Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE
WICK HOLDER
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application
Nos.
11/123,461, 11/124,313, and 11/123,372, each of which was filed May 6, 2005,
and each of
which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application No. 10/978,744,
filed November 1,
2004, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application No.
10/938,434, filed
September 10, 2004. This application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S.
Patent
Application No. 10/938,453, filed September 10, 2004.
REFERENCE REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR
DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable
SEQUENTIAL LISTING
[0003] Not applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0004] The present invention relates to a wick holder for holding a wick in a
candle
assembly.
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2. Description of the Background of the Invention
[0005] It is know in the candle art to have a wick holder for holding a wick
in a
predetermined position within a wax fuel charge or within a liquid fuel charge
of a candle, a
lamp, or other similar open flame lighting device. In one candle, a wick
holder is spool-
shaped and has a tubular barrel and radial heat fins extending transversely
from opposite ends
of the barrel. The barrel has open top and bottom ends and a wick disposed
through the top
end. The wick and wick holder assembly are disposed within a wax fuel charge,
such that
one set of heat fins is disposed at a bottom end of the fuel charge and the
other set of heat fins
is disposed near a top end of the fuel charge with the wick extending upwardly
through the
top end of the fuel charge. The wick holder is formed of heat transmissive
material, such as
metal, and the wick has a heat transmissive core so that heat from a flame on
the wick is
transferred downwardly through the core to the wick holder so as to melt the
wax as the
flame burns. Holes through the sidewall of the barrel disposed between the
fins allow melted
wax to flow from outside the barrel into the wick and subsequently up to the
flame.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In one aspect of the invention, a wick holder includes a base portion
defining a
cavity on a first side thereof, a wick retainer disposed on a second side of
the base portion
opposite the first side, an opening through the base portion between the first
side and the
second. side, and a fuel aperture disposed on the second side of the base
portion. The fuel
aperture is adjacent to the base portion, and the fuel aperture is spaced from
the opening.
In another aspect of the invention, a wick holder includes a base portion
adapted to
form a capillary space above a capillary pedestal and a wick receiver disposed
above the base
portion and adapted to retain a wick. An opening through the base portion is
adapted to
provide fluid communication between the capillary space and a top side of the
base portion.
A fuel aperture is defined at least partly by the wick receiver. The fuel
aperture is disposed
above and adjacent to the base portion spaced from the opening. The fuel
aperture is adapted
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to be in fluid communication with the capillary space, and the wick holder is
adapted to hold
a portion of the wick above a pool of liquefied fuel surrounding the capillary
pedestal.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a wick assembly includes a wick and a
wick
holder. The wick holder includes a base portion, a heat fin extending upwardly
from a top
side of the base portion, and a wick receiver disposed above the top side of
the base portion.
The wick is carried by the wick receiver with the wick disposed above the base
portion. A
fluid path is defined through the base portion. The fluid path extends between
a supply area
of liquefied fuel below the base portion and the top side of the base portion.
A second fluid
path extends from the wick and is disposed above the base portion. The first
fluid path is
spaced from the second fluid path, and the first fluid path and the second
fluid path provide
fluid communication between the supply area and the wick.
[0007] Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent upon
consideration of the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of a candle assembly according to
one aspect
of the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 2 is an enlarged isometric view of a wick holder shown in FIG. 1;
[0010] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a fuel element along the line 3-3
of FIG. 1;
[0011] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view generally transverse to line 3-3 of
FIG. 1 with the
candle assembly in assembled form;
[0012] FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view along the line 5-5
of FIG. 4;
[0013] FIG. 6 is an enlarged isometric view of a wick holder and a portion of
a melting
plate according to another aspect of the invention;
[0014] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of still another wick holder according to
the present
invention;
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[0015] FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the wick holder shown in
FIG. 7 in a
similar view as shown in FIG. 5;
[0016] FIG. 9 is a simplified partial cross-sectional view of a melting plate
candle
showing a capillary pedestal and locking wick holder with fins according to a
further aspect
of the invention; and
[0017] FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a wick holder according to yet another
aspect of
the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] Referring now to FIGS. 1-5, a candle assembly 100 includes a support
base 102, a
melting plate 104, a wick holder 106, a wick 108, and a fuel element 110. The
support base
102 carries the melting plate 104, which is generally saucer shaped, and
includes a centrally
disposed capillary pedestal 112. Optional decorative etchings 114 are disposed
on an upper
exposed surface of the melting plate 104 to provide enhanced attractiveness or
visual
information. The wick holder 106 includes a base portion 116 that fits over
the capillary
pedestal 112, a wick retainer sleeve in the shape of an elongate cylindrical
tube, or barrel 118,
and heat conductive elements, such as fins 120. The barrel 118 receives the
wick 108 therein
such that the wick extends from the base portion 116 with a portion of the
wick exposed
above the barrel. The fuel element 110 is disposed over and around the wick
holder 106 and
includes a duct or slot 122 through which the wick 108 extends. The slot 122
has a width wl
sufficient to allow the wick 108 to extend through the slot and a length 11
sufficient to accept
at least a portion of the fins 120 therethrough. In one embodiment, the fuel
element 110 has a
mass of wax approximately 15 grams, and the melting plate candle 100 may burn
continuously for about 3 to 3 1/2 hours on a single fuel element, such as the
wax fuel element
110, before the fuel is completely consumed.
