Candleholder with a melting plate alignment feature

• US 20060093980A1
• Filed: 11/10/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Chris A. Kubicek, Nathan R. Westphal
• Original Assignee: Chris A. Kubicek, Nathan R. Westphal
• Inventors: Kubicek, Chris A., Westphal, Nathan R.
• Application Number:
  US11/271,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20060093980A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 431/291
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 35/00 Candle holders
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 3/18 Details of wick burners
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 3/26 Safety devices thereon

Abstract

A candleholder for a fuel element, such as a votive candle, includes a melting plate carried by a base portion. The melting plate is generally dish-shaped and disposed within a generally complementarily shaped recess in a top end of the base portion. An alignment mechanism including an inner peripheral step protruding into the recess and a complementary ledge in a bottom surface of the melting plate helps ensure that the melting plate is disposed at a predetermined position in the recess. The ledge rests on the peripheral step with an adhesive disposed therebetween when the melting plate is in the predetermined position. A ring protrusion from the base portion is disposed under a cavity defined under a capillary lobe in the melting plate. The ring protrusion helps retain a magnet in a predetermined location in the cavity and may also serve as part of the alignment mechanism. The magnet may be used to help retain a ferro-magnetic wick holder of the votive candle on the capillary lobe.

Claims

1. A candleholder for carrying a fuel element thereon, the candleholder comprising:

a base portion including a sidewall defining a recess at a top end of the base portion and a shoulder spaced from the top end projecting from the wall within the recess; and

a melting plate disposed within the recess and adapted to retain the fuel element, the melting plate having a peripheral edge and a ledge spaced from the peripheral edge defined in a bottom surface of the plate, wherein the ledge engages the shoulder.

2. The candleholder of claim 1 further comprising a medial wall spaced from the top end, the recess defined by the sidewall and the medial wall, the medial wall defining a bottom of the recess.

3. The candleholder of claim 2, wherein the melting plate is spaced from the medial wall.

4. The candleholder of claim 2 further comprising a retainer projecting from the medial wall into the recess;

and

a cavity defined in the bottom surface of the melting plate, wherein the retainer is disposed inside the cavity.

5. The candleholder of claim 4, wherein the retainer at least partly surrounds a magnet disposed in the cavity.

6. The candleholder of claim 5, wherein the retainer comprises a circular, ring-shaped protrusion.

7. The candleholder of claim 6, wherein the retainer is spaced from the bottom surface of the melting plate.

8. The candleholder of claim 1, wherein the melting plate has a substantially non-circular peripheral footprint.

9. The candleholder of claim 8, wherein the ledge extends entirely around a central portion of the melting plate.

10. The candleholder of claim 9, wherein the sidewall extends entirely around the recess, and the shoulder extends entirely around the recess.

11. The candleholder of claim 1, wherein the ledge is disposed in an upturned peripheral portion.

12. The candleholder of claim 1 further comprising an adhesive disposed between the ledge and the shoulder.

13. The candleholder of claim 12, wherein the adhesive forms a seal between the melting plate and the base portion, the seal extending completely around the melting plate.

14. A candleholder comprising:

a base portion including a recess in an upper end thereof, the recess defined by a peripheral inner wall surface and a bottom wall surface, a shoulder protruding from the peripheral inner wall surface, and a ring protruding from the bottom wall surface; and

a melting plate including a bottom central wall portion surrounded by an upturned peripheral wall portion, a ledge defined in a bottom surface of the upturned peripheral wall portion, the ledge spaced from a peripheral edge of the melting plate, and a cavity defined in the bottom surface of the central wall portion;

wherein the melting plate is disposed in the recess with the ledge disposed on the shoulder and the ring disposed inside the cavity.

15. The candleholder of claim 14, wherein the central wall portion of the melting plate is spaced above the bottom wall surface of the base.

16. The candleholder of claim 15, wherein the ring is spaced from the bottom surface of the central wall portion.

17. The candleholder of claim 14, wherein the cavity is at least partly defined by a capillary lobe, and a magnet is disposed within the cavity and surrounded at least partly by the ring.

18. A candleholder comprising:

a base portion having a recess for supporting a concave melting plate therein; and

an alignment mechanism to align the melting plate in the recess in a pre-selected spaced relationship to a portion of the base portion.

19. The candleholder of claim 18, wherein the alignment mechanism includes at least one of a ledge extending at least partly around an upturned peripheral portion of the melting plate and a shoulder projecting from a wall portion into the recess.

20. The candleholder of claim 19, wherein the ledge is disposed on the shoulder and a bottom portion of the melting plate is spaced above a bottom surface of the recess in a substantially level position when the candleholder is disposed in an operative position.