Tea bags and filters with variable porosity and custom steeping cycles

Abstract

A container that controls combining a soluble material with a solution includes a body that holds the soluble material and a film that covers the body and having pores therein, where flow through the pores is impeded after a pre-determined amount of time following the soluble material in the container being combined with the solution outside the container. The soluble material may be tea. The solution may be water. The body may have a frame that supports the film. The pores may contract to impede flow therethrough. The pores may contract in response to temperature of the solution, in response to a pH level of a combination of the solution and the soluble material. and/or in response to being exposed to water. The container may include beads disposed proximal to the pores, where the beads expand to impede flow through the pores.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A container that controls combining a soluble material with a solution, comprising:
 a body that holds the soluble material; and   a film that covers the body and having pores therein, wherein flow through the pores is impeded after a pre-determined amount of time following the solution being combined with the soluble material in the container.   
     
     
         2 . A container, according to  claim 1 , wherein the soluble material is tea. 
     
     
         3 . A container, according to  claim 2 , wherein the solution is water. 
     
     
         4 . A container, according to  claim 1 , wherein the body has a frame that supports the film. 
     
     
         5 . A container, according to  claim 1 , wherein the pores contract to impede flow therethrough. 
     
     
         6 . A container, according to  claim 5 , wherein the pores contract in response to temperature of the solution. 
     
     
         7 . A container, according to  claim 5 , wherein the pores contract in response to a pH level of a combination of the solution and the soluble material. 
     
     
         8 . A container, according to  claim 5 , wherein the pores contract in response to being exposed to water. 
     
     
         9 . A container, according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 beads disposed proximal to the pores, wherein the beads expand to impede flow through the pores.   
     
     
         10 . A container, according to  claim 9 , wherein the beads expand in response to temperature of the solution. 
     
     
         11 . A container, according to  claim 9 , wherein the beads expand in response to a pH level of a combination of the solution and the soluble material. 
     
     
         12 . A container, according to  claim 9 , wherein the beads expand in response to being exposed to water. 
     
     
         13 . A container, according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an indicator, coupled to the container, that indicates when flow through the pores is impeded.   
     
     
         14 . A container, according to  claim 13 , wherein the indicator changes color in response to the pores being impeded. 
     
     
         15 . A container, according to  claim 14 , wherein the indicator measures pH of a combination of the solution and the soluble material. 
     
     
         16 . A container, according to  claim 1 , wherein the amount of time varies according to at least one of: density of the pores per unit area of the film, size of the pores, or material used for the film. 
     
     
         17 . A container, according to  claim 16 , wherein the soluble material is tea and the solution is hot water and wherein the amount of time is used to control a strength of a beverage that results from combining the tea and the hot water. 
     
     
         18 . A container, according to  claim 1 , wherein the soluble material is tea and the solution is hot water and wherein the container is a bag that holds the tea. 
     
     
         19 . A container, according to  claim 18 , further comprising:
 an indicator, coupled to the bag, that indicates when steeping of the tea is complete.