Wick holder locking mechanism
First Claim
1. A candle comprising a meltable solid fuel element, a heat conductive melting plate upon which said fuel element rests, and a capillary pedestal located on said melting plate which cooperatively and lockingly engages the base portion of a wick holder comprising a wick, 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 engaged by a snap-type locking configuration with said capillary pedestal so as to prevent accidental removal from said melting plate and provide capillary action of melted fuel upwardly from the melting plate between the capillary pedestal and the base portion of the wick holder, wherein a skirt of said wick holder resiliently engages an undercut portion of said capillary pedestal.
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Accused Products
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.
234 Citations
16 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 located on said melting plate which cooperatively and lockingly engages the base portion of a wick holder comprising a wick, 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 engaged by a snap-type locking configuration with said capillary pedestal so as to prevent accidental removal from said melting plate and provide capillary action of melted fuel upwardly from the melting plate between the capillary pedestal and the base portion of the wick holder, wherein a skirt of said wick holder resiliently engages an undercut portion of said capillary pedestal.
- 7. A candle comprising a meltable solid fuel element, a heat conductive melting plate upon which said fuel element rests, and a capillary pedestal located on said melting plate which cooperatively and lockingly engages the base portion of a wick holder comprising a wick, 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 engaged by a snap-type locking configuration with said capillary pedestal so as to prevent accidental removal from said melting elate and provide capillary action of melted fuel upwardly from the melting plate between the capillary pedestal and the base portion of the wick holder, wherein said wick bolder resiliently interlockingly engages an undercut portion of the bottom surface of said melting plate in the snap-type locking configuration.
- 12. A wick holder comprising means to engage a wick, and a base portion comprising at least a portion of a skirt and an in-turned shoulder projecting from said portion of said skirt, wherein said portion of said skirt is shaped to fit closely over a capillary pedestal upon a candle support plate, and said shoulder is adapted to tightly engage an undercut in a side surface of the capillary pedestal, whereby the wick holder is configured so as to lockingly engage the capillary pedestal in such a manner as to permit capillary flow of melted fuel from said support plate to said wick, while preventing accidental release of said wick holder from said support plate.
Specification