Abstract:
A method for brewing and chilling a brewed beverage such as tea includes brewing the beverage; combining the brewed beverage with a chilling medium; and covering the combined brewed beverage and chilling medium with an air-tight lid assembly to form an airtight seal. The combined brewed beverage and chilling medium may then be agitated. The airtight seal traps vapor generated from the beverage during the chilling, thereby causing the vapor to re-enter the beverage to maintain optimum flavor.

Description:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation application of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 14/318,268, filed on Jun. 27, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/041,117, filed Mar. 4, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,778,432 which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and is to be considered a part of this specification. Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The disclosure relates to a method and associated apparatus for making a brewed beverage, such as tea, and for chilling the brewed beverage. 
         [0004]    Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    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. 
         [0006]    In general, when making iced tea, the tea generally must be cooled to at least room temperature before adding ice to ensure that the ice does not melt to the extent that the tea is uncontrollably diluted. The preparation of iced tea thus may be a labor and time intensive process. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    In one aspect, a method for chilling tea is provided. The method includes brewing tea within a first container, the first container including an infuser; pouring the brewed tea into a second container containing a chilling medium (e.g., ice); and covering the second container with a first lid assembly that provides an air tight seal to the second container. 
         [0008]    Advantageously, covering the second container with an airtight seal locks in the freshness and flavor of the beverage. The airtight seal retains and intensifies the tea aroma and flavor. The second container may be rocked or agitated so as to thoroughly infuse and chill the tea. 
         [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 illustrated embodiments. The illustrated embodiments are 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 cross-sectional view taken along line  2 C- 2 C of  FIG. 2A , 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; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is side elevational view of beverage brewing and chilling system accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a method of brewing and chilling a beverage using the system of  FIG. 4  in accordance with an embodiment; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the second container of the system of  FIG. 4 , including a beverage and a chilling medium, in accordance with an embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a first or infuser container assembly  100  in accordance with an embodiment. The first container assembly  100  includes a brewing container, such as a pitcher, jug, pot or bottle  102  (hereinafter, “brewing pitcher  102 ”) having a first lid assembly  104  that includes a lid ring  106 , a cover  108  and a brew basket or infuser  110 . 
         [0019]    The brewing 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 an open top portion  109  of the brewing pitcher  102 . In some embodiments, the rim may have formed thereon container threads  107  for mounting and securing the brewing pitcher  102  to a lid, for example, reclosable lid or cover  108 . 
         [0020]    Alternatively, the brewing pitcher may be designed such that the top rim  105  of the pitcher  102  may be force fit into a corresponding portion of the lid assembly  104  designed to receive the rim  105 . 
         [0021]    In one embodiment, the infuser  110  includes a well  112  that extends from an upper rim  113  downwardly to a bottom wall  117 . The well  112  has side walls substantially provided by a porous filter medium  119  (which may be, for example, a metal, fabric, or polymeric mesh or screen), and is generally configured to contain tea leaves, herbal leaves, or other material from which a steeped beverage is brewed. Liquid disposed in the brewing pitcher  102  enters into the well  112  through the filter medium  119 . Specifically, hot water poured into the brewing pitcher  102  flows through the filter medium  119  and contacts the material in the well  112  to create the brewed beverage, which then flows out of the well  112  back into the brewing pitcher  102 . 
         [0022]      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 brewing 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 . 
         [0023]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B and 2C , 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 an 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 brewing 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 brewing pitcher  102  to removably secure the lid ring  106  to the brewing pitcher  102 . In one embodiment, a gasket or O-ring  220  may be positioned in the seating area  214  to ensure that the lid ring  106  is sealingly mated to the brewing pitcher  102 . 
         [0024]    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 the cover  108  described below. 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the cover  108  that includes a removable infuser  110  in accordance with an embodiment. In one embodiment, the cover  108  includes a cover handle  302  on a cover top surface  304 . In one embodiment, the cover handle  302  resembles a rectangular loop formed on an external surface of the cover. Adjacent and below the cover 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 . 
         [0026]    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 hollow space  312  configured to receive the infuser  110  as described below. 
         [0027]    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 . 
         [0028]    Within the hollow space  312  a set of internal cover threads  314  are formed generally adjacent the cover top surface  304  on an internal surface of the cover skirt  310 . The internal cover threads  314  provide a means for the cover  108  to engage with 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 . 
         [0029]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the first or infuser container assembly  100  described above may be used as a component of a tea maker system  400  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the tea maker system  400 , the first or infuser container assembly  100  is combined with a second or chilling container assembly  402  that provides an ability to “chill” the beverage brewed or steeped in the first container assembly  100 . 
