tea bag

Abstract

In the present invention, the water-swelling material constituting the tea bag satisfies the condition that the expansion rate in a first direction is greater than the expansion rate in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, or the contraction rate in the second direction is greater than the contraction rate in the first direction perpendicular to the second direction, thereby preventing the tea from dissolving in water after a certain time has passed, thereby making it possible to maintain the deep flavor of the tea for a long time. The present invention also provides various examples of water-swelling materials.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tea bag, and more particularly to a tea bag in which tea components can be extracted only for a certain period of time so that a user can enjoy an optimal taste and aroma.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, a normal tea bag includes a packaging tea bag that contains a certain amount of tea raw materials such as powdered regular coffee, green tea, amacha tea, black tea, and other various tea leaves or extracts, a string connected to the tea bag so that the tea bag can be put into or taken out of a container filled with water, and a tag connected to the tea bag string to function as a handle so that the tea bag string can be pulled.

[0003] When such a tea bag is put into a container filled with hot water, the tea components will seep into the hot water, and the user will drink the solution in which the tea components have seeped. Here, the taste and aroma of the tea depend on how long the contents of the tea bag seep into the hot water. Therefore, if it seeps for more than a certain time, it will taste bitter and lose its aroma, and there is a problem that the best taste and aroma of the tea contained in the tea bag cannot be enjoyed.

[0004] In order to solve this problem, the applicant proposed, in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2022-0043888, a tea bag including a tea bag containing tea raw materials inside so that tea can be easily drunk, characterized in that the tea bag has a water-expandable substance that expands to seal the tea components contained inside so that they are not released to the outside when a certain period of time has passed in water.

[0005] This application is a more specific improvement of the applicant's prior application.

[0006] As a related patent document, WO2017 / 137399 discloses that a disc-shaped or circular folded tea bag expands when it absorbs water. However, this patent does not disclose a structure or function that prevents water absorption after a certain period of time. Korean Published Patent No. 10-2019-0127978 discloses a cellulose nonwoven fabric that swells with water, but the difference in pore size is already determined during fiber production, and it does not disclose a structure or function that absorbs water initially and then blocks water infiltration after a certain period of time. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-114569 discloses a mesh that expands when it absorbs water. However, this patent does not disclose that the mesh size decreases when it absorbs water. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a tea bag that can preserve the unique flavor and aroma of tea by manufacturing the tea bag from a water-expanding material, thereby blocking water from flowing through the tea bag after a predetermined time has elapsed for the tea to fully develop its flavor after being immersed in water. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above-mentioned objective, the present invention provides a tea bag containing tea inside, wherein the tea bag is made of a water-expandable material in which, when in contact with water, the expansion rate in a first direction is greater than the expansion rate in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the water-expandable material has respective expansion rates such that, after a predetermined time, the portion in the first direction expands more than the portion in the second direction, obstructing the flow of water.

[0009] The water-expandable material may be a fiber, the first direction may be the thickness (longitudinal) direction, and the second direction may be the length (transverse) direction.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention provides a tea bag containing tea inside, wherein the tea bag is made of a water-expandable material in which, when in contact with water, the contraction rate in a second direction is greater than the contraction rate in a first direction perpendicular to the second direction, and the water-expandable material has respective contraction rates such that, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the portion in the second direction contracts more than the portion in the first direction, thereby obstructing the flow of water.

[0011] The water-expandable material may be a fiber, the first direction may be the thickness (longitudinal) direction, and the second direction may be the length (transverse) direction.

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention provides a tea bag containing tea inside, wherein the tea bag has a composite structure consisting of one or more grid-shaped compartments and water-expandable material arranged in the spaces formed by each compartment, each compartment forming a horizontal line and extending parallel to the whole, with each compartment forming a horizontal row at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction, and each compartment forming a vertical line and extending parallel to the whole, with each compartment forming a vertical row at a predetermined interval in the horizontal direction, and the compartments are made of a material that does not expand or contract and whose shape and structure do not change when in contact with water.

[0013] The water-expanding material can consist of fiber that expands when it comes into contact with water.

