The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 07, 1998
Filed:
Jan. 31, 1997
Karl Link, Bad Homburg, DE;
Stefan Schamberg, Usingen, DE;
Andreas Birk, Bad Homburg, DE;
Albrecht Weller, Steinbach, DE;
Klaus Amsel, Schmitten, DE;
Braun Aktiengesellschaft, , DE;
Abstract
The invention is directed to a tea filter assembly (10) adapted to be fitted to a coffee maker (18) in place of a coffee filter in order to be able to make tea with the coffee maker (18). It is known in the art to provide such a tea filter assembly (10) with a first valve (36) for closing an outlet (44) from the tea filter assembly (10) while the tea is steeping. It is a disadvantage in such a type of tea filter assembly (10) that upon termination of the steeping time hot water continues to be discharged from the coffee maker (18), flowing over the tea leaves and extracting bitter principle in the process. To avoid this drawback, provision is made in the invention for a water conduit (14) through which hot water exiting the coffee maker flows straight into a carafe after the steeping time has ended, without coming into contact with tea leaves contained in a tea basket (16). During the steeping time, the water conduit (14) is closed by a second valve (42) which is actuatable jointly with the first valve (36), preferably by raising and lowering the tea basket (16) together with the water conduit (14).