         [0030]    The second container assembly  402  has the same general characteristics as the first container assembly  100 , except that it does not include an infuser. For example, the second container assembly  402  may include a chilling pitcher  404  having a body  406  that defines a volume used to hold or contain a substance which may be made to flow from the container body. Though not limited thereto, the container body  406  may have a generally circular, oval or rectangular cross-section that terminates at a continuous upper edge or rim that defines an open top end of the chilling pitcher  404 . In some embodiments, the rim may have formed thereon container threads for removably mounting and securing a second lid assembly  408  to the top end of the chilling pitcher  404 . The second lid assembly  408  may advantageously be essentially the same as the first lid assembly  108 , except that it may omit the above-described structure for removably attaching an infuser. Thus, the second lid assembly  408  includes a second lid ring  410  and a second reclosable lid  412  having a second lid handle  414 . The second lid ring  410  may advantageously be essentially identical to the first lid ring  106  described above and illustrated in  FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C . Therefore the above description of the first lid ring  106  applies to the second lid ring  410  and does not need to be repeated. 
         [0031]    In this embodiment, the chilling pitcher  404  is shown having a height and diameter that is different from those of the brewing pitcher  102 . Alternatively, the chilling pitcher  404  and the brewing pitcher  102  may have substantially the same dimensions. It should be understood that the chilling pitcher  404  may still maintain the capability to include an infuser, as described above, such that its use with the first or infuser container assembly  100  is interchangeable within the tea maker system  400 . In one embodiment, in the tea maker system  400 , the first container assembly  100  may provide the ability to brew the tea using the infuser  110 , while the second container assembly  402 , without the infuser, provides a receptacle in which to chill the tea in the manner described below. 
         [0032]    Reference is now made to  FIGS. 1-5 , where  FIG. 5  is a flow chart of a method  500  for preparing and chilling a steeped beverage (e.g., tea) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         [0033]    In operation, a user may assemble the lid assembly  104  of the first container assembly  100  in any desired order. The embodiment now described provides one example for the assembly of the lid assembly  104 . 
         [0034]    First, the brewing pitcher  102  may be fastened to the lid ring  106  by threading the threads  216  of the lid ring  106  into threads  105  of the brewing pitcher  102 . 
         [0035]    Next, the infuser  110  is filled with an appropriate amount of tea leaves (not shown) or other herbal material from which the beverage is to be made. (For the sake of simplicity, reference in the following description to “tea leaves” will be understood to include any herbal or organic material from which a beverage may be brewed or steeped.) The infuser  110  is then attached to the cover  108  by threading the infuser  110  onto the internal cover threads  314  in the hollow space  312 . The well  112  then extends downwardly from the center of the cover  108 . 
         [0036]    The combined cover  108  and infuser  110  may be inserted into the brewing pitcher  102  through the open top portion  109  having the lid ring  106  already attached. Generally, when the infuser  110  is inserted into the brewing 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 porous filter medium  119  of the well  112  allows the liquid to circulate through the well  112  and contact any contents (e.g., tea leaves) therein. 
         [0037]    Once the infuser  110  containing the tea leaves is positioned within the brewing pitcher  102 , hot water from any hot water source is poured into the brewing pitcher  102  to brew or steep the concentrated tea ( FIG. 5 , step  502 ). 
         [0038]    In one embodiment, the cover  108  may be attached and secured to the lid ring  106  by threading the external cover threads  308  into the ring threads  222 . Advantageously, as the cover  108  with the 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 than when the infuser is not being rotated, which may facilitate or speed-up the steeping or brewing process. 
         [0039]    When the 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 brewing pitcher  102  may be poured out via the spout  202 . When the cover  108  is threaded completely onto the lid ring  106 , the O-ring  306  is seated onto the lip portion  208 , such that no fluid may be poured out from the brewing pitcher  102 . 
         [0040]    In one example, when a user determines that a steeped beverage has reached a desired strength, the user may remove the cover  108  from the 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 brewing pitcher  102 . 
         [0041]    The container body  406  of the chilling pitcher  404  is configured to be partially filled with a chilling medium (typically ice, in the form of ice cubes, crushed ice, shaved ice, or the like), which allows the container body  406  to be used to convert the freshly brewed tea to iced tea. In step  504  ( FIG. 5 ), the freshly brewed tea is poured from the brewing pitcher  102  into the container body  406  of the chilling pitcher  404 , which contains the ice. The brewed and concentrated tea may be then mixed with additional water. That is, the container body  406  may be topped off with water. 
         [0042]    Next, in step  506 , as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the second lid assembly  408  is fastened onto the container body  406  of the chilling pitcher  404 . The second lid ring  410  of the second lid assembly  408  engages the rim around the open top end of the chilling pitcher  404  so as create an airtight seal therewith, thereby forming an airtight chamber  610  within the chilling pitcher. This airtight seal is advantageously provided by a gasket or O-ring, such as the gasket  220  shown in  FIGS. 2B and 2C , keeping in mind that these figures apply to the second lid ring  410  as well as to the first lid ring  106 , as noted above. The airtight seal causes the airtight chamber  610  to trap any water vapor  602  created by the mixture of hot, freshly-brewed tea  604  and ice  606  in the container  406  of the chilling pitcher  404 . The vapor created in the airtight chamber  610  is then forced back into the tea  604 . The airtight chamber  610  created by sealing the container body  406  should help in maintaining optimum flavor within the tea  604  without causing the ice  606  to melt prematurely. 
         [0043]    In step  508  ( FIG. 5 ), the chilling pitcher  404  may be agitated as needed. 
         [0044]    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.