Patent Publication Number: US-2023157477-A1

Title: Method of Making a Tea Beverage

Description:
This application claims foreign priority benefits from Canadian Patent Application 3,139,366 filed Nov. 17, 2021. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a method for preparing matcha or other tea beverages by mixing a tea powder with a liquid. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Matcha is a powdered green tea derived from the tea plant  Camellia sinesis . The tea powder is produced from tea leaves which are shade-grown for several weeks. The tea leaves are steamed, cooled and dried, then de-stemmed and de-veined to create what is called “tencha”. The tencha leaves are then ground into a fine powder which becomes matcha. Traditionally, matcha powder is consumed as a hot tea by whisking the powder with hot water using a bamboo whisk in a bowl (chasen). Manually preparing and whisking the mixture is time-consuming, requires precision and can yield varying results. There is a need to provide improvements over manual preparation by providing ease of preparation and enhanced precision through automation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides a method to make a tea beverage using a tea powder. 
     According to one aspect of the invention, the present invention relates to a method of making a tea beverage using a tea powder, the method comprising: 
     providing a mixing device including a vessel for containing a liquid therein, a mixing member supported within the vessel for rotation relative to the vessel, and a heating element operatively connected to the vessel so as to be arranged to heat contents of the vessel; 
     partly filling the vessel of the mixing device with a selected liquid; 
     adding a prescribed amount of the tea powder to the selected liquid in the vessel; 
     actuating the mixing member and the heating element of the mixing device so as to simultaneously (i) mix the selected liquid and the tea powder to form a mixture and (ii) heat the mixture. 
     The method of preparation comprises partly filling the vessel of the mixing device with a selected liquid; 
     adding a prescribed amount of the tea powder to the selected liquid in the vessel; and 
     actuating the mixing member and the heating element of the mixing device to simultaneously (i) mix the selected liquid and the tea powder to form a mixture and (ii) heat the mixture. 
     Use of a motor driven mixing member while simultaneously heating the mixture has been found to create a desirable frothing of the tea mixture that can be reproduced more consistently and with much less effort as compared to traditional manual whisking of the tea powder with hot water. 
     The method may further comprise (i) partly filling the vessel of the mixing device with approximately 100 to 250 millilitres of the selected liquid, (ii) adding the prescribed amount of tea powder in the range of approximately 1 to 20 grams, and/or (iii) mixing and heating the mixture for a duration in the range of 1 to 2 minutes and more preferably for approximately 90 seconds. For example, preparing 20 grams of tea powder with 250 millilitres of fluid would constitute “koicha” or “thick tea” in traditional preparation. 
     The method may further include heating the mixture to a temperature exceeding 60 degrees Celsius, and more preferably to a temperature of approximately 65 degrees Celsius, while mixing the mixture. 
     The mixture is preferably dispensed from the mixing device to a serving cup subsequent to heating and mixing the mixture. 
     When the mixing member comprises an agitator, the method may further comprise frothing the mixture using the agitator. Preferably the agitator comprises a plurality of windings of elongated strand material forming a coil. 
     When the mixing device further includes a common actuator button, the method may further include actuating the mixing of the mixture with the mixing member and actuating the heating of the mixture with the heating element simultaneously using the common actuator button. 
     The method may further include providing a timer on the mixing device and actuating the mixing member and the heating element for prescribed duration determined by the timer. 
     According to an alternative mode of operation, when the mixing device again includes a common actuator button on the mixing device, the method may alternatively include actuating the mixing of the mixture with the mixing member but not actuating the heating of the mixture with the heating element in response to the common actuator button being depressed twice in succession within a prescribed duration. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a mixing device for mixing the tea beverage; 
         FIG.  2    is a schematic representation of the mixing device; and 
         FIG.  3    is a flow chart illustrating a method of forming a tea beverage using the mixing device. 
     
    
    
