Beverage making, serving and clearing assembly

Abstract

A beverage-making, serving and clearing assembly comprises a vessel and a tableware piece acting as a lid to the vessel. The piece comprises a shaped disc comprising a perimeter and two principal surfaces either side thereof, being a first principal surface comprising an upstand and a second principal surface comprising a continuous downstand surrounding a well. The piece acts as a lid on the vessel containing hot water with the first surface uppermost and the downstand preventing the piece slipping sideways off the vessel. The piece optionally comprises a perimeter recess capable of retaining a teaspoon in the vessel and optionally comprises a top recess capable of retaining a second vessel, for example a milk jug. The assembly may be held and carried securely in one hand by holding the vessel. The piece may be inverted and placed on a horizontal surface with the second principal surface uppermost to receive a used tea bag or infuser in the well. The inverted piece is capable of being relocated onto the vessel with the second surface uppermost, the upstand preventing the piece slipping sideways off the vessel. This assembly configuration is also capable of being held and carried securely in one hand by holding the vessel.

1 . An assembly comprising a tableware piece comprising a shaped disc comprising a perimeter and two principal surfaces either side of said perimeter, being a first principal surface and a second principal surface, wherein the second principal surface comprises a continuous loop downstand, wherein said second surface comprises a lower ledge adjacent to a part of the outside surface of said continuous loop downstand and extending to an outside of said lower ledge, wherein the piece is configured and arranged to be capable of acting as a lid to a vessel with the first principal surface uppermost, the lower ledge located on the rim of the vessel and the continuous loop downstand located within the vessel, wherein said downstand comprises three outermost downstand surface points, one in each of three 120 degree sectors, wherein each of said three outermost downstand surface points is the same radius of downstand distance from a downstand centre, wherein said second principal surface comprises a well spaced inside said perimeter, said well being impervious to aqueous liquids, wherein said tableware piece is capable of inversion and being placed on a horizontal surface, wherein said well is capable of retaining a used infusion product, wherein the first principal surface of said piece comprises an upstand, an upstand outside surface and three outermost upstand surface points, wherein one of said three outermost upstand surface points, one in each of the three 120 degree sectors, wherein each of the three outermost upstand surface points is the same radius of upstand distance from an upstand centre, wherein an upper ledge is adjacent to each of said three outermost upstand surface points and extends to an outside of said upper ledge, wherein the tableware piece is capable of acting as a lid to the vessel with the second principal surface uppermost with an upper ledge located on said rim and said three outermost upstand surface points located within said vessel, and a vessel, wherein said assembly is capable of a plurality of different configurations pertaining to beverage-making, serving and clearing said assembly, wherein said vessel comprises a vessel axis and a rim with an inside rim comprising three 120 degree sectors, and wherein said vessel is configured to support the piece acting as a lid to the vessel, wherein said vessel is capable of containing hot water with an infusing product in said hot water, wherein when the assembly is configured and arranged to be in a first configuration the piece acts as a lid to the vessel with the first principal surface uppermost, the lower ledge located on the rim of the vessel and the continuous loop downstand located within the vessel, wherein the tableware piece is locatable such that there is a gap between the outside surface of the continuous loop downstand and the inside of said vessel throughout the length of said continuous loop downstand, wherein said continuous loop downstand provides a limited movement lateral restraint against said vessel, wherein if the outside surface of said continuous loop downstand is pushed laterally against one point of the inside of said vessel within one of the three 120 degree sectors the continuous loop downstand is within 6 mm, 4 mm, 2 mm of a point on the inside of the vessel within each of the other two 120 degree sectors, wherein said tableware piece is capable of inversion and being placed on a horizontal surface in a second configuration of said assembly, wherein said well is capable of retaining said infusion product following infusion and inversion of said piece, wherein the assembly can be configured and arranged in a third configuration, wherein the tableware piece acts as a lid to the vessel with the second principal surface uppermost with said upper ledge located on said rim and said three outermost upstand surface points located within said vessel, wherein the piece is locatable such that there is a gap between each of said three outermost upstand surface points and the inside of said vessel, wherein the upstand provides a limited movement lateral restraint against said vessel, wherein if one of said three outermost upstand surface points is pushed laterally against the inside of said vessel within one of said three 120 degree sectors each of the other two of said three outermost upstand surface points is located within 6 mm, 4 mm, 2 mm of a point on the inside of the vessel within one of the other two 120 degree sectors, and wherein in the first and third configurations the assembly can be held and carried in one hand by holding the vessel. 
     
