Abstract:
A multi-use tea infusing device with a built in saucer, strainer, and hook(s) for mounting the infusing device onto a drinking vessel.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not Applicable 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention is in the technical field of beverage brewing. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of tea beverage brewing. 
         [0005]    Tea beverages are commonly brewed using single-use tea bags or by using multi-use infusing devices such as tea balls, baskets, or whisks. These conventional methods of tea brewing may require the removal of the infusing device containing the expended tea leaves from the beverage in order to consume the beverage. This requires the need to either discard the expended tea leaves, elevate the expended tea leaves out of the beverage, or set the infusing devise containing the expended tea leaves aside to be discarded or cleaned at a later time. During these events, the person may need to be near a waste disposal receptacle, dishwashing sink, have access to a separate saucer plate, or other containment device in order to capture the absorbed fluid that will drain out of the expended tea leaves once the expended tea leaves are out of the beverage. 
         [0006]    If a person is using a conventional single-use disposable tea bag for the brewing process, the consumer of the tea beverage may choose to simply leave the tea bag and tea leaves in the drinking vessel during consumption of the beverage. On the contrary, typical multi-use tea infusing devises may be too large or stick out of the drinking vessel in such a way to obstruct a person from easily sipping while the device is in use. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention is a multi-use tea infusing device with a saucer, a strainer basket, and clip(s) or hook(s) for mounting the infusing device onto a drinking vessel. The combination of these features is in a self-contained unit that allows for a person to sip, with minimal obstruction, the tea beverage while the tea infusing device is brewing or mounted on the drinking vessel. Furthermore, this same tea infusing device with a built in saucer, when removed off the drinking vessel and out of the beverage, can be flipped, roughly 180 degrees, and set aside to capture the absorbed fluid that will drain out of the expended tea leaves, keeping the drainage from spilling over and onto the surrounding surface(s). 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is an upright perspective view of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a flipped perspective view of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is an exploded upright perspective view of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is an exploded flipped perspective view of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a bottom view of the of the saucer/clip housing of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a top view of the of the strainer assembly of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a top view of the invention mounted in brew mode in a drinking vessel 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a side view showing the invention in use while a person sips the beverage 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    The details of the invention can be referenced in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6 ,  FIG. 7 , and  FIG. 8 .  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  show the clip/saucer housing A and strainer assembly B snapped together as a single unit. The orientation of the invention shown in  FIG. 1  will be commonly referenced as brew mode and the orientation of the invention shown in  FIG. 2  will be commonly referenced as saucer mode.  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  show the clip/saucer housing A and strainer assembly B separated as intended for inserting tea leaves inside the strainer assembly B via strainer opening  36 . The strainer opening  36  will also allow for disposing of the expended tea leaves, cleaning, etc. Hook  10  and hook  12  allow for the invention to be mounted onto a drinking vessel such as a mug, canteen, thermos, etc. Hook  10  and hook  12  also serve as handles for when the invention is flipped from brew mode to saucer mode or vice versa. It is not necessary to have quantity two hooks, it may even function with a single hook and it is possible to have three or more hooks as well. 
         [0017]    Saucer groove  18  is an integral feature of the clip/saucer housing A which allow for the device to be flipped from brew mode to saucer mode as a single unit and without the need for a separate, removable saucer to catch the excess drainage from the expended tea leaves once removed from the beverage. 
         [0018]    In further detail, straight snap hook  28 , straight snap hook groove  30 , curved snap hook  32 , and curved snap hook groove  34  allowing the clip/saucer housing A and strainer assembly B to be snapped together is referred to in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . Straight snap hook  28  and curved snap hook  32  are features of the strainer snap hook assembly  20 . Strainer holes  16  ranging in size of 0.01 inch to 0.10 inch in diameter are chemical etched, cut or punched out on the strainer body  14 . The strainer body  14  may range in overall length of 1.0 inch to 7.0 inch and have a typical wall thickness of 0.005 inch to 0.200 inch depending on the material of construction. The combination of features included in the strainer snap hook assembly  20  and the strainer body  14  make up the strainer assembly B. The strainer assembly B and features identified on the strainer snap hook assembly  20  and the strainer body  14  may be constructed from a single piece or multiple pieces. 
         [0019]    The strainer snap hook assembly  20  may be constructed from plastic, rubber, metal, wood, or a variety of other rigid, semi-rigid materials. Strainer body  14  may be constructed from plastic, rubber, metal, wood, or a variety of other rigid, semi-rigid materials. The strainer snap hook assembly  20  and strainer body  14  may be constructed as one solid piece or multiple parts assembled together. 
         [0020]    Clip/saucer housing A may be constructed as one solid piece or multiple parts assembled together with hook  10 , hook  12 , saucer groove  18 , straight snap hook groove  30 , curved snap hook groove  34 , and saucer bottom  24  as features. Clip/saucer housing A may be constructed from plastic, rubber, metal, wood, or a variety of other rigid, semi-rigid materials. If desired, nose indent  26  and indent fillet  22  may be added to minimize interference with the user&#39;s nose while sipping the beverage from a drinking vessel with the invention mounted in brew mode, reference  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8  showing conceptual usage. In  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 , note the generous opening/sipping area available on the drinking vessel even with the invention mounted on a drinking vessel, which is a key feature in combination with the other features mentioned elsewhere on this document that allows a person to sip the beverage with the invention in use with minimal obstruction. Hook  10  and hook  12  can either be rigid or semi-flexible to allow for radial flexing when mounted on drinking or brewing vessels of different wall thickness. 
         [0021]    The advantages of the present invention include, without limitation, allowing a person to sip out of a drinking vessel while the invention is mounted and used in brew mode. The invention also allows a person to use the devise as a self-contained saucer without needing a separate saucer plate, or other containers such as a waste disposal receptacle or dishwashing sink in order to capture the absorbed fluid that will drain out of the expended tea leaves once the device and expended tea leaves are out of the beverage. 
         [0022]    In broad embodiment, the present invention is a tea infuser. 
         [0023]    While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.