权利要求：
Claims
i 8 A beverage-making assembly comprises a first vessel, a tableware piece and a second vessel, wherein said first vessel is a drinking vessel, wherein said drinking vessel is one of a mug and a cup and a beaker and a glass, wherein said first vessel is configured to support the tableware piece acting as a lid to the first vessel, wherein said tableware piece comprises 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 said first principal surface comprises a top recess, wherein said top recess comprises a top recess perimeter and a recessed area within said top recess perimeter, and wherein the second vessel is locatable within the top recess perimeter on said recessed area of said first principal surface, wherein the liquid capacity of the second vessel is less than the liquid capacity of the first vessel, wherein the second principal surface comprises a downstand which is located within the tableware piece perimeter, and wherein when the tableware piece is acting as a lid to the first vessel the downstand provides a first lateral restraint against the inside of the first vessel if the tableware piece is subjected to a lateral force, wherein the shape of the top recess in the tableware piece and the shape of the base of the second vessel combine to provide a second lateral restraint to movement of the second vessel relative to the tableware piece, and wherein the assembly with the second vessel located on the tableware piece and the tableware piece supported on the first vessel is configured to be held in one hand by holding the first vessel.
2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first vessel, the tableware piece and the second vessel are substantially circular on plan and are assembled substantially co-axially, the first vessel axis being substantially vertical when the first vessel is hand-held or is supported on a substantially horizontal surface.
3 An assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the top recess perimeter is circular on plan and is co-axial with the first vessel, the piece and the second vessel.
4. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the top recess comprises a perimeter restraint.
S. An assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the top recess comprises a perimeter wall between the top recess perimeter and the recessed area.
6. An assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein said perimeter wall comprises a depth greater than at least one of 2 mm and 3 mm and/or 4 mm.
7. An assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein said perimeter wall comprises a slope angle to the axis of the tableware piece of less than at least one of 45°and 30°and 15° and/or 5°.
8. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the downstand, the shape of the top recess in the tableware piece and the shape of the base of the second vessel restrain the second vessel sliding off the tableware piece or overturning when the axis of the assembly is rotated to an angle from vertical to over at least one of 10° and 20° and 30° and/or 40°.
9. An assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein said perimeter wall comprises a straight extending between a perimeter wall top radius and a perimeter wall bottom radius, and wherein the angle to the axis of the piece of the perimeter wall straight is less than at least one of 45° and 30° and 20° and 10° and/or 5°
10. Anassembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the height of the second vessel centre of gravity above the second vessel base plane divided by the width of the second vessel base support is less than at least one of 0.5 and 0.4 and/or 0.3.
11. Anassembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said first vessel is capable of holding a first liquid comprising hot water and a tea bag, wherein the second principal surface of the piece comprises a well spaced inside the piece perimeter, said well being impervious to aqueous liquids, wherein the tableware piece is capable of inversion and placing on a horizontal surface with the second principal surface uppermost and the first principal surface supporting the
tableware piece after said inversion such that the inverted tableware 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.
12. Anassembly is claimed in claim 11, wherein the downstand on the second principal surface comprises a continuous downstand.
13. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said second lateral restraint comprises limited movement lateral restraint, following lateral movement of less than at least one of 6mm and 3mm and/or Imm.
14. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said lateral restraint comprises passive lateral restraint with no relative movement.
15. Anassembly 1s claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the shape of the top recess in the tableware piece and the shape of the base of the second vessel combine to provide a rotational restraint.
16. Anassembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein said rotational restraint comprises limited movement rotational restraint.
17. Anassembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein said rotational restraint comprises passive rotational restraint with no relative rotational movement.
18. An assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein said rotational restraint comprises locked rotational restraint.
19. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said second lateral restraint is a frictional lateral restraint.
20. Anassembly is claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the tableware piece perimeter comprises a perimeter recess, wherein when the tableware piece is placed on the first vessel containing hot water with the first surface uppermost, the perimeter recess provides a ventilation aperture between the perimeter recess and the inside of the rim of the first vessel.
21. Anassembly as claimed in claim 20, wherein a portion of said perimeter recess is shaped in an arc of a circle with its centre located outside the perimeter of the tableware piece.
