Patent Publication Number: US-2022225801-A1

Title: Hot Beverage Steeping Assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to steeping device and more particularly pertains to a new steeping device for steeping brewing granules that would normally be poured directly into water. The steeping device includes a pouch that contains the brewing granules and a dunking can for submerging the pouch in the water. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to steeping device including a variety of fluid permeable pouches that can be submerged in water for producing a beverage. The prior art also discloses a variety of beverage brewing devices that include a water container and a water soluble capsule that can be inserted into the water container for producing a beverage. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a pouch which encloses brewing granules. The pouch is comprised of a fluid permeable material for submerging in a cup of water to steeping the brewing granules in the water to produce a beverage. A dunking can is provided that has a plurality of inlets each extending into an interior of the dunking can to pass the water into the dunking can when the dunking can is submerged in the cup of water. The pouch is insertable into the dunking can such that the dunking can suspends the pouch in the water for steeping. A handle is coupled to and extends upwardly from the dunking can for submerging the dunking can in the cup of water. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a hot beverage steeping assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a back phantom view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a left side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 6  thereof, a new steeping device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 6 , the hot beverage steeping assembly  10  generally comprises a pouch  12  that encloses brewing granules  14 . The pouch  12  is comprised of a fluid permeable material thereby facilitating the pouch  12  to steep the brewing granules  14  in a cup of water  16  to produce a beverage. The brewing granules  14  may be powdered cocoa, instant coffee, tea or any other type of brewing granules that would typically be poured directly into the water  16  to produce the beverage. The pouch  12  ensures that the brewing granules  14  are not spilled, making the pouch  12  a functional choice for an airline flight attendant, for example, to make a beverage without spilling the brewing granules  14 . 
     A dunking can  18  is provided and the dunking can  18  has a plurality of inlets  20  each extending into an interior of the dunking can  18 . In this way each of the inlets  20  passes the water  16  into the dunking can  18  when the dunking can  18  is submerged in the cup of water  16 . The pouch  12  is insertable into the dunking can  18  to suspend the pouch  12  in the water  16  for steeping. The dunking can  18  has a bottom wall  22  and an outer wall  24  extending upwardly therefrom, and the outer wall  24  has a distal edge  26  with respect to the bottom wall  22  defining an opening  28  into the dunking can  18  for receiving the pouch  12 . The outer wall  24  may have a plurality of flaps  29  angling downwardly therefrom and each of the flaps  29  may extend along a respective one of the inlets  20 . 
     The outer wall  24  has a front side  30 , a back side  32 , a first lateral side  34  and a second lateral side  36 . The plurality of inlets  20  includes a set of first inlets  38  each extending through the front side  30 . Additionally, the plurality of inlets  20  includes a set of second inlets  40  each extending through the back side  32 . The outer wall  24  has a plurality of apertures  42  each extending into the interior of the dunking can  18  to pass water  16  into the dunking can  18 . The apertures  42  are spaced apart from each other and are distributed around the front side  30 , the first lateral side  34  and the second lateral side  36 . Additionally, the bottom wall  22  has a plurality of the apertures  42  extending therethrough to pass water  16  into the dunking can  18 . 
     A handle  44  is provided and the handle  44  is movably coupled to the dunking can  18 . As is most clearly shown in  FIG. 5 , the handle is positionable in a deployed position having the handle  44  extending upwardly from the distal edge  26  of the outer wall  24  of the dunking can  18 . In this way the handle  44  can be gripped for submerging the dunking can  18  in the cup of water  16 . The handle  44  can be positioned in a stored position having the handle  44  lying flat against the outer wall  24 . The handle  44  has a distal end  46  with respect to the distal edge  26  and the handle  44  is centrally positioned on the back side  32  of the outer wall  24 . A grip  48  is positioned on the distal end  46  and the grip  48  is elongated along a line that is oriented perpendicular to the handle  44  to enhance gripping the handle  44 . 
     In use, the pouch  12  is inserted into the dunking can  18  and the dunking can  18  is lowered into the cup of water  16 . In this way the brewing granules  14  can be steeped, rather than poured directly, into the water  16  to produce the beverage. Thus, the beverage can be produced without the risk of spilling the brewing granules  14 . The dunking can  18  may be stirred or agitated in the water  16  to enhance the process of producing the beverage. The dunking can  18  is lifted out of the water  16  and the pouch  12  is discarded after sufficient time to produce the beverage. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.