[0014] The water-expandable material can be formed by stitching together a material in which, when in contact with water, the expansion rate in the first direction is greater than the expansion rate in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, or by stitching together a material in which, when in contact with water, the contraction rate in the second direction is greater than the contraction rate in the first direction perpendicular to the second direction.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention provides a tea bag containing tea, wherein the tea bag contains a water-expanding substance that allows water to flow when its shape is deformed by plastic processing, and prevents water from flowing by restoring to its original shape when in contact with water for a predetermined period of time or longer.

[0016] Furthermore, the present invention provides a tea bag containing tea inside, wherein the tea bag contains a water-expandable substance, and the water-expandable substance has a multilayer structure in which a core portion is formed from a substance with a low rate of expansion by water, and at least one outer peripheral portion with a high rate of expansion is formed on the outer periphery surrounding the core portion.

[0017] Furthermore, the present invention provides a tea bag containing tea inside, wherein the tea bag has a composite structure in which a water-expanding substance is layered or coated on all or part of a fabric material that allows water to flow freely, and the water-expanding substance has a structure in which, when in contact with water, the expansion rate in a first direction is greater than the expansion rate in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, or a structure in which, when in contact with water, the contraction rate in a second direction is greater than the contraction rate in a first direction perpendicular to the second direction.

[0018] Furthermore, the present invention provides a tea bag containing tea inside, wherein the tea bag has a composite structure in which a water-expanding substance is layered or coated on all or part of a fabric material that allows water to flow freely, and the water-expanding substance has a structure in which, when in contact with water, the expansion rate in the first direction, which is the thickness direction, is greater than the expansion rate in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, or a structure in which, when in contact with water, the contraction rate in the second direction, which is the longitudinal direction, is greater than the contraction rate in the first direction perpendicular to the second direction.

[0019] Furthermore, the present invention provides a tea bag containing tea inside, wherein the tea bag contains a water-expandable substance, and the water-expandable substance has a multilayer structure such that when it comes into contact with water, after a predetermined time elapses, the second part expands more than the first part, obstructing the flow of water, the first part forms the core of the water-expandable substance, and the second part forms the outer periphery surrounding the core.

[0020] Furthermore, the present invention provides a tea bag containing tea inside, wherein the tea bag contains a water-expandable substance, and the water-expandable substance has a multilayer structure such that when it comes into contact with water, after a predetermined time, the first part shrinks more than the second part, thereby reducing the cross-sectional area of ​​the passage through which water passes and obstructing the flow of water, the first part forms the core of the water-expandable substance, and the second part forms the outer periphery surrounding the core.

[0021] The water-expandable substance may include fiber material.

[0022] The outer periphery formed by the second portion may have a structure of two or more layers. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] The present invention can satisfy various preferences of consumers and enhance the commercial value by enabling tea to be extracted only for a certain period of time so that the user can enjoy the optimal taste and aroma.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] It is a diagram for explaining the structure and principle of the water-expandable substance that forms the characteristics of the tea bag of the present invention from the perspective of the expansion rate. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing the expansion process when a fabric woven with warp and weft is exposed to water based on the principle of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a diagram for explaining the structure and principle of the water-expandable substance that forms the characteristics of the tea bag of the present invention from the perspective of the shrinkage rate. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing the shrinkage process when a fabric woven with warp and weft is exposed to water based on the principle of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an embodiment of a tea bag containing the water-expandable substance of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing another embodiment of a tea bag containing the water-expandable substance of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing yet another embodiment of a tea bag containing the water-expandable substance of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing yet another embodiment of a tea bag containing the water-expandable substance of the present invention using the principle of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing yet another embodiment of a tea bag containing the water-expandable substance of the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] The structure and principle of the water-expandable substance 10 that forms the characteristics of the tea bag 1 of the present invention will be described. Typically, the water-expandable substance 10 will be described as an example of a fiber, but it should be noted that the material is not necessarily limited to a fiber.

[0026] [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] The object and effect of the present invention, as well as the technical configuration for achieving them, will become clear with reference to the embodiments described later in detail based on the accompanying drawings. In the description of the present invention, if it is determined that a specific description of a known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, such detailed description will be omitted.

[0028] Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain component, this means, unless otherwise stated, that it does not exclude other components, but rather that it may further include other components. On the other hand, in embodiments of the present invention, each component, functional block, or means may consist of one or more subordinate components.