[0019] As seen in FIG. 2, the base portion 116 of the wick holder 106 includes
an end
plate 124 encompassed by a generally conical base skirt 126, and an upper
portion including
the barrel 118 extending upwardly from the end plate 124 and the fins 120
extending from the
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barrel and end plate. The base portion 116 is adapted to fit closely over and
around the
capillary pedestal 112 such that the barrel 118 is maintained in an upright,
or substantially
vertical, orientation when placed on the capillary pedestal. The base skirt
126 includes
indentations or spacers 128, and holes 130 extend through the end plate 124.
Ferromagnetic
structures, such as steel rivets 132 or magnets 180 (shown in FIG. 5), are
secured to the base
portion 116, such as through the holes 130, so that the wick holder 106 may be
releasably
secured over the capillary pedestal 112 by magnetic forces. The barrel 118 is
sized to receive
the wick 108 with either a close fit or interference fit so as to retain the
wick therein and
define an opening 134 in the end plate 124 such that the wick can extend
through the end
plate. The fins 120 extend laterally outwardly on opposite sides of the barrel
118 and extend
upwardly above the barrel. In one embodiment, the fins 120 are shaped to
simulate a flame
outline. In other embodiments, the fins 120 may have square, circular, oval,
triangular, or
other non-geometric shapes, and in still other embodiments, the fins 120 may
have insulated
areas (not shown) as described more fully in U.S. Patent Application No.
10/939,039, filed
September 10, 2004, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The
fins 120 are
relatively thin strips of heat conductive material, such as metal, for
transmitting heat from a
flame burning on the wick 108 outwardly toward the fuel element 110. In one
embodiment,
the wick holder 106 is formed from a single sheet of aluminum that is cut and
folded about a
fold 136 and thereby forming a capillary space 138 between two sides 140 and
142 and
channels or gaps 144 in the base skirt 126. In other embodiments, the wick
holder 106 may
be formed by other methods from other heat resistant materials, such as
ceramic, other
metals, heat resistant plastics, etc. If the wick holder 106 is formed of a
ferromagnetic
material, such as steel, the steel rivets 132 may optionally be omitted. The
two sides 140 and
142 are secured together by any convenient means, such as with rivets 146
through holes 148
in the heat fins 120, welds, clips, heat resistant adhesives, etc. The gaps
144 and the holes
130 allow melted fuel material from the fuel element 110, to drip or seep
underneath the base
skirt 126, and the capillary space 138 allows melted fuel material to traverse
up the fins 120
by capillary action and thereby provide a source of fuel material in non-
consumable wick
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areas 150. An example of such capillary action is described in U.S. Patent
Application No.
10/938,453.