     In the drawings, like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to the accompanying figures, there is illustrated a tea beverage mixing device generally indicated by reference numeral  10 , for use in preparing a tea mixture, and more particularly for preparing a matcha beverage formed from a liquid, such as water or milk, mixed with a matcha tea powder. 
     The mixing device  10  includes (i) a main housing  12  defining a vessel arranged to contain a liquid therein and (ii) a base  16  arranged for connection to a power supply and for supporting the main housing  12  thereon to deliver the electrical power from the power supply to the main housing. 
     The main housing  12  includes a cylindrical perimeter wall  18  incorporating a layer of heat insulating material therein to define the perimeter boundary of the vessel  14  within the main housing. A bottom wall  20  spans across the cylindrical wall in proximity to the bottom end of the main housing to define a lower boundary of the vessel  14 . A remaining portion of the cylindrical wall  18  extending below the bottom wall  20  defines a lower chamber  22  therein which receives various operating components of the mixing device as described below. The cylindrical wall  18  remains open at the top end thereof for accessing the interior of the vessel  14  through the open top end of the housing. 
     A lid  24  is provided for selectively enclosing the open top end of the vessel of the main housing. More particularly, the lid includes a lower portion  26  formed of a cylindrical wall having an outer diameter that fits closely within the inner diameter of the perimeter wall  18  of the vessel. The lid further includes a rim  28  protruding radially outward from the top of the lower portion  26  by a distance corresponding to a wall thickness of the cylindrical wall  18  of the main housing such that the outer edge of the rim  28  is substantially flush with the exterior surface of the cylindrical wall of the main housing when the lid is partly received into the open top end of the main housing. One or annular sealing rings  30  are supported at spaced locations to extend about the lower portion  26  of the lid to secure the lid by friction fit relative to the interior diameter of the cylindrical vessel while providing a seal between the lid and the vessel in a closed position of the lid. The lid  24  is enclosed at the top side thereof by an upper panel  32  spanning across the top of the lower portion  26  to be continuous with the rim  28 . The lid incorporates a layer of heat insulating material therein to insulate the upper boundary of the vessel  14  when the lid is closed and mounted onto the housing. The lid is readily removable simply by lifting upwardly off of the open top end of the housing. 
     The operating components within the lower chamber  22  of the main housing include a motor  34  for operative connection with a mixing member  36  supported within the vessel  14  at the top end thereof. A shaft  38  is formed integrally as part of the bottom wall  20  of the main housing to extend upwardly from the bottom of the vessel so as to remain fixed and immovable relative to the housing, while supporting the mixing member or agitator  36  rotatably thereon. The shaft  38  joins the bottom wall as a unitary body so as to prevent penetration of liquid through the bottom wall of the housing. The motor  34  within the lower chamber  22  of the main housing generates a rotating magnetic field which interacts with an element within the mixing member  36  that responds to the magnetic field so as to electromagnetically induce rotation of the mixing member relative to the vessel. 
     The mixing member includes a central body  42  forming a socket in the bottom end thereof that receives the top end of the shaft  38  therein so that the mixing member rotates on the shaft  38 , while enabling the mixing member to be detached and removed from the shaft for cleaning and replacement as required. A handle member  44  extends upwardly from the central body for gripping in the hand of a user to assist in removal and re-attachment of the mixing member to the shaft. The mixing member further includes a whisking member  46  attached to the central body of the mixing member in the form of a plurality of circular windings in a spiral pattern collectively forming a coil in the shape of a torus surrounding the central body  42  to be coaxial with the shaft upon which the mixing member is supported. When rotated by the motor  34 , the mixing member is arranged for frothing the liquid within the vessel  14 . 
     The mixing member  36  may be interchanged with an auxiliary member  48  having a similar central body  42  with a socket therein for attachment to the shaft and a handle  44  to assist in attaching and removing the auxiliary member  48  from the vessel. In place of a whisking member, the mixing member in this instance may comprise a plurality of radially extending paddles  50  which function to mix the liquid and powder within the vessel with less frothing than the whisking member  46 . 
     The mixing device  10  further includes a controller  52  supported within the lower chamber in the form of a printed circuit board that controls delivery of power to the motor for actuating the motor  34 . The controller  52  is connected to a timer  54  which defines a prescribed duration which may be programmed in the range of 1 to 2 minutes for example and more preferably a duration of 90 seconds according to the preferred embodiment. 
     A common actuator button  56  is supported on the cylindrical wall  18  of the main housing in alignment with the lower chamber  22  such that the actuator button is externally accessible on the main housing. The actuator button is operatively connected to the controller  52  such that manually depressing the actuator button generates an actuation signal for the controller. 
     A heater is provided in the form of a heating element  58  mounted within the bottom wall  28  of the cylindrical vessel so as to be in heat transferring relationship with the contents of the vessel. The heater is operatively connected to the controller to be supplied with electrical power by the controller as dictated by programming of the controller. 
     The base  16  of the mixing device includes a platform  60  arranged to be supported on a horizontal supporting surface that further includes an upper supporting surface thereon upon which the bottom of the main housing can be seated in a working position. A protruding lug  62  extends upwardly from a central location on the platform  60  to form a mating connection with a socket  64  formed at the bottom end of the main housing so that the socket  64  receives the protruding lug  62  therein when the main housing is seated on the platform  60  of the base. 
     A set of three terminals  66  are mounted on the protruding lug  62  of the base and are electrically connected within the platform  60  to a power cord  68  extending from the base to a plug  70  at the distal end of the power cord that is suitably arranged for plugging into a conventional electrical wall socket. In this manner, electrical power is supplied through the power cord  68  to the terminals  66  on the base. A corresponding set of terminals  72  are supported on the bottom of the main housing within the socket  64  for alignment with and connection to the terminals  66  on the base when the main housing is seated on the base. The terminals  72  at the bottom of the main housing are in turn connected to the controller  52  within the lower portion of the main housing for delivering electrical power to the controller. 
     The controller includes suitable programming such that when an operator depresses the actuator button  56  a single time, a single actuation signal is generated and delivered to the controller, the controller will respond by simultaneously delivering electrical power to the heating element  58  and to the motor  34  of the mixing member  36  to simultaneously mix the liquid and the tea powder within the vessel  14  to produce a tea mixture, while also frothing and heating the tea mixture for a prescribed duration of approximately 90 seconds as defined by the timer  54 . 
     According to the preferred embodiment, a prescribed amount of liquid, for example water or milk, is added to the vessel to partly fill the vessel with between 100 and 250 mL of the liquid, followed by adding a prescribed amount of matcha tea powder in the range of 1 to 20 grams, but most commonly in the range of 1 to 2 grams when preparing a traditional tea beverage. In this instance, mixing and heating the tea mixture for approximately 90 seconds results in a beverage having a serving temperature of approximately 65° C. 
     The controller may further include programming that responds to an operator depressing the actuator button twice in quick succession, that is within approximately one second of one another for example. In this instance, two distinct actuation signals are delivered to the controller and the controller will instead respond by delivering electrical power only to the motor  34  of the mixing member  36 , but not the heating element  58 . In this instance the mixing member will be similarly activated for a timed duration of approximately 90 seconds to again suitably mix the tea powder and the liquid while also suitably frothing the tea mixture, but without heating the mixture. When starting with a cold liquid, the resulting prepared beverage will be a cold beverage. 
     Once mixing and/or heating of the matcha tea beverage is complete, the controller will disconnect power to the motor and the heating element. The user can then detach the main housing from the base, remove the lid, and pour the prepared beverage into a serving cup for consumption by the user. 
     Since various modifications can be made in the invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.