ent 23 and the tab element 30 are ideally manufactured from a material possessing suitable elastic thermal, and sanitary properties. Support element 23 has a inward bend directed toward the surface 24, whereas tab 30 has a slight outward bend from the separation line 33 toward surface 38 of tab 30. The disposable brewing device illustrated in FIG. 1 may be held with the thumb and forefinger of one hand by grasping along the two edges common to tab 30 and support element 23 and shown at 39.
FIG. 2 illustrates a method of use wherein the disposable coffee brewing device of FIG. 1 is shown in use inside a coffee mug 40. FIG. 2 depicts a vertical cross sectional view of a coffee mug 40 into which has been inserted a disposable coffee brewing device depicted in FIG. 1. Drinking water 41 is subsequently added to fill to level 42 said level being somewhat lower then the rim 43 of mug 40. After the above two preparation steps are completed the ensemble is placed inside a microwave oven for a period sufficient to extract the coffee flavor.
Tab 30 passes over the mug rim and is positioned so that the mug handle 44 at region 45 passes inside cutout 36 of tab 30. Cutout 35 (FIG. 1) along with passage 37 facilitate the insertion of mug handle 44 into tab cutout 36. Concurrent with the engagement between tab 30 and mug handle 44, the support element 23 and attached filter bag 10 have been inserted inside the mug 40. Support element end 28 is in contact with the mug inner surface at 46. The extended free end of tab 23 is flexed so that surface 24 is concave upward, the obtuse surface 25 is in contact with the inner wall of the mug 40 as at 47 and the bottom of the mug as at 48. The length of tab 23 (discussed in FIG. 1) from terminus 27 to tab end 28 insures that upon insertion that region of the tab 23 will bend and exert a lateral force which pushes surface 25 against the inner wall 47. Engagement of tab 30 and mug handle 45 prevents the disposable brewing device from lifting vertically out of the mug 40. Filter bag 10 is anchored inside the mug by virtue of the spring action of support element 23 and the anchoring of cutout 36 around mug handle 44. Ground coffee beans 11 are immersed in liquid 41 and become wetted by the liquid. A significant inner volume 19 of filter bag 10 remains above the liquid surface 42. Vapors and gasses emanating during the brewing process accumulate and inflate the filter bag volume 19. Buoyant force due to these vapors is reduced by virtue of volume 19 being above the liquid surface. Filter bag 10 and contents 11 can oscillate back and forth about hinge 26 to 27 in response to convection currents that occur when the water is heated. Filter bag 10 is held vertically above the liquid by the height of hinge as at 26, this prevents the volume 19 from drooping over the mug rim 43 and spilling coffee outside the mug. The handling edges 39 described in FIG. 1, remain outside the liquid at all times. consequently , they do not experience a large increase in temperature, therefore upon removal from the microwave oven the disposable brewing device (FIG. 1) may be comfortably grasped and removed from the mug and discarded.
From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that the resilient support element having the filter bag attached to its inner surface enables the support element to maintain the filter bag in a vertical alignment inside a mug containing water.
Another feature of the invention that a tab securely anchors this invention to the mug handle. This feature enables the disposable brewing device to be properly positioned during the unattended brewing process. Another feature of the invention large filter bag inner volume which remains above the liquid surface and restricts and contains the vapors and gases and prevents spillage.
1. A disposable brewing device for brewing coffee in a cup comprising: an elongated filter bag enclosing a measured amount of ground coffee beans sealed therein and a thin, elongated flexible filter bag support element secured to said filter bag over a portion of both the l