Candle holder with improved air flow

• US 7,287,978 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Inventors: Furner, Paul E., Kubicek, Chris A.
• Primary Examiner(s): McAllister; Steve
• Assistant Examiner(s): NDUBIZU, CHUKA CLEMENT
• Application Number:
  US11/123,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20060057528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 431/292, 431/291, 431/289, 431/288, 431/128, 431/35, 431/33, 431/294
• US Class Current: 431/292
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 3/16 using candles

Abstract

A candle assembly includes a support base, a melting plate having a capillary pedestal, a wick holder that fits onto the capillary pedestal, and a fuel element that fits over the wick holder. The wick holder includes a sleeve having first and second open ends. A wick fits into the sleeve and extends between the open ends. The sleeve has a constricted portion, which is disposed between the open ends and has a cross-sectional area less than any other cross-sectional area between the open ends. The constricted portion reduces an effective capillary fluid flow capacity of the wick between the open ends, which may thereby regulate how quickly fuel is consumed when the candle assembly is burning. A capillary well disposed between the wick holder and the capillary pedestal may be adapted to promote a successful relight after an initial burn of the candle assembly. A candle holder, such as including the melting plate supported by a base, may be adapted to promote laminar air flow thereacross during a burn in a substantially calm atmospheric environment.

Claims

1. A candle holder, comprising:

a concave melting plate carried within a recess in a base; and

a top edge of a wall of the base extending around the recess above the melting plate;

wherein a projected surface area of the melting plate is less than or equal to about 20,000 mm² plus the sum of the square of a minimum width of the melting plate minus the square of a maximum width of the melting plate;

wherein the surface area of the melting plate is more than or equal to about 2,500 mm² plus the sum of the square of the maximum width of the melting plate minus the square of the minimum width of the melting plate;

wherein a depth of the melting plate from the top edge is less than or equal to a value of about a projected surface area of the melting plate divided by 1,000 mm plus the product of the sine of a zenith angle of the wall multiplied by one half the difference between a minimum distance across the melting plate at the top edge and a minimum melting plate width;

wherein a minimum width of the melting plate is not less than about six times the product of a depth of the melting plate from the top edge times the cosine of a zenith angle of the wall; and

wherein a width of the candle holder at the top edge is not less than approximately the minimum width of the melting plate plus two times the sum of an outside radius of the top edge plus the product of the tangent of the zenith angle times the difference between the depth of the melting plate from the top edge minus the outside radius.

2. A candle comprising:

an insulative base comprising a wall with a top edge defining a recess surrounded by the wall;

a heat conductive melting plate carried by the base in a fixed position in the recess below the top edge, wherein the heat conductive plate is shaped to hold a pool of molten fuel and defines a capillary lobe positioned centrally within the rim; and

a fuel element comprising a solid meltable fuel and a wick holder removably disposed on the capillary lobe and carrying a wick above the capillary lobe;

wherein a projected surface area of the melting plate is less than or equal to about 20,000 mm² plus the sum of the square of a minimum width of the melting plate minus square of a maximum width of the melting plate;

wherein the surface area of the melting plate is more than or equal to about 2,500 mm² plus the sum of the square of the maximum width of the melting plate minus the square of the minimum width of the melting plate;

wherein a depth of the melting plate from the top edge is less than or equal to a value of about a projected surface area of the melting plate divided by 1,000 mm plus the product of the sin of a zenith angle of the wall multiplied by one half the difference between a minimum distance across the melting plate at the top edge and a minimum melting plate width;

wherein a minimum width of the melting plate is not less than about six times the product of a depth of the melting plate from the top edge times the cosin of a zenith angle of the wall; and

wherein a width of the candle holder at the top edge is not less than approximately the minimum width of the melting plate plus two times the sum of an outside radius of the top edge plus the product of the tangent of the zenith angle times the difference between the depth of the melting plate from the top edge minus the outside radius.

3. The candle of claim 2, wherein the capillary lobe comprises a raised projection that fits within a cavity defined by a down-turned peripheral skirt at a base of the wick holder.

4. The candle of claim 3, wherein the down-turned peripheral skirt and the raised projection define a vertically oriented capillary channel extending between a bottom end of the wick and a low point of the heat conductive melting plate.

5. A candle assembly, comprising:

a base having an inner wall and a top edge with an outside radius; and

a melting plate having a raised capillary pedestal;

wherein the geometry of the base and melting plate reduces eddy currents over a pool of melted fuel to slow volatilization of active volatile ingredients in the fuel and has the following relationships;

20,000 mm²+(Pmin²−

Pmax²)≧

SA≧

2,500 mm²+(Pmax²−

Pmin²);

 

 

a.

Dpmax≦

(SA/1,000 mm)+{[(Hmin−

Pmin)/2]sin θ

};

 

 

b.

Pmin≧

6(Dp)(cos θ

); and

 

 

c.

Hmin≅

Pmin+2[R+(Dp−

R)tan θ

];

 

 

d.

wherein Pmax is a maximum width across the melting plate in mm, Pmin is a minimum width across the melting plate in mm, SA is a surface projected surface area of the melting plate in mm², Hmin is a minimum width of the base at the top edge in mm, Dp is a depth of the melting plate from the top edge in mm, Dpmax is a maximum value for Dp in mm, R is an outside radius of the upper edge of the base in mm, and θ

is the zenith angle of the inner wall.

6. The candle of claim 5, wherein Hmin is approximately 3.94″

(100 mm), Pmax and Pmin are both equal to approximately 3.15″

(80 mm), Dp is approximately 0.4″

(10 mm), R is approximately 0.08″

(2 mm), and θ

is approximately 45°

.