Title of Invention

A STIRRER DEVICE FOR BEVERAGES

Abstract A stirring device for beverages comprising a stirring body having at least one hollow portion forming receptacle, adopted to hold a substance to be added to the beverage and a squeezing means provided at one end for squeezing out beverage infusion bags in a post stirring configuration, the said squeezing means including a holding means such as a groove or slit for holding the string of a beverage such as tea bag provided at one end of the stirrer body.
Full Text FORM-2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
COMPLETE
Specification
(Section 10; rule 13)
A STIRRER DEVICE FOR BEVERAGES
SATISHGOKHALE
of 'Rajeev', 828 Shivajinagar, V.G.Kale Road,
Pune 411 004, Maharashtra, hidia,
an Indian National
THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATION PARTICULARLY DESCRIBES THE NATURE OF THIS INVENTION AND THE MANNER IN WHICH IT IS TO BE PERFORMED:-

This invention relates to a stirrer device for beverages.
Beverages, hot or cold which are commercially served in planes, trains or fast food outlets generally need a stirring device for converting the ingredients of the mixture into a homogeneous beverage. Generally these beverages need solid ingredients such as milk, creamers and whiteners and sweeteners such as sugar or sugar substitutes for improving the taste of these beverages. In the case of a tea based beverage, using a tea bag. The beverage is required to be prepared in the form of an infusion by dipping the teabag in hot water and squeezing out the infusion from the bag. For example tea bages are used in travel domestic situations to provide an individual cup of tea as well as pots of tea. Restaurants and cafes also supply individual cups of tea by immersing a tea bag in a cup of hot water and leaving the bag in place for the consumer to remove. In the case of a coffee beverage although the coffee powder is poured out of a sachet, a stirrer is needed to dissolve the powder in hot or cold liquid as may be desired by the consumer. Stirrers are also needed in the case of juice concentrates poured out of sachets. It is inevitable therefore that in most beverage kits provided during travel or at fast food outlets a stirrer is provided. This stirrer takes the form of a plastic throwaway spoon or a rod.
This invention relates to a stirring device for beverages comprising a stirring body having at least one hollow portion forming receptacle, adopted to hold a substance to be added to the beverage and a squeezing means provided at one end for squeezing out beverage infusion bags in a post stirring configuration, the said squeezing means including a holding means such as a groove or slit for holding the string of a beverage such as tea bag provided at one end of the stirrer body.

Further, the invention envisages having in the stirrer body at least one holder for substance to be added to a beverage said holder being arranged on the stirring body. The stirrer of this invention can have a holder for accommodating tea or coffee and a separate holder for accommodating sugar or sugar substitute therein. Each holder will typically consists of a reservoir in which granular material is located, whereby a wall of the reservoir could be removable or provided with perforations to provide liquid with access to the granular material.
During manufacture of the stirrer of this invention, the granular substance is placed in the relevant reservoir, after which this reservoir is closed.
The invention has for its object to provide a stirrer which is easy to manufacture and easy to handle.
The stirrer according to the invention has the feature that the holder holds at least one ingredient required for making the beverage or adding taste or flavour thereto. Such an ingredient can include substances like milk, milk substitutes or sugar or sugar substitutes or salt and pepper or other flavouring agents.
The stirrer of this invention also has advantageously at one end thereof a squeezing device for squeezing out beverage bags such as tea bags so that the consumer can take optimum advantage of the primary inftision. The invention also relates to and provides a stirring body, equipped to hold at least one ingredient to be added to a squeezing portion for squeezing out of an infusion bag.

