Patent Publication Number: US-2005126402-A1

Title: Teacup

Description:
RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS  
      Not applicable.  
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
      Not applicable.  
     REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX  
      Not applicable.  
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a teacup for drinking tea, such as black tea and green tea, by means of a tea bag.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Teacups made of various materials such as a ceramic ware and a metal are widely used for drinking tea, such as black tea and green tea, by means of a tea bag. These teacups have an open top.  
      Tea bags usually comprise a small bag containing tea leaves, a string attached at one end thereof to said bag, and a tag attached to another end of said string. A tag of some tea bags has a cut in an edge of the tag.  
      When a conventional teacup is used, a bag of a tea bag and hot water are put into the teacup to soak tea leaves within the bag in the hot water, and after a little while the tea bag is taken out of the teacup. Then, tea thus made in the teacup is drunk.  
      When tea leaves within the bag of the tea bag is soaked in the hot water, the tag of the tea bag is exposed outside the teacup. Since the tag of the tea bag merely hangs outside the teacup by the string, the tag sometimes drops into the hot water within the teacup. If the tag drops into the hot water within the teacup, the tea in the teacup may be insanitary, and it is troublesome to take out the tea bag from the hot water.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is an object of the invention to obviate the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.  
      It is another object of the invention to provide a teacup having a means for fastening a tag of a tea bag to an outside portion of the teacup.  
      These and other objects have been achieved by the following teacup.  
      First, the present invention is a teacup comprising a cut formed in an upper edge of the teacup, a tag of a tea bag being fastened to said cut by inserting a string of the tea bag into said cut.  
      In this embodiment, when a bag of a tea bag and hot water are put into the teacup, the tag of the tea bag is positioned outside the teacup and the string of the tea bag is inserted into the cut in an upper edge of the teacup. Then, even if the string of the tea bag is pulled toward the inside of the teacup when tea leaves within the bag of the tea bag are being soaked in the hot water, the tag of the tea bag is caught by said cut so as not to be dropped into the hot water within the teacup. Before the tea in the teacup is drunk, the tea bag can be easily taken out of the teacup by picking up the tag.  
      Second, the present invention is a teacup comprising a projection provided on the outside of the teacup, a tag of a tea bag being fastened to said projection by inserting said projection into a cut formed in an edge of the tag.  
      In this embodiment, when a bag of a tea bag and hot water are put into the teacup, the tag of the tea bag is fastened to the projection by inserting the projection into a cut formed in an edge of the tag. Then, even if the string of the tea bag is pulled toward the inside of the teacup when tea leaves within the bag of the tea bag are being soaked in the hot water, the tag of the tea bag is not dropped into the hot water within the teacup. Before the tea in the teacup is drunk, the tea bag can be easily taken out of the teacup by picking up the tag.  
      Third, the present invention is a teacup comprising a groove formed in a handle of said teacup, a tag of a tea bag being fastened to said groove by inserting a string of the tea bag into said groove.  
      In this embodiment, when a bag of a tea bag and hot water are put into the teacup, the tag of the tea bag is positioned outside the teacup and the string of the tea bag is inserted into the groove in the handle of the teacup. Then, even if the string of the tea bag is pulled toward the inside of the teacup when tea leaves within the bag of the tea bag are being soaked in the hot water, the tag of the tea bag is caught by said groove so as not to be dropped into the hot water within the teacup. Before the tea in the teacup is drunk, the tea bag can be easily taken out of the teacup by picking up the tag.  
      Fourth, the present invention is any of the above-mentioned teacups, comprising a cap. In this embodiment, after a bag of a tea bag and hot water are put into the teacup, the open top of the teacup is covered tightly with the cap. Tea leaves within the bag of the tea bag are maintained at a high temperature in the tightly covered teacup so as to improve the flavor and taste of the tea. The tea bag taken out of the teacup may be put on the cap so as not to wet the table.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an example of a teacup according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a sectional view showing said teacup covered tightly with a cap.  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing said cap.  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing another example of the teacup according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing a tag of a tea bag and a projection.  
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing a further example of the teacup according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 7  is a plan view of the teacup. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.  
      An embodiment shown in FIGS.  1  to  3  will be described.  
      Reference symbol  1  represents a teacup. The teacup  1  has a handle  3 . The teacup  1  is provided in an upper edge  1   a  thereof with a cut  9  for fastening a tag  7  of a tea bag  5 . The tag  7  is fastened to the cut  9  by inserting a string  11  of the tea bag  5  into the cut  9 . The cut  9  has a width, depth and shape suitable for this purpose. The tea bag  5  has a bag  13  containing tea leaves for black tea, green tea, etc. Reference symbol  15  in  FIG. 2  represents hot water poured into the teacup  1 .  
      The teacup  1  may be provided on its open top with a cap  17  which can be easily put on and taken off. The cap  17  is preferably provided on the periphery with a wall  17   a  which prevents liquid from flowing out from the cap  17  when the tea bag  5  taken out of the teacup  1  is put on the cap  17 .  
      In an embodiment shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the teacup  1  is provided on the outside thereof with a projection  21  for holding the tag  7  of the tea bag  5 , said tag  7  having a cut  23  formed in an edge of the tag  7 . The projection  21  has a shape and size suitable for the insertion into the cut  23  of the tag  7 . The projection  21  is preferably disposed near the upper edge  1   a  of the teacup  1 .  
      In an embodiment shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the teacup  1  is provided in the handle  3  thereof with a groove  31  for fastening the tag  7  of the tea bag  5 . The tag  7  of the tea bag  5  is fastened to the groove  31  by inserting the string  11  of the tea bag  5  into the groove  31 . The groove  31  has a width, depth and shape suitable for this purpose. The groove  31  shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7  is crooked like a letter “L”.  
      As many apparently widely different embodiments of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments thereof except as defined in the appended claims.