[0020] As seen in detail in FIG. 3, the fuel element 110 includes a body 152
of fuel
material and has an upper surface 154 and a lower surface 156. The fuel
element 110 in one
embodiment is shaped as a wax puck and in other embodiments may have other
shapes
and/or include other meltable or flowable fuel materials, such as paraffin or
animal fat,
having a solid or semi-solid state or otherwise maintainable in a fixed form
at room
temperature. The lower surface 156 of the fuel element 110 defines a cavity
158 having an
upper cavity wall 160 shaped to conform to the base portion 116 of the wick
holder 106. The
slot 122 extends from the upper surface 154 to the upper cavity wall 160 and
has a width wl
at the upper surface that is smaller than a width w2 at the cavity wall. The
width wl is
adapted to prevent melted wax from the fuel element 110 from falling or
trickling down the
slot 122 without engaging the wick 108, or put another way, the width wl is
narrow enough
to ensure that melted fuel material from near the upper portion of the slot
122 will engage the
wick 108 as it falls or trickles down the slot. In one embodiment, the width
wl is not more
than approximately 0.02" (0.5 mm) larger than a diameter of the wick at an
upper end of the
slot 122. In another embodiment, the width wl is approximately the same as a
diameter of
the wick 108. In yet another embodiment, the width wl is less than a width of
the wick 108
so that an interference fit exists between the wick and the body 152 at the
upper end of the
slot 122. In a further embodiment, the width wl is less than or equal to
approximately 0.12
inches (3 mm), and the wick 108 has a diameter of approximately 0.1 inches
(2.5 mm). In yet
a further embodiment (not shown), the slot 122 may have a width that is
initially more than
approximately 0.02 inches (0.5 mm) larger than a diameter of the wick 108 to
allow for easy
insertion of the wick 108 and wick holder 106 into the slot 122, and the slot
is filled
subsequently with additional fuel material in a second manufacturing step so
that the width
wl is less than approximately 0.02 inches (0.5 mm) larger than the diameter of
the wick.
[0021] As shown in FIG. 4, the support base 102 carries the melting plate 104
within an
upper chamber 162, which is generally bowl-shaped. The melting plate 104 in
one
embodiment is secured to a sidewall 164 of the upper chamber 162 with adhesive
166 thereby
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providing an empty air space 168 between the melting plate and an intermediate
wall 170 of
the support base 102. The air space 168 provides additional insulation between
the melting
plate and the support base 102 to reduce heat loss through the melting plate
to the support
base. In another embodiment (not shown) the melting plate 104 is adjacent to
the
intermediate wall 170 with adhesive 166 placed therebetween such that no air
space 168 is
disposed between melting plate and the intermediate wall. Of course, other
arrangements and
support configurations for the melting plate 104 are also suitable for
supporting the melting
plate 104.
[0022] In one embodiment of the fuel element 110, the slot 122 has a length 11
in the
upper surface 154 that is longer than a length 12 in the lower surface 156.
The length 11 is
shorter than a largest width wf of the fins 120 and the length 12 is longer
than the largest width
wf of the heat fins. Such a configuration of the slot lengths 11 and 12 in
relation to the width
wf, in addition to the slot widths wl and w2 as described herein above,
facilitates inserting the
wick holder 106 fully into the slot from the lower surface 156. Such
configuration of the slot
122 and cavity 158 may also prevent the slot from fully receiving the wick
holder if the fins
120 are inserted into the slot through the upper surface 154 rather than
through the lower
surface 156, thereby preventing or discouraging improper assembly of the fuel
element 110
and the wick holder 106.
[0023] As illustrated in FIG. 5, a portion of the melting plate 104, capillary
pedestal 112,
wick holder 106, fuel element 110, and wick 108 are shown assembled and ready
for use or
initial ignition by a user. In one embodiment, the capillary pedestal 112
includes an inclined
sidewall 172 having an annular groove 174 extending therearound in a medial
position
between a floor 176 of the melting plate 104 and a top wall 178 of the
capillary pedestal. A
magnet 180 is secured to an underside of the top wall 166 with an adhesive
182. In another
embodiment, the magnet 180 may be disposed on an upper side of the top wall
178 or at
another location sufficient to attract the wick holder 106. The spacers 128
are adapted to seat
in the annular groove 174 to provide a capillary space 184 between the base
skirt 126 and the
inclined sidewall 172. The capillary space 184 is sized to facilitate
capillary movement of
melted or liquid fuel material (not shown) toward the wick 108. The spacers
128 also help
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retain the wick holder 106 on the capillary pedestal 112 by seating in the
annular groove 174.