Mentioned and other characteristics of the invention will now be elucidated in the description following hereinafter with reference to accompanying drawings which are merely illustrative of the stirrer device in accordance with this invention and are being submitted herewith by way of better understanding of the invention and are by no means considered to be in any way limiting the nature and scope of this invention.
Figures 1 to 6 show different type of Stirrer's in accordance with this invention all attached to infusi^ bags such as tea bags.
But this invention should not be seen as restricted to using the stirrer only for a tea beverage consuming device and can advantageously used for consuming otiier beverages such as coffee, soups and juices or drinks both alcoholic and non alcoholic and even beverages for medicinal purposes which involve dissolving a solid or granular ingredient in a liquid such as for example needed for imbibing electrolytes.
In Figure 1, a basic arrangement is seen where the stirrer 100 is defined by a stirrer body which may be hollow throughout or at least in one or more portions thereof At one end the stirrer body 12 forms a receptacle 14 for holding a granular or solid or even a fluid material. Typically such a receptacle will be sealed by a seal 16. As seen in Figure 1 a tea bag 18 is attached to the stirrer 100 by means of a string 20 which passes through the stirrer body either through the hollow portion or through a groove or channel formed through the body. The string 20 is seen to project at the operative upper end of the stirrer and terminate in a paper or plastic flap 22. In the stirrer body of Figure 1, the operative lower portion 24 of the stirrer 100 is

flared. In use for instance for consuming tea, hot water will be poured in a tea cup and the seal 16 will be broken to access the ingredients in the holder 14, which may be sugar or a sugar tablet or a sugar substitute such as aspartame which will be displaced into the cup. The stirrer 100 will then be lowered in to the tea cup until the teabag 18 is immersed into the cup. The string 20 with the flap attached will be pulled up and down to created an infusion of hot water and tea concentrate in the tea bag vitoch will diffuse/infuse into the tea cup bearing hot water. In the final tugs, the tea bag can be raised right up to and to abut the flared portion 24, effectively squeezing the tea bag against and within the flared portion Hms squeezing out the last drops of tea infusion into the tea ciq). Advantageously, this operation can be performed by raising the stirrer just above the water level in the tea cup. The repeating of this operation a couple of times will ensure complete extraction of all tea infusion contents fi'om the tea bag. In tiie final disposal step the string lo can be used to draw the soggy tea bag 18 right up into the flared area of the stirrer, thereby vastly improving the aesthetics of the stirrer disposal and tea bag disposal step which hitherto is very unsightly as the used tea bag presents a very distastefijl and ugly sight.
Figure 2 shows a stirrer 200 which is a variation of Figure 1, in which two receptacles are formed in the operative upper and lower ends of the stirrer body. The additional receptacle 30 can hold an additional ingredient. Thus the upper receptacle 14 can hold sugar whereas the lower receptacle 30 can hold a creamer or milk powder. The use of the stirrer 200 will be almost similar to that of the stirrer seen in Figure 1.

Although the stirrer 200 is shovm with a tea bag attached thereto, it is conceivable in accordance with this invention that the stirrer 200 can be used for other beverages such as coffee, in which case coffee powder can be stored for use in one receptacle and milk and sugar in another. In this configuration, the stirrer 200 becomes a complete beverage packet which can be individually sealed.
Figure 3 shows a third variation 300 of the stirrer in accordance with this invention. It is envisaged that in the manufacture of the stirrer 300, tiie stirrer end 40 wiQ be dipped in an ingredient solution such as sugar or aspartame and the ingredient 42 be allowed to solidify within the prongs 44. In use the end 40 of the stirrer 300 will be dipped in the hot water/cold water in the drinking vessel until the solid ingredient dissolves by stirring the stirrer in the vessel. The free prongs 44 so left C£BI be used as the squeezing arrangement envisaged in the invention for the tea bag 18.
A fiirther variation of the stirrer of this invention is seen in Figure 4, where the stirrer 400 has a slit body tapering in configuration. As seen in the figure solid ingredient such as sugar cubes are held within the slit body. In the first operation, the immersion of the stirrer 400 in a drinking vessel will release the sugar cubes into the vessel. The tea bag 18 can then be lifted in the free prongs so formed in the free slit region of the stirrer and the tea bag can be squeezed by pressing on the prongs.
A fiirther variation is seen in Figure 5 in which the stirrer 500 is seen in the form of a conventional teaspoon formation with a pronged front stirring end and a receptacle at the back end. The front prongs can be used for squeezing