     
         2 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said three outermost upstand surface points are located within a continuous upstand outside surface. 
     
     
         3 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first principal surface comprises three discrete upstands, and wherein each of said three discrete upstands comprises an upstand outside surface and an outermost upstand surface point. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein if a radial cross-section is taken through the piece axis, the profile of a lower ledge is one of flat and comprises a curve which does not vary by more than 90 degrees from the outside of the lower ledge to an outermost downstand surface point, and wherein the profile of an upper ledge is one of flat and comprises a curve which does not vary by more than 90 degrees from the outside of the upper ledge to an outermost upstand surface point. 
     
     
         6 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the radius of upstand distance and the radius of downstand distance are within 3, 2, 1 mm of each other. 
     
     
         7 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said first principal surface comprises a top recess comprising a top recess perimeter, a recessed area and a top recess perimeter wall between the top recess perimeter and the recessed area, wherein said assembly comprises a second vessel smaller than said vessel, and wherein in said first configuration said second vessel is locatable within said top recess and in said third configuration said second vessel is locatable within one of said vessel and said well by being located on one of said well and an infuser located within said well, wherein the vessel, the piece and the second vessel are substantially circular on plan and are assembled substantially co-axially, the vessel axis typically being substantially vertical when the vessel is hand-held or is supported on a tray or table or other substantially horizontal surface wherein the top recess perimeter is circular on plan and is substantially co-axial with the vessel, the piece and the second vessel, which are each within 1, 2, 3, 4 mm of the piece axis, wherein the top recess comprises a lateral restraint to said second vessel within said top recess in said first configuration and wherein the axis of the assembly can be rotated to an angle from vertical of over at least one of 100 and 200 and 30° and/or 40° without the second vessel sliding off the piece or overturning. 
     
     
         8 .- 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein from the top of said upstand outside surface there is an inwardly sloping guiding downslope. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein in a radial cross-section the guiding downslope extends from the top of the upstand outside surface to the top recess perimeter, wherein said guiding downslope comprises a radial dimension gd of 3-7, 7-12 or more than 12 mm. 
     
     
         17 .- 35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . An assembly as claimed in a  claim 1 , wherein said piece is located as a lid to said vessel and can be removed vertically from said vessel by a force no greater than the weight of the piece whether said first surface is uppermost in said first configuration or whether said second surface is uppermost in said third configuration. 
     
     
         37 .- 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the piece perimeter comprises a perimeter recess, wherein the piece is capable of being placed to act as a lid on the vessel containing hot water with the first surface uppermost such that the perimeter recess provides a ventilation aperture between the perimeter recess and the inside of the rim of the vessel and wherein in said second configuration said perimeter recess is locatable to be contiguous with an outside of said vessel. 
     
     
         41 .- 56 . (canceled) 
     
     
         57 . A method of making, serving and clearing a beverage using an assembly of  claim 1 , said method comprising the steps of:
 i. inserting a first liquid into the vessel comprising a rim,   ii. placing the piece onto the rim of the vessel such that the first principal surface is uppermost and the downstand is inside the vessel providing limited movement lateral restraint to the piece,   iii. optionally re-locating the assembly of steps (i) and (ii) to a surface,   iv. removing the piece from the vessel, inverting the piece and locating the piece on said surface or other surface, and   v. relocating the piece onto the rim of the vessel without re-inverting the piece such that the second principal surface is uppermost and the upstand is inside the vessel providing limited movement lateral restraint to the piece.   
     
     
         58 . A method of making a beverage as claimed in  claim 57 , wherein in step (i) said first liquid is hot water, wherein either before or after step (i) locating a tea bag into the hot water. 
     
