GB2490952A

GB2490952A - Wick placement device for candle products

Info

Publication number: GB2490952A
Application number: GB1108446.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Shaun Marriott
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-05-19
Filing date: 2011-05-19
Publication date: 2012-11-21
Also published as: GB201108446D0

Abstract

A device to place and hold a wick on a three dimensional curved path through a candle product so that the wick can be placed at the most effective point throughout the candle product to utilise the fuel most effectively. The proposed device places the wick on this three dimensional path, during manufacture, for incorporation within the final candle product. The device (1.1) is made from solid candle fuel and shaped so as to trace on its surface the defined path (1.3) required for the wick through the candle product (1.2). The wick (1.4) is attached along this path and the device secured within the candle product mould (1.5) (or container) during manufacture using locating features (1.6) and the wick (1.7) such that the final product contains a wick along the pre-defined path.

Description

I

Wick placement device for candle products

Field of Invention

The present invention relates to candle products and more particularly to locating the wick through the candle product in order to better manage the consumption of the candle product fuel.

Background of Invention

Candles have been used for many centuries and are still very popular in homes and many other settings to create a pleasing effect and ambiance. Whilst in modern use candle products come in many different sizes, styles and decorative finishes they are most often still broadly cylindrical in shape with a wick located in the centre of their circular cross section.

This single straight wick runs vertical, parallel to the upright perpendicular walls, and consumes the candle fuel vertically from the top downwards.

The cylindrical shape, with a straight vertical wick, is an efficient design for the consumption of the candle product fuel as the circular pool of molten fuel generated by the flame at the central wick matches the circular cross section of the candle product throughout its height.

This match means that the fuel is consumed evenly throughout the candle's height with a low risk of fuel being left un-melted and unused, or excess fuel being melted and seeping away unused. This means cylindrical based candle products are more likely to be clean burning and long-lasting in use with minimal spillage of molten candle fuel.

However where a non-cylindrical based design is attempted, that has a complex curved shape with a non-uniform or non-circular cross section, the converse is true. The lack of a consistent circular cross section, centred on a straight vertically running wick, gives a mismatch between the circular pool of molten fuel generated and the candle product's cross section. This then leads to an uneven consumption of the candle product fuel and an increased risk of fuel being unused or excess melted and lost.

Summary of Invention

In order to address the potentially wasteful consumption of fuel in complex shaped candle products the present wick placement device is proposed.

The device is designed to place the wick on a path through the most effective points in the candle product's cross sections, at all heights, so as to utilise the candle product's fuel most effectively. The path, and the resulting shape of the three dimensional surface of the device to follow this path, are established with reference to, and analysis of, the design plans for the candle product. For some candle product shapes this point may be at the centre of the cross section so that the generated pool of molten fuel is held as centrally as possibly at that point in the candle product's height. Alternatively for some candle product shapes a non-central point, or even a combination of central and non-central, may be more appropriate. In some candle products the location points may also be defined so as to create a decorative effect in the resulting use of the candle fuel, as well as for using the fuel most effectively.

For curved, non-cylindrical candle product shapes it is unlikely that these points on the cross sections where the wick is to be placed will fall in a straight vertical line through the candle product. The proposed device therefore is designed to place and hold the wick on any curved, diagonal or otherwise non straight and vertical path defined through these points as they are traced through the candle product.

The device is made out of a solid candle fuel, which is consumed during the use of the candle product, and shaped so as to trace on its surface the defined path required for the wick through the candle product. A wick is attached to the pre-defined path on the surface and then the device, with the wick attached, is secured within the mould or container used for the manufacture of the candle product. The device and wick are then embedded in candle product fuel such that the final candle product has the wick embedded throughout its height on the precise points defined.

The device can also be designed to place multiple wicks on multiple paths through the candle product or place wicks that start below the top, or stop before the base of the candle product, as a further means of controlling the use of the candle product fuel.

Detailed description

The proposed invention will now be described by way of examples only and with reference to the following drawings: Figure 1 Perspective view of example wick placement device and side elevation of same located in example candle product mould.

Figure 2 Perspective view of example final candle product with wick embedded on the required pre-defined path for the product by using wick placement device.

Figure 3 Perspective view of an example wick placement device used in example container type candle product plus plan view of same.

Figure 4 Side elevation of example wick placement device showing the use of multiple placement grooves for locating multiple wicks plus grooves which commence, or terminate, within the final candle product.

The invention (Fig 1) comprises a wick placement device (1.1) made from a solid candle fuel. The device is smaller than the finished candle product such that it will be contained within the finished candle product (1.2). The device is designed such that a pre-defined three dimensional path on its surface traces the required path of the wick through the candle product so that the location of the consumption of the fuel through the candle product is accurately controlled.

The path for the wick, and thus the required three dimensional shape of the surface of the placement device, are established with reference to, and analysis of, the design plans, sketches and models of the candle product plus reference to the mould or container to be used for its manufacture and the planed wick material and candle product fuel to be used.

For some candle product shapes the path may follow the centre of the cross sections so that the generated pool of molten fuel is held as centrally as possibly through the candle product's height. Alternatively for some candle product shapes a path through non-central points, or even a combination of central and non-central, may be more appropriate at differing heights. In some candle products the location points may also be defined so as to create a decorative effect in the resulting use of the candle fuel, as well as for using the fuel most effectively.

Once designed the placement device can be produced in volume via the creation of an original model and from that a mould for subsequent casting of production devices with molten solid candle fuel.

The model can be designed so that the path for the wick in the production placement device is traced as a groove in the surface of the device. In this case the wick (1.4) is attached to the device (1.1) in the groove (1.3) after the device is manufactured so as to follow accurately the pre-defined path.

