Safety media for wax melts

Abstract

The invention includes an improved wax melt in a foam safety media of melamine for subsequent melting in a conventional warmer or other candle melting device. The melts release their fragrance when heated conventionally but remain associated with the foam safety media during use to be substantially spill-proof. The melts are produced by piping heated liquid wax with fragrance and other desirable components into a container that dispenses discrete quantities onto a melamine foam safety media on a moving conveyor for cooling and hardening and subsequent packaging into discrete wax melts in a melamine foam safety media.

Claims

1. A wax melt comprising a heatable foam safety media of melamine having a porous body housing a charge of heatable mineral oil combined with a volatile fragrance, where the mineral oil and fragrance are substantially evenly dispersed throughout the body of the safety media and form a solid below about one hundred twenty degrees Fahrenheit but the mineral oil melts above about one hundred twenty degrees while remaining in and around the body but releasing the fragrance therefrom.

2. The wax melt of claim 1 where the body is a disc.

3. The wax melt of claim 1 where the body is a cube.

4. The wax melt of claim 1 wherein the body at least one eighth in an inch thick.

5. The wax melt of claim 1 wherein the body is less than one inch thick.

6. The wax melt of claim 1 wherein the melt further comprises multiple scents in a single melt.

7. The wax melt of claim 1 wherein the melt is packaged with multiple shaped melts with differing scents that enable a user to create unique scent combinations by melting multiple melts simultaneously.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following drawings, which form a part of the specification and which are to be construed in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals have been employed throughout wherever possible to indicate like parts in the various views:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view photograph showing one exemplary embodiment of the wax melt in a foam safety media in accordance with the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a side elevational view photograph thereof;

(4) FIG. 3 is a top plan view photograph thereof;

(5) FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view photograph thereof;

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view photograph of another exemplary embodiment of a single serve wax melt in a foam safety media in accordance with the present invention;

(7) FIG. 6 is an elevational view photograph showing a side thereof;

(8) FIG. 7 is a top plan view photograph thereof;

(9) FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view photograph thereof;

(10) FIG. 9 is a process diagram showing a process for wax melts in a foam safety media;

(11) and,

(12) FIG. 10 is a process diagram showing another process for wax melts in a foam safety media.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(13) The present invention addresses the perceived needs in the known art discussed above. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

(14) The invention includes an improved wax melt in a foam safety media of melamine for subsequent melting in a conventional warmer or other candle melting device 14 (FIGS. 1 and 5). The melt bodies 20 release their fragrance when heated conventionally but remain associated with the foam safety media during use to be substantially spill-proof (FIGS. 1-8). The melts are produced by piping heated liquid wax with fragrance and other desirable components into a container that dispenses discrete quantities onto a melamine foam safety media on a moving conveyor for cooling and hardening and subsequent packaging into discrete wax melts in a melamine foam safety media body.

(15) The wax to fragrance weight ratios and vary widely from 0% wax (i.e. 100% fragrance) to as much as 99% wax and only 1% fragrance. Experimentation has shown that wax and fragrance combinations that outweigh the melamine foam work acceptably with respect to fragrance throw and lifespan but for some uses lesser amounts may be more suited.

(16) The main consideration is that the amount of foam is sufficient to absorb all of the molten wax and fragrance when cooled to room temperature. These combinations also do not leak wax when warmed slightly but when heated in a conventional wax melter to above 120 degrees Fahrenheit a small wax pool 16 forms around the foam body perimeter 18 but the pool 16 remains associated with the foam 20 and if the melter is displaced (i.e. knocked over or otherwise upset), the pool 16 is quickly reabsorbed by the foam body 20 so that very little if any wax is spilled as a result of the displacement.

(17) The wax melt is substantially housed within the foam until it is heated. The foam body 15 may vary in thickness and physical size, but disc shaped bodies from one-eighth of an inch to around 1 inch in thickness have worked well Also, cube-shaped bodies have worked well too (shown in FIGS. 1-8).

(18) In another exemplary embodiment, the invention includes an improved wax melt on a foam safety media that may be advantageously packaged with several other similarly shaped wax melts in single serving quantities for subsequent melting in a conventional warmer or other candle melting device. The melts are produced by piping heated liquid wax with fragrance and other desirable components into a container that dispenses discrete quantities onto a melamine safety foam cube (e.g. cubic in shape) on a moving conveyor for cooling and hardening and then packaging the cooled and formed melts. The melts are used by melting in a simmering pot or melt plate to disperse the fragrance encapsulated in the wax.

(19) More than one fragrance may be combined to produce pleasing aromas as well. The reason of this is so that the manufacturer can mix and match different fragrances within the safety media body itself. For instance a hazelnut and vanilla could be combined to create a toffee smell, or any other combination of color and fragrance as desirable.

(20) To produce the melts, heated molten wax with other desirable components is combined with sufficient liquid fragrance to produce a liquid with 10-25% fragrance (FIGS. 9-10). The resultant liquid is mixed thoroughly in tank 20 and then piped via line 25 to dispenser 30. Dispenser 30 can be a conventional wax dispenser. The dispenser 30 places individual drops 35 onto a conveyor 40 on melamine foam safety media discs 41 (again a conventional conveyor available as above) where they cool and harden into individual melts 42 as the drops move along the conveyor 40 (e.g. travel distance of approximately 70 to 100 feet) to a collection bin 45. After the hardened melts 42 are collected and package conventionally. In another embodiment, the wax melts 42 are physically smaller and cube shaped and normally a sufficient quantity for a single serving (i.e. between 1/2 to 1 ounce of melts), and multiple cubes are placed into a package 50.

(21) Other shapes and packaging configures are possible as well and so are varying wax and fragrance concentrations and contemplated by and within the scope of the present invention.

(22) In describing a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, specific teiminology has been used for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.