TIME MEASURING DEVICE

Abstract

Provided is a time measuring device, including a strip of absorbent material, which is sheathed by an air-tight material, wherein the sheath includes in the lower half at least one hole, and wherein a dye is applied on up to 90% of the surface of the strip. Embodiments of the invention also relate to a method for the use thereof.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A time measuring device, comprising a strip of absorbent material, wherein a dye is applied to up to 90% of the surface of said strip, wherein a. the strip is sheathed with an airtight material; b. the sheath has at least one hole for tea to enter the strip in a lower half to be inserted into the tea; and c. the time measuring device has exactly one fixed direction of liquid flow from the lower end of the strip towards the upper end of the strip.

12. The time measuring device according to claim 11, wherein the time measuring device comprises at least one means for a liquid to rise in the strip within a predetermined and repeatable time to a preferentially marked target area as soon as the liquid comes into contact with the hole.

13. The time measuring device according to claim 11, wherein a. the hole is arranged on a flat side of the strip; b. the hole is arranged horizontally centrally on a flat side of the strip; and/or c. the dye is applied above the hole and preferably a mark is applied above the dye to the strip.

14. The time measuring device according to claim 11, wherein a. the at least one hole is not located at the edge of the strip and preferably has a minimum distance of 1 mm, especially preferably at least 2 mm, from the edge of the strip; b. the dye is placed on the strip with a distance of at least 1 mm, especially preferably 2 mm from the edge of the strip; c. the time measuring device has no spacer between the strip and the sheath.

15. The time measuring device according to claim 11, wherein the dye a. is not initially visible to the human eye and becoming visible upon contact with another substance; b. has a retention factor of the dye in water on the strip in a range from 0.8 to 1 and/or c. is a pH indicator applied in the upper 70% of the strip and/or marking a mark indicating the end of the time a tea has to infuse.

16. The time measuring device according to claim 11, wherein a. the dye is a food colouring agent, b. the time measuring device comprises only one single dye; c. the time measuring device comprises less than 1% by weight of further reagents or auxiliary reagents other than the dye or dyes, preferably no further reagents or auxiliary reagents; and/or d. the sheath comprises a food-safe plastic.

17. The time measuring device according to claim 11, wherein a. the dye is applied only on up to 50% of the strip surface; b. the dye is applied only to the front side of the strip; c. the dye is applied within the lower 20%; d. the sheath is preferably transparent at least on the front side of the sheath; and/or e. the ascent height indicated by the dye can also be read below the surface of the liquid.

18. The time measuring device according to claim 11, wherein a. the hole has a, preferably temporary, cover; and/or b. the time measuring device is wrapped with a jacket, preferably made of a plastic foil, in addition to the sheath.

19. The Time measuring device according to claim 11, wherein a. the strip is made of standard blotting paper measuring 115 cm; b. 0.1 ml of azorubine dye is applied to the strip in the middle of the strip at a distance of 2 cm from the lower end of the strip; c. the strip is laminated into 0.5 mm thick polystyrene foil; d. the polystyrene foil comprises a circular hole of 4 mm size in the middle of the strip and 1 cm from the lower end of the strip; and e. the strip is marked with a pencil about 2 cm from the upper end of the strip.

20. A tea packaging comprising at least one time measuring device according to claim 11.

21. A method of time measurement, wherein the time measuring device according to claim 11 is immersed in a liquid with the lower end thereof

22. The time measuring device according to claim 16, wherein the food colouring agent, is an azo dye, selected from azorubine (E122), cochineal red A (E124) and allura red AC (E129).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0056] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0057] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the time measuring device according to embodiment of the invention; and

[0058] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the inventive time measuring device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] In FIG. 1 one sees the time measuring device 10, wherein a strip 12 is wrapped with a sheath 14. The sheath 14 has a hole 16 in the lower half 24, through which tea, for example, can get onto strip 12 and then ascend in the strip 12. The tea can then take at least a part of the dye 18 applied in the lower half 24 along its way, which is caused by capillary forces, up towards the upper half 22. As soon as the tea with the dye 18 has reached the mark 30, the user knows that the tea has infused during the optimum time and can remove the tea bag and the time measuring device from the cup.

VIII. Example

[0060] 0.1 ml of azorubine dye was applied to a strip of standard blotting paper measuring 115 cm in the middle of the strip at a distance of 2 cm from the lower end of the strip. The strip was then laminated into 0.5 mm thick polystyrene foil, into which a circular hole of 4 mm size was punched in a way that the hole was arranged in the middle of the strip and 1 cm from the lower end. The strip had previously been marked with a pencil about 2 cm from the upper end. Afterwards, a cup of tea was brewed with peppermint tea and upon dipping of the tea bag, the time measuring device was also dipped into the cup with the bottom end, so that the upper end was sticking out of the tea liquid. The tea was absorbed through the hole by the blotting paper and was transported by capillary forces through the blotting paper upwards towards the upper end of the time measuring device. At the same time, the azorubine dye was dissolved in the tea and transported in the same direction. At some point, the azorubine dye reached the pencil mark and the tea bag and the time measuring device were removed from the cup of tea.

[0061] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of preferred embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0062] For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of a or an throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and comprising does not exclude other steps or elements. The mention of a unit or a module does not preclude the use of more than one unit or module.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0063] 10 time measuring device [0064] 12 strip [0065] 14 sheath [0066] 16 hole [0067] 18 dye [0068] 20 front side [0069] 22 upper half [0070] 24 lower half [0071] 26 lower end [0072] 28 upper end [0073] 30 mark