WO2002043539A2

WO2002043539A2 - Tablet box for preparing hot and cold drinks

Info

Publication number: WO2002043539A2
Application number: PCT/TR2001/000062
Authority: WO
Inventors: Armagan GÜNER; Hüseyin KAYACI
Original assignee: Bardem Gida San. Ve Tic. A.S.
Priority date: 2000-12-01
Filing date: 2001-11-30
Publication date: 2002-06-06
Also published as: AU2002219777A1; WO2002043539A3; TR200003586A2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a separate tablet box for preparing instant hot and cold drinks in a cup and contains various drink extracts such as tea, coffee, linden herbal tea, medicament, etc.. said tablet box comprises a housing (2) wherein the drink extract (3) is positioned and a lid (7) that covers said housing and is supported by a filter element (5) underneath the lid (7), if necessary. Whilst the tablet box may have a perforated structure to be directly assembled to the cup's bottom, it may also be comprised for individual usages by an unpunctured housing having protection against external factors and a main lid (4) that covers said housing. Dehumidifying elements (9) made of silicon may optionally be ensured on the lower surface of said lid (4).

Description

TABLET BOX FOR PREPARING HOT AND COLD DRINKS

Technical Field

The present invention is related to a separate or independent embodiment that makes it possible to practically prepare hot and cold drinks and that may include extracts of various drinks in a broad spectrum such as tea, coffee as well as effervescent tablets.

Background of the Invention

Nowadays, hot and cold drinks are among those consumer items commonly used. Especially when the inseparable elements in respect of health, namely the medicaments, which are supplied to users in various forms such as effervescent tablets, are considered beside to drink extracts such as coffee, tea, linden herbal tea, etc., an industry of a very huge scale is met.

Beside the known conventional applications; various others such as bags for tea, linden herbal tea, and for similar herbs; granular forms for coffee; granular fruit extracts; and various dosage forms such as tablets, powder, and capsules of medicaments are supplied in order to provide the users with preferential products.

Furthermore, there are various cup forms designed specially to provide the users with a comfortable and easy drink. For example, there are various cup forms that directly retain the drink extract with a bag form near its bottom and thus provide a practical usage.

Regarding the present medicament administrations, it can be seen that there is a necessity to a supply by which the separate medicament dosages are provided to prevent and reduce the waste and cost of medicaments, respectively. For instance, considering the duration and condition of the last remaining effervescent tablet among the tablets in a 10-tablet packet, it is likely for the tablet to be deformed and thus wasted. Especially a dosage embodiment, which is appropriate for use within very short- terms or definite amounts, separate, reliable, hygienic, economic, and healthy for urgent usages at emergency services of hospitals, has become desirable.

With respect to the above-mentioned applications, the condition of watermark paper in bag-systems comprising the drink extract is deemed unhygienic. Also protecting the inner substance from external effects such as humidity is another problem. Although this is prevented by aluminum folio to a certain extent, there is still a necessity for an alternative embodiment.

Brief Description of Invention

In order to remove the technical problems on the aforementioned and present applications, this invention provides a separate embodiment that makes it possible to practically prepare hot and cold drinks and includes extracts of various drinks in a broad spectrum such as tea-coffee and effervescent tablets as well.

Another preferred objective of this invention is to remove the unhygienic condition of the watermark paper that is used to include the drink extract to be utilized to prepare hot and cold drinks.

A further objective of this invention is to provide a dosage embodiment that is proper, separate, reliable, hygienic, economic and healthy for urgent usages in a definite amount.

Yet another objective of this invention is to protect the comprised substance from external effects such as humidity.

A tablet box, including the aforesaid drink extract and is independently used in cups to prepare hot and cold drinks in order to meet the aforementioned objectives, is ensured in the present invention.

The tablet box according to the present invention consists of a housing, a drink extract included within the housing and a separable lid.