In addition, the steel rivet 132 in the wick holder 106 is attracted to the
magnet 180 when
placed over the capillary pedestal 112 and thereby prevents the wick holder
from accidentally
falling or slipping off of the capillary pedestal. When placed on an underside
of the end plate
124, the steel rivets 132 also act as spacers to help maintain the capillary
space 184. In
another embodiment, one or more magnets 186 may be secured to the end plate
124 by any
convenient means, such as with an adhesive or by a rivet, in order to maintain
the wick clip
106 in position on the capillary pedestal 112. The cavity wall 160 of the fuel
element 110 is
shaped to fit around the base skirt 126 and barrel 118 of the wick holder 106
and rest on the
floor 176 of the melting plate 104 in order to minimize open space 188 between
the fuel
element and the wick 108, the wick holder 106, and the melting plate floor
176. Optimizing
and/or minimizing the open space 188 increases the likelihood of having melted
fuel material
(not shown) being fed directly to the wick 108 rather than falling downwardly
to the floor
176 or accumulating in the open space and thereby potentially starving the
wick of liquid or
melted fuel material while burning. However, as the melted fuel material
accumulates about
the base of the capillary pedestal 112, whether due to melting from the
melting plate 104 or
from direct melting by a flame 109 disposed on the wick 108, the melted fuel
material is
drawn upwardly along the capillary space 184 by capillary action toward non-
consumable
wick areas 150 while the candle is burning. The wick 108 in one embodiment
extends
through the open end 134 of the barrel 118 to touch or nearly touch the top
wall 178 of the
capillary pedestal 112 so that liquid fuel material drawn up the capillary
space 184 will
engage the wick 108 and be drawn upwardly therein for eventual burning by a
flame burning
on the wick. The wick barrel 118 has an inside diameter sufficient to receive
the wick 108.
The inside diameter of the barrel 118 may be larger, smaller, or the same as
the diameter of
the wick and may be uniform or have different diameters along a length
thereof. In one
embodiment, the inside diameter of the barrel 118 is larger than the diameter
of the wick 108
so that the wick may be easily inserted into the barrel. In another
embodiment, the inside
diameter of the barrel 118 is uniform and approximately 0.012" (0.3 mm) larger
than the
diameter of the wick 108. In yet other embodiments, the inside diameter of the
barrel 118 is
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the same size as or smaller than the wick 108. Melted fuel material can seep
into the
capillary space 184 through the weep holes 130 and thereby prime or facilitate
capillary
action upward through the capillary space 184. Melted fuel material may also
be drawn
upwardly in the capillary space 138 between opposing sides 140, 142 of the
fins 120 and
drawn to the non-combustible wick areas 150 where the melted fuel material is
vaporized and
ignited by a flame disposed on the wick 108.
[0024] Turning now to FIG. 6, another wick holder 200 and melting plate 202
are shown
that are similar to the wick holder 106 and melting plate 104 shown in FIGS. 1-
5, except that
a capillary pedestal 204 includes a smooth inclined sidewall 206 without the
annular groove
174. The wick holder 200 also does not include the spacers 128 in the base
skirt 126. A
capillary space (not shown), similar to 184, is maintained between the base
skirt 126 and the
sidewal1206 by steel rivets 132 protruding below an end wall, such as 124, of
a base portion
116 of the wick holder 200. In this embodiment, the wick holder 200 is
maintained on the
capillary pedestal 204 substantially by the attraction between the steel
rivets 132 and the
magnet 180 (shown in FIG. 5) in the capillary pedestal and any weight of the
fuel element
110.
[0025] In FIGS. 7 and 8, a wick holder 300 of another embodiment for use in a
candle
assembly, such as 100, is similar to the wick holder 106 (or 200) except that
the wick holder
300 also includes a medial portion of the barrel 118 having a cross-sectional
area that is less
than a cross-sectional area of any other portion of the wick barrel. An
indentation 302 in a
sidewall 304 of the barrel 118 defines a constricted portion 306 of the barrel
disposed
intermediate opposite open ends 308 and 310 of the barrel and having a cross-
sectional area
less than any other portion of the barrel. The wick 108 extends through the
barrel 118 such
that a portion or end of the wick adapted to absorb fuel material 311 (when in
a melted or
otherwise fluid state) extends downwardly through the end 310 and another
portion or end of
the wick adapted for ignition extends upwardly through end 308. The
constricted portion 306
reduces an effective wick cross-sectional area, and thereby may reduce or
restrict a capillary
fluid flow capacity of the wick between the first open end 308 and the second
open end 310.
The restricted flow capacity, and subsequently reduced volume flow rate, of
the fluid fuel
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material 311 up the wick 108 from the end 310 toward a flame region above the
end 308, in
turn may reduce the fuel material burn rate and extend the life of the fuel
element 110.
