[0001] The invention relates to a beverage or service container having at least two chambers,
where the one chamber contains a beverage, while the other chamber contains an ingredient
or a means which is included in the making of the beverage of the beverage or service
container.
[0002] It is well-known that e.g. tea, which is served to guests at e.g. standing receptions,
seminars and the like, is to be brewed in that a person holds a cup of boiling water
by the one hand and passes a tea bag and perhaps a slice of lemon down into the cup
by the other hand. When the tea has been brewed, the tea bag and the slice of lemon
are to be removed, following which sugar is perhaps added to the tea with a spoon.
Thus, there are three parts which have to be removed from the brewed tea.
[0003] Typically, this is done either by placing the parts in a saucer, which will thereby
receive residual liquid from the tea bag, the slice of lemon and the spoon, which
means that the underside of the cup binds drops to it, which are released when a person
drinks from the cup, whereby the person risks spilling on his/her clothes, which is
rather unpleasant if the person is e.g. festively dressed, and the drops are clearly
visible.
[0004] In other cases, the tea bag and the slice of lemon will be disposed of by placing
them in an ashtray, while the spoon is perhaps placed directly on the table from which
serving takes place. It goes without saying that it is not very appetizing to use
an ashtray for the disposal of tea bags and slices of lemon together with ashes.
[0005] All things considered, it is thus a well-known problem that it is difficult to carry
out all functions satisfactorily in connection with e.g. the brewing of tea.
[0006] Similar problems occur in connection with places where space is limited, e.g. onboard
an aircraft, where saucers are not provided on the service tray owing to consideration
of space.
[0007] A container of the type mentioned initially is known e.g. from
WO 03/000098 A1. The container according to the WO publication is provided with two chambers which
are defined by a wall and an upper edge. The one chamber is intended to be filled
with a beverage, e.g. tea, while the other chamber is intended to receive support
means, such as e.g. a tea bag, a slice of lemon or a tea spoon.
[0008] Normally, a tea bag has a string which is used for removing the tea bag after it
has released the desired tea extract to the water in the first chamber. When the tea
bag has been used, it is placed in the second chamber, and such that the string is
brought along down into the chamber. Subsequently, if the tea bag is to be removed,
the user must move his/her fingers down into the container and grip the tea, which
requires that the second chamber is of a certain size.
[0009] US Patent Specification No. 2 334 533 discloses a beverage and service container of the type defined in the introductory
portion of claim 1. According to this patent, the two chambers are connected with
each other, so that a tea bag or the like may be moved laterally from one chamber
to the other, which means that the tea bag may release flavourings if the container
is e.g. lifted rearwards, as liquid from the opposite chamber may then get into contact
with the tea bag and thereby change the taste of the beverage.
[0010] Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a beverage or service container,
where the other chamber is configured in a more user-friendly manner, and to ensure
that an ingredient, such as a tea bag or a slice of lemon, cannot transfer flavourings
to the chamber which contains the brewed beverage.
[0011] The object of the invention is achieved by a beverage or service container of the
type defined in the introductory portion of claim 1, which is characterized in that
the one chamber and the other chamber are separated by a wall, and that at least one
edge element is provided completely or partly along the edge of the other chamber
and/or along the wall, with holding means provided in said edge element, and that
the edge element and the upper edge of the wall define an opening.
[0012] These holding means may be used for holding an ingredient, such as e.g. a slice of
lemon or a tea spoon, which may be placed in the other chamber, without this having
any annoying effect when drinking from the beverage container or pouring from the
service container. Further, an ingredient may be passed from above directly down into
the other chamber, so that the ingredient is totally separated from the chamber in
which the brewed beverage is present.
[0013] An expedient embodiment of the holding means are, as stated in claim 2, that the
beverage container has two edge elements, and that the holding means are formed by
a recess which is defined by the boundaries of the two edge elements, or, as stated
in claim 3, that the recess extends curve-shaped from a corner of each of the edge
elements inwards toward the edge of the beverage container.
[0014] Particularly in connection with the storage of tea bags in the other chamber, it
is advantageous, as stated in claim 4, that the recess in the transition between the
edge of the beverage container and the edge element is wedge-shaped and thereby constitutes
a clamping device for e.g. the string of a tea bag, as the string of the tea bag may
hereby be locked in the wedge-shaped part and be easily removed subsequently from
the other chamber without it being necessary to touch the tea bag.
[0015] When, as stated in claim 5, the first chamber and the second chamber are separated
by a wall whose upper edge is terminated at a distance from one or both of the edge
elements so as to provide a discharge groove, it is advantageously ensured that residual
liquid which might be present in the second chamber may be discharged through the
groove. This avoids the situation that residual liquid is spilt on the face and clothes,
which results in discomfort and may require cleaning.
[0016] When, as stated in claim 6, the wall has a height which is smaller than the height
of the beverage container, it is ensured that the face of a person who drinks the
beverage does not contact the wall.
[0017] A further expedient embodiment of the beverage or service container is defined in
claim 7.
[0018] As mentioned, the invention also relates to use. This use is defined in claim 8.
[0019] The invention will now be explained more fully with reference to the drawing, in
which
- fig. 1
- shows a beverage container in the form of a cup according to the invention,
- fig. 2
- shows a service container in the form of a pot according to the invention, while
- fig. 3
- shows the pot of fig. 2 with an applied lid.
