Filter with sweetener

Abstract

Pervious filters incorporating sweeteners for providing sweetness to liquids passing though the filter and devices incorporating such pervious filters. The filters may be impregnated with sweeteners such as sucrose, sucralose, saccharin, acesulfame-K, stevia, neotame, alitame, aspartame and combinations thereof. The filters may be designed for single use or for multiple uses, and may be used for sweetening any of a variety of beverages, such as, coffee and tea.

1 . A device for delivering a predetermined amount of a high intensity sweetener comprising an impregnated filter, the impregnated filter comprising a filter material and a sweetener impregnated thereon.  
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the sweetener is selected from the group consisting of sucrose, sucralose, saccharin, acesulfame-K, stevia, neotame, alitame, aspartame and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the sweetener is sucralose.  
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the sweetener is 10 times as sweet as sucrose.  
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a first filter layer fixed to and opposite a second filter layer, wherein at least one of the first layer or second layer comprises the impregnated filter.  
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , further comprising coffee or tea between the first filter layer and the second filter layer.  
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein impregnated filter is a fluted filter, bag filter, or a cartridge filter.  
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the fluted filter is impregnated on a bottom or a side.  
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the filter material comprises at least one treated area and at least one untreated area to permit independent flow of two liquid streams through the filter material.  
     
     
         10 . A device for delivering a predetermined amount of a sweetener comprising 
 a housing comprising 
 a first cartridge filter comprising a filter element impregnated with a sweetener and  
 a second cartridge filter incorporating a filter element not incorporating sweetener,  
 an inlet at one end of the housing for permitting an incoming liquid to enter the device,  
 a ratioing valve for distributing the incoming liquid to the first cartridge filter and the second cartridge filter, the ratioing in communication with the inlet, the first cartridge filter and the second cartridge filter,  
 an outlet at the opposite end of the housing from the inlet for permitting the liquid to exit the housing.  
   
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the ratioing valve is adjustable to permit the same or different volumes of the liquid to enter the first cartridge filter and the second cartridge filter.  
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the a plurality of first cartridge filters are in communication with each other.  
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the sweetener is selected from the group consisting of sucrose, sucralose, saccharin, acesulfame-K, stevia, neotame, alitame, aspartame and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the sweetener is sucralose.  
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the sweetener is 10 times as sweet as sucrose.  
     
     
         16 . A filter assembly comprising 
 a first filter layer fixed to and opposite a second filter layer, wherein a plurality of sweetener particles are interposed between the first filer layer and the second filter layer    
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the sweetener is selected from the group consisting of sucrose, sucralose, saccharin, acesulfame-K, stevia, neotame, alitame, aspartame and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the sweetener is sucralose.  
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the sweetener is 10 times as sweet as sucrose.  
     
     
         20 . A device for delivering a sweetener comprising 
 a first housing comprising an inlet and a first filter not impregnated with a sweetener    a second housing opposite the first housing, the second housing comprising a second filter being impregnated with a sweetener and an orifice at its top,    an overflow chamber between the first housing and the second housing, wherein the second housing rests on a floor that forms a bottom of the overflow chamber and the orifice is in communication with the overflow chamber such that when liquid in the overflow chamber reaches the orifice it will pass though the second filter,    an adjustable bypass valve in communication with the overflow chamber and the second housing, wherein liquid from the overflow chamber can enter the outlet without passing though the second filter, and    an outlet positioned to receive liquid passing through the first filter and liquid passing through the second filter and to permit such liquid to exit the device.    
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the sweetener is selected from the group consisting of sucrose, sucralose, saccharin, acesulfame-K, stevia, neotame, alitame, aspartame and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the sweetener is sucralose.  
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the sweetener is 10 times as sweet as sucrose.  
     
     
         24 . A device for delivering a sweetener comprising 
 a external housing comprising 
 a first filter not impregnated with a sweetener and  
 an internal housing comprising second filter not impregnated with a sweetener, wherein liquid passing through the second filter subsequently passes through the first filter,  
   an inlet,    a rationing valve in communication with the inlet, the external housing and the internal housing for directing liquid to the first filter or the internal housing,    an outlet positioned to receive liquid passing through the first filter and to permit such liquid to exit the device.    
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein the sweetener is selected from the group consisting of sucrose, sucralose, saccharin, acesulfame-K, stevia, neotame, alitame, aspartame and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 25 , wherein the sweetener is sucralose.  
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein the sweetener is 10 times as sweet as sucrose.