Patents by Inventor Michael Alan Cooper

Michael Alan Cooper has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8986770
    Abstract: Shown is a process for manufacturing a fabricated leaf tea product. The process includes the steps of: (i) providing a concentrated liquid tea composition; (ii) providing a base leaf tea; (iii) combining the concentrated liquid tea composition with the base leaf tea to form a tea mixture having a total soluble solids content of at least 50% by dry weight of the mixture; and (iv) drying the tea mixture. At least 20% by weight of the base leaf tea has a particle size of +16 mesh and/or the tea mixture is sorted according to particle size to yield a fraction wherein at least 20% by weight of the fraction has a particle size of +16 mesh; and the time between forming the tea mixture (step iii) and drying (step iv) is at least 5 minutes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Cooper, Ian Smith
  • Publication number: 20140212545
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for manufacturing a fabricated leaf tea product. The process comprises the steps of: (i) providing a concentrated liquid tea composition; (ii) providing a base leaf tea; (iii) combining the concentrated liquid tea composition with the base leaf tea to form a tea mixture having a total soluble solids content of at least 50% by dry weight of the mixture; and (iv) drying the tea mixture. At least 20% by weight of the base leaf tea has a particle size of +16 mesh and/or the tea mixture is sorted according to particle size to yield a fraction wherein at least 20% by weight of the fraction has a particle size of +16 mesh; and the time between forming the tea mixture (step iii) and drying (step iv) is at least 5 minutes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: CONOPCO, INC. D/B/A UNILEVER
    Inventors: Michael Alan Cooper, Ian Smith
  • Patent number: 8709522
    Abstract: Shown is a process for manufacturing a fabricated leaf tea product. The process includes the steps of: (i) providing a concentrated liquid tea composition; (ii) providing a base leaf tea; (iii) combining the concentrated liquid tea composition with the base leaf tea to form a tea mixture having a total soluble solids content of at least 50% by dry weight of the mixture; and (iv) drying the tea mixture. At least 20% by weight of the base leaf tea has a particle size of +16 mesh and/or the tea mixture is sorted according to particle size to yield a fraction wherein at least 20% by weight of the fraction has a particle size of +16 mesh; and the time between forming the tea mixture (step iii) and drying (step iv) is at least 5 minutes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Cooper, Ian Smith
  • Publication number: 20130129873
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for manufacturing a fabricated leaf tea product. The process comprises the steps of: (i) providing a concentrated liquid tea composition; (ii) providing a base leaf tea; (iii) combining the concentrated liquid tea composition with the base leaf tea to form a tea mixture having a total soluble solids content of at least 50% by dry weight of the mixture; and (iv) drying the tea mixture. At least 20% by weight of the base leaf tea has a particle size of +16 mesh and/or the tea mixture is sorted according to particle size to yield a fraction wherein at least 20% by weight of the fraction has a particle size of +16 mesh; and the time between forming the tea mixture (step iii) and drying (step iv) is at least 5 minutes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Inventors: Michael Alan Cooper, Ian Smith
  • Patent number: 7799364
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a green tea product with enhanced aroma. The method comprises the steps of: providing an aroma composition comprising E-2-hexenal and linalool in a weight ratio of at least 0.7:1; and combining the aroma composition with the tea product. Also provided are green tea products with enhanced aroma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Conopco Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Peter Colliver, Michael Alan Cooper, Allen Griffiths, Alan David Peilow, David George Sharp
  • Publication number: 20090029003
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for manufacturing a leaf tea product. The process comprises the steps of providing fresh tea leaf, recovering aroma from the fresh tea leaf, and drying the fresh tea leaf to form the leaf tea product. The aroma is recovered whilst at least partially drying the fresh leaf in a low-convection dryer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Inventors: Hitesh Ghanshyam Bagaria, Padma Balakrishnan, Michael Alan Cooper, Allen Griffiths, Vijay Mukund Naik, Alan David Peilow, David George Sharp, Gurmeet Singh
  • Patent number: 7108877
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing a fast infusing black leaf tea. The process involves (a) withering tea leaves to a moisture content between 64 and 70%, (b) macerating the withered leaves tea leaves by the controlled application of both shear and compression forces sufficient to disrupt the majority of cells within the tea leaf, to introduce morphological changes in the tissue and to redistribute the cell contents, (c) fermentating the resulting dhool, (d) firing the leaves to arrest the fermentation and (e) drying and sorting the fired leaves to give black leaf tea. The black leaf tea shows a rate and degree of infusion typical of CTC teas, while maintaining the appearance of orthodox tea.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Ruth Louisa Blair, Michael Alan Cooper, Clive Stanbra Harris, Stephen Mwaniki Muasya, Andrew David Parry
  • Publication number: 20030064130
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing a fast infusing black leaf tea. The process involves (a) withering tea leaves to a moisture content between 64 and 70%, (b) macerating the withered leaves tea leaves by the controlled application of both shear and compression forces sufficient to disrupt the majority of cells within the tea leaf, to introduce morphological changes in the tissue and to redistribute the cell contents, (c) fermentating the resulting dhool, (d) firing the leaves to arrest the fermentation and (e) drying and sorting the fired leaves to give black leaf tea. The black leaf tea shows a rate and degree of infusion typical of CTC teas, while maintaining the appearance of orthodox tea.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2002
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Applicant: Unilever Bestfoods North America, Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Ruth Louisa Blair, Michael Alan Cooper, Clive Stanbra Harris, Stephen Mwaniki Muasya, Andrew David Parry