[0020] In fig. 1, the numeral 1 designates a beverage container according to the invention
in its entirety, which is shown as a drinking cup, e.g. a tea cup, in the figure.
[0021] The drinking cup has a handle 2 and is internally provided with a wall 5 in the form
of a partition, which separates the beverage or service container into two chambers,
which are designated 3 and 4.
[0022] The wall 5 may have a height which is smaller than the height of the beverage container,
which means that e.g. a tea bag may be transferred from the first chamber to the second
chamber without getting beyond the outer diameter of the beverage container. Further,
when a user drinks a beverage, it is ensured that the user's face does not contact
the wall.
[0023] As will moreover be seen, two edge elements 6 and 7, which are separated by a recess
8, are arranged along the upper edge 17 of the beverage container in the area at the
second chamber 4. This recess extends from a corner 12 of the one edge element 6 curve-shaped
11 into a wedge 9, which merges into another curve-shaped portion 14 of the handle
2 and continues from there into another wedge 13 and further into a curve-shaped portion
15 of the other edge element and is terminated at a corner 16 of the other edge element
7.
[0024] Finally, the numeral 10 designates a groove which is disposed between a corner 18
of the edge 5 and the edge element 7. The groove may e.g. be 1 cm deep and serve as
a discharge groove for discharging excess tea from a tea bag in the chamber 4.
[0025] It will then be explained how the beverage container is used.
[0026] Boling water, e.g., may be filled into the first chamber 3, following which a tea
bag and perhaps a slice of lemon are dipped down into the water so that a cup of tea
is brewed.
[0027] When the tea bag has released its flavourings, it is removed from the water and is
passed into the second chamber 4, the string of the tea bag being clamped in one of
the wedges 9, 13.
[0028] Sugar is optionally added to the tea, which is stirred by a tea spoon, which may
be placed in the second chamber and be secured in the recess 8 after use.
[0029] Before the beverage or service container is cleaned, the bag is removed from the
second chamber 4, as the string of the tea bag is released from one of the wedges
9, 13.
[0030] If the tea bag has released liquid in the second chamber, it may be discharged through
the groove 10.
[0031] The groove 10 and the edge elements 6, 7 moreover have another function, viz. to
prevent drops from being conveyed beyond the outer wall 17 with the consequent risk
that the person drinking from the beverage container gets drops down over his/her
face.
[0032] Fig. 2 shows a service container in the form of a tea pot 19. This tea pot has a
handle 23 and a pouring spout 25. As will be seen, the tea pot has two chambers, which
are designated 20 and 21, respectively. The chambers are separated by a wall 22, which
is equipped with a single edge element 24 at the top. The one chamber 20 is intended
for the brewing of tea, while the other chamber is intended to receive e.g. tea bags
with strings which have been used for the brewing of the tea. The strings may be secured
to wedges 26, 27 which are arranged in the transition between the edge element 24
and the upper edge 28 of the tea pot. The edge element 24 is also intended as a stop
for residual drops, if any, from the chamber 21 when pouring from the service container.
[0033] The tea pot is used in the same manner as a drinking cup in fig. 1. However, it does
not have a recess like the recess 8 in the cup of fig. 1, but it may be provided if,
e.g., it is desired to place one or more spoons in a position of rest.
[0034] Finally, fig. 3 shows the tea pot 19, now with a lid 26 which has a grip 27. As will
moreover be seen, the lid 26 does not cover the chamber 21, which may be an advantage
if the tea pot is configured as a vacuum jug, it being then possible to remove ingredients,
if any, without the lid having to be opened.
1. A beverage or service container (1) having at least two chambers (3, 4), where the
one chamber (3) contains a beverage, while the other chamber (4) contains an ingredient
or an agent which is included in the making of the beverage of the beverage or service
container, characterized in that the one chamber and the other chamber are separated by a wall (5), and that at least
one edge element (6, 7) is provided completely or partly along the edge (17) of the
other chamber (4) and/or along the wall (5), with holding means (9, 13) provided in
said edge element, and that the edge element and the upper edge of the wall define
an opening.
2. A beverage or service container according to claim 1, characterized in that the beverage container has two edge elements (6, 7), and that the holding means are
formed by a recess (8) which is defined by the boundaries of the two edge elements
(6, 7).
3. A beverage or service container according to claim 2, characterized in that the recess (8) extends curve-shaped (11, 15) from a corner (12, 16) of each of the
edge elements (6, 7) inwards toward the edge (14) of the beverage container.
4. A beverage or service container according to claims 2 - 3, characterized in that the recess in the transition between the edge of the beverage container and the edge
element (6, 7) is wedge-shaped (9, 13).
5. A beverage or service container according to claims 1 - 4, characterized in that the first chamber (3) and the second chamber (4) are separated by a wall (5) whose
upper edge is terminated at a distance from one or both of the edge elements so as
to provide a discharge groove (10).
6. A beverage or service container according to claim 5, characterized in that the wall (5) has a height which is smaller than the height of the beverage container.
7. A beverage or service container according to claims 1-6, characterized in that the beverage or service container is covered by a lid (19), which has a surface covering
only the first chamber (3).
8. Use of a beverage or service container according to claims 1 - 7 as part of a set
which consists of a tea pot and a tea cup.