Because the constricted portion 306 having a larger cross-sectional area
allows a faster
volume flow rate, or increased capillary fluid flow capacity, than a
constricted portion having
a smaller cross-sectional area, the capillary fluid flow capacity of the wick
108 may be
substantially reduced by reducing the cross-sectional area of the constricted
portion. Such a
constriction on the flow rate of the fluid fuel material 311 upwardly along
the wick 108 past
the constricted portion 306 is enhanced when the sidewall 304 is substantially
liquid
impervious (e.g., does not allow the fluid fuel material to pass therethrough
to the wick 108),
which thereby restricts the flow of the fluid fuel material into the wick
through the end 310
located in the end plate 124 or above the end 308 of the barrel 118. The
indentation 302 may
also help maintain the wick 108 in a predetermined position within the barrel
118 such that,
for example, an end portion of the wick extends through or to the end 310 in
order to prevent
the wick from being pulled out of the barrel and thus potentially losing
contact with the flow
of the fluid fuel material 311 toward the wick through the capillary space 184
and weep holes
130.
[0026] Other variations and embodiments of the candle assembly and wick holder
300
described in detail herein are also specifically contemplated. For example, in
one
embodiment, the barrel 118 may take the form of a sleeve having a cylindrical
shape or a
tubular shape having other cross-sectional areas and shapes (not shown). In
another
embodiment, the constricted portion 306 in the barrel 118 is formed by an
inner annular ridge
(not shown), which may be formed by indenting or crimping the sidewa11304
entirely around
the wick barrel 118 or by an inner annular shoulder (not shown) disposed on an
inner surface
of the sidewa11304. The constricted portion 306 in another embodiment may be
formed by a
single indentation 302 or by a plurality of indentations, which may be either
in opposing
relationship or offset from each other. In another embodiment (not shown) the
barrel 118
may have the form of a wick casing that is not generally tubular, but rather
includes a
longitudinally curved sidewall that encases a portion of the wick 108 and has
first and second
openings in the sidewall through which the wick extends.
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[0027] In another aspect of the present invention, which is shown in FIG. 8
but which is
also applicable to any combination of any of the wick holders and any of the
capillary
pedestals described herein, the capillary space 184 defines a volume, or
capillary well 350,
between the base portion 116 of the wick holder 300 and the capillary pedestal
204. The
capillary well 350 has dimensions that are preselected to promote a successful
sustained
relight of the wick 108 after a pool 352 (shown in dashed lines) of the fuel
materia1311 (such
as wax or other meltable fuel) has been formed in melting plate 202 around the
peripheral
skirt 126 and capillary pedestal 204 and then allowed to solidify. During a
sustained burn, a
fluid portion of the fuel material 311 from the pool 352 is drawn into the
capillary well 350
and up to the wick 108 by capillary action to feed a flame 354 at wick 108. If
the flame 354
is extinguished prior to consuming the entire fuel element 110, the pool 352
of fuel material
311 solidifies and extends across the bottom of the melting plate 202, through
the capillary
well 350, and into the wick 108. In one embodiment, when the wick 108 is re-
lit after the
pool 352 of fuel material 311 has solidified, the capillary space 184 is
dimensioned such that
a fluid supply of the fuel material is quickly formed and available in the
capillary wel1350 to
feed the flame 354 via the wick 108 until the fuel material surrounding the
peripheral skirt
126 has melted sufficiently to provide a supply of liquefied fuel material to
replace the fuel
material in the capillary well. For example, if the capillary space 184 is
dimensioned too
small, there may not be enough fuel material in the capillary well 350 to
sustain the flame
354 on the wick 108 during a sustained relight before the pool 352 of fuel
material 311
surrounding the peripheral skirt 126 has melted enough to provide additional
liquefied fuel to
the wick 108. Also, for example, if the capillary space 184 is too large, heat
transfer through
the solidified fuel material 311 in the capillary well 350 may be too slow to
melt enough of
the fuel material therein to provide liquefied fuel to the wick 108 before
fuel material in the
wick is burned. Under either circumstance, the flame 354 may run out of fuel
and extinguish
prior to melting a sufficient amount of the fuel material 311 in the pool 352
to begin or
sustain substantially continuous capillary movement of the fluid fuel material
from outside of
the capillary space 184, into the capillary well 350, and up the wick 108 to
feed the flame
354. Therefore, to assist in a successful sustained relight of the wick 108 in
one embodiment,
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the capillary well 350 has a volume not less than a volume sufficient to
provide an amount of
melted fuel to the relit wick 108 until a sufficient amount of liquefied fuel
is formed from the
pool 352 of solidified fuel material 311 adjacent to or surrounding the
peripheral skirt 126 to
continuously feed the flame 354 by capillary action through the capillary
space 184. In
another embodiment, the volume of the capillary well 350 is not more than a
volume able to
allow heat from the flame 354 to melt the solidified fuel material 311
disposed in the
capillary space 184 sufficiently rapidly to feed the flame 354 after
solidified fuel material 311
carried in the wick is burned.
