Candle having a planar wick and method of and equipment for making same

Abstract

A candle having a body of a meltable fuel and a planar wick. When lit, the candle provides a unique flame formation, usable in a variety of decorative applications. The wick can be configured to evenly deplete the meltable fuel, while allowing for candles having relatively large and unique body configurations. The body of candle and/or the wick may include scented oil to promote the release of fragrance upon heating. The wick preferably is formed of wood, thereby providing an acoustic contribution to ambiance and improved combustion that generates less soot than conventional cotton wick candles.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a candle, comprising: die cutting a planar material to obtain a wick; placing the wick in a wick holder provided in a mold; and adding a molten fuel to the mold until a portion of the wick extends above a top surface of the molten fuel and an entirety of the wick holder is below the top surface of the molten fuel; wherein: the wick holder comprises: a planar base member having a top surface and a bottom surface; and a support provided on the planar base member so that at least a portion of the support extends substantially vertically from the top surface of the planar base; the wick comprises a planar member; the wick has a height dimension, a width dimension, and a thickness dimension; the height dimension is greater than the width dimension and extends from a base of the candle to a top surface of the body of molten fuel; the width dimension is greater than the thickness dimension; the planar member comprises a wood, semi-wood, or wood-like material; and the wick comprises a further layer comprising at least one of a nonwoven fibrous material, cotton, a cotton-like material, plant, plant-like material, wood, and a wood-like material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the wick in the wick holder comprises placing multiple wicks in multiple wick holders.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the support comprises two separate vertical plates spaced apart to accommodate the wick.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wick is held by the support so that a bottom edge of the wick is held above a bottom surface of the candle.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the multiple wicks differ in dimension.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the planar member comprises generally straight grains extending substantially in the height dimension.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the planar member has a moisture content of from 6 to 8 percent.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the wick comprises wood particles that have been adhered, bonded, or pressed together.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the wick has a size and shape as viewed from the side to provide even depletion of the fuel throughout the life of the candle when the candle has a variable width.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the wick comprises a fiberboard material.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the wick is configured so that, when viewed from above, the wick has a substantially circular shape.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the wick is configured so that, when viewed from above, the wick comprises a curved portion.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the wick is configured so that, when viewed from above, the wick has an arc shape, a circle shape, a square shape, a heart shape, or an alphanumeric shape.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the wick comprises multiple planar members adhered together.

15. A method of manufacturing a candle, comprising: printing on a surface of a wick; placing the wick in a wick holder provided in a mold; and adding a molten fuel to the mold until a portion of the wick extends above a top surface of the molten fuel and an entirety of the wick holder is below the top surface of the molten fuel; wherein: the wick holder comprises: a planar base member having a top surface and a bottom surface; and a support provided on the planar base member so that at least a portion of the support extends substantially vertically from the top surface of the planar base; the wick comprises a planar member; the wick has a height dimension, a width dimension, and a thickness dimension; the height dimension is greater than the width dimension and extends from a base of the candle to a top surface of the body of molten fuel; the width dimension is greater than the thickness dimension; the planar member comprises a wood, semi-wood, or wood-like material; and the wick comprises a further layer comprising at least one of a nonwoven fibrous material, cotton, a cotton-like material, plant, plant-like material, wood, and a wood-like material.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein placing the wick in the wick holder comprises placing multiple wicks in multiple wick holders.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the multiple wicks differ in dimension.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the support comprises two separate vertical plates spaced apart to accommodate the wick.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the wick is held by the support so that a bottom edge of the wick is held above a bottom surface of the candle.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the planar member comprises generally straight grains extending substantially in the height dimension.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the wick comprises wood particles that have been adhered, bonded, or pressed together.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the wick has a size and shape as viewed from the side to provide even depletion of the fuel throughout the life of the candle when the candle has a variable width.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the wick comprises multiple planar members.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the wick comprises multiple planar members adhered together.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the wick comprises a fiberboard material.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the wick is configured so that, when viewed from above, the wick has a substantially circular shape.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein the wick is configured so that, when viewed from above, the wick comprises a curved portion.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the wick is configured so that, when viewed from above, the wick has an arc shape, a circle shape, a square shape, a heart shape, or an alphanumeric shape.