In this manner, tablets or other substances in powder form are directly fed into and are utilized individually and healthily as being far from any external effects. As for a preferred embodiment according to this invention, it is aimed that, in addition to the foregoing elements, said embodiment contains a filter to keep said extracts within the housing coffee, where these extracts belong to herbal teas or coffee in various forms; but perforations that can be formed on a separable lid do also perform the desired objective. Thus the undesired particles are prevented from being suspended in the liquid.

As for an alternative embodiment according to this invention, both the top and bottom of said housing contain one apiece filtering/straining elements in order to allow the fluid pass and to speed up the dissolving process, whereat said filters are fastened to housing's interior by filter washers. As for another alternative embodiment, a structure such as a perforated lid is ensured that incorporates both the lid and the filter in place of an individual separable lid and filter.

Regarding a further alternative embodiment, a structure such a suction element is formed below the housing and is fastened to the drinking cup's bottom. In addition, the fastening process can also be realized by utilizing clicks or projecting parts or projecting surfaces constituted so that they face one another on the body and cup.

Whilst said lid and housing may be contacted with each other by a connection element, they may also be completely separate. The contact between the lid and housing can also be performed by mutual clicks and projection surfaces.

Said straining element and filter washer are fastened with each other by hot adhesion. When necessary, food adhesives may be employed beside any kind of recessing and projecting shapes that provide contact for fastening between the clicks or surfaces.

In the context of the foregoing, the present invention can also be utilized in large sizes as a teapot beside the capability of providing space for tealeaves, for instance.

The elements that made up the relevant apparatus are preferably from plastics and are manufactured from commercially available materials in proper mixtures that don not create interactions, are highly endurable, do not release toxic substances, and do not undergo deformation.

As medicaments with proper amounts in powder form can be placed into the apparatus, it eliminates the necessity to form peculiar structures such as tablets and as it ensures individual usages, it contributes largely in preventing the waste of medicaments.

It is obvious that it should be taken into account that the housing, for instance, as one of the elements that constitute the present invention, may have various aesthetic designs. For example, various alternatives may be provided for the physical contact between the cup and the housing that includes the drink extract; and it is also possible to provide the desired exchange between the fluid and the housing with punctures in various diameters on the housing's bottom and lid, and the upper lid may have extra punctures on the contact surfaces as well.

I

Description of Figures

, Figure 1 , is a general three-dimensional view of the tablet box according to the invention.

Figure 2a, is an open view of a preferred embodiment of said box tablet.

Figure 2b, is an open view of another preferred embodiment of said box tablet.

Figure 3, is a disassembled view of the box tablet demonstrated in Figure 1.

Figure 4, is a disassembled view of another preferred embodiment of said box tablet that may be opened from two positions

Figures 5a-d give alternative housing embodiments according to this invention.

Reference Numbers

1 - box tablet; 2- housing;

3- drink extract;

4- main lid; 5- filtering/straining element;

6- filter washer;

7- lid;

8- suction element; 9- dehumidifying silicon (desiccators); 10- housing clicks.

Detailed Description of Invention

Disassembled appearances of the box tablet (1) according to this invention with a three-dimensional closed view given in Figure 1 are demonstrated with probable alternatives in Figure 2 to 4. In its simplest form, said box tablet comprises a housing (2) wherein the drink extract (3) is put and a lid (7) that retains said extract within the housing (2). While said housing may have various aesthetic designs, samples of different probable embodiments are demonstrated in Figure 5.

As may be seen in Figure 2a, a filtering or a straining element (5) may preferentially be provided between said housing (2) and lid (7). Thanks to perforations formed on the lid (7), it becomes possible to let the fluid flow and by forming close perforations on said lid (7), if desired, the latter functions directly as a filter. Also said housing (2) may be optionally supported by a main lid (4) and desiccators (9) preferably made of silicon may be provided on the lower surface of that lid (4). While it is possible to realize a contact element that holds the lid (4) and housing (2) together, it is possible to embody the relevant product without said element as well (Figure 3).

