Electric Light-to-candle Light Converter

Abstract

A converter for converting an electric light fixture into a candle-holding fixture. The converter comprises a bowl-shaped candle holder having a threaded base portion. The base is suitably dimensioned and threaded to enable it to be screwed into the socket of a conventional electric light receptacle. The inside surface of the bowl-shaped holder is adapted for supporting a large diameter candle thereon and additionally includes a small diameter central bore for alternatively holding a small diameter candle in place within the bowl.

Description

This invention relates generally to illumination devices and more particularly to a converter for converting conventional electric light fixtures into candle-holding fixtures.

Heretofore, various fixtures have been disclosed for converting electric lights to candle or gas lights, but such fixtures suffer from various drawbacks. For example, prior art convertible fixtures are somewhat complex and, hence, expensive, some only permit the use of specially designed electric lightbulbs therein and some require specially designed connectors to enable the fixture to be converted to hold candles. The fixtures disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,561,683 (Dragan) and 1,645,193 (Jones) are exemplary of fixtures having the drawbacks described above.

In the Dragan patent, there is disclosed a light fixture which can be converted to provide either electric or candlelight and which comprises a base having a female socket including a pair of spaced contact openings. The contact openings are adapted, when the fixture is to be used to provide electric light, to receive a pair of spaced male prongs of a specially designed electric lamp assembly. The fixture can be converted to provide candlelight by removing the electric lamp assembly and placing an adaptor over the female socket. The adaptor includes a portion for frictionally holding a candle therein.

The Jones patent discloses an electrical fixture which is converted to a candle fixture by the removal of a specially designed electrical plug and associated lamp from a recess in the fixture. Once the plug and associated lamp are removed, a candleholder is inserted within the recess.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a converter for converting an electric light fixture to a candle-holding fixture and which overcomes various disadvantages of the prior art.

It is another object of this invention to provide a converter for converting an electrical fixture having a conventional lightbulb socket into a candle-holding fixture without necessitating the removal of anything from the fixture but its lightbulb.

It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a converter for converting an electric light fixture into a candle-holding fixture and wherein the converter is adapted for holding various shaped candles therein.

The foregoing as well as other objects of this invention are achieved by providing a converter for converting an electric light fixture, having a conventional electric light socket, into a candle-holding fixture. The converter comprises a candle-holding means having a recess for supporting a candle therein. The means includes a base portion having threads thereon suitably dimensioned to enable the base to be screwed into the threaded socket of a conventional electric light receptacle.

In a preferred embodiment, the candle-holding means comprises a bowl defining a candle receiving recess. The bowl includes a curved sidewall portion and a base wall portion having a top surface. The top surface of the base wall portion is adapted to support the base of a large diameter candle. The base wall portion is thicker than the side wall portion and includes a small diameter central bore adapted for receiving a small diameter candle therein.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the invention will become readily apparent by reference to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of an electric light converter in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one type of candle which may be utilized in the converter shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another type of candle which may be utilized in the converter shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an electric fixture or sconce having three conventional electric bulb sockets therein. As shown therein, one of the sonce's sockets has a conventional lightbulb screwed therein, another sconce socket has the converter shown in FIG. 1 screwed therein, and supporting the candle shown in FIG. 5 and the third socket has the converter shown in FIG. 1 screwed therein and supporting the candle shown in FIG. 4.

Referring now in greater detail to the various figures of the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts, there is shown at 20 in FIG. 1 a converter embodying the present invention for converting an electric light fixture into a candle-holding fixture.

The converter 20 basically comprises a candle-holder 22 and a connector 24 attached thereto. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the candleholder, is a hollow member or bowl 26 having a curved sidewall 28 and a base wall 30. The sidewall increases in thickness from the lip 32 of the bowl towards the base wall 30. The base wall is generally thicker than the sidewall and increases in thickness radially inward toward the axis of the bowl.

As best can be seen in FIG. 3, the base wall 30 includes a top surface 34 which is generally planar closely adjacent to the axis of the bowl and which curves upward as the base wall merges into the sidewall of the bowl. The planar portion of the top surface of the bowl's base wall serves as a supporting platform for a candle having a relatively large diameter base.

A relatively small diameter bore 36, having a circular sidewall 38 and base wall 40, extends through the top surface of the base wall and into the body thereof. As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the small diameter bore 36 is centered about the axis of the bowl. The bore 36 is provided to serve as means for holding a portion of an elongated candle therein. To that end, the diameter of the bore is preferably the same or slightly smaller than the diameter of the lower end of conventional elongated candles.