22. Anassembly as claimed in claim 20 or claim 21, wherein the assembly comprises a spoon comprising a bowl and a handle, wherein said handle is capable of being located within said ventilation aperture with said bowl located within the first vessel.
23. Anassembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the liquid capacity of the second vessel is less than at least one of 80% and 60% and 40% and 30% and/or 20% of the liquid capacity of the first vessel
24. Anassembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the height of the second vessel above the base plane of the second vessel is less than at least one of 75mm and 60mm and 55mm and 50mm and 45mm and/or 40mm.
25. An assembly as claimed in claim 24, wherein the height of the second vessel above the base plane of the second vessel is less than at least one of 80% and 70% and 60% and/or 40% of the height of the first vessel.
26. Anassembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the height of the centre of gravity of the second vessel is less than at least one of 25mm and 20mm and/or 15mm above the base plane of the second vessel.
27. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the height of the centre of gravity of the second vessel divided by the width of the second vessel base support is less than at
least one of 0.5 and 0.4 and/or 0.3.
28. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the second vessel is made of one of rigid plastic, semi-rigid plastic, flexible plastic, ceramic, glass, bamboo, paper and edible product.
29. Anassembly as claimed in preceding claim, wherein a third vessel is located on the second vessel, and wherein said third vessel is retained on said second vessel.
30. Anassembly as claimed in claim 29, wherein the third vessel is made of one of rigid plastic, semi-rigid plastic, flexible plastic, ceramic, glass, bamboo, paper and edible product.
31. Anassembly is claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the assembly comprises water and an infusing product in said first vessel.
32. An assembly as claimed in claim 31, wherein the infusing product is located in an infuser.
33. Anassembly as claimed in claim 32, wherein the infuser comprises a perforated open infuser bowl comprising a water-permeable drum and a base.
34. Anassembly as claimed in claim 33, wherein the infuser comprises a suspension handle, a connector hook section and a monolithic extension to the connector hook section, the monolithic extension being one of a spine joined to one of the outside and inside of the drum and a top ring joined to one of the outside and inside of the top of the drum.
35. Anassembly as claimed in claim 33, wherein the infuser comprises a perimeter ledge which sits on the rim of the first vessel.
36. An assembly as claimed in claim 34 or claim 35, wherein a spoon is located within the infuser.
37. Anassembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the second vessel has an outer surface which transitions from a circle at its base to a square at its rim.
38. Anassembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the second vessel comprises a spout.
39. An assembly as claimed in claim 38, wherein the second vessel comprises one of two, three and four spouts within the second vessel rim perimeter.
40. A method of making a beverage using an assembly comprising a first vessel, a tableware piece and a second vessel, wherein said first vessel is a drinking vessel, wherein said drinking vessel is one of a mug and a cup and a beaker and a glass, wherein said first vessel is configured to support the tableware piece acting as a lid to the first vessel, wherein said tableware piece comprises 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 said first principal surface comprises a top recess, wherein said top recess comprises a top recess perimeter and a recessed area within said top recess perimeter, and wherein the second vessel is locatable within the top recess perimeter on said recessed area of said first principal surface, wherein the liquid capacity of the second vessel is less than the liquid capacity of the first vessel, wherein the second principal surface comprises a downstand which is located within the tableware piece perimeter, and wherein when the tableware piece is acting as a lid to the first vessel the downstand provides a first lateral restraint against the inside of the first vessel if the tableware piece is subjected to a lateral force, wherein the shape of the top recess in the tableware piece and the shape of the base of the second vessel combine to provide a second lateral restraint to movement of the second vessel relative to the tableware piece, and wherein the assembly is configured to be held in one hand by holding the first vessel said method comprising the steps of:
(1) inserting a first liquid into the first vessel comprising a rim,
(11) placing the tableware piece on the rim of the first vessel such that the first principal
surface is uppermost,
(111) inserting a tasting product in the second vessel,
(iv) locating the second vessel within the top recess perimeter in the first principal
surface of the tableware piece.
41. A method of making a beverage as claimed in claim 40 further including the steps of:
(v) re-locating the assembly of steps (1)-(iv)
(vi) removing the second vessel,
(vil) removing the tableware piece from the first vessel, and
(vii) inserting some of the tasting product into the first vessel.
