TEA BAG WITH STEVIA SYSTEMS

Abstract

A tea bag with stevia system provides a device to deliver tea leaves and stevia leaves in a single-use tea bag. The tea bag with stevia system is defined by a single-use, filter-paper envelope, tea leaves, stevia leaves, a string, and a tag. The filter-paper envelope is structured and arranged to contain a proportional composition of tea leaves and stevia leaves in a ‘ready-to-brew’ condition with the string attached to the exterior of the filter-paper material envelope and the tag attached to the distal end of the string. The string and tag are structured and arranged to facilitate inserting and removing the single-use, filter-paper material envelope from the inner volume of a drinking or a tea-brewing vessel.

Claims

1) A tea bag comprising of a mixture of a plurality of tea leaves and a plurality of stevia leaves, wherein said plurality of stevia leaves comprise of one or two or three or four different sieve sizes of stevia leaves, wherein the weight ratio of said tea leaves to said stevia leaves having a predefined ratio to add a controlled amount of a sweetening agent to a tea after steeping said tea bag for a steeping time.

2) The tea bag of claim 1, wherein said sieve sizes of said stevia leaves are very fine, fine, medium, and coarse.

3) The tea bag of claim 2, wherein said coarse sieve size is more than 5 mm.

4) The tea bag of claim 2, wherein said medium sieve size ranges from 1 mm to 5 mm.

5) The tea bag of claim 2, wherein said fine sieve size ranges from 100 μm to 1000 μm.

6) The tea bag of claim 2, wherein said very fine sieve size ranges from 25 μm to 100 μm.

7) The tea bag of claim 1, wherein said tea is selected from the group consisting of a white tea, a yellow tea, a green tea, a black tea, an oolong tea, a herbal tea, and a pu-erh tea, and mixtures thereof, and a flavor.

8) The tea bag of claim 1, wherein said predefined ratio of the weight of the tea to the weight of the stevia leaves is about 1/(0.1) to 1/(0.01).

9) The tea bag of claim 1, further having a time indicator element to determine said steeping time for said tea bag.

10) The tea bag of claim 9, wherein said time indicator element is a color changing string attached to the tea bag that becomes dark after said steeping time.

11) A tea bag comprising of a mixture of a tea leaf and a stevia leaf.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and method(s) of use for the present invention, a tea bag with stevia system, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tea bag with stevia system during an ‘in-use’ condition showing a tea bag with stevia being brewed in a hot drink preparation according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view illustrating the tea bag with stevia system comprising a tea bag with stevia assembly comprising tea leaves, stevia leaves, a string, and a tag according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0026] FIG. 3 shows different tea bags with variable brewing time and water temperature.

[0027] The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] The present invention is directed to a tea bag with stevia. In one embodiment of the present invention, a tea bag with stevia system may comprise a device to provide combined stevia and tea in a single-use tea bag.

[0029] Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a tea bag 10 with stevia leaves during an ‘in-use’ condition comprising a single-use, filter-paper envelope 11, tea leaves 20, stevia leaves 30, a string 12, and a tag 13. The filter-paper envelope 11 is structured and arranged to contain a proportional composition of tea leaves 20 and stevia leaves 30 in a ‘ready-to-brew’ condition, with the string 12 attached to the exterior of the filter-paper envelope 11 and the tag 13 attached to the distal end of the string 12. The string 12 and tag 13 are structured and arranged to facilitate inserting and removing the single-use, filter-paper envelope 11 from a drinking, or a tea-brewing, vessel 40. The tea leaves 20 may further comprise a plurality of combinations of tea varieties. Further, the tea leaves 20 may comprise a plurality of combinations of tea varieties, edible plant materials, and essential oils.

[0030] The stevia leaves 30 comprise of a plurality of stevia leaves such as stevioside, steviobioside, dulcoside A and rebaudiosides A, B, C, D and E. The stevia leaves 30 comprise of a plurality of combinations of stevia leaves such as stevioside, steviobioside, dulcoside A and rebaudiosides A, B, C, D and E.