29. A method of manufacturing a candle, comprising: bleaching or dying a wick; placing the wick in a wick holder provided in a mold; and adding a molten fuel to the mold until a portion of the wick extends above a top surface of the molten fuel and an entirety of the wick holder is below the top surface of the molten fuel; wherein: the wick holder comprises: a planar base member having a top surface and a bottom surface; and a support provided on the planar base member so that at least a portion of the support extends substantially vertically from the top surface of the planar base; the wick has a height dimension, a width dimension, and a thickness dimension; the height dimension is greater than the width dimension and extends from a base of the candle to a top surface of the body of molten fuel; the width dimension is greater than the thickness dimension of each member; the wick comprises a wood, semi-wood, or wood-like material; and the wick comprises a further layer comprising at least one of a nonwoven fibrous material, cotton, a cotton-like material, plant, plant-like material, wood, and a wood-like material.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein placing the wick in the wick holder comprises placing multiple wicks in multiple wick holders.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the multiple wicks differ in dimension.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the support comprises two separate vertical plates spaced apart to accommodate the wick.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the wick is held by the support so that a bottom edge of the wick is held above a bottom surface of the candle.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the wick comprises generally straight grains extending substantially in the height dimension.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the wick comprises wood particles that have been adhered, bonded, or pressed together.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the wick has a size and shape as viewed from the side to provide even depletion of the fuel throughout the life of the candle when the candle has a variable width.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein the wick comprises plural members adhered together.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein the wick comprises a fiberboard material.

39. The method of claim 29, wherein the wick is configured so that, when viewed from above, the wick has a substantially circular shape.

40. The method of claim 29, wherein the wick is configured so that, when viewed from above, the wick comprises a curved portion.

41. The method of claim 29, wherein the wick is configured so that, when viewed from above, the wick has an arc shape, a circle shape, a square shape, a heart shape, or an alphanumeric shape.

42. The method of claim 1, wherein die cutting a planar material comprises die cutting a wood veneer.

43. The method of claim 1, wherein: the thickness dimension of the wick is 0.019 to 0.23 inches; the wick comprises cellulose and lignin; the wick comprises generally straight grains and the fuel flows substantially in the height dimension through the wick when the candle is lit; and the candle emits an acoustic crackling sound when lit.

44. The method of claim 15, wherein: the thickness dimension of the wick is 0.019 to 0.23 inches; the wick comprises cellulose and lignin; the wick comprises generally straight grains and the fuel flows substantially in the height dimension through the wick when the candle is lit; and the candle emits an acoustic crackling sound when lit.

45. The method of claim 29, wherein: the thickness dimension of the wick is 0.019 to 0.23 inches; the wick comprises cellulose and lignin; the wick comprises generally straight grains and the fuel flows substantially in the height dimension through the wick when the candle is lit; and the candle emits an acoustic crackling sound when lit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a candle in accordance with the present invention, the candle having a planar wick;

(3) FIG. 2 is a cross-section view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1, the candle having a wick holder;

(4) FIG. 3 is a plan view of the wick holder of the candle of FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of another preferred embodiment of a candle in accordance with the invention, depicting a body having zones of different melting points;

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of a candle in accordance with the invention, depicting a body having an asymmetric configuration;

(7) FIG. 6 is an exploded view showing candle-making equipment of the present invention;

(8) FIG. 7 is a front view of an alternative holding device of the equipment of FIG. 6;

(9) FIG. 8 shows a first process step using the assembled equipment of FIG. 8;

(10) FIG. 9 shows a second process step of the present invention;

(11) FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional view showing the wick sustain device of FIG. 9 in position in the candle;

(12) FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the wick sustain device of FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrated in isolation;

(13) FIG. 12 is a top view thereof;

(14) FIG. 13 is a side view thereof;