     
         59 . (canceled) 
     
     
         60 . A method of making a beverage as claimed in  claim 58 , wherein after step (iv), removing the used tea bag from the hot water, and locating the used tea bag into the well of the inverted piece. 
     
     
         61 . A method of making a beverage as claimed in  claim 57 , wherein the piece comprises a top recess, and wherein a second vessel containing a tasting product is located within the top recess before step (iv). 
     
     
         62 . (canceled) 
     
     
         63 . A method of making a beverage as claimed in  claim 57 , wherein the piece comprises a perimeter recess, and wherein in step (ii) a ventilation aperture is formed between the perimeter recess and the inside of the vessel rim. 
     
     
         64 .- 86 . (canceled) 
     
     
         87 . A method of making, serving and clearing a beverage using an assembly of  claim 2 , said method comprising the steps of:
 i. inserting a first liquid into the vessel comprising a rim,   ii. placing the piece onto the rim of the vessel such that the first principal surface is uppermost and the downstand is inside the vessel providing limited movement lateral restraint to the piece,   iii. optionally re-locating the assembly of steps (i) and (ii) to a surface,   iv. removing the piece from the vessel, inverting the piece and locating the piece on said surface or other surface, and   v. relocating the piece onto the rim of the vessel without re-inverting the piece such that the second principal surface is uppermost and the upstand is inside the vessel providing limited movement lateral restraint to the piece.   
     
     
         88 . A method of making, serving and clearing a beverage using an assembly of  claim 3 , said method comprising the steps of:
 i. inserting a first liquid into the vessel comprising a rim,   ii. placing the piece onto the rim of the vessel such that the first principal surface is uppermost and the downstand is inside the vessel providing limited movement lateral restraint to the piece,   iii. optionally re-locating the assembly of steps (i) and (ii) to a surface,   iv. removing the piece from the vessel, inverting the piece and locating the piece on said surface or other surface, and   v. relocating the piece onto the rim of the vessel without re-inverting the piece such that the second principal surface is uppermost and the upstand is inside the vessel providing limited movement lateral restraint to the piece.   
     
     
         89 . A method of making, serving and clearing a beverage using an assembly of  claim 5 , said method comprising the steps of:
 i. inserting a first liquid into the vessel comprising a rim,   ii. placing the piece onto the rim of the vessel such that the first principal surface is uppermost and the downstand is inside the vessel providing limited movement lateral restraint to the piece,   iii. optionally re-locating the assembly of steps (i) and (ii) to a surface,   iv. removing the piece from the vessel, inverting the piece and locating the piece on said surface or other surface, and   v. relocating the piece onto the rim of the vessel without re-inverting the piece such that the second principal surface is uppermost and the upstand is inside the vessel providing limited movement lateral restraint to the piece.   
     
     
         90 . A method of making, serving and clearing a beverage using an assembly of  claim 6 , said method comprising the steps of:
 i. inserting a first liquid into the vessel comprising a rim,   ii. placing the piece onto the rim of the vessel such that the first principal surface is uppermost and the downstand is inside the vessel providing limited movement lateral restraint to the piece,   iii. optionally re-locating the assembly of steps (i) and (ii) to a surface,   iv. removing the piece from the vessel, inverting the piece and locating the piece on said surface or other surface, and   v. relocating the piece onto the rim of the vessel without re-inverting the piece such that the second principal surface is uppermost and the upstand is inside the vessel providing limited movement lateral restraint to the piece.   
     
     
         91 . A method of making, serving and clearing a beverage using an assembly of  claim 7 , said method comprising the steps of:
 i. inserting a first liquid into the vessel comprising a rim,   ii. placing the piece onto the rim of the vessel such that the first principal surface is uppermost and the downstand is inside the vessel providing limited movement lateral restraint to the piece,   iii. optionally re-locating the assembly of steps (i) and (ii) to a surface,   iv. removing the piece from the vessel, inverting the piece and locating the piece on said surface or other surface, and   v. relocating the piece onto the rim of the vessel without re-inverting the piece such that the second principal surface is uppermost and the upstand is inside the vessel providing limited movement lateral restraint to the piece.