Background of the Invention The present invention relates to infusers. The invention more particularly, although not exclusively, relates to a tea infuser for infusing tea from tealeaves into hot water in a cup or pot for example.

Moderntea infusers comprise a stainless steelmesh or perforated canister into which tealeaves are inserted and a separate buoyant part (often decorative) attached to the canister from which the canister is suspended from the water surface in use.

The above type of tea infuser is expensive to manufacture due to cost of the stainless steel and metal work involved.

Objects of the Invention

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages and/or more generally to provide an improved tea infuser.

Disclosure of the Invention

There is disclosed herein an infuser comprising: a moulded structure comprising a buoyant compartment and an integral perforated compartmentfor receiving tea leaves or other flavour-containing matter.

Preferably, the infuser is formed as two parts wherein each of the two parts comprises a portion of said buoyant compartment and a portion of said perforated compartment.

Preferably, said two parts are mutually connected by engagement means forming a seal about the buoyant compartment. Preferably, the infuser further comprises a partition delimiting the buoyant compartment from the perforated compartment.

Preferably, the engagement means extends along the partition. Preferably, the infuser further comprises a ballast weight extending from the perforated compartment.

Preferably, the infuser takes the form of a leaf having a stem, and wherein the ballast weight is provided within the stem.

Preferably, the stem comprises a cavity within which a ballast weight is received and a plug sealing the cavity. Preferably, the infuser is formed of flexible, resilient plastics material.

Preferably, said plastics material is silicone. Brief Description of the Drawings

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of an infuser;

Fig. 2 is a schematic elevation of the infuser;

Fig. 3 is a schematic side elevation of the infuser;

Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective illustration of the infuser; Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective illustration of one portion of the infuser; Fig. 6 is a schematic perspective illustration of the other portion of the infuser; Fig. 7 repeats Fig. 2 for convenience alongside the next figure; and Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional elevation of the infuser taken at VIII-VIII in Fig. 7.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

In the accompanying drawings there is depicted schematically a moulded plastics infuser 10 typically intended to infuse tea from tealeaves into hot water. The infuser comprises a first shell 11 and a second shell 12 which are mutually press-fitted in such manner that the parts can be separated laterally. In the preferred embodiment, the shells take the appearance of a leaf, but any suitable appearance can be adopted.

The upper portion of the infuser comprises a buoyant compartment 13, whereas the mid-portion of the infuser comprises a perforated compartment 22 with perforations 14. Separating the buoyant compartment 13 from the perforated compartment 22 is a partition 15.

At the bottom of the infuser 10, there is an extension 16 in the form of a stem. A plug 20 is inserted into the base of the extension/stem 16. Within the extension 16, there is provided a cavity 19 into which a ballast weight can be received, so that when the infuser is placed into water, the buoyant compartment 12 remains uppermost.

As shown in Fig. 8, the buoyant compartment 12 and the perforated compartment 22 include a peripheralpress-fit seal 21. This seal extends along the partition 15 to completely seal the buoyant compartment 12. Although sealing around the bottom peripheral portion of the perforated compartment 22 is not necessary, the press-fit seal 21 extends around this compartment as well serving purely to holder the two shells 1 1 and 12 of the infuser together.

At the top portion of the extension 16, there is provided an engagement flat 17 against which a bottom edge 18 of the second shell 12 bears when the shells of the infuser are mutually engaged. The shells 1 1 and 12 would typically be moulded in a flexible, resilient polymeric plastics material such as silicone so that the parts can deform when the stem is grasped and shifted laterally by the user, whereupon the engagement flat 17 moves away from the edge 18 to enable release of the press-fit seal starting from the bottom. It should be appreciated that modifications and alterations obvious to those skilled in the art are not to be considered as beyond the scope of the present invention.

Furthermore, the infuser can be used for drinks other than tea. For example a stock cube for example could be inserted into the perforated compartment to make a broth.