Wick holder magnetic retention means

• US 7,229,280 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Inventors: Nelson, Cory J., Furner, Paul E., Kubicek, Chris A., Gray, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart; Kenneth
• Assistant Examiner(s): NDUBIZU, CHUKA CLEMENT
• Application Number:
  US10/978,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20060057526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 431/289, 431/295, 431/253, 431/322
• US Class Current: 431/289
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 3/16 using candles

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 magnetically 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 magnetic engagement of said wick holder preventing accidental removal thereof 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.

Claims

1. A candle comprising a meltable solid fuel element, a heat conductive melting plate upon which said fuel element rests, and a capillary pedestal projecting upwardly from said melting plate which cooperatively and magnetically engages a base portion of a wick holder comprising an upwardly projecting wick, wherein said base portion comprises a down-turned skirt shaped generally complementary to said capillary pedestal, and wherein said down-turned skirt at least partly surrounds said capillary pedestal, said wick holder conducting heat from a flame upon said wick to said capillary pedestal and to said melting plate, said wick holder engaging said meltable solid fuel element, with said wick holder being magnetically retained upon said capillary pedestal so as to prevent accidental removal of said wick holder from said melting plate.

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 further comprises at least one heat conductive heat fin, and at least one magnetic metal insert.

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

5. The candle of claim 4, wherein the replaceable fuel clement 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 3, 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 candle of claim 1, wherein the skirt of said wick holder is configured so as to engage said capillary pedestal, and a magnet is located beneath said pedestal to magnetically attract a metal insert in said wick holder.

8. The candle of claim 1, wherein said wick holder further comprises at least one heat conductive heat fin.

9. The candle of claim 1, wherein said melting plate is treated so as to be self cleaning.

10. The candle of claim 1, wherein said wick is engaged in such a manner as to terminate the lower end of said wick at a point at least about 0.25 inches above said melting plate.

11. A candle comprising:

a heat conductive surface shaped to hold liquefied fuel;

a pedestal comprising a side wall projecting upwardly from the heat conductive surface;

a solid fuel element comprising a wick holder including a base having a down-turned skirt, a wick carried in a generally upright position by the wick holder, and a solid fuel material engaging the wick holder, wherein the base covers the pedestal such that the skirt extends downwardly along the side wall of the pedestal; and

a magnet positioned to retain the wick holder on the pedestal such that a gap extends between the skirt and the side wall capable of allowing upward capillary flow of liquefied fuel from the heat conductive surface to the wick.

12. The candle of claim 11, wherein the magnet is secured under the pedestal.

13. The candle of claim 12, wherein the wick holder further comprises a magnetically attracted insert.

14. The candle of claim 12, further comprising an insulating base carrying the heat conductive surface, wherein the magnet is disposed between the insulating base and the heat conductive surface.

15. The candle of claim 11, wherein one or more bumps maintain the skirt spaced torn the side wall.

16. The candle of claim 15, wherein the bumps comprise at least one ferro-magnetic rivet carried by the wick holder.