Abstract:
The tea brewing system comprises a blending system, brewing system, bag squeezing system and cooling system to produce liquid tea for bottling and distribution. The blending system comprises a system for heating and blending water, sweetener and other flavorings in appropriate proportions. The brewing system comprises brewing and filtering mechanisms coupled with the blending system to brew liquid tea concentrate. A bag squeezing system provides apparatus and method for introducing tea bags into a brew tank and for squeezing tea from the bags into water for producing liquid tea concentrate.

Description:
This application is a divisional application pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 120 of earlier filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/076,253 filed Feb. 13, 2002. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to a beverage preparation system, and more particularly to a tea brewing system. 
   2. Background of the Invention 
   Ready-to-drink tea containing products have become increasingly popular. Many tea containing beverage preparation systems use tea extracts or tea powder to produce tea flavored beverages rather than brewing with actual tea leaves in tea bags. Also, existing tea beverage systems are not fully automated and expose the tea to air throughout the preparation process resulting in inconsistently flavored tea beverages. 
   Therefore, what is needed is an automated tea brewing system that utilizes actual tea leaves in tea bags for brewing tea-flavored beverages without exposing the tea to air. 
   The present invention proposes to overcome the above limitations with an automated tea brewing system utilizing actual tea in tea bags. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The tea brewing system comprises a blending system, brewing system, bag squeezing system and a cooling system. The blending system comprises a system for heating and blending water, sweetener and other flavorings in appropriate proportions. The brewing system comprises brewing and filtering mechanisms coupled with the blending system to brew liquid tea concentrate. The bag squeezing system provides apparatus and method for introducing tea bags into a brew tank and for squeezing tea from the bags and into water for producing liquid tea concentrate. After the tea concentrate has been blended and brewed, a cooling system is utilized to reduce the temperature of the liquid tea concentrate and to preserve the concentrate until the tea concentrate is mixed with water and bottled. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     While the specification concludes with claims specifically pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter of the invention, it is believed the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar elements and wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view of the tea brewing system of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view of the tea bag squeezing system in a tea bag loading position; 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of the tea bag squeezing system in a brewing position; 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional side view of the tea bag squeezing system in a tea bag squeezing position; and 
       FIG. 5  is a view along line  5 — 5  of  FIG. 4 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the present invention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevant for a clear understanding of the invention, while eliminating, for purposes of clarity, other elements that may be well known. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other elements are desirable and/or required in order to implement the present invention. 
   However, because such elements are well known in the art, and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present invention, a discussion of such elements is not provided herein. The detailed description will be provided hereinbelow with reference to the attached drawings. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , the tea brewing system  10  comprises a blend tank  12  which may be a 3,000 gallon tank. A water source  14 , which may be a purified water source wherein the water has been purified by filtering and reverse osmosis, is connected by conduit  16  to blend pump  18 , which may be a seven (7) horsepower centrifugal pump, for pumping water from blend tank  12 . Blend pump  18  is connected by conduit  20  to mass flow meter  22 , which may be a Micromotion mass flow meter, for measuring the fluid passing therethrough. 
   Mass flow meter  22  is connected by conduit  24  to blend tank  12 . Conduit  24  is arranged in heat transfer relationship with first heat exchanger  26  for heating the fluid passing through conduit  24 . First heat exchanger  26  may be a steam heat exchanger. A steam source  28 , which may be a conventional boiler that produces steam at about 216° F., is connected by conduit  30  to first heat exchanger  26  for providing heat to first heat exchanger  26 . 
   As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , water from water source  14  is conducted through blend pump  18 , through mass flow meter  22  and through first heat exchanger  26  into blend tank  12 . On the initial filling of blend tank  12 , blend pump  18  may be used to pump water through mass flow meter  22  depending on whether water source  14  is sufficiently pressurized. If water source  14  has sufficient pressure, blend pump  18  may be by-passed on the initial fill of blend tank  12 . Typically, about 2,100 gallons of water at ambient temperature are introduced into blend tank  12  at the beginning of the process. When the required amount of water, as measured by mass flow meter  22 , has been pumped into blend tank  12 , a valve, such as valve  32 , is activated to discontinue the flow of water from water source  14 . The water may then be pumped from blend tank  12  by blend pump  18  through conduit  34 , through first heat exchanger  26  and back to blend tank  12  thereby heating the water to approximately 198° F. Thus, the water is circulated through first heat exchanger  26  until the water reaches the desired temperature. 
