Patents by Inventor Ruth Louisa Blair

Ruth Louisa Blair 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).

  • Black tea manufacture
    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
  • Tea product
    Patent number: 6706310
    Abstract: Black leaf tea that has the appearance of orthodox processed black tea but has the infusion characteristics of CTC processed black leaf tea. Various methods are given to define orthodox appearance and CTC infusion character.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Lipton, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Ruth Louisa Blair, Andrew David Parry, Peter Joseph Stabler
  • Black tea manufacture
    Patent number: 6632462
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing black leaf tea that looks and feels like orthodox processed tea but has the liquor characteristics of a fuller fermented CTC processed tea. The process involves withering a first supply of freshly plucked tea leaves, macerating the withered leaves, allowing the macerated withered leaves to ferment to produce macerated dhool, withering a second supply of freshly plucked tea leaves, mixing the macerated dhool obtained from the first supply of leaves with the withered leaves obtained from the second supply of leaves, rolling the mixture, allowing the rolled mixture to ferment, and drying the fermented mixture to yield black leaf tea.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: Lipton, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Ruth Louisa Blair, Robert Ong'Ondi Mayaka, Andrew David Parry, Peter Joseph Stabler
  • Tea product
    Publication number: 20030077373
    Abstract: Black leaf tea that has the appearance of orthodox processed black tea but has the infusion characteristics of CTC processed black leaf tea. Various methods are given to define orthodox appearance and CTC infusion character.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2002
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Applicant: Lipton, Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Ruth Louisa Blair, Andrew David Parry, Peter Joseph Stabler
  • Black tea manufacture
    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
  • Tea product
    Patent number: 6432467
    Abstract: Black leaf tea that has the appearance of orthodox processed black tea but has the infusion characteristics of CTC processed black leaf tea. Various methods are given to define orthodox appearance and CTC infusion character.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Lipton, a division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Ruth Louisa Blair, Andrew David Parry, Peter Joseph Stabler
  • Black tea manufacture
    Publication number: 20010048956
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing black leaf tea that looks and feels like orthodox processed tea but has the liquor characteristics of a fuller fermented CTC processed tea. The process involves withering a first supply of freshly plucked tea leaves, macerating the withered leaves, allowing the macerated withered leaves to ferment to produce macerated dhool, withering a second supply of freshly plucked tea leaves, mixing the macerated dhool obtained from the first supply of leaves with the withered leaves obtained from the second supply of leaves, rolling the mixture, allowing the rolled mixture to ferment, and drying the fermented mixture to yield black leaf tea.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2001
    Publication date: December 6, 2001
    Applicant: Lipton, Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Ruth Louisa Blair, Robert Ong?apos;Ondi Mayaka, Andrew David Parry, Peter Joseph Stabler