[0031] The stevia leaves 30 comprise of a plurality of stevia leaves having different particle sizes such as a very fine particle size, a fine particle size, a medium particle size and a coarse particle size or combination of stevia leaves together. The solubility of stevia leaves in the water changes by the change in particle sizes. The size of stevia leaves affect the retrieving the sweetening agent and dissolving into the cold or hot water.

[0032] When a user makes a tea by the present invention arrangement, the temperature of the water, the size of the stevia leaves and the contribution of the particle size of the stevia leaves are predetermined. Therefore, by knowing the steeping time of the present arrangement, the amount of the sweetening agent dissolving into the water can be calculated.

[0033] In the present invention, a single-use, filter-paper envelope 11 further has a time measurement device 60 such as a color indicator 60 which changes its color by the time. For example, if the tea bag of the present invention arranges to retrieve 50 mg stevia into the water by having specific particle size of the stevia leaves in the tea bag in 45 seconds of steeping time; the user will notify by the color indicator (change in color) in the filter-paper envelop at 45 seconds steeping time to remove the tea bag from a drinking, or a tea-brewing, vessel 40.

[0034] For people with diabetes wherein the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for stevia is predetermined; they can manage the consumption of tea and the amount of sugar or stevia per each cup of tea by the present invention arrangement.

[0035] In continuing to refer to FIG. 1, a combined stevia and tea in a single-use tea bag may be prepared as a hot or a cold beverage for personal consumption. For either a hot or a cold beverage preparation, the combined stevia and tea in a single-use tea bag may be placed within the inner volume of a drinking or tea-brewing vessel 40, while the string 12 is extended over the rim of the drinking or tea brewing vessel such that the tag 13 may be readily grasped by a user 100.

[0036] For a hot beverage preparation, boiling water may be poured over the single-use, filter-paper envelope 11 with tea leaves 20 and stevia leaves 30. The user 100 may allow the single-use, filter-paper envelope 11 with tea leaves 20 and stevia leaves 30 to absorb the boiling water to release the flavor and color of the tea leaves 20 and to dissolve the stevia leaves 30. When the desired sweetening agent is attained, the user 100 may grasp the tag 13 and extend the string 12 in a manner to lift the single-use, filter-paper envelope 11, thus removing it from the drinking or tea-brewing vessel 40.

[0037] In further referring to FIG. 1, for a cold beverage preparation, cold water may be poured over the single-use, filter-paper envelope 11 with tea leaves 20 and stevia leaves 30. The user 100 may allow the single-use, filter-paper envelope 11 with tea leaves 20 and stevia leaves 30 to absorb the cold water to release the flavor and color of the tea leaves and to dissolve the stevia leaves 30. When the desired sweetening agent is attained, the user may grasp the tag and extend the string in a manner to lift the single-use, filter-paper material envelope, thus removing it from the drinking or tea-brewing vessel.

[0038] Referring now to FIG. 2 showing a front perspective view of a tea bag with stevia. A single-serving amount of a proportional composition of tea leaves 20 and stevia leaves 30 may be placed inside of the filter-paper envelope 11 to provide a preparation in a ‘ready-to-brew’ condition. The proportional composition of tea leaves 20 and stevia leaves 30 may comprise a combination that provides satisfactory flavorings to a user, thus eliminating the need for additional sweetening agents. The ‘ready-to-brew’ condition may comprise brewing methods that may comprise a hot beverage or a cold beverage. The string 12 may be attached to the exterior of the filter-paper envelope 11 and the tag 13 may be attached to the distal end of the string 12.

[0039] The following table defines the particle size of the stevia leaves in the present invention arrangement. The stevia leaves may comprise of variable sizes such as coarse particle size ranges more than 5 mm. medium particle size ranges from 1 to 5 mm, fine particle size ranges from 100 to 1000 μm and very fine particle size ranges between 25 to 100 μm.

TABLE-US-00001 Stevia Leaves Size range (metric) Coarse particle size More than 5 mm Medium particle size 1-5 mm Fine particle size 100-1000 μm Very fine particle size 25-100 μm

[0040] As shown in FIG. 3, the tea leaves are available in different varieties, and based on the type of the tea leaves inside the tea bag, the steeping time 71 and the water temperature 72 are different to achieve a desirable taste for the tea. The particle size of the stevia leaves 30 inside the tea bag 11 in the present invention arrangement designed in such a way that the amount of sweetening agent dissolve into the water in the steeping time 71 is measurable.