   A first control panel  40  and a second control panel  42 , which may be SIG Simonazzi control panels, are electrically connected to the various components of the system to operate the components as described herein. 
   Once the water in blend tank  12  reaches its desired temperature, the brew cycle begins. During the brew cycle, heated water from blend tank  12  is pumped by blend pump  18  out of blend tank  12  through conduit  24  and into conduit  44  by activating and deactivating various valves in the system under control of first control panel  40 . The water then flows through conduit  44  and into brew tank  48  until the desired amount of heated water, such as 600 gallons, is introduced into brew tank  48  and reaches a predetermined height in brew tank  48 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 2 , brew tank  48  may include a tea bag squeezing system  50  disposed in and above brew tank  48 . Tea bag squeezing system  50  may comprise a lifting base  52  disposed in brew tank  48  and connected to brew tank lid  54  by a plurality of vertically arranged metal support rods  56 . A plurality of tea bags  58 , which may typically be 44 twenty (20) pound bags of China black or other tea, may be disposed on lifting base  52 . When brew tank lid is attached to brew tank  48 , outside air is prevented from contacting water in the system. A cover gas of nitrogen may be used to prevent oxygen from contacting the water. 
   Brew tank lid  54  may be attached to an externally mounted hoist  60 , such as a five (5) ton hoist, and supported over brew tank  48  by supporting structure  62 . 
   Hoist  60  is arranged to move lifting base  52  to various selected elevations in brew tank  48 . 
   A squeeze plate  64  is detachably connected to brew tank lid  54  by stainless steel pins  66 . Supports rods  56  extend through openings in squeeze plate  64  so that brew tank lid  54  and support rods  56  may move vertically relative to squeeze plate  64  as shown in  FIG. 4 . A tea bag hold plate  68 , preferably in the form of an octagonal grid, is spaced vertically beneath the squeeze plate  64  and is connected to squeeze plate  64  by vertical rods  70  so that hold plate  68  is vertically moveable with squeeze plate  64 . Squeeze plate  64  and hold plate  68  move with brew tank lid  54  when pins  66  are in place as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , when pins  66  are removed, squeeze plate  64  and brew tank lid  54  are not attached so that when hoist  60  raises brew tank lid  54 , squeeze plate  64  rests on brew tank  48 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 2 , in order to load tea bags  58  onto lifting base  52 , hoist  60  raises brew tank lid  54 . 
   With pins  66  connecting brew tank lid  54  to squeeze plate  64 , raising brew tank lid  54  causes squeeze plate  64  to rise. Since lifting base  52  is connected to squeeze plate  64  by support rods  56 , raising squeeze plate  64  causes lifting base  52  to rise allowing an operator to load tea bags  58  onto lifting base  52 . Generally, tea bags  58  are loaded on lifting base  52  before water is introduced into brew tank  48 . Hoist  60  may then lower brew tank lid  54  so that it rests on and seals brew tank  48  as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
   After tea bags  58  are loaded onto lifting base  52  and lowered into brew tank  48 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , water is then conducted from conduit  44  into brew tank  48  until the desired amount of heated water is introduced into brew tank  48 . The water in brew tank  48  may reach water level  72 . In this configuration, hold plate  68  is disposed below water level  72  and acts to hold tea bags  58  below water level  72 . The heated water in contact with tea bags  58  in brew tank  48  forms liquid tea concentrate. 
   Referring to  FIG. 4 , after the brewing process is completed as described hereinbelow, tea bags  58  may be squeezed to remove additional tea. When it is desired to squeeze tea bags  58 , brew tank lid  54  is detached from squeeze plate  64  by removing pins  66 . Pins  66  may be used to attach squeeze plate  64  to brew tank  48 . However, pins  66  may not be needed if the weight of squeeze plate  64  is sufficient to hold it on brew tank  48 . Hoist  60  then raises brew tank lid  54 , which causes lifting base  52  to move vertically relative to squeeze plate  64  until tea bags  58  contact hold plate  68  thereby squeezing tea from tea bags  58 . 
   Referring again to  FIG. 1 , liquid tea concentrate is pumped from brew tank  48  into conduit  80  by brew pump  78 , which may be a ten (10) horsepower centrifugal pump. 