[0028] In a further embodiment, a successful relight can be achieved if the
volume of the
capillary well 350 is proportional to a thermal mass of an entire candle
assembly, such as
100, in order to provide a sufficient source of melted fuel to the wick until
the pool 352 of
solidified wax has melted sufficiently to provide an adequate flow of fuel to
the wick 108 to
maintain a sustained burn of the flame 354. The thermal mass of the candle
assembly 100 is
a measure of the amount of energy needed to change the temperature of the
entire melting
plate candle by a measured amount and is equal to the sum of the products of
the mass of
each portion of the candle assembly multiplied by the specific heat of that
portion.
Illustratively, a successful relight may be achieved when the ratio of the
volume of the
capillary well 350 to the thermal mass of the entire candle assembly is
between about
0.00006 cubic inches per calorie per degree centigrade (hereinafter, in3/cal/
C)
(1 mm3/cal/ C) and about 0.0006 in3/cal/ C (10 mm3/cal/ C), or between about
0.0001
in3/caU C (2 mm3/cal/ C) and about 0.0004 in3/cal/ C (6 mm3/cal/ C), or
between about
0.00018 in3/cal/ C (3 mm3/caU C) and about 0.00024 in3/cal/ C (4 mm3/cal/ C).
Accordingly,
in one embodiment, the thermal mass of the candle assembly is between about
135 caU C and
about 10 cal/ C, or between about 75 caU C and about 40 cal/ C, or between
about 61 cal/ C
and about 50 cal/ C, and the volume of the capillary well 350 is between about
0.006 in3 (100
mm) and about 0.03 in3 (500 mm), or between about 0.009 in3 (150 mm3) and
about 0.018
in3 (300 mm), or about 0.012 in3 (200 mm).
[0029] For example, the thermal mass of an embodiment of a candle assembly,
such as
100, includes the support base 102, the melting plate 202, and the wick holder
300 having a
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combined thermal mass of about 50 caU C and the fuel element 110 of
approximately 0.53
oz. (15 g) of wax having a thermal mass of about 10.5 caU C before being
burned. The
capillary pedestal 204 has a generally frustoconical shape with a height h1
between about
0.39 inches (10 mm) and about 0.04 inches (1 mm), or about 0.2 inches (5 mm),
a bottom
radius 01 between about 1.18 inches (30 mm) and about 0.39 inches (10 mm), or
about 0.83
inches (21 mm), and a top radius 02 between about 0.04 inches (1 mm) and about
0.79
inches (20 mm), or about 0.43 inches (11 mm). The base 116 has a frustoconical
shape
generally complementary to the capillary pedestal with the peripheral skirt
126 having an
upper diameter (D3 of between about 0.08 inches (2 mm) and about 0.83 inches
(21 mm), or
between about 0.43 inches (11 mm) and about 0.55 inches (14 mm), or about 0.51
inches (13
mm); a bottom diameter (D4 between about 1.22 inches (31 mm) and about 0.43
inches (11
mm), or about 0.79 inches (20 mm) and about 0.91 inches (23 mm), or about 0.87
inches (22
mm); a height h2 between about 0.43 inches (11 mm) and about 0.08 inches (2
mm), or
between about 0.28 inches (7 mm) and about 0.16 inches (4 mm), or about 0.2
inches (5
mm); and a height h3 of the rivets 132 from the end plate 124 of between about
0.004 inches
(0.1 mm) and about 0.04 inches (1 mm), or between about 0.03 inches (0.8 mm)
and about
0.02 inches (0.5 mm), or about 0.02 inches (0.6 mm). In another embodiment,
the capillary
pedestal 204 has a height hl about 0.18 inches (4.7 mm), a bottom radius 01
about 0.81
inches (20.5 mm), a top radius (D2 about 0.44 inches (11.1 mm), and the base
126 has a skirt
126 having an upper diameter (D3 about 0.5 inches (12.6 mm), a bottom diameter
(D4 about
0.85 inches (21.6 mm), and a height h2 about 0.2 inches (5.05 mm). When the
base 116 is
placed on top of the capillary pedestal 204, the end plate 124 is a
perpendicular distance of
about 0.03 inches (0.65 mm) from a top wall 178 of the capillary pedestal, and
the peripheral
skirt 126 is perpendicular distance of about 0.02 inches (0.38 mm) from the
sidewall 206,
which defines a capillary well 350 having a volume of approximately 0.012 in3
(200 mm3).
