does not soak through, and a more rigid layer for providing form to the pouch member. The pouch member includes a configuration for securely yet removably holding a tea bag, especially when the absorbent layer has absorbed some moisture. An attachment member extends from an upper edge of the back wall for slidably attaching the pouch member to a beverage cup sleeve. The pouch may include a closure flap for selectively covering the open top to more securely hold a tea bag situated therein. Advertising may be imprinted or adhered to the front wall.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This non-provisional patent application claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60/741,407 filed on Dec. 1, 2005. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates generally to insulated beverage cup sleeves and, more particularly, to a pouch for use with an insulated cup sleeve for holding a tea bag after use or between uses.  
         [0003]     Beverage cup sleeves are commonly utilized to surround cups of hot liquids such as coffee so as to make them easier to hold without burning a consumer of the hot beverage. Existing coffee cup sleeves or jackets are constructed of a cardboard, nylon, cloth, or other textile mesh material that resists heat and is comfortable to hold in one&#39;s hand while drinking the beverage.  
         [0004]     Although assumably effective for their intended purposes, the existing sleeves are not effective for use with serving and consuming hot tea of the type prepared using disposable tea bags. A common problem with preparing tea by soaking a tea bag in hot water is what to do with the bag when it is no longer needed or desired. Sometimes, the bag is repeatedly dunked in and out of the tea until the desired strength is obtained. Other times, the bag needs to be completely discarded. Unfortunately, a trash receptacle is often not conveniently situated nearby, such as when consuming the tea in a car. The existing products and patent proposals do not offer an adequate solution to this problem.  
         [0005]     Therefore, it would be desirable to have a tea bag pouch for selective attachment and use with a beverage cup sleeve for holding a tea bag when not in use in the beverage. Further, it would be desirable to have a tea bag pouch that is interiorly absorbent of liquid remaining on a tea bag after removal from the beverage and which is also moisture resistant to prevent liquid from soaking through the pouch. In addition, it would be desirable to have a tea bag pouch having a flap for selectively preventing a tea bag from inadvertently falling out of the pouch.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     Accordingly, a tea bag pouch for use with a beverage cup sleeve according to the present invention includes a pouch member defining an open top and having dimensions suitable for receiving and holding a tea bag. The pouch member includes an absorbent layer of material along its interior surface for absorbing water from a water laden tea bag that has been removed, temporarily or permanently, from the pouch member. The pouch member includes another layer that is water-resistant such that water dripping from the tea bag will not soak through the pouch member and contact a consumer&#39;s hand or other articles.  
         [0007]     The tea bag pouch also includes an attachment member formed of a semi-rigid material for engaging a beverage cup sleeve. The attachment member is attached at one end to an upper edge of the pouch member and includes an elongate extent for sliding between a cup sleeve and the cup to which the sleeve surrounds. The attachment includes a thickness such that it is firmly held by the cup sleeve but that may be selectively removed by a user if desired.  
         [0008]     The attachment member may also include a flap that may be partially separated from the attachment member and manipulated to cover the open top of the pouch member. Thus, the tea bag may be more securely held in the pouch member. It should be appreciated that the pouch member may alternatively be integrally constructed as part of a larger beverage cup sleeve.  
         [0009]     Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide a tea bag pouch that selectively and removably attaches to an insulated hot beverage cup sleeve.  
         [0010]     Another object of this invention is to provide a tea bag pouch, as aforesaid, having an absorbent interior layer for absorbing liquid dripping from a tea bag that has been removed from a beverage cup.  
         [0011]     Still another object of this invention is to provide a tea bag pouch, as aforesaid, having a water resistant layer that prevents liquid from a water laden tea bag from soaking through the pouch member.  
         [0012]     Yet another object of this invention is to provide a tea bag pouch, as aforesaid, in which the attachment member includes a configuration that directs water back into the pouch member.  
         [0013]     A further object of this invention is to provide a tea bag pouch, as aforesaid, in which the pouch member includes a configuration that holds a tea bag with increasing tension as it absorbs liquid therefrom.  
         [0014]     A still further object of this invention is to provide a tea bag pouch, as aforesaid, having a flap for selectively preventing a tea bag from falling or being removed from the pouch member.  
         [0015]     Another object of this invention is to provide a tea bag pouch, as aforesaid, having a section for displaying advertising indicia.  