In order to clamp said lid (4) with the housing (2) and said housing (2) with the cup, mutual locking projections or surfaces known from the present technology are formed. Whilst the lid (7) can be a structure that engages into the housing (4), is supported by lateral surfaces, and has punctures thereon; it can also be an aluminum-folio in another embodiment.

An easily opened lid element (7) preferably formed of aluminum folio is demonstrated in Figure 2b. It is possible here to provide some filtering elements (5) that are positioned into the housing (2) and have the same function but different designs.

Whilst the filtering element indicated in Figure 3 may have a separate design, it may also be in contact with a filter washer (6), which is located by conventional methods such as adhering or welding.

As for a preferred alternative embodiment demonstrated in Figure 4, a box tablet with a preferred symmetric structure is demonstrated; wherein said housing (2) comprises a separable lid (7) and one apiece filtering/straining elements (5) on both on its top and bottom to allow fluid to pass there through and to speed up the dissolution process; and said filters (5) are preferably formed as a symmetric structure in contact with a filter washer (6).

Figure 5 demonstrates some housings (2) with different designs and Figure 5d indicates a suction-element (8) like structure that is provided at the lower part of said housing (2) for the aim of ensuring retention on the drink cup's bottom. What is demonstrated in Figure 5b is a housing which comprises clicks (10) to be assembled on the cup's bottom, punctures on its lower surface and on the upper end of the lateral surfaces and optionally on its alongside; and on which a filter and a covering lid (7) are located.

At this context, it is considered that a skilled person in the relevant art is capable of performing the possible modifications in the light of the foregoing description and the appended figures and it is required that these description and figures do not impose a restriction on the present invention. The protection field of this invention is defined with the appended claims most comprehensively.

Claims

1. A separate tablet box for preparing instant hot or cold drinks in a cup and contains various drink-extracts such as tea, coffee, linden herbal tea, medicament, etc., characterized in that a housing (2) wherein the drink extract (3) is positioned, and a lid (7) covering the said housing.

2. Tablet box according to claim 1 , characterized in that said lid (7) comprises a perforated structure.

3. Tablet box according to claim 1 , characterized in that said lid (7) is an aluminum folio.

4. Tablet box according to any of preceding claims, characterized in that a filtering or straining element (5) is provided between said housing (2) and the lid (7).

5. Tablet box according to any of preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a fixing means (6) to fasten said filtering element (5) in the housing (2).

6. Tablet box according to any of preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a separable lid (7) and one apiece filtering/straining elements (5) on both on its top and bottom for allowing fluid to pass therethrough and to speed up the dissolution process, and said filtering/straining elements (5) are preferably formed as a symmetric structure in association with a filter washer

(6).

7. Tablet box according to any of preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises also a main lid (4).

8. Tablet box according to any of preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises also dehumidifying elements (9) made of silicon on the lower surface of said main lid (4).

9. Tablet box according to any of preceding claims, characterized in that a connection element deposited between said main lid (4) and said housing (2) for connecting these elements.

10. Tablet box according to any of preceding claims, characterized in that said housing comprises clicks (10) underneath to be assembled to the bottom of the cup; that a lid (7) functioning as a filter and cover is placed over said housing; and that said housing comprises perforations on its lower surface, on the upper end of the lateral surfaces, and optionally on its alongside.

11. Tablet box according to any of preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises mutual locking projections and surfaces so that said main lid (4) and housing (2) and also said housing (2) and cup clamp each other.

12. Tablet box according to any of preceding claims, characterized in that a a suction-like (8) structure is provided at the lower part of said housing (2).

13. Tablet box according to any of preceding claims, characterized in that it is made of plastic.

14. Tablet box according to any of preceding claims, characterized in that the manufacture is made of other plastic types, glass, metal, wood, paper, fibers, and other food materials that do not contain toxic materials.