[0030] Figure 9 illustrates a portion of a melting plate 400 comprising a
concave base
402, and having a raised pedestal or protrusion 404 located near the center
thereof. The
pedestal is shaped so as to engage the legs or skirt 406 of a wick holder 408.
The wick holder
408 has a central retention mechanism, such as a body 410, which holds a wick
412, and heat
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fins 414 located so as to absorb heat from a flame upon the wick mounted in
the wick holder,
and to permit flow of the heat from the flame to the base 402 of the melting
plate 400. The
legs or skirt 406 of the wick holder fit in close proximity to the sides 416
of the pedestal 404
and engage an undercut 418 in a side surface of the pedestal by means of
shoulder 420 in
such a manner as to resist removal therefrom. The legs or skirt 406 and a base
422 of the
wick holder 408 and the sides 416 and top 424 of the pedestal 404 are in close
proximity, so
as to permit maximum heat exchange when a flame is disposed on the wick 412,
and so as to
create a capillary gap 426 resulting in a capillary flow of melted wax from
the bottom of the
melting plate to the top of the pedestal 424. The bottom 422 of the wick
holder is thus in
close proximity to the top 424 of the pedestal 404, promoting a rapid and even
flow of
liquefied fuel to the wick 412, but held in position so as to contact the fuel
by the wick
holder. Although the embodiment is illustrated in terms of a melting plate
candle, it may be
equally as effective in the context of a candle jar, tea light, or votive
holder.
[0031] In FIG. 10, another wick holder 500 according to the present invention
is adapted
for use with a candle assembly similar to 100 having a capillary pedestal (not
shown) so as to
create a capillary space between the wick holder and the capillary pedestal
through which
liquefied fuel (not shown), such as oil or melted wax, may be drawn from a
pool, upwardly
between the capillary pedestal and the wick holder, toward a wick 502, which
is disposed
above the capillary pedestal. The wick holder 500 is generally similar to
other wick holders
described herein, such as the wick holder 106, the wick holder 200, the wick
holder 300, and
the wick holder 408, except that capillary flow of the liquefied fuel to the
wick 502 is
diverted across a portion of the wick holder and laterally through a side
aperture, or fuel feed
opening 504, into the wick above the top of a base portion 506 rather than
flowing directly
into the bottom end of the wick through a hole in the bottom or base portion
as generally
shown in the other embodiments disclosed herein. In general, the base portion
506 of the
wick holder 500 defines a bottom cavity (not shown) on an opposite side of the
base portion
from a wick receiver 508. The bottom cavity is shaped so as to conform closely
about a
capillary pedestal, such as the capillary pedestal 204, 112, or 404, in order
to promote the
upward capillary flow of the liquefied fuel. In this particular embodiment,
the base portion
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506 has a top wall or top plate 510 and a generally frustoconical capillary
skirt 512 depending
downwardly from an outer periphery thereof, which, together, define the bottom
cavity.
When placed in an operative position on a capillary pedestal, the capillary
skirt 512 is
disposed around the sidewall of the capillary pedestal, and the top plate 510
is disposed above
a flat top end of the capillary pedestal thereby forming the capillary space.
The base portion
506, in other embodiments, may have different shapes according to the shape of
the capillary
pedestal. The top plate 510 and the capillary skirt 512 are generally formed
of a sheet of
metal that is liquid impervious except for one or more openings, such as holes
514 through
the top plate and/or a gap 516 along a seam of the wick holder 500. The holes
514 are
disposed generally around an outer circumferential portion of the top plate
510. Heat fins
518 extend upwardly from the top plate 510 and carry the wick receiver 508,
which in this
embodiment is a generally cylindrical barrel, therebetween for holding the
wick 502 therein.