a tea bag whereas the back end can be used for holding an ingredient such as a sugar substitute tablet.
Such a stirrer will be useful as a promotional item since information might with advantage be a trademark, preferably the trademark of the sweetener tablet carried by the holder and/or the trademark of the firm making the stirrer available, for example an airline company, a theatre, a catering establishment, a production company or a service company, where drinks like coffee or tea are offered to visitors or persormel in canteens or conference rooms. The stirrer can be presented with the handles pointing upward in a presentation holder, so that a stirrer can easily be removed from it without the sweetener tablets present being touched. The hygienic presentation of sugar lumps available on the market has been solved by allowing the lumps/cubes to be untouched by hand in the stirrer of this invention . Unwrapping sugar sachets or dispensing sweetener tablets while holding a filled coffee cup is a tricky business which often ends in spillage.
Figures 6 and 6a shows yet another embodiment of a stirrer 600 in accordance with this invention consisting of a stirrer in the shape of a prong with having attachment means for attaching a tea bag or other sachet and a squeezing arrangement provided therein. Figure 6a shows the stirrer with the attached tea b^. Typically, the stirrer 600 is of the throw away type, it being envisaged that the stirrer and the tea bagill be thrown away after use.
As stated earlier various modifications can be envisaged without departing from the nature and the scope of this invention. The stirrer can be made of

plastics material widi a portion of being made of the ingredient material itself which solves even the problem of disposal of the stirrer after use.
The stirrer of this invention can be used for other beverages as well such as soups where the end receptacle could be filled with salt pepper and or flavouring ingredient or for medicinal use.
Toother modification is that the receptacle may be used with an ingredient
such as propylene glycol which could be frozen to a very low temperature
and the stirrer with tiie frozen liquid could be used to dispense drinks which
are required to be drunk chilled without the addition of diluting cooling
agente such as ice. — -^ '^ " -^
/
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/
/

I Claim:
1. A stirring device for beverages comprising a stirring body having at least one hollow portion forming receptacle, adopted to hold a substance to be added to the beverage and a squeezing means provided at one end for squeezing out beverage infusion bags in a post stirring configuration, the said squeezing means including a holding means such as a groove or slit for holding the string of a beverage such as tea bag provided at one end of the stirrer body.
2. A stirring device as claimed in claim 1, for stirring a beverage such as tea or coffee having a holder for accommodating tea or coffee and a separate holder for accommodating sugar or sugar substitute therein.
3. A stirring device as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which each holder consists of a reservoir adopted to hold a granular material therein and the wall of the reservoir is removable or provided with perforations to provide liquid with access to the granular material.
4. A stirring device as claimed in, claim 4, in which the granular substance is placed in the relevant reservoir during manufacture of the stirring device after which the reservoir is closed.

7. A stirring device as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.


Documents:

383-mum-2001-cancelled pages(5-4-2004).pdf

383-mum-2001-claims(granted)-(2-7-2004).doc

383-mum-2001-claims(granted)-(2-7-2004).pdf

383-mum-2001-correspondence(2-7-2004).pdf

383-mum-2001-correspondence(ipo)-(15-10-2004).pdf

383-mum-2001-drawing(26-4-2002).pdf

383-mum-2001-form 1(26-4-2001).pdf

383-mum-2001-form 19(21-5-2003).pdf

383-mum-2001-form 2(granted)-(2-7-2004).doc

383-mum-2001-form 2(granted)-(2-7-2004).pdf

383-mum-2001-form 3(26-4-2002).pdf

383-mum-2001-form 5(26-4-2002).pdf

383-mum-2001-power of attorney(19-6-2001).pdf

abstract1.jpg


Patent Number 202846
Indian Patent Application Number 383/MUM/2001
PG Journal Number 15/2007
Publication Date 13-Apr-2007
Grant Date 19-Sep-2006
Date of Filing 26-Apr-2001
Name of Patentee SATISH GOKHALE
Applicant Address 'RAJEEV', 828 SHIVAJINAGAR, V. G. KALE ROAD, PUNE 411 037, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA.
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 SATISH GOKHALE 'RAJEEV', 828 SHIVAJINAGAR, V. G. KALE ROAD, PUNE - 411 037, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA.
PCT International Classification Number N/A
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 NA