[0041] The stevia leaves 30 in the present invention comprises of variety of particle sizes which retrieve the sweetening agent into the water in different time from the steeping of the tea bag. The amount and the size of the stevia leaves inside the tea bag designed based on the type and the size of the tea leaves to retrieve a measurable amount of sweetening part into the water during the steeping time.

[0042] Again as shown in FIG. 3, the stevia leaves inside the tea bag 11 comprise of variable portion of different particle sizes such as coarse particle size, medium particle size, fine particle size and very fine particle size. Based on the type of the tea leaves inside the tea bag, the portion of particle size of the stevia leaves designed in such a way that in the brewing time of the tea, the measurable and desirable amount of the sweetening agent dissolves in the tea.

[0043] Again as shown in FIG. 3, the stevia leaves for a green tea with suggested brewing time of 1 to 2 mins and the water temperature of 75 to 80° C. comprises of 1 portion of very fine particle size, 1 portion of fine particle size, 3 portions of medium particle size and 1 portion of coarse particle size to retrieve X amount of sweetening agent into the water during the brewing process.

[0044] Again as shown in FIG. 3, the stevia leaves for a black tea with suggested brewing time of 2 to 3 mins and the water temperature of 95 to 100° C. comprises of no portion of very fine particle size, no portion of fine particle size, 2 portions of medium particle size and 3 portions of coarse particle size to retrieve X amount of sweetening agent into the water during the brewing process.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tea bag has a predefined ratio of the weight of the tea leaves to the weight of the stevia leaves. The predefined ratio of the weight of the tea leaves to the weight of the stevia leaves is about 1/(0.1) to 1/(0.01).

[0046] A tea bag may comprise of variable tea leaf grades such as whole leaf grades, broken leaf grades, fanning grades, and dust grades. The tea bag also may comprise of combination of variable tea leaf grades which represent variable brewing time and temperature. The present invention arrangement can manage a measurable sweetening agent into the water for variable tea leaf grades with different brewing time and temperature. Based on the variable size of the stevia leaves inside the tea bag; the measurable sweetening agent dissolve into the water during the brewing process by different water temperature and steeping time.

[0047] For example, it a user prefers to have a black tea with the present invention arrangement, the user steeps the tea bag into the hot water (95-100° C.) for 2-3 mins and remove the tea bag after 2-3 mins for brewing the tea. In such arrangement, the sweetening agent which dissolves into the hot water is pre-measured (e.g. 50 mg stevia) based on the amount and particle size of the stevia leaves inside the tea bag and the user has a clear idea of the amount of stevia consumption for the drink of the tea.

[0048] Additional embodiments of the present invention may include tea leaf and stevia leaf containment structures that may comprise paper, silk, Soilon (corn starch), polylactide (PLA) bioplastic, or other food-grade plastic compositions. The shape of the tea leaf and stevia leaf containment structure may further comprise rectangular, square, tetrahedron, or circular shapes. Further embodiments of the present invention may comprise a plurality of sizes of the tea leaf and stevia leaf containment structures which may comprise a plurality of serving sizes. The tea leaf and stevia leaf containment structures may be structured and arranged without the string and tag, thereby allowing a user to retrieve the tea leaf and stevia leaf containment structure from the drinking or tea-brewing vessel with a spoon or tongs. The tea leaf and stevia leaf containment structures may be individually wrapped for sanitary distribution or may be presented in a bulk container. Further, the attachment means for attaching the string to the tea leaf and stevia leaf containment structure may comprise food-grade adhesive or a food-grade staple. The attachment means for securing the tag to the string may also comprise food-grade adhesive or a food-grade staple. The exact specifications, materials used, and method of use of the tea bag with stevia system may vary upon manufacturing.

[0049] The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiment(s) were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

[0050] The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention 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 invention.

[0051] With respect to the above description, it is to be realized that the optimum relationships for the parts of the invention in regard to size, shape, form, materials, function and manner of operation, assembly and use are deemed readily apparent and obvious to those 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 the present invention.