RECHARGEABLE FLAMELESS CANDLE SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20110317403A1
• Filed: 04/28/2011
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sterno Home Inc. (Sterno LLC)
• Original Assignee: Winvic Sales Incorporated
• Inventors: Fournier, Bernard, Boucher, Frederic, Carpintero, Carlos
• Granted Patent: US 8,579,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/183
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 2/00 Systems of electric lighting devices systems employing both electric and non-electric light sources or exchangeable light sources F21L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/00 Electric lighting devices with self-contained electric batteries or cells
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/02 characterised by the provision of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 10/04 simulating flames
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 6/001 being candle-shaped with varying lighting effect of simulating flames F21S10/04; string of light sources F21S4/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/02 the power supply being a battery or accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/01 Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts F21V15/02 takes precedence housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/04 the elements being switches safety devices F21V25/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2121/00 Use or application of lighting devices or systems for decorative purposes, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2101/00 Point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

According to embodiments of the present invention, a recharging device includes a recharging port that receives a flameless candle and recharges a battery in the candle. The recharging device includes a first stacking structure that has a top portion and a bottom portion. There is a top stacking contact on the top portion. The electrical power bus is connected with the top stacking contact. The top portion of the first stacking structure is configured to mate with a bottom portion of a first stacking structure of another recharging device. In an embodiment, the bottom portion of the first stacking structure has a bottom stacking contact electrically connected with the electrical power bus. The bottom stacking contact may have a pogo spring. The recharging device may also have a second stacking structure having a top portion without an electrical contact. The second stacking structure is configured to mate with a bottom portion of another second stacking structure. In an embodiment, the device has two first stacking structures and two second stacking structures.

Claims

1. A flameless candle comprising:

a lamp;

a bottom portion of the flameless candle including an outer recharging contact and an inner recharging contact each configured to form an electrical connection with an external power source;

a rechargeable battery electrically connected with the outer recharging contact and the inner recharging contact and configured to power to the lamp;

an outer magnetically responsive portion and an inner magnetically responsive portion each arranged to magnetically link the flameless candle through the bottom portion with a recharging port;

a plurality of feet arranged on the bottom portion between at least a portion of the inner recharging contact and the outer recharging contact; and

wherein the plurality of feet are configured to be received by a trench in the recharging port.

2. The flameless candle of claim 1, further comprising a switch configured to cause an interruption of a flow of current to the lamp.

3. The flameless candle of claim 2, wherein the switch is configured to be actuated through the bottom portion.

4. The flameless candle of claim 1, wherein the outer magnetically responsive portion and the inner magnetically responsive portion are each configured to assist the electrical connection of the outer recharging contact and the inner recharging contact with the external power source.

5. The flameless candle of claim 4, wherein the outer recharging contact comprises the outer magnetically responsive portion and the inner recharging contact comprises the inner magnetically responsive portion.

6. The flameless candle of claim 1, further comprising:

an electronics portion including an illumination circuit and the lamp,

wherein the electronics portion is electrically connected with the rechargeable battery, and

wherein the electronics portion and the rechargeable battery are secured to the bottom portion; and

a casing configured to receive the electronics portion and the rechargeable battery.

7. The flameless candle of claim 6, wherein the bottom portion is configured to be fastened with the casing.

8. The flameless candle of claim 6, wherein the casing comprises a translucent material selected to permit and diffuse a propagation of light from the lamp through the casing.

9. The flameless candle of claim 6, wherein the casing comprises a recessed top portion.

10. The flameless candle of claim 6, wherein the casing comprises protruding top portion.

11. The flameless candle of claim 6, wherein the lamp is located in an interior region of the casing.

12. The flameless candle of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of risers interposed between the bottom portion and the electronics portion.

13. The flameless candle of claim 12, wherein the plurality of risers are configured to contain the rechargeable battery.

14. A flameless candle system comprising:

a flameless candle insert comprising;

a housing,

a lamp, and

a rechargeable battery electrically connected with the lamp;

a shell comprising;

an aperture located at a bottom portion of the shell and configured to receive the flameless candle insert,

a stopping portion located above the aperture and configured to limit the insertion of the flameless candle insert, and

a mating portion; and

a door configured to detachably mate with the mating portion and secure the flameless candle insert within the shell.

