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A universal lid system and methods for use with any of a selection of teapots for quick and sanitary beverage preparation. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a system and methods including a lid sized and shaped to facilitate the storage of a retention element such as a tea bag.

A universal lid system and methods for use with any of a selection of teapots for quick and sanitary beverage preparation. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a system and methods including a lid sized and shaped to facilitate the storage of a retention element such as a tea bag. The retention element may be held out of contact with the beverage by a retention element stabilizing component.

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1. A universal lid system for preparing a beverage in a teapot, which has a teapot rim that defines a teapot opening, the beverage prepared using water and leaves introduced into the water in a retention element, wherein one end of a string is attached to the retention element and another end of the

1. A universal lid system for preparing a beverage in a teapot, which has a teapot rim that defines a teapot opening, the beverage prepared using water and leaves introduced into the water in a retention element, wherein one end of a string is attached to the retention element and another end of the string is attached to a tag to form a string/tag arrangement configured to permit manipulation of the retention element such as raising and lowering of the retention element into or out of the water, said system comprising: a lid wall sized and shaped to meet with the teapot rim and including an upper lid wall, a lower lid wall, a side lid wall, and a lid perimeter, the upper lid wall further comprising a retention element stabilizing component for receiving the string of the retention element;a closure component connected to said side lid wall, wherein said closure component is configured to be releasably connected to the teapot rim;a support member comprising both a first portion including a plurality of perforations and a second portion including an aperture, the first portion for supporting the retention element on the plurality of perforations and the second portion for passing the retention element through the aperture, the support member positioned between the lid wall and the teapot rim;said retention element stabilizing component comprising a first arced border and a second arced border each joined by a first round border forming a round outlet for positioning of the string of the retention element, said retention element stabilizing component receives and stabilizes the string of the retention element such that the retention element may be moved to a position separated from contact with the beverage but releasably supported on the support member to permit service of the beverage. 2. The universal lid system of claim 1, wherein said retention element stabilizing component includes one or more wall surfaces forming an elevated storage element sized and shaped to permit storage of the retention element and hold the retention element above said lid perimeter. 3. The universal lid system of claim 1, wherein said retention element stabilizing component includes a receptacle such as a tag receptacle configured to receive the tag and releasably hold the retention element in a position separated from contact with the beverage. 4. The universal lid system of claim 1, wherein said retention element stabilizing component includes an opening such as a wall outlet, said wall outlet including an outlet border that defines an outlet space. 5. The universal lid system of claim 4, wherein the outlet border includes at least one of an arced border, a curved border, and a linear border. 6. The universal lid system of claim 5, wherein said outlet border is configured to achieve said outlet space in a rounded arc shape. 7. The universal lid system of claim 4, wherein said wall outlet further includes one or more outlet flanks configured to receive and releasably hold the retention element in a position separated from contact with the beverage. 8. The universal lid system of claim 1, wherein said retention element stabilizing component includes a first wall outlet and a second wall outlet, said first wall outlet and said second wall outlet positioned to permit stabilization of more than one retention element such that more than one retention element may be releasably held in a position separated from contact with the beverage. 9. The universal lid system of claim 1, wherein said closure component includes a closure wall configured to include a first enlargement, a second enlargement, an inter-enlargement wall, a protuberance, and a relatively vertical closure wall. 10. The universal lid system of claim 1, further comprised of a protective element configured to cover at least a portion of said closure component designed to meet with the teapot rim such that, when said lid wall is in a closed positioned relative to the teapot rim, said closure component does not directly contact the teapot rim since said protective element is positioned between said closure component and the teapot rim. 11. The universal lid system of claim 10, wherein said protective element includes an extension configured to provide a surface which may be used to separate said lid wall from the teapot rim and provide leak protection for a finger or thumb which may be placed nearby during pouring. 12. The universal lid system of claim 10, wherein said protective element includes a first generally horizontal annular surface, a second generally horizontal annular surface, a first generally sloped annular surface, a first generally vertical annular surface, and a second generally vertical annular surface, wherein said first generally horizontal annular surface connects to said first generally sloped annular surface along a first edge, said first generally sloped annular surface connects to said second generally horizontal annular surface along a second edge, said second generally horizontal annular surface connects to said second generally vertical annular surface along a third edge, said first generally vertical annular surface defines an outer perimeter, and said third edge defines an inner diameter. 13. The universal lid system of claim 1, wherein the first portion is completely planar with the second portion. 14. The universal lid system of claim 1, wherein the support member further comprises a third portion including one or more support fastener components for securing together the lid wall and the support member. 15. A universal lid system for preparing a beverage in a teapot, which has a teapot rim that defines a teapot opening, the beverage prepared using water and leaves, said system comprising: a retention element having an inner volume sized and shaped for enclosure of the leaves and having sufficient porosity such that the water can flow readily in and out of said inner volume;a manipulation element connected to the retention element such that a user may manipulate position of the retention element using said manipulation element;a lid wall including an upper lid wall, a lower lid wall, a side lid wall, and a closure component;said closure component including a lid threading sized and shaped to be received in a thread path positioned on an inner wall of the teapot adjacent to the teapot rim such that said lid wall is releasably connectible to the teapot;a support member positioned between the lid wall and the teapot rim, the support member including an upper support side and a lower support side, the support member comprising both a perforated resting level on which the retention element sits and an aperture through which the retention element passes into the inner volume, the perforated resting level planar with the aperture;said upper lid wall of said lid wall including a wall outlet for positioning of the manipulation element of the retention element, wherein the wall outlet comprises a first arced border and a second arced border each joined by a first round border, the wall outlet sized and shaped to receive and stabilize the manipulation element of the retention element such that said retention element may be moved to a position supported by the upper support side of the support member such that said retention element is separated from contact with the beverage to permit service of the beverage. 16. The universal lid system of claim 15, further comprising a retention element stabilizing component including an opening such as a wall outlet, said wall outlet including an outlet border that defines an outlet space. 17. The universal lid system of claim 16, wherein said manipulation element is configured as a tag/string arrangement including a tag and a string having a first end and a second end, said first end of said string connected to said tag and said second end of said string connected to said retention element, wherein said tag is configurable to achieve a reduced profile to fit through said outlet space and to achieve an expanded profile to reduce ease with which the tag may pass back through said outlet space. 18. The universal lid system of claim 15, wherein said manipulation element is configured as a tag/string arrangement including a tag and a string having a first end and a second end, said first end of said string connected to said tag and said second end of said string connected to said retention element and a retention element stabilizing component including a receptacle configured to receive said tag and therefore releasably hold said retention element in a position separated from contact with the beverage. 19. The universal lid system of claim 15, wherein the support member further comprises one or more snap protrusions for securing together the lid wall and the support member.