Heat exchange method for melting plate candle

• US 20060057527A1
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Inventors: Adair, Joel E., Varanasi, Padma Prabodh, Tenhagen, Georgia A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,607,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 431/291
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/037 comprising a wick
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 3/16 using candles
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 3/24 Carriers for wicks

Abstract

The present invention relates to melting plate candles which employ heat conductive elements to distribute heat from a burning flame at a wick to a support plate for a solid fuel and to the body of said solid fuel, so as to more rapidly liquefy the solid fuel, such as paraffin wax, and to more uniformly and intensely heat such fuels to increase the efficiency of consumption thereof and to more rapidly release volatile materials contained within said fuels. The heat conductive support plate is configured so as to have a capillary pedestal upon the surface thereof, which cooperatively engages a wick holder comprising a preferably consumable wick and heat conductive fins which conduct heat from a flame upon said wick to said support plate, said wick holder further engaging said capillary pedestal in such a locking manner as to resist accidental removal from said pedestal. The fuel may be provided in various forms, configured to cooperatively engage said wick holder and support plate, and may comprise various volatile materials. The capillary pedestal, in conjunction with the wick holder, causes rapid and complete flow of the liquefied fuel to said wick, and the capillary pedestal and wick holder are shaped so as to provide for variance of capillary flow between them when the wick holder is rotated relative to the capillary pedestal.

Claims

1. A candle comprising a meltable solid fuel element, a melting plate upon which said fuel element rests, and a wick holder comprising a wick and heat conductive fins positioned so as to collect heat from a flame upon said wick and to conduct such heat to said fuel element and to said melting plate, said wick holder engaging said meltable solid fuel element, with said wick holder engaging a capillary pedestal upon the base of said melting plate in such a manner that rotation of said wick holder relative to said capillary pedestal will cause variation of capillary flow of liquified fuel from the melting plate to the wick.

2. The candle of claim 1, wherein said fuel element further comprises one or more volatile active materials.

3. The candle of claim 2, wherein said wick holder comprises two heat conductive heat fins which are joined by a heat conductive element which passes through the hottest portion of said flame.

4. The candle of claim 3, wherein said meltable solid fuel element comprises a replaceable fuel element cooperatively engaging said heat conductive melting plate and wick holder.

5. The candle of claim 4, wherein the replaceable fuel element further comprises a starter bump on the top surface thereof, in close proximity to said wick, for ease of lighting said wick.

6. A candle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said melting plate further comprises a raised heat conductive portion by which heat is conducted from a flame upon said wick to said melting plate and to said solid fuel element, whereby a pool of heated liquid fuel is created, said melting plate being configured to cause the flow of said heated liquid fuel toward said wick holder.

7. The melting plate candle of claim 1, wherein said wick holder is configured so as to engage a capillary pedestal on said melting plate and has a lever extending therefrom by which said wick holder may be rotated about said capillary pedestal.

8. The melting plate candle of claim 1, wherein said wick holder further comprises heat conductive members configured so as to transfer heat from said heat conductive fins to said solid fuel element.

9. A candle comprising a meltable solid fuel, a support plate upon which said fuel rests, and a pedestal located on said support plate which cooperatively engages the base portion of a wick holder comprising a wick, said wick holder conducting heat from a flame upon said wick to said solid fuel and said support plate by means of heat fins which contact said flame, said wick holder engaging said pedestal in such a manner that rotation of the wick holder relative to the pedestal causes variation of capillary flow of fuel between said pedestal and said wick holder.

10. The candle of claim 9, wherein said wick holder comprises a plurality of heat conductive fins in close proximity to said flame.

11. The candle of claim 10, wherein said fins are joined by a heat conductive element which passes through the flame.

12. The candle of claim 10, wherein said meltable solid fuel comprises a replaceable fuel element cooperatively engaging said support plate, pedestal, wick holder, and heat conductive fins.

13. The candle of claim 10, wherein said support plate further comprises a heat conductive portion by which heat is conducted from a flame upon said wick to said solid fuel element, whereby a pool of heated liquid fuel is created, said support plate being configured to cause the flow of said heated liquid fuel toward said wick holder.

14. The candle of claim 9, wherein said support plate is treated so as to be self cleaning.

15. A candle consisting of a fuel holder comprising a heat conductive surface shaped to hold and melt a solid fuel material included in a replaceable solid fuel element further comprising a wick holder including a wick and heat fins, and to form a pool of liquid fuel, said surface further comprising a capillary pedestal which engages said wick holder in such a manner that rotation of said wick holder relative to said pedestal causes a variation of capillary flow of liquid fuel between the two, wherein said heat fins are configured so as to come in close proximity to the hottest portion of a flame on said wick and to conduct heat from said flame to said fuel element, the tips of said heat fins being connected by heat conductive means passing directly through the hottest portion of said flame, and wherein said surface is shaped so as to cause said pool of liquid fuel to flow to said wick.

16. The candle of claim 15, wherein said replaceable fuel element is configured to cooperatively engage said wick holder.

17. The candle of claim 15, wherein said replaceable fuel element further comprises one or more volatile active materials.

18. The candle of claim 15, wherein said wick holder is non-symmetrical.

19. The candle of claim 15, wherein said capillary pedestal is non-symmetrical.