         [0016]     Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a tea bag pouch in use with a beverage cup sleeve according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the tea bag pouch as in  FIG. 1  with the cup sleeve and cup removed;  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of the tea bag pouch as in  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  is an exploded plan view of the tea bag pouch according to another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the tea bag pouch as in  FIG. 4  attached to a beverage cup sleeve with a flap in a configuration covering the open top of the pouch member;  
         [0022]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a tea bag pouch according to still another embodiment of the present invention; in a relaxed configuration and  
         [0023]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the tea bag pouch as in  FIG. 6  in an extended configuration.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0024]     A tea bag pouch  10  for use with a hot beverage cup sleeve  8  according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS.  1  to  5  of the accompanying drawings. More particularly, the tea bag pouch  10  according to one embodiment includes a pouch member  12  having a front wall  14  opposite a back wall  16  with opposed side walls  18  extending between the front  14  and back  16  walls ( FIG. 1 ). The pouch member  12  includes a closed bottom  20  and defines an open top  21 . The walls of the pouch member  12  define an interior area for holding a tea bag. The pouch member  12  includes a generally rectangular or box-like configuration although other configurations lo would also be suitable so long as they are dimensioned appropriately to receive a tea bag in the open area. Preferably, however, the side walls  18  of the pouch member  12  have a decreasing width extending from the open top  21  downward to the bottom  20  such that the front  14  and back  16  walls are closer together adjacent the bottom  20  than adjacent the open top  21 . Stated another way, each side wall  18  presents a generally triangular configuration ( FIG. 1 ). With this configuration, a tea bag inserted into the pouch member  12  is held frictionally near the bottom  20 . The front wall  14  of the pouch member  12  includes a display section  22  on which indicia such as advertising may be imprinted or adhered. In that regard, it is contemplated that the front wall  14  of the pouch member  12  may be constructed of a transparent material such that the tea bag itself would provide the advertising effect. In fact, tea bag pouches with pre-inserted tea bags may be an effective marketing scheme for the present invention.  
         [0025]     Preferably, the pouch member  12  is constructed of three layers of material ( FIG. 4 ). The first (innermost) layer  24  includes an absorbent material, such as conventional diaper, cotton fiber or paper towel type material. This material is suitable to absorb the moisture from a water laden tea bag. It should be appreciated that a tea bag is held even more tightly in the pouch member  12  when the absorbent layer  24  expands as it absorbs liquid. A second (intermediate) layer  26  includes an impermeable or water-resistant material, such as a thin plastic material. This layer prevents moisture from the tea bag from soaking through the pouch member  12 . A third (outermost) layer  28  includes a semi-rigid construction such as cardboard so as to give form to the pouch member  12 . The drawings of  FIG. 4  are directed to an alternative embodiment to be described later in greater detail; however, the layered construction described above is preferred in all embodiments of the present invention. It should be appreciated, of course, that items other than tea bags may be held in the pouch member, such as sugar packets, stir sticks, and the like.  
         [0026]     The tea bag pouch  10  further includes an attachment member  30  for selectively attaching the bag pouch  10  to a beverage cup sleeve  8 . As best shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the attachment member  30  includes a first end  32  fixedly attached to a rear edge of the open top  21  of the pouch member  12 . The attachment member  30  is preferably constructed of a semi-rigid material such as cardboard or plastic although other materials having similar properties would also be suitable. The attachment member  30  includes a ramp portion  36  that extends upwardly from the first end  32 . The ramp portion  36  also extends upward of a cup sleeve  8  when the attachment member  30  is engaged therewith such that any drops of water and tea which may drip from a tea bag while being transferred from the cup  6  to the pouch member  12  are directed into the open top  21  of the pouch member  12 .  
         [0027]     The attachment member  30  further includes an elongate linear portion  38  that extends from a tip  40  of the ramp portion  36  to an attachment member second end  34  (Fig.  3 ). The linear portion  38  includes a configuration suitable for sliding in between the beverage cup sleeve  8  and the cup  6 . The linear portion  38  preferably includes a thickness sufficient to hold the tea bag pouch  10  snugly to the sleeve  8  but to allow removal therefrom without difficulty when desired. It should be understood that the ramp portion  36  may alternatively include a rounded configuration for aesthetic appeal or for ease of use.  
