Abstract:
A lid assembly including a lid ring removably securable to the rim of a pitcher for holding liquid; a cover removably securable to the lid ring; and an infuser removably securable to the cover, the infuser when removably secured to the cover rotates in a first direction as the cover is being attached to the lid ring and in a second direction as the cover is being detached from the lid ring.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The invention relates to a beverage making and dispensing pitcher, and more particularly to a container including an infuser for making steeped beverages. 
         [0003]    2. Relevant Art 
         [0004]    Tea and other steeped beverages are customarily prepared by placing tea leaves in a pot, over which near-boiling water is poured. Typically, it is known to provide screens or strainers, known as infusers, to confine the tea leaves during the brewing cycle. 
         [0005]    Unfortunately, beverage containers that use infusers do not allow for the agitation of the infuser so as to help facilitate and expedite the steeping process. Moreover, these containers do not typically provide a means for removing the infuser from a lid during the brewing cycle, while being able to use the same lid on the container to keep the container&#39;s contents from spilling or from loosing heat. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    In one aspect, a lid assembly is provided including a lid ring removably securable to the rim of a pitcher for holding liquid. The lid assembly also includes a cover that is removably securable to the lid ring; and an infuser that is removably securable to the cover The infuser when removably secured to the cover rotates in a first direction as the cover is being attached to the lid ring and in a second direction as the cover is being detached from the lid ring. 
         [0007]    In another aspect, a lid assembly is provided including a lid ring removably securable to the rim of a pitcher for holding liquid; a cover removably securable to the lid ring; and an infuser removably securable to the cover. The infuser, which includes a well for receiving a charge of beverage flavoring material, is attached to the cover and rotates in a first direction as the cover is being threaded onto the lid ring in a first direction and the infuser rotates in a second direction as the cover is being threaded off from the lid ring in a second direction. 
         [0008]    In yet another aspect, a lid assembly is provided including a lid ring having a spout and handle positioned diametrically opposed from the spout. The lid ring also includes internal threads disposed on the lid ring which are removably securable to the rim of a pitcher used for holding liquid. The lid assembly also includes a cover including a cover handle disposed on an external surface of the cover, and a cover skirt including external cover threads disposed on an external surface of the cover skirt configured to thread the cover to ring threads disposed on the lid ring. The cover skirt also includes internal cover threads disposed on an internal surface of the cover skirt. An infuser is included in the lid assembly, which has infuser threads configured to thread with the internal cover threads. The infuser, which includes a well for receiving a charge of beverage flavoring material, is attached to the cover and rotates in a first direction as the cover is being threaded onto the lid ring in a first direction and rotates in a second direction as the cover is being threaded off from the lid ring in a second direction. 
         [0009]    This brief summary has been provided so that the nature of this disclosure may be understood quickly. A more complete understanding of the disclosure can be obtained by reference to the following detailed description of the various embodiments thereof in connection with the attached drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The foregoing features and other features of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings of an illustrated embodiment. In the drawings, the same components have the same reference numerals. The illustrated embodiment is intended to illustrate, but not to limit the disclosure. The drawings include the following Figures: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a container assembly in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0012]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are top and bottom views respectively of a lid ring component of a lid assembly in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2C  is a sectional view of  FIG. 2B  in accordance with an embodiment; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a cover that includes a removable infuser in accordance with an embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a container assembly  100  in accordance with an embodiment. The container assembly  100  includes a container, such as a pitcher, jug, pot or bottle  102  (hereinafter, “pitcher  102 ”) having a lid assembly  104  that includes a lid ring  106 , a cover  108  and an infuser  110 . 
         [0016]    The pitcher  102  includes a container body  103  that defines a volume used to hold or contain a substance which may be made to flow from the container, for example a liquid or a powder. Though not limited thereto, the container body  103  may have a generally circular, oval or rectangular cross-section that terminates at a continuous upper edge or rim  105 . The rim  105  defines a circular open top portion  109  of the pitcher  102 . In some embodiments, the rim may have formed thereon container threads  107  for mounting and securing the pitcher  102  to a lid, for example, reclosable lid  100 . 
         [0017]    Alternatively, the pitcher may be designed such that the top rim of the pitcher  102  may be force fit into a corresponding portion of the lid assembly  104  designed to receive the rim  105 . 
         [0018]    In one embodiment, the infuser  110  includes a well  112  that extends from the upper rim  113  downwardly a predetermined length to a bottom wall  117 . The well  112  generally contains tea leaves or the like. Liquid disposed in pitcher  102  enters into the well  112  through holes in the filter portion  119 . 
         [0019]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are top and bottom views respectively of the lid ring  106  of the lid assembly  104  in accordance with an embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 2A , the lid ring  106  includes a generally cylindrical body portion that provides a side wall  114  ( FIG. 1 ) defining a tubular opening. The lid ring  106  provides the primary coupling interface between the pitcher  102  and the lid assembly  104 . As shown in  FIG. 2A , the lid ring  106  includes a spout  202  formed on a rim  204  on the circumference of the lid ring  106 . The spout  202  is diametrically opposed from a handle  206  formed on an external surface of side wall  114 . 
