U.S. patent application number 10/399365 was filed with the patent office on 2004-02-12 for candle comprising a container and a wick sustainer.
Invention is credited to Barraclough, Andrew Douglas, Dibnah, Carl.
Application Number | 20040029061 10/399365 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 9901512 |
Filed Date | 2004-02-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040029061 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dibnah, Carl ; et
al. |
February 12, 2004 |
Candle comprising a container and a wick sustainer
Abstract
The invention provides a containerised candle having a candle
wick sustainer (2) having an upper section (5) for holding the wick
(4) supported by supporting side walls (8a, 8b) which may be
provided with stabilising flanges (9a, 9b). This enables the wick
to burn down whilst leaving an insulating layer of wax in the base
of the container.
Inventors: |
Dibnah, Carl; (Hull, GB)
; Barraclough, Andrew Douglas; (Reading, GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Andrew N Parfomak
Norris McLaughlin & Marcus
30th Floor
220 East 42nd Street
New York
NY
10017
US
|
Family ID: |
9901512 |
Appl. No.: |
10/399365 |
Filed: |
September 22, 2003 |
PCT Filed: |
October 17, 2001 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB01/04649 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
431/291 ;
431/289; 431/298 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F23D 3/24 20130101; F23D
3/16 20130101; F21V 37/002 20130101; F21V 35/00 20130101; C11C
5/006 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
431/291 ;
431/289; 431/298 |
International
Class: |
F23D 003/16; F23D
003/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 18, 2000 |
GB |
0025503.4 |
Claims
1. A candle comprising a container (1) containing candle wax (3),
said container (1) having at least one side wall and a base, a
candle wick sustainer (2) located on the container base comprising
a body having an upper section (5) provided with means (7) for
securely attaching a wick (4) thereto, the upper section (5) being
supported by supporting means (8a, 8b) such that the sustainer (2)
has a hollow space defined by the supporting means (8a, 8b) and the
upper section (5), and a flammable wick (4) extending through the
wax (3), one end of which wick (4) is securely attached to said
sustainer (2), wherein the supporting means (8a, 8b) are of a
height such that, in use, the candle self extinguishes when the
wick (4) has burnt to said end leaving a layer of wax remaining on
the base of the container and wherein, in use, said hollow space
provides wax to the wick even when the wick has burnt down to the
level of the upper section of the sustainer.
2. A candle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sustainer supporting
means is provided with at least one outwardly extending stabilising
flange (9a, 9b).
3. A candle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the wick
attaching means comprise an annular collar (7) having a side wall
which is crimpable to hold the wick (4) securely in place.
4. A candle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims
comprising two or more supporting means (8a, 8b).
Description
[0001] The invention relates to an improved candle wick
sustainer.
[0002] Containerised candles having a container filled with candle
wax through which a wick passes are generally known. To prevent the
wick from floating in liquid wax, or molten wax, the lower end of
the wick is usually mounted in a sustainer. The sustainer is
generally in the form of a flat metal disc having a central
aperture in which the end of the wick is secured. To prevent
excessive heating of the bottom of the container and to prevent
movement of the sustainer across the bottom of the container, such
that the wick is so close to the sides of the container to be able
to heat them excessively, users of candles in containers are
generally instructed to extinguish the candle when the height of
the wax remaining in the container is about one centimetre. However
these instructions are not always followed and so alternative
solutions to this problem of excessive heating have been
sought.
[0003] GB-A-1514338 describes an alternative containerised wax
candle. In this candle the wick is inserted into a metallic wick
pipe and the pipe is attached to a base disc. The wick is
non-combustible and will only enable combustion of the wax which
has saturated the wick by way of a slit in the pipe. Thus
combustion will be maintained as long as wax remains in the
container. Furthermore, the use of a metallic pipe which conducts
heat to the metallic disc helps to ensure that the wax at the
bottom of the container is molten and thereby exacerbates the
problem of heating the bottom of the container.
[0004] In another field, that of oil burning lamps, U.S. Pat. No.
4,134,718 describes yet another wick holding device. This consists
of a hollow tube which grips the wick sufficiently to allow it to
stand freely at any height in the tube and draw up through the
hollow bottom, by a capiliary action, oil from the surrounding
container. The wick holder is supported in position by a sleeve
having a plurality of horizontally extending projections. However,
this is a very complicated arrangement which would not be suitable
for candles which have a flammable wick, such that the height of
the flame lowers as the candle burns. Furthermore candles are
generally for one time use and disposal thereafter. The wick
holding device of this prior art would be far too expensive to make
it commercially viable for use in a candle.
[0005] Other combustion devices have been proposed, such as that of
U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,633, which provides apparatus to enable the
wick to float. In such devices the wick must be non-flammable and
held in a buoyant holder that floats on the top of the combustible
fuel. As the fuel is gradually used up, the buoyant device travels
slowly downwards. As such devices work by capiliary action the wick
will enable the candle to continue to burn until all the fuel is
used. This could therefore cause excessive heating of the base of
the container, although the sides are protected by the use of arms
extending horizontally from the buoyant device.
[0006] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide an improved sustainer which is appropriate for use in a
candle having a flammable wick.
[0007] According to the invention there is provided a candle
comprising a container containing candle wax, said container having
at least one side wall and a base, a candle wick sustainer located
on the container base comprising a body having an upper section
provided with means for securely attaching a wick thereto, the
upper section being suported by supporting means such that the
sustainer has a hollow space defined by the supporting means and
the upper section, and a flammable wick extending through the wax,
one end of which wick is securely attached to said sustainer,
wherein the supporting means are of a height such that, in use, the
candle self extinguishes when the wick has burnt to said end
leaving a layer of wax remaining on the base of the container.
