Candle assembly including a fuel element and a wick holder

• US 20050271994A1
• Filed: 08/09/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Inventors: Furner, Paul E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,467,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 431/298
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 37/00 Details of lighting devices employing combustion as light source, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 3/16 using candles

Abstract

A melting plate candle assembly includes a wick holder that retains a wick spaced above a melting plate and a base portion having one or more capillary paths disposed therein that are adapted to draw liquid, such as melted candle wax, from a pool retained on the melting plate to the wick by capillary action therein.

Claims

1. A wick holder adapted to retain a wick, comprising:

a base portion; and

a capillary path disposed in the base portion,

wherein the capillary path is adapted to transfer liquid from a pool of liquid fuel disposed about the base portion to the wick by capillary action therein.

2. The wick holder of claim 1, wherein the capillary path comprises an elongate tube.

3. The wick holder of claim 1, wherein the capillary path comprises an elongate open channel.

4. The wick holder of claim 1, wherein the capillary path comprises a plurality of inter-connected capillary spaces.

5. The wick holder of claim 1, wherein the capillary path comprises a porous section of the base portion.

6. The wick holder of claim 1, wherein the capillary path comprises a second wick section.

7. The wick holder of claim 1 further comprising a wick receiver extending from the base portion, the wick receiver adapted to receive the wick and maintain the wick spaced apart from the pool of liquid fuel, the base portion comprising a peripheral wall defining a substantially non-capillary cavity opposite the wick receiver, wherein the capillary path is at least partly defined in the peripheral wall.

8. The wick holder of claim 7, wherein the capillary path is defined along a surface of the peripheral wall.

9. The wick holder of claim 7, wherein the wick receiver comprises an elongate tube.

10. The wick holder of claim 7 further comprising a heat fin disposed adjacent to a location adapted for carrying a flame.

11. A fuel element, comprising:

a fuel charge having a bottom surface;

a wick disposed in the fuel charge, the wick being spaced from the bottom surface;

a wick holder holding the wick, the wick holder comprising a base portion disposed between the bottom support surface and the wick; and

a capillary path defined in the base portion, the capillary path providing fluid communication between the bottom surface and the wick.

12. The fuel element of claim 11 further comprising a heat fin adapted to provide thermal conduction from a flame on the wick to the fuel charge.

13. The fuel element of claim 11 further comprising a volatile active carried by the fuel charge.

14. A candle assembly, comprising:

a melting plate adapted to retain a pool of liquid fuel thereon; and

a wick holder carrying a wick disposed in a fuel charge, the wick spaced above the melting plate, the wick holder comprising a base portion disposed between the wick and the melting plate and a capillary path defined in the base portion;

wherein the capillary path is adapted to transfer liquid from the pool to the wick by capillary action therein.

15. The candle assembly of claim 14, wherein the melting plate further comprises a locating member, wherein the locating member interengages with the base portion to locate the capillary path in the pool.

16. The candle assembly of claim 15 further comprising a second capillary path defined by the base portion and the locating member, the second capillary path providing capillary fluid communication between the pool and the wick.

17. The candle assembly of claim 16, wherein the locating member comprises a raised protrusion disposed at a low point of the melting plate.

18. The candle assembly of claim 14, wherein the wick holder comprises a heat conductive material.

19. The candle assembly of claim 18, wherein the wick holder further comprises a heat fin adapted to conduct heat from a flame on the wick to the fuel charge.

20. The candle assembly of claim 14, wherein the melting plate comprises a substantially concave aluminum plate.