[0029] First, the structure and principle of the water-expanding material 10, which constitutes a characteristic of the tea bag 1 of the present invention, will be explained. Although the water-expanding material 10 will be explained using fiber as a representative example, it should be noted that its material is not necessarily limited to fiber.

[0030] Figure 1a shows a portion of a fiber having an initial length Lo and an initial thickness Do.

[0031] If the longitudinal expansion rate of the fiber is α, then the length L of the fiber after a certain time (t) is given by L = L O (1+αΔt) (α>0).

[0032] While temperature, in addition to time, is an important variable in determining fiber length, it was excluded here considering that it equally influences changes in length and thickness.

[0033] Next, if we let β be the expansion rate in the thickness direction of the fiber, then the thickness D of the fiber after a certain time (t) is given by D = D O (1+βΔt) (β>0).

[0034] Here, assuming that the expansion coefficient α in the longitudinal direction and the expansion coefficient β in the thickness direction are the same, the changes in length and thickness rateThese are identical. However, if the expansion rate β in the thickness direction is greater than the expansion rate α in the longitudinal direction, as shown in Figure 1b, the fiber expands more in the thickness direction and expands less in the longitudinal direction, or the length of expansion becomes very small.

[0035] Figure 2 shows the expansion process when a woven fabric, consisting of warp and weft threads, is exposed to water, based on the principle shown in Figure 1, for both the case where α = β and the case where β > α.

[0036] As shown in the diagram, the fabric is in the state shown in Figure 2a in the initial state without water.

[0037] When α=β, when the fabric is exposed to water, the length and thickness of the fibers expand at the same rate (Figure 2b), thus increasing the size of the cavities between the fibers (cross-sectional area of ​​the grid), and naturally maintaining the movement of water in and out (Figure 2c).

[0038] However, when β > α, when the fabric is exposed to water, the thickness of the fibers expands more than the length (Figure 2d), and thus the area of ​​the cavity formed by the four fibers (cross-sectional area of ​​the grid) is narrowed by the expanding thickness from all sides, slowing down or blocking the flow of water (Figure 2e).

[0039] Therefore, the first condition for the water-expandable material 10 of the present invention is that, after a certain period of time, the material (fiber) must have a greater expansion rate in the thickness direction than in the longitudinal direction.

[0040] Next, we will explain the above principles from the perspective of contraction rate.

[0041] Figure 3a shows a portion of a fiber having an initial length Lo and an initial thickness Do.

[0042] In Figure 3a, the longitudinal shrinkage rate of the fiber is |α’| Therefore, the length L of the fiber after a certain time (t) is L = L O (1+α'Δt) (α'<0).

[0043] Next, the shrinkage rate in the thickness direction of the fiber|β’| Therefore, the thickness D of the fiber after a certain time (t) is D = D O (1+β'Δt) (β'<0).

[0044] Here, let's assume the longitudinal shrinkage rate |α’| and shrinkage rate in the thickness direction |β’| If it is the same as, the change in length and thickness rate They are identical. However, the shrinkage rate in the longitudinal direction |α’| Shrinkage rate in the thickness direction |β’| If the value is greater than this, as shown in Figure 3b, the fiber shrinks more in the longitudinal direction and shrinks less in the thickness direction, or the shrinkage length becomes very small.

[0045] Figure 4 is based on the principle shown in Figure 3. |α’| = |β’| This figure shows the shrinkage process when a fabric woven with warp and weft threads is exposed to water, in both the case of |α'| >|β'| and the case of |α'| >|β'|.

[0046] As shown in the diagram, when there is no water, the fabric is in the state shown in Figure 4a.

[0047] |α’| = |β’| In this case, when the fabric is exposed to water, the length and thickness of the fibers shrink at the same rate (Figure 4b), and therefore the area of ​​the cavities between the fibers relative to the total area ratio Since there is no change, the inflow and outflow of water is maintained naturally (Figure 4c).

[0048] However, in the case of |α'|>|β'|, when the fabric is exposed to water, the length of the fibers shrinks more than the thickness (Figure 4d), and thus the area of ​​the cavity formed by the four fibers is narrowed by the length shrinking from all sides, slowing down or blocking the flow of water (Figure 4e).

