摘要：
A tableware tea piece (10, 11, 12) intended to be used in conjunction with a drinking cup (60, 6) or teapot (63) vessel (60), includes first and second principal surfaces (1) and a well (8) defined by the second surface (1, 2, 95). It further includes a perimeter recess (40), and is configured and ar ranged (2) to be placed to act as a lid on a vessel (60) containing hot water (90) with the first surface (1, 2, 95) uppermost without slipping sideways off the vessel (60) and forming an aperture in side (1, 2) the rim (62) of the vessel (60). The tea piece (10, 11, 12) may be inverted and placed on a horizontal surface (1, 2, 95) with the second principal surface (1, 2, 95) uppermost and the first principal surface (1, 2, 95) supporting the piece (10) after inversion, to act as a receptacle for a used tea bag (80, 84), such that tea (89) which emanates from the used tea bag (80, 84) is contained on the second principal surface (1, 2, 95) within the well (8) and does not spill onto the horizontal surface (1, 2, 95).
权利要求：
What is claimed is:
1. A tableware tea piece comprising a shaped disc comprising a perimeter and two principal surfaces either side of said perimeter, a first principal surface and a second principal surface, wherein said second principal surface comprises a well spaced inside the perimeter, said well being impervious to aqueous liquids, wherein the perimeter comprises a perimeter recess, wherein two end points of said perimeter recess along the perimeter define an angle S relative to a vertex disposed at a geometric center point of the tea piece, wherein the angle S is greater than 15°, wherein the tea piece is capable of being placed to act as a lid on a vessel containing hot water with the first surface uppermost such that the perimeter recess provides a ventilation aperture within a rim of the vessel, wherein the tea piece is capable of inversion and placing on a horizontal surface with the second principal surface uppermost and the first principal surface supporting the piece after said inversion such that the inverted tea piece is capable of acting as a receptacle for a used tea bag such that tea which emanates from the used tea bag is contained on the second principal surface within the well and does not spill onto the horizontal surface.
2. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second surface comprises a continuous loop drip projection spaced inside a portion of the tea piece perimeter, said drip projection forming a perimeter of the well, wherein when the tea piece is placed to act as a lid on the vessel containing hot water with the first surface uppermost, said drip projection provides a lateral restraint against the inside of the cup if the piece is pushed laterally.
3. A tea piece as claimed in claim 2, wherein said drip projection is conterminous with a portion of the edge of the perimeter recess.
4. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said angle S is greater than 20°.
5 A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said angle S is greater than 30°.
6. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said angle S is greater than 45°.
7. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said angle S is greater than 60°.
8. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein a portion of said perimeter recess is shaped in an arc of a circle with its centre located outside the perimeter of the tea piece.
9. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said perimeter recess extends between two points on said perimeter, where the shortest distance between said two points is greater than 10mm,
preferably greater than 25mm, more preferably greater than 50mm and even more preferably greater than 75mm.
10. A tea piece is claimed in claim 1, wherein following said inversion and placing on said horizontal surface and said vessel is located on said horizontal surface, and wherein said perimeter recess is touching said vessel at two points, the gap between the vessel and the tea piece between said two points when measured radially from the vertical axis of the vessel is less than 1mm, preferably less than 0.5mm, and more preferably less than 0.2mm.
11. A tea piece as claimed in claim 10, wherein the length between said two points is greater than 10mm, preferably greater than 20mm, and more preferably greater than 30mm.
12. A tea piece is claimed in claim 1, wherein said perimeter comprises part of a circle and said perimeter recess deviates radially within said circle by a deviation of greater than 3mm, Smm, 10mm, and/or 15mm.
13. A tea piece is claimed in claim 12, wherein after said inversion said vessel can be located against said perimeter recess and intrude within the perimeter of said circle by a distance greater than 1mm, 2mm, 3mm, Smm, 10mm, and/or 15mm.
14. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein if a circular arc is struck concentric with the tea piece perimeter 30 that intersects the perimeter recess 40 at two points, the tangents of the points of the recess intersect within the radius of the arc, at a subtended angle greater than 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 70° and/or 90°.
15. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ventilation aperture has a maximum dimension of less than 30mm, preferably less than 25mm, and more preferably less than 20mm. 16. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ventilation aperture has a plan area of greater than 20mm?, 50mm?, 100mm? 150mm? and/or 200mm?>.
17. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein if said tea piece is located upon a horizontal surface with said second principal surface facing upwards, the external points of support of the tea piece are disposed on the horizontal surface at a horizontal distance from the centre of gravity of not less than 10mm, preferably not less than 15mm, and more preferably of not less than 20mm. 18. A tea piece is claimed in claim 1, wherein said well comprises a continuous well wall, wherein if said tea piece is placed on a horizontal surface with the second principal surface facing upwards said well wall comprises a continuous surface that is at an angle of less than 45° to vertical.
19. A tea piece as claimed in claim 18, wherein the height of said continuous well wall is greater than 1mm, preferably greater than 2mm, more preferably greater than 5mm, and even more preferably greater than 10mm.
20. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said well comprises a minimum clear internal width of greater than 50mm, and more preferably greater than 65mm.
21. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said well comprises a cubic capacity of liquid that it will contain when said tea piece is inverted on said horizontal surface of greater than 0.5cc, 1.0cc, 3.0cc, 5.00cc, 10.0cc and/or 20.0cc.
22. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first principal surface comprises a
depression.
23. A tea piece as claimed in claim 22, wherein said depression is part-spherical.
24. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second principal surface comprises a projection within said well.
25. A tea piece as claimed in claim 24, wherein said projection is dome-shaped.
26. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tea piece comprises a perimeter grip profile, wherein said perimeter grip profile is capable of attachment to the rim of said vessel.
27. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tea piece comprises one of glass, ceramic, plastic, silicone, paper or card.
28. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tea piece comprises transparent material. 29. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tea piece acting as a lid on said vessel can be subsequently removed vertically by a force no greater than the weight of the tea piece.
30. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first principal surface comprises a raised circular section.
31. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second principal surface comprises a circular depression within said well.
32. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tea piece comprises variable geometry. 33. A tea piece as claimed in claim 32, wherein said tea piece comprises a slot and a lateral restraint which is moveable along the slot.
34. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said perimeter recess comprises a removable portion of said tea piece defined by a weakened rupture locus in said tea piece, and wherein said perimeter recess is removable by manual tearing,
35. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tea piece comprises a rigid material. 36. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tea piece comprises a flexible material. 37. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein part of said perimeter is fluted.
38. A tea piece as claimed in claim 1, wherein part of said perimeter is polygonal.
39. A method of making an infusion using the tea piece of claim 1, and a tea bag, said method comprising;
(1) placing hot water into a vessel comprising a rim,
(11) placing the tea piece on the rim of the vessel such that the first principal surface is
uppermost, wherein a ventilation aperture is formed between the rim of the vessel and the
perimeter recess of the tea piece,
(111) locating the tea bag in the hot water
(iv) allowing time for the tea to infuse,
[8%] removing the tea piece, and
(vi) removing the tea bag from the hot water.
40. A method as claimed in claim 39, wherein said tea bag is part of a tea bag assembly comprising a suspension handle and a connector which connects the suspension handle to the tea bag.
41. A method as claimed in claim 40, wherein the method stage (i1) further comprises locating the connector within the ventilation aperture with the suspension handle outside the vessel. 42. A method as claimed in claim 41, wherein the method stage (iv) further comprises agitating the tea bag by raising and lowering it by means of the suspension handle and connector.
43. A method as claimed in claim 39, wherein the tea piece comprises transparent material enabling the colour of the infusing tea to be visible through the tea piece.
44. A method as claimed in claim 39, wherein the maximum dimension of said ventilation aperture is less than 20mm.
45. A method as claimed in claim 39, wherein said vessel is a disposable cup comprising one of paper, card, PET, PP and PS.
46, A method as claimed in claim 39, wherein said vessel is a teapot.
47. A method of making a tea piece as claimed in claim 39, wherein said method comprises one of injection moulding, press moulding and additive manufacture.
48. A method as claimed in claim 39 wherein said tea bag 1s part of an infuser comprising an infuser tea bag, an infuser suspension handle and an infuser connector which connects the infuser suspension handle to the tea bag.
49. A method as claimed in claim 39, wherein said vessel is a cup, mug and/or glass.
50. A method as claimed in claim 39, wherein said vessel 1s a disposable cup comprising one of paper, card, PET, PP and PS.
51. A method as claimed in claim 39, wherein said vessel is a teapot.
52. A tableware tea piece comprising a shaped disc comprising a perimeter and two principal surfaces either side of said perimeter, a first principal surface and a second principal surface, wherein said second principal surface comprises a well spaced inside the perimeter, said well being impervious to aqueous liquids, wherein the perimeter comprises a perimeter recess, wherein the tea piece is capable of being placed to act as a lid on a vessel containing hot water with the first surface uppermost such that the perimeter recess provides a ventilation aperture within a rim of the vessel, wherein the tea piece is capable of inversion and placing on a horizontal surface with the second principal surface uppermost and the first principal surface supporting the piece after said inversion such that the inverted tea piece is capable of acting as a receptacle for a used tea bag such that tea which emanates from the used tea bag is contained on the second principal surface within the well and does not spill onto the horizontal surface, wherein the second surface comprises a continuous loop drip projection spaced inside a portion of the tea piece perimeter, said drip projection forming a perimeter of the well, wherein when the tea piece is placed to act as a lid on the vessel containing hot water with the first surface uppermost, said drip projection provides a lateral restraint against the inside of the cup if the piece is pushed laterally.
53. A tea piece as claimed in claim 52, wherein said drip projection is conterminous with a portion of the edge of the perimeter recess.
54. A tea piece as claimed in claim 52, wherein over the length of the perimeter excluding the perimeter recess, if the tea piece is positioned concentric with the vessel, the gap between the outside of the drip projection and the inside of the vessel rim is 0.5mm to 3mm.
55. A tea piece as claimed in claim 52, wherein an outer edge of said perimeter recess comprises smoothly transitioned curves with a minimum radius of curvature of 3mm.