         [0020]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 A,  2 B and  2 C, the lid ring  106  includes a lip portion  208  that provides a seat for the cover  108  when the cover is secured to the lid ring  106 . As shown in  FIG. 2C , a flange portion  210  extends perpendicularly down from the internal edge  212  of the lip portion  208 . The lip portion  208  and flange portion  210  create a seating area  214  that is formed and configured to receive the rim  105  of the pitcher  102  between the flange portion  210  and an internal surface of the side wall  114 . In one embodiment, internal threads  216  may be formed on side wall  114  in the seating area  214  to provide for a threadable engagement with the threads  107  formed on the rim  105  of the pitcher  102  to removably secure the lid ring  106  to the pitcher  102 . In one embodiment, a gasket  220  may be positioned in the seating area  214  to ensure that the lid ring  106  is sealingly mated to the pitcher  102 . 
         [0021]    Inward of the seating area  214 , the flange portion  210  provides a surface upon which ring threads  222  are formed and positioned to provide a threadable engagement with cover  108  described below. 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the cover  108  that includes a removable infuser  110  in accordance with an embodiment. In one embodiment, cover  108  includes a cover handle  302  formed on top surface  304 . In one embodiment, the cover handle resembles a rectangular loop formed on an external surface of the cover. Adjacent and below top surface  304  is a groove configured to hold an O-ring type gasket  306 . The O-ring gasket  306  provides a positive seal between the cover  108  and the lid ring  106  when the cover  108  is coupled to the lid ring  106 . 
         [0023]    The cover  108  includes a cover skirt  310 , which extends down away from the top surface  304  on the opposite side from cover handle  302 . As shown in the cut-away section in  FIG. 3 , the cover skirt  310  defines a hollowed space  312  configured to receive infuser  110  as described below. 
         [0024]    An external surface of the cover skirt  310  includes a set of external cover threads  308  formed and configured to threadably engage with the ring threads  222  to provide the threadable engagement with cover  108 . 
         [0025]    Within the hollowed space  312  a set of internal cover threads  314  are formed generally adjacent the top surface  304  on an internal surface of cover skirt  310 . The internal cover threads  314  provide a means for the cover  108  to engage with the corresponding infuser threads  115  provided at the upper rim  113  of the infuser  110 . In this manner, the infuser  110  may be removably secured to the cover  108 . 
         [0026]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-3 , in operation, a user may assemble the lid assembly  104  in any desired order. The embodiment now described provides one example for the assembly of lid assembly  104 . First, the pitcher  102  may be fastened to lid ring  106  by threading the threads  216  of lid ring  106  into threads  105  of pitcher  102 . 
         [0027]    Next, the removable infuser  110  is attached to the cover  108  by threading the infuser  110  onto internal cover threads  314  in the hollow space  312 . The well  112  extends downwardly from the center of the cover  108 . 
         [0028]    The combined cover  108  and infuser  110  may be inserted into pitcher  102  through open top portion  109  having lid ring  106  already attached. Generally, when the infuser  110  is inserted into pitcher  102  filled with liquid, the bottom of the well  112  is immersed below the surface of the liquid. The level of immersion is dependent on the predetermined length of the infuser well and the depth of the liquid. The holes in the filter portion  119  of the well  112  allow the liquid to circulate through the well  112  and contact any contents therein. 
         [0029]    In one embodiment, the cover  108  may be attached and secured to the lid ring  106  by threading external cover threads  308  into ring threads  222 . Advantageously, as the cover  108  with infuser  110  attached is being threaded, the cover and infuser are made to rotate, for example, as represented by arrows  120  in  FIG. 1 . The rotation may be either clockwise or counter-clockwise depending on whether the cover is being opened or closed. The rotation causes the infuser  110  to rotate while being immersed in the liquid creating an agitation or mixing effect between the contents in the well  112  and the liquid. In this manner rotating the infuser  110  causes liquid to enter and exit the well  112  at a faster rate then when the infuser is not being rotated which may facilitate or speed-up the steeping processes. 
         [0030]    When cover  108  is less than completely threaded into lid ring  106 , the cover is not in a sealed relationship with the lid ring. Thus, liquid from pitcher  102  may be poured out via spout  202 . When cover  108  is threaded completely onto lid ring  106 , O-ring  306  is seated onto lip portion  208 , such that no fluid may be poured out from the pitcher  102 . 
         [0031]    In one example, when a user determines that a steeped beverage has reached a desired strength, the user may remove cover  108  from lid ring  106  and thus, remove the infuser  110  from the liquid. The user may then remove the infuser  110  from the cover  108 . The user may then return the cover  108  to the lid assembly  104  to continue acting as a cover for the beverage in the pitcher  102 . 
         [0032]    Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to specific embodiments, these embodiments are illustrative only and not limiting. Many other applications and embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent in light of this disclosure and the following claims.