[0049] Therefore, another condition for the water-expandable material 10 of the present invention is that the material (fiber) must have a longitudinal shrinkage rate greater than the thickness shrinkage rate after a certain period of time.

[0050] In summary, the water-expanding material 10 that makes up the tea bag 1 of the present invention has an expansion rate in the first direction. (a) The expansion rate in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction (b) A contraction rate greater than or in the second direction |α’| The contraction rate in the first direction perpendicular to the second direction |β’| It becomes clear that a more significant condition must be met.

[0051] Based on the above description, an example of a tea bag 1 containing the water-expanding substance 10 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 5.

[0052] In this embodiment, the water-expanding material 10 of the tea bag 1 is knitted or woven in the transverse and longitudinal directions to immediately form the tea bag 1. If the expansion rate in the thickness direction is greater than the expansion rate in the length direction, after a predetermined time has elapsed, as shown in Figure 2, the flow of water will be slowed or blocked, preventing unwanted tea components from dissolving or dispersing in the water, and thus maintaining the original taste of the tea. The water-expanding material 10 must not expand rapidly the moment it comes into contact with water; first, time must be ensured for the tea components to dissolve sufficiently in the water. That is, the lattice space formed by the transverse and longitudinal fibers gradually narrows over time, and when it falls below the critical area, it is manufactured to block, suppress, or slow down the flow of water molecules. With full consideration of these points, length Direction and thickness The expansion coefficient in one direction, the difference between the two expansion coefficients, and a predetermined time, i.e., the contact time with water, are appropriately determined.

[0053] The aforementioned effects are also observed when the shrinkage rate in the length direction is greater than the shrinkage rate in the thickness direction. This is obvious to those skilled in the art, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0054] Next, as another embodiment of the present invention, another structure of the tea bag 1 containing the water-expanding substance 10 will be described with reference to Figure 6.

[0055] In Figure 6, the tea bag 1 has a composite structure consisting of multiple grid-shaped compartments 20 and a water-expandable material 10 formed in a sheet-like manner within each compartment 20.

[0056] Each compartment 20 consists of horizontal rows 22, each forming a horizontal line, extending parallel to the overall structure, and each formed at a predetermined vertical interval, and vertical rows 24, each forming a vertical line, extending parallel to the overall structure, and each formed at a predetermined horizontal interval. Numerous compartments 20 are formed throughout the tea bag 1, and each compartment 20 provides, for example, a square grid-shaped space A. The compartments 20 of the present invention are made from a material with very low expansion and contraction rates, so that despite contact with water, their shape and structure hardly change, their volume does not increase, and the size of space A remains constant. The compartments 20 can be made from fiber material or a clean plastic material that is harmless to the human body.

[0057] The water-expandable material 10 of the present invention can be stitched in a sheet-like manner into the space A formed by the partitioned sections 20. Alternatively, a bag through which water can pass can be formed for each partitioned section 20, and the water-expandable material 10 can be filled into these bags.

[0058] As shown in the enlarged view, the water-expandable material 10 consists of numerous fibrous cells 10A that expand when they come into contact with water. When the fibrous cells 10A come into contact with water, their volume increases and their size increases. When the fibrous cells 10A come into contact with water, the fibrous cells, i.e., the water-expandable material 10, expand, but the skeleton and shape of the compartments 20 do not change. Therefore, they cannot expand beyond adjacent compartments 20, and thus each expands within the predetermined compartments 20, narrowing the spacing between the fibrous cells and obstructing the flow of water.

[0059] Fiber 10A performs a function similar to agar, for example, which expands in volume when it comes into contact with water, and the direction of expansion can be arbitrary. However, as explained with reference to Figures 1 to 5, it goes without saying that the same effect can be expected even if the space of the partitioned section 20 is constructed by weaving and stitching together materials with different expansion or contraction rates in the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0060] Figure 7 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the principle that when a film or sheet of an artificial or natural material is plastically deformed by an external force, such as by punching, the physical or chemical deformation of the deformed area is maintained while it is restored to its original state when wet or above a certain temperature. This is similar to a kind of shape memory effect.