15. The flameless candle of claim 14, wherein the shell comprises a wax exterior.

16. The flameless candle of claim 14, wherein the shell comprises a top portion including a recessed region and a wick.

17. The flameless candle of claim 16, wherein the shell is configured to receive the flameless candle insert wherein the lamp is located within the shell.

18. The flameless candle of claim 14, wherein the door is configured to rotatably mate with the mating portion.

19. The flameless candle of claim 18, wherein the door comprises a disk, a grip protruding from a bottom surface of the door, and at least one mating tab.

20. The flameless candle of claim 19, wherein the mating portion comprises a mating groove configured to receive the at least one mating tab.

21. A recharging device for recharging flameless candles, the recharging device comprising:

a recharging port configured to receive a flameless candle and recharge a battery of the flameless candle;

a first stacking structure including a top portion and a bottom portion;

a top stacking contact on the top portion; and

an electrical power bus electrically connected with the recharging port and with the top stacking contact,

wherein the top portion of the first stacking structure is configured to mate with a bottom portion of first stacking structure of another recharging device.

22. The recharging device of claim 21, wherein the recharging port further comprises an inner recharging contact and an outer recharging contact.

23. The recharging device of claim 22, wherein at least one of the inner recharging contact and the outer recharging contact comprises a pogo spring.

24. The recharging device of claim 21, wherein the recharging port comprises a cylindrical recessed region.

25. The recharging device of claim 21, wherein the recharging port comprises at least one magnet arranged to improve an electrical connection between the recharging port and the flameless candle.

26. The recharging device of claim 21, further comprising a plurality of recharging ports each electrically connected with the electrical power bus.

27. The recharging device of claim 26, further comprising a recharging controller configured to separately control current supplied to each of the plurality of recharging ports.

28. The recharging device of claim 27, further comprising a plurality of visual indicators corresponding to the plurality of recharging ports and configured to indicate a recharging state of a corresponding plurality of flameless candles.

29. The recharging device of claim 21, wherein the recharging port is configured to receive the flameless candle and recharge the battery of the flameless candle after the flameless candle is dropped on the recharging port.

30. The recharging device of claim 29, wherein the recharging port is configured to permit a rotation of the flameless candle across a plurality of rotational angles and recharge the battery of the flameless candle when the flameless candle is at each of the rotational angles.

31. The recharging device of claim 21, wherein the bottom portion of the first stacking structure comprises a bottom stacking contact electrically connected with the electrical power bus.

32. The recharging device of claim 31, wherein the bottom stacking contact comprises a pogo spring.

33. The recharging device of claim 21, further comprising a second stacking structure comprising a top portion without an electrical contact, wherein the second stacking structure is configured to mate with a bottom portion of another second stacking structure.

34. The recharging device of claim 26, wherein the plurality of recharging ports are arranged within a tray.

35. The recharging device of claim 34, wherein the tray comprises at least one handle.

36. The recharging device of claim 35, wherein the tray comprises a left lateral portion including a left handle and a right lateral portion including a right handle.

37. The recharging device of claim 33, further comprising two first stacking structures and two second stacking structures.

38. A method for recharging a flameless candle, the method comprising:

stacking a first recharging device with a second recharging device;

dropping at least one flameless candle into a corresponding recharging port in the first recharging device;

recharging a battery of the flameless candle through the recharging port;

unstacking the first recharging device from the second recharging device.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said dropping the flameless candle with a recharging port further comprises dropping a plurality of flameless candles into a corresponding plurality of recharging ports in the first recharging device.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein said dropping at least one flameless candle into a corresponding recharging port further comprises sequentially dropping the at least one flameless candle into the corresponding recharging port at a plurality of different rotational angles of the at least one flameless candle.

41. The method of claim 38, further comprising indicating through a visual indicator a recharging state of the battery of the at least one flameless candle.