In the interest of attractive appearance and light transmitting ability, the bowl 26 of converter 20 is preferably formed of glass or a heat resistant translucent plastic.

The candle-holding bowl 22 terminates at its underside in a connector 24, which, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, is in the form of a protrusion. The protrusion is of generally cylindrical shape and includes helical threads 42 about its periphery. The diameter of the protrusion and the size and pitch of its threads are such to enable the protrusion to be readily screwed into the socket of a conventional lightbulb-receiving, electrical receptacle.

In FIGS. 4 and 5 there is shown two examples of various diverse shaped candles which can be readily accommodated in the converter of this invention. As can be seen, the candle 44, which is shown in FIG. 4, is typical of various decorative "sand candles" or other "bowl candles" commercially available today and is of generally bowl shape having a curved side 46 and a relatively large diameter and generally planar base 48.

The candle 50 shown in FIG. 5 is typical of a "taper" and is of generally cylindrical shape whose curved sides 52 taper longitudinally and which terminates at its lower end in a flat base 54.

The candle 44 is used in the converter by inserting it within the bowl 22 such that its base 46 is disposed on the top surface 34 of the bowl's base wall 30.

The candle 50 is used in the converter 20 by inserting its lower end within the small diameter bore 36 in the bowl such that its base 54 abuts the base wall 40 of the bore. As previously noted, the diameter of the bore is the same or slightly less than the diameter of the lower end of the candle 50. Accordingly, the candle 50 is held within the bore in an upright extending position. The candle 50 may be of any length, depending upon the "look" desire.

The converter 20 is used to convert an electric light fixture into a candle-holding fixture in the following manner: Electric lightbulbs are unscrewed from their respective sockets within the fixture and are removed. Separate converters 20 are then mounted in the fixture by screwing their respective threaded connectors into the empty sockets in the fixture. Candles, such as those shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 or various other shaped candles, can be inserted within the bowl of the converter either prior to or after the converter is mounted in the fixture to thereby render the fixture into a candleholder.

In FIG. 6 there is shown an electric light fixture in the form of a sconce 56 having three arms 58, each of which terminates in a conventional screw-in, lightbulb socket 60. The sconce is arranged and shown in order to demonstrate the versatility that the converter 20 provides to conventional electrical fixtures like the sconce. That is, such fixtures can be used with electric lights or with candles, such as bowl shaped candles or tapers or various other shaped candles. To that end, the sconce is shown with one arm thereof having a conventional electric lightbulb screwed into its socket, with another arm having a converter 20 screwed into its socket, the converter holding a bowl candle therein, and with the remaining arm having another converter screwed into its socket, the latter converter holding a tapered candle therein.

As should be appreciated from the foregoing disclosure, the converter in accordance with this invention is simple and inexpensive, yet is capable of quickly and easily converting conventional electrical fixtures into candle-holding fixtures and without necessitating the removal of anything from the fixture except its lightbulbs. This feature is a distinct and significant advantage over prior art convertible electrical fixtures since such fixtures are specially designed and utilize either specially, and hence more expensive, bulbs or connectors, which must be removed from the fixture to convert it to a candleholder. Furthermore, the converter of this invention enables various shaped candles to be used with it, thereby further increasing the versatility it provides to conventional electric light fixtures.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully illustrate our invention that others may, by applying current or future knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.

Claims

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. In combination with a conventional electric light fixture including a conventional threaded electric light socket for holding a conventional electrically operated threaded bulb therein, a converter for converting said fixture into a candle holding fixture without requiring the removal of any electrical or mechanical portion of the fixture other than the bulb, said converter comprising candle-holding means having a recess supporting a candle therein, said means including a base portion having threads thereon, with said base being directly screwed into the threaded mouth of the socket of said fixture.

2. The converter of claim 1 wherein said candle-holding means comprises a bowl defining a candle-receiving recess therein.

3. The converter of claim 2 wherein said bowl is formed of glass.

4. A converter for converting an electric light fixture including a conventional threaded electric light socket for holding a conventional threaded bulb therein into a candle-holding fixture comprising candle-holding means comprising a bowl defining a candle receiving recess therein for supporting a candle therein, said bowl including a sidewall portion and a base wall portion having a top surface, said top surface being adapted to support thereon the base of a large diameter candle, said candle holding means including a base portion having threads thereon, said threads being suitably dimensioned to enable said base to be screwed into the threaded mouth of the socket of said fixture.

5. The converter of claim 4 wherein said base wall portion is thicker than said sidewall portion and includes a small diameter central bore adapted for receipt of a small diameter candle therein.