Alternatively the model can be designed so that it will produce a groove for the wick path in the surface of a mould created from the model to which the wick is secured and then attached during the manufacture of the placement device. In either case the wick material used should have sufficient stiffness so as to be capable of holding unaided the off vertical angle of the wick as it follows the pre-defined path within the candle product during use. It also must be sufficiently pliable to be able to follow the pre-defined path through whatever curves and changes of direction are specified.

Where the final candle product is being manufactured in a mould (1.5) the wick placement device is accurately and securely located within the mould using integral lugs or other shaped location features (1.6) that link to corresponding location features integrated in the mould. The attached wick can also be used to secure the placement device via a wick holding recess integrated into the mould (1.7). At this point the wick is located and being held within the mould on the pre-defined path through the candle product. The placement device, with the wick, is then embedded in candle product fuel within the mould.

Once released from the mould the candle product (Fig 2-Ref 2.1)then contains a wick (2.2) following the exact path defined for that product as placed and held on that path during the manufacture of the product by the wick placement device (2.3).

Where the candle product is a container candle, with the wick and fuel added to a container which forms part of the final candle product (Fig 3), the wick placement device (3.1) incorporates a flat base (3.2) such that it can stand upright unaided in the base of the container (3.3). lf required shaped location features can be incorporated into the placement device design (3.4) so as to ensure its accurate location within the container during manufacture. The placement device, with the wick attached, is then embedded in candle product fuel (3.5) within the container with the wick (3.6) then following the exact path defined for that product.

The wick placement device can be designed so as to place and secure more than one wick at a time in a candle product (Fig 4). In this case the device surface has different location grooves (4.1) for each wick that is required. The candle product (4.4) is then manufactured in the same way as for single wick candle products to give a final candle product containing multiple wicks running through it on multiple, different pre-defined paths.

The wick placement device can be constructed so as to place and support a wick which only starts within the candle product (Fig 4 -Ref 4.2) in such a way that the wick only becomes visible and available for use when the candle product fuel has been consumed to that point.

Similarly the placement device can be constructed so as to place and support a wick which terminates before the base of the candle product (4.3) so causing the attached wick to be fully consumed, and the flame self-extinguished, when the candle product fuel has been consumed to that point. This later case is particularly beneficial as a safety feature to stop the candle product flame burning through the base of the candle product and causing damage. In either case the required path for the wick ends before the outside edge of the candle product is reached and a shortened wick is attached to the placement device. The wick placement device can be constructed so as to combine, within the same candle product, both multiple wicks and wicks where one or both ends are terminated within the candle product.

The wick placement device can be constructed so as to incorporate coloured dye and thus be used to embed different colours within the candle product for decretive effect. It can also be designed to incorporate shaped design features, in addition to those required to trace the pre defined wick path through the candle product, also for decorative effect.

The wick placement device can be constructed to incorporate candle product scent so that scent can be easily and flexibly embedded within a candle product. This is particularly relevant where high concentrations of scent additive are required as by embedding the scent, via the proposed device, deep within the final candle product the risk of it leaching from the final candle product surface is reduced.

The wick placement device can be constructed using a different composition of candle fuel to that used to encase the device in the final candle product as a further control aid in the consumption of the candle product fuel, or for decorative effect.

The wick placement device can be constructed so as to incorporate other non combustible materials during its manufacture so as to give decorative, scenting or other effects in the final candle product.

Claims

Claims 1 -A wick placement device comprising: a block made from a solid candle fuel and shaped such that the surface traces a pre-defined three dimensional path for a wick through a candle product; a wick which is attached to the block on the defined path.

2 -A wick placement device according to claim 1, in which the path traced on its surface is defined so as to aid the management of the consumption of the fuel of the candle product for efficiency, decorative or other outcomes.

3 -A wick placement device according to claim 1, in which the pre-defined path for the wick is traced as a groove on its surface for the subsequent attachment of the wick.

4 -A wick placement device according to claim 1, in which the pre-defined path for the wick is traced as a groove on the surface of the mould used to manufacture the device and to which the wick is secured so as to be attached to the device during manufacture of the device.

-A wick placement device according to claim 1, in which the device is secured within the candle product mould, or container, in a defined location such that the attached wick traces the required pre-defined path through the final candle product.

6 -A wick placement device according to claim 5, in which the shape incorporates design features for the accurate and secure locating of the device during manufacture of the candle product.

7 -A wick placement device according to claim 1, in which multiple three dimensional paths are traced and multiple wicks are attached and incorporated within the candle product.

8 -A wick placement device according to claim 1, in which the three dimensional path, and attached wick, commence lower than the top of the candle product such that the wick is only visible when the fuel has been consumed to that point.

9 -A wick placement device according to claim 1, in which the three dimensional path, and attached wick, terminates before the base of the candle product such that the wick is fully consumed before the base of the candle product.

-A wick placement device according to claims 7 to 9, in which a combination of wick or wicks, starting after, or terminate before the wick reaches the edge of the candle product, are incorporated together in the same device.

11 -A wick placement device according to claim 1, in which coloured dye is incorporated in its manufacture.

12 -A wick placement device according to claim 1, in which the surface, in addition to tracing the pre-defined three dimensional path for the wick, incorporates surface design features for decorative effect.

13 -A wick placement device according to claim 1, in which scent is incorporated in the device during its manufacture.

14 -A wick placement device according to claim 1, in which different fuel to that used to encase it in the final candle product is used for its manufacture.-A wick placement device according to claim 1, in which non combustible materials are incorporated in the device during its manufacture.