42. A method as claimed in claim 40 or claim 41, wherein said method includes in step (1) said first liquid is hot water, and wherein after step (i) locating a tea bag in the hot water.
43. A method as claimed in claim 40 or claim 41 wherein said first liquid is hot water and before step (1) locating a tea bag into the first vessel.
44. A method as claimed in any of claims 40 to 43, wherein in step (111) said tasting product is intended to be added to the first liquid in the first vessel to amend its taste and is one of milk and honey and lemon and sugar and sweetener.
45. A method as claimed in any of claims 41, and 42 to 44 when dependent on claim 41, wherein after step (vi) allowing time for the tea to infuse, wherein after step (vii), removing the used tea bag from the hot water, and transferring one of milk and honey and lemon and sugar and sweetener from the second vessel into the first vessel
46. A method as claimed in any of claims 41, and 42 to 45 when dependent on claim 41, wherein the second principal surface of the tableware piece comprises a well, and wherein after step (vii), the tableware piece is inverted and the used tea bag is placed onto the inverted
tableware piece.
47. A method as claimed in any of claims 40 to 45, wherein the assembly, the first liquid and tasting product are all held in one hand by holding the first vessel.
48. A method as claimed in claim 40, wherein the height of the combined centre of gravity of the second vessel and tasting product is less than at least one of 25mm and 20mm and/or 15mm, above the base plane of the second vessel.
49. A method as claimed in claim 40, wherein the height of the combined centre of gravity of the second vessel is less than at least one of 20mm and 15mm and/or 10mm, above the point of interaction between the second vessel and the top recess perimeter wall.
50. A method as claimed in any of claims 42 to 49, wherein the assembly comprises an infuser bowl, and wherein a teaspoon is located in said infuser bowl.
51. A method as claimed in any of claims 40 to 50, wherein the assembly comprises a spoon comprising a bowl and a handle, wherein the piece perimeter comprises a perimeter recess, wherein after step (i) the spoon is placed in the first vessel in the first liquid, wherein in step (ii) the perimeter recess provides a ventilation aperture between the perimeter recess and the inside of the rim of the first vessel, and wherein said handle is located within said ventilation aperture with said bowl located within the first vessel.
52. An assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 39, wherein said first vessel comprises a handle, and wherein the assembly is capable of being held in one hand by the handle of the first vessel.
53. Anassembly as claimed in claim 52, wherein said assembly comprises a napkin located within the handle of said first vessel
54. Anassembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 39 and 52 or 53, wherein said recessed area comprises a lower surface, and wherein said second vessel comprises a base, and wherein said second vessel is supported on its base on said lower surface.
55. An assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 39 and 52 to 54, wherein said first vessel contains a first liquid and said second vessel contains a tasting product, and wherein said tasting product is intended to be added to said first liquid in said first vessel to amend its taste.
56. An assembly as claimed in claim 55, wherein the tasting product is a liquid.
57. Anassembly as claimed in either claim 11 or claim 20, wherein said perimeter recess enables the tableware piece to be docked contiguously with the first vessel.
58. An assembly as claimed in claim 31, wherein the infusing product is located in a tea bag.
59. A method as claimed in any of claims 40 to 51, wherein the tasting product is a liquid.
60. A method as claimed in claim 46 or claim 51 when dependent on claim 41, wherein after step (vii) and before said used tea bag is placed onto said inverted tableware piece the tableware piece is docked contiguously with the first vessel, the contiguous docking being enabled by the perimeter recess.
61. A method as claimed in claim 47 and claim 59, wherein said second vessel is filled to a level with a cold liquid that spills when the first vessel is rotated, before a hot liquid in the first vessel spills.
62. Anassembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 39 and 52 to 58, wherein said downstand has a depth below the rim of the first vessel of at least one of 2 to 4mm and 4 to 6mm and greater than 6mm.
63. An assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 39 and 52 to 59, wherein the diameter of the outside of the downstand is less than 3mm less than the inside rim diameter of the first vessel
64. A method as claimed in any of claims 40 to 51, and 59 to 61 wherein the assembly is carried to a point of brewing and consumption of the tea.
65. A method as claimed in claim 64, wherein said assembly is carried in one hand. 66. A method as claimed in claim 64, wherein said assembly is carried on a tray.