   Brew pump  78  may be activated when the liquid in brew tank  48  reaches a predetermined level. From conduit  80 , liquid tea may be conducted through a first filter  82  and through a second filter  84  to remove tea leaf particles. First filter  82  may be a five (5) micron filter and second filter  84  may be a one (1) micron filter, such as those available from Millipore Corporation. 
   From second filter  84 , the liquid tea concentrate is conducted through conduit  86  and into blend tank  12 . 
   Blend pump  18  pumps the liquid tea concentrate through first heat exchanger  26 , through conduit  44  and into brew tank  48 . Circulation of the liquid tea concentrate through the blend tank  12  and brew tank  48  continues for about 60 to 70 minutes, and preferably for approximately sixty (60) minutes, while first heat exchanger  26  maintains the temperature of the liquid tea concentrate between approximately 180° F. and 200° F., and preferably about 198° F. 
   At the end of the brew cycle all the liquid tea concentrate is pumped into blend tank  12 . At this time tea bags  58  in brew tank  48  may be squeezed in a manner as described above to remove additional liquid tea concentrate therefrom. This additional liquid tea concentrate is then pumped to blend tank  12  by brew pump  78 . 
   Still referring to  FIG. 1 , an additive source  90  may be connected by valving to conduit  16  to add selected flavors, tea essence, coloring and/or acids, such as phosphoric acid, to the liquid tea concentrate in brew tank  12  by means of blend pump  18 . 
   After additives have been introduced, a liquid sweetener, such as sugar, from sweetener source  92  may be added. The use of a sweetener is optional and may not be used for unsweetened tea. Sweetener source  92  is connected by conduit  94  to second mass flow meter  96 , which may be a Micromotion mass flow meter. Conduit  98  conducts sweetener from second mass flow meter  96  through second heat exchanger  100  and through a check valve  102  into conduit  24  for mixing with the liquid tea concentrate in conduit  24 . Check valve  102  may be a Tricolver check valve and prevents back flow in conduit  98 . Second heat exchanger  100  may be a steam heat exchanger and connected to steam source  28  for heating the sweetener to between about 95° F. and 110° F., and preferably to about 100° F. Approximately 2,300 gallons of sweetener is added per 2,100 gallons of liquid tea concentrate. Liquid sweetener is added at a rate of about 60 gallons per minute. 
   As liquid tea concentrate is pumped by blend pump  18  from blend tank  12  through conduit  24  liquid sweetener is introduced into conduit  24  and mixed with the liquid tea concentrate. Valve  103  is then activated and the mixture of liquid tea concentrate and liquid sweetener are pumped by blend pump  18  through conduit  104  while sweetener is introduced and into transfer tank  108 , which may be a 5,000 gallon tank. 
   From transfer tank  108 , the blended tea concentrate is pumped by transfer pump  110  through conduit  112  and through a conventional cooling system  116  chosen from those well known in the art, where the blended tea concentrate is cooled to between about 40° F. and 50° F., and preferably to about 45° F. From cooling system  116 , the blended tea concentrate is pumped through conduit  18  and into one of three (3) storage tanks  124  located in cold storage room  128  and stored at between approximately 40–45° F. Once the blended tea concentrate is pumped into storage tanks  124 , the brewing system and blending system may be purged with nitrogen to clean the system and remove oxygen. Throughout the process, the liquid tea concentrate and liquid tea are not exposed to outside air. 
   Next, the blended tea concentrate is pumped by pump  130 , which may be a three (3) horsepower Thompson centrifugal pump, through conduit  132  and into mixing tanks  134 . Water from water source  136 , which may be purified water, is then introduced into conduits  140  and into mixing tanks  134 . Water is mixed with the blended tea concentrate in proportions of about six (6) gallons of water for each gallon of blended tea concentrate to produce the liquid tea product. In addition, vitamins, diet sweetener, flavorings or other additives may be added. The product is then transferred to bottler system  144  where the product is placed in plastic bottles. The plastic bottles are then moved to the pasteurization system  146  where the product is pasteurized in the bottles using a pasteurization method well known in the art. From pasteurization system  146 , the bottles are moved through conveyor cooling system  148  to cool the product to room temperature. Thereafter, the product may be distributed for sale. 
   Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration based on what is currently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.