[0008] The depth of the wax remaining in the container can be
selected to be appropriate according to the material/nature of the
container as it depends upon the length of the supporting means of
the sustainer. Therefore excessive heating of the sides and base of
the container is prevented, the latter especially because the
remaining layer of wax in the container insulates the base of the
container from the flame.
[0009] The height of the sustainer is generally sufficient for the
wick to be extinguished before all of the wax in the candle is
consumed. This height can be varied according to the
circumstances.
[0010] The hollow space in the sustainer provides wax to the inside
even when the wick has burnt down to the level of the upper section
of the sustainer.
[0011] Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be
described, by way of example only, with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:--
[0012] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side elevation of a candle
holder comprising a candle wick sustainer in accordance with the
present invention, candle wax and a wick;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side elevation of the candle
wick sustainer of FIG. 1 on the line II-II of FIG. 3;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the sustainer shown in FIG. 2;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of a
candle wick sustainer in accordance with the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side elevation of the sustainer
of FIG. 4 on the line V-V.
[0017] FIG. 6 is a plan view of a third embodiment of a candle wick
sustainer in accordance with the present invention; and
[0018] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side elevation of the sustainer
shown in FIG. 6 on the line VII-VII.
[0019] Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 3, there is shown a candle
comprising a container 1 filled with wax 3 which may be solid or
liquid, through which extends a wick 4 attached to a sustainer 2
situated on the base of the container. The container 1 can be of
any suitable shape, but is preferably in the form of a cup having a
base and side walls. The container 1 may be made of any suitable
material such as glass or ceramics although glass is commonly
preferred as it provides better illumination from the flame. The
wick is made of any suitable flammable material.
[0020] The sustainer 2 is typically made from metal or another
inflammable material. Examples of suitable materials include tin
plate, aluminium, brass, copper, steel, lead, fibreglass
(especially when treated with a flame retardant) or a ceramic
material. Aluminium is preferably used for commercial reasons, in
that it is relatively cheap and is easily formed by a pressing
process.
[0021] The sustainer 2 has upwardly extending side walls 8a, 8b
supporting an upper section 5. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1
to 3 there are a pair of opposing vertical side walls 8a, 8b and
the upper section 5 extends horizontally from one wall 8a to the
other 8b. In this embodiment the side walls 8a, 8b are provided at
their lower ends with substantially horizontally extending flanges
9a, 9b which help to provide additional stability to the sustainer
2.
[0022] The sustainer 2 thus has a hollow space defined by the side
walls 8a, 8b and upper section 5.
[0023] The upper section 5 defines an aperture 6, extending
upwardly from which is an annular collar 7. The collar 7 of a
sufficient height and made of a suitable material to enable it to
be crimped to securely clamp and hold an end of the wick 4.
[0024] In use, when the upper end of the wick 4 is lit, the flame
burns both wax fed via the wick 4 from the wax pool below the flame
and the wick 4 itself. When the wick 4 has burnt down to the level
of the upper section 5 of the sustainer 2, the flame continues to
burn wax which enters the wick 4 from the hollow space beneath the
sustainer walls 5, 8a, 8b up through the aperture 6. When the level
of the wax 3 in the container 1 is lower than the aperture 6, the
wick 4 will no longer be in contact with the wax 3 and will very
quickly burn out. The level of the wax 3 left in the container 1
will thus be slightly lower than the under surface of the sustainer
upper section 5.
[0025] Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is illustrated an
alternative sustainer 2 according to the present invention. This
sustainer 2 has a substantially cylindrical side wall 8. The upper
section 5 is thus an annular plate supported by the side wall 8.
Although not illustrated, this version of the sustainer may also be
provided with one or more stabilising flanges 9a, 9b.
[0026] Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7 there is shown a third
embodiment of a sustainer 2 having frustoconical side walls 8. The
upper section 5 can either be defined by the upper edges of the
side walls 8 as shown or may comprise an annular plate such as that
illustrated in FIG. 5.
[0027] Thus it will be acknowledged that the sustainer 2 can take
many different shapes with one or more supporting side walls. Other
embodiments could include skirts of polygonal cross section, e.g.
triangular, square, rectangular or pentagonal etc. Where the
supporting side wall is in the form of a skirt it is optionally
perforated with apertures. The advantage of having such apertures
in the skirt is that wax is better able to flow into the hollow
space defined by the side wall 8 and upper section 5 to give it a
more aesthetically pleasing appearance. The perforations may also
be advantageous whilst the container 1 is being filled with wax as
the sustainer 2 is less likely to move out of position.
[0028] Where there are a plurality of separate supporting side
walls 8, such as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, again the shape of
these may vary, e.g. triangular, square, rectangular. Alternatively
there may be three or even more separate tubular or planar
legs.
[0029] In another embodiment of the invention the supporting side
wall or walls may be perpendicular to the plane of the upper
section or at an angle thereto. Additionally, it should be noted
that the upper collar 6 is preferably located around a vertical
axis.
[0030] As mentioned above, the sustainer 2 may or may not have
stabilising flanges, the dimensions of which will depend on the
dimensions of the sustainer and the container in which it is
located.
[0031] Although all of the embodiments described above incorporate
an aperture 6 in the upper section 5, this is not strictly
necessary as long as means are provided, say in the form of the
annular collar 7 or other appropriate means, for securely clamping
the wick thereto.
[0032] The above embodiments have been described by way of example
only and many variations are possible without departing from the
scope of the invention.
* * * * *