         [0028]     In use, the tea bag pouch  10  may be used in conjunction or combination with a hot beverage cup sleeve  8 , the sleeve  8  already being fitted about a cup  6  ( FIG. 1 ). It is anticipated that a tea bag pouch  10  would quickly be attached to a sleeve  8  by a coffee/tea shop clerk as a hot tea beverage was being served. Specifically, the attachment member  30  may be slidably inserted between the sleeve  8  and the cup  6 . The ramp portion  36  may be pre-formed or may be specifically configured by the clerk or consumer. An actual tea bag may immediately be dunked into the contents of the cup  6  or placed first into the pouch member  12  for insertion by the consumer when desired. The tea bag may be removed from the beverage and stored temporarily in the pouch member  12  in order to test the strength of the tea or stored permanently therein when its use is no longer needed. At the user&#39;s option, the tea bag may be discarded or the entire pouch member  12  may be slidably removed from the sleeve  8  and discarded.  
         [0029]     A tea bag pouch  50  according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  and includes a construction substantially similar to the tea bag pouch  10  first described above except as specifically noted below. Identical reference numerals will be used in describing this embodiment for components that are the same as previously described. The front wall  14  of the pouch member  12  further defines a generally horizontally disposed slit  52  extending partially between the side walls  18  ( FIG. 5 ). In conjunction with the slit  52 , the attachment member  30  includes a closure flap  54  for partially covering the open top  21  of the pouch member  12 . More particularly, the closure flap  54  constitutes an elongate central portion of the attachment member  30 . The flap  54  is connected at one end to the rear edge of the pouch member  12  adjacent the open top  21 . In other words, the flap  54  is attached in the same manner as the rest of the attachment member  30 . In one configuration, the flap  54  extends in parallel along the ramp portion  36  and linear portion  38  of the attachment member, but is not actually attached to the side portions or second end  34  thereof ( FIG. 4 ). Of course, it would be suitable for the attachment member  30  to include lines of perforation/flexion (not shown) such that the flap  54  could be selectively punched out when needed.  
         [0030]     In use, the closure flap  54  may be moved to a second or use configuration in which it partially covers the open top  21  of the pouch member  12  ( FIG. 5 ). In this configuration, a tea bag is held even more securely inside the pouch member  12 . A free end of the flap  54  may be inserted into the slit  52  on the front wall  14 , whereby to hold the flap  54  in place. When desired, the closure flap  54  may be returned to its storage configuration and the tea bag may be removed and discarded.  
         [0031]     A tea bag pouch  60  according to yet another embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7  and includes a construction substantially similar to the tea bag pouch  10  first described above except as specifically noted below. Identical reference numerals will be used in describing this embodiment for components that are the same as previously described. In this embodiment, the front wall  14  of the pouch member  12  defines a line of weakness  62  extending substantially, if not completely, from an edge adjacent the open top  21  to an edge adjacent the closed bottom  20 . The line of weakness  62  may consist of a crease of the semi-rigid front wall  14  or even a mild perforation. Preferably, the line of weakness  62  is positioned equidistant between the side walls  18  such that the front wall  14  may be selectively manipulated by a user between a normally relaxed configuration ( FIG. 6 ) and an extended configuration ( FIG. 7 ). At the extended configuration, the area of the open top  21  is enlarged such as to more easily receive a tea sachet.  
         [0032]     It is understood that the tea bag pouch  10  may be attached to a cup  6  in ways other than as previously described. Specifically, the tea bag pouch  10  may be used in combination with a cup having a sleeve type member as part of its construction (not shown). In other words, the configuration of the cup may include a sleeve layer to be grasped by a user and that provides protection of the user&#39;s hand from excessive heat and provides enhanced grip characteristics. The tea bag pouch  10  may then be slidingly connected to the integrated cup sleeve substantially as described previously. Further, the tea bag pouch  10  may be fixedly connected to a cup  6  at the point of manufacture, such as with an adhesive, clip, or other suitable fasteners (not shown).  
         [0033]     Accordingly, it can be seen that the tea bag pouch  10  provides an effective solution to the problem of storing and disposing of tea bags. The present invention enables a consumer to conveniently store a water laden tea bag to be later used or discarded without making a mess.