[0061] Paper and natural fiber materials exhibit swelling and shrinking phenomena, and have the property of restoring to their pre-plastic state in water after being permanently deformed by external force. Sheets contain aggregates of threads or fiber elements and can be embodied in textiles or paper. Plastic deformation includes not only tearing and separation from the sheet, but also the plastic deformation of the fibers or fiber elements that constitute the textile.

[0062] As shown in Figure 7, the water-expandable material 10 has a multilayer structure consisting of a first layer A1, a second layer B1, and a third layer C1, with the plastic deformation rate being first layer > second layer > third layer, and the water-expandable material 10 is in a state of deformation due to an external force. When the water-expandable material 10 is exposed to water and reaches a temperature above a predetermined temperature, it returns to its original position, thereby closing the water passages and suppressing the passage of water. In addition, in Figure 7, the first layer A1, the second layer B1, and the third layer C1 are actually different materials, or if they are a single material, it also includes cases where the physical properties change during the plastic deformation process.

[0063] In woven fabrics, when fibers of a certain length are plastically deformed by an external force, the ends of the fibers can protrude as shown in Figure 7. When exposed to water or at a specific temperature, they return to their pre-plastic state, suppressing water movement.

[0064] Figure 8 shows another embodiment using the principle shown in Figure 7.

[0065] If the water-expanding material 10 is made from a plastically deformed material before the tea bag 1 comes into contact with water, as shown in Figure 8a, the water flow will return to a natural state before a predetermined time has passed while the tea bag remains in contact with water. After the predetermined time has elapsed, as shown in Figure 8b, the water-expanding material 10 will return to its original state and block the water passage, thereby suppressing water movement. In Figure 8, the water-expanding material 10 can consist of multiple layers or a single layer as shown in Figure 7.

[0066] Figure 9 shows yet another embodiment of the present invention, where Figure 9a shows a cross-section of a fiber constructed by forming a core portion 10b with a material that has a low rate of expansion with water, and forming an outer peripheral portion 10c with a high rate of expansion around the core portion 10b.

[0067] Figure 9b shows a water-expandable material 10 in which the coefficient of thermal expansion gradually increases towards the outer edge. In a single fiber, fibers with different expansion rates can be realized in multiple stages radially from the center of the fiber during the spinning and weaving processes.

[0068] In the example shown in Figure 9, the thermal expansion coefficient of the outer periphery of the fiber can be made larger than that of the center by physicochemical treatment during the spinning and weaving process, either naturally or artificially, making the production of the water-expandable material 10 easy. When the water-expandable material 10 forms a tea bag 1, it is greatly affected by the temperature of the water in which the tea is dissolved. This causes the outer surface of the fiber to heat up more quickly and to contain more water. Therefore.

[0069] Contrary to the above, the first part may be configured to contract more than the second part. This is because if the thermal contraction rate of the core material (the first part) due to water temperature is greater than that of the second part, the cross-sectional area of ​​the holes through which water passes can be reduced in accordance with the principle explained in Figure 4.

[0070] In the case of Figure 9, even if the same material is used, the core and outer periphery can be made to have different physical properties from each other during the fiber manufacturing process or when exposed to water and high temperatures. Therefore, the core and outer periphery can be formed from the same material or different materials.

[0071] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various modifications to the present invention are possible. For example, it is also possible to manufacture the tea bag 1 from an existing fabric material that allows water to flow freely, and to create a composite structure in which the water-expandable substance of the present invention is layered on or coated onto all or part of the fabric.

[0072] It goes without saying that the scope of the present invention extends to the same or equivalent area as the claims described below.

Claims

1. A tea bag containing tea inside, The aforementioned tea bag contains a water-expanding substance that, when its shape is deformed by plastic processing, allows water to flow, and when it comes into contact with water for a predetermined period of time or longer, it restores to its original shape to prevent water from flowing.

2. The water-expandable material has a multilayer structure such that when it comes into contact with water, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the second portion expands more than the first portion, thereby obstructing the flow of water, the first portion forms the core of the water-expandable material, and the second portion forms the outer periphery surrounding the core.

3. The tea bag according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the water-expanding substance includes a fibrous material.

4. The tea bag according to claim 2, wherein the outer periphery formed by the second portion has a structure of two or more layers.

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