The wick receiver 508 is generally disposed over a central portion of the top
plate 510 such
that the wick 502 extends downwardly through a lower open end 520 and rests on
top of the
central portion of the top plate disposed radially between and spaced from the
holes 514. A
portion of the wick 502 for carrying a flame thereon extends upwardly through
an upper open
end 522 of the wick receiver 508, which is distal from the base portion 506.
An indentation
524 in the wick receiver 508 serves to help retain the wick 502 therein and
may also serve to
control the rate of capillary flow upwardly along the wick as described above
in relation to
the indentations 302 in the wick holder 300. Unlike the previously described
wick holders,
the area of the top plate 510 directly beneath a bottom end 526 of the wick
502 is not open to
the capillary space under the base portion 506.
[0032] In operation, the wick holder 500 is disposed on a capillary pedestal
in a melting
plate candle assembly (similarly as described with regard to the melting plate
candle 100)
such that when a flame is burning at a top end of the wick 502, liquefied
fuel, such as melted
wax, from a fuel element is drawn upwardly toward the wick to feed the flame
even when a
level of the liquefied fuel drops below the elevation of the top plate 510 and
the bottom end
526 of the wick. The fuel feed opening 504 is in fluid communication with the
capillary
space via the holes 514. In the present embodiment, the liquefied fuel is
drawn upwardly
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from underneath the capillary skirt 512, through the capillary space between
the base portion
506 and the capillary pedestal, and through the holes 514 and possibly the gap
516, across the
top of the top plate 510, and laterally into the wick 502 through the fuel
feed opening 504.
As shown in FIG. 10, the fuel feed opening 504 is defined between the top
plate 510 and the
bottom end 520 of the cylindrical barrel; however, the fuel feed opening 504
may take the
form of any opening adjacent to the base portion 506 that is sufficient to
allow the liquefied
fuel to be drawn laterally into the wick 502 above the base portion. For
example, the fuel
feed opening 504 may include one or more slits or small holes through the
sidewall(s) of the
wick receiver 508, which would draw liquefied fuel across the top of the top
plate 510 and
laterally into the wick 502. The lateral fuel flow into the wick 502 through
the fuel feed
opening 504 is sustained by the capillary forces of the wick 502 and
attractive forces of the
liquefied fuel so as to draw the liquefied fuel from the holes 514 across the
top plate 510,
through the fuel feed opening, and into the wick. In other embodiments, the
lateral fuel feed
opening 504 may also be combined with a hole (not shown) in the top plate
directly
underneath the bottom end 526 of the wick 502, which may be formed by, for
example, the
gap 516 extending across the top plate 510 or any other form of opening. Other
features of
the various wick holders described herein may also be combined with the wick
holder 500
and vice-versa.
[0033] The invention having been described in an illustrative manner, it is
understood
that the terminology used is intended to be in the nature of description
rather than of
limitation. The various components of the various melting plate candle
assemblies described
herein may be packaged as an assembled unit, as an unassembled kit including
all or a
portion of the components, as individual components, and in any combination
thereof.
Different and various combinations of the above-mentioned components of the
various
melting plate candle assemblies can also be used in the apparatuses, methods,
kits, and
combinations herein described. Other variations, modifications, and
equivalents of the
present invention possible in light of the above teachings are specifically
included within the
scope of the impending claims.
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INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0034] A wick holder, according to the present invention, may be used to hold
a wick in a
predetermined location relative to a fuel element. In one particular
application, the wick
holder of the present invention may be used with a melting plate candle
assembly as
generally described herein to maintain a flame on the wick at a height above
the level of a
liquefied pool of fuel so as to prevent or at least minimize the risk of flash
over in the pool of
liquefied fuel. Other uses and benefits of the wick holder of the present
invention will be
apparent to those skilled in the art.
[0035] Numerous modifications to the present invention will be apparent to
those skilled
in the art in view of the foregoing description. Accordingly, this description
is to be
construed as illustrative only and is presented for the purpose of enabling
those skilled in the
art to make and use the invention and to teach the best mode of carrying out
same. All
patents and patent applications cited herein are incorporated by reference in
their entireties.
The exclusive rights to all modifications that come within the scope of the
appended claims
are reserved.