(15) FIG. 14 is a bottom view thereof;

(16) FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 15-15 of FIG. 12;

(17) FIG. 16 is a schematic perspective view of exemplary wick according to the present invention;

(18) FIG. 17 is a schematic perspective view of exemplary candle according to the present invention;

(19) FIG. 18 is a schematic perspective view of exemplary candle according to the present invention;

(20) FIG. 19 is a schematic perspective view of exemplary candle according to the present invention; and

(21) FIG. 20 is a schematic perspective view of exemplary wick according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(22) With reference to the illustrative drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a candle shown generally at 100 having a body 120 of a meltable fuel and a planar wick 140. When lit, the candle 100 provides a unique flame formation usable in a variety of decorative applications. Optionally, the candle body 120 and/or the wick 140 may include scented oil to promote the release of fragrance upon heating, may be bleached, dyed or printed on for decor, and can be configured to provide an acoustic contribution to ambiance.

(23) The material and thickness of the wick 140 are selected to promote the candle's functionality as well as the candle's contributions to ambiance. In a presently preferred embodiment, the wick 140 is made of wood, semi-wood or wood-like material and, when lit, provides a pleasant crackling sound and burns more thoroughly with less carbon heading and sooting than conventional wicks. Processed wood materials such as particleboard and fiberboard may also be used. Overall, woods having relatively straight, condensed grains and without checking make effective wicks. In contrast to traditional wicks, which require periodic trimming, maintenance of wood wicks can be performed with or without any tools. Rather, burned edges of wood wicks can be removed with the user's fingers, before relighting.

(24) Empirical testing has shown that woods such as poplar, cherry, maple, wenge, oak, rosewood, and bamboo are effective with both paraffin-based and vegetable oil-based waxes, and are effective when used in conjunction with waxes having melting points between one hundred and ten degrees and one hundred and ninety degrees Fahrenheit. For example, a wick formed of cherry wood having a thickness between 1/53 inch and inch, used in a body of a paraffin or vegetable oil-based wax provides an even burn and a pleasant crackling sound. Hard non-brittle, tight grain woods work best. And cherry is preferred over other species of wood for some applications because its higher oil content gives it more of a desirable crackling sound when burning. Although testing has shown that some woods, such as walnut, ash, birch, pearwood, sapele, pommele, zebrawood, lacewood, mahogany, pine, teak, ebony, and various burls, are not as effective, these woods are still within the scope of the invention. Woods having a moisture level of less than about six percent have been found to work, but moisture contents of between ten and twelve percent are preferred.

(25) The wick 140 can have thicknesses of 0.019-0.028 inch, and widths of to three inches are the safest. The wick height depends on the candle height and for example can be inch to six feet. Wick dimensions can relate to the type of wax used. While wicks for paraffin candles will be thinner and narrower (approximately 0.019-0.023 inch), wicks for vegetable-based waxes will be thicker (approximately 0.023-0.028 inch). Palm and soy are the main components of vegetable-based waxes. It is also within the scope of the invention to use a paraffin-vegetable-based wax mixture. The wax, fragrance and dye used can all affect the desired wick dimensions. However, as an example for a three-inch diameter candle, a - inch wide wick can be used.

(26) One way of forming the wood wicks is to have traditional manufacturers of wood veneers for doors, windows and the like, cut the veneers in a certain way. They are then die cut to a specific size, and pressed and dried as needed, since if the wood wick is too moist it may not produce a consistent flame. A moisture content of eight to twenty percent is preferred.

(27) Cotton or cotton-like materials can be incorporated into the wood wick construction. An exemplary wick 800, as shown in FIG. 16, is prepared by sandwiching a piece of cotton 803 between the sheets of wood 801, 805 and sealing the sandwiched construction with wax. Another example is to make a wood particle/powder fiberboard with small bits of cotton incorporated therein.

(28) With continued reference to FIG. 1, the wick 140 is generally straight, as viewed from above the candle and is relatively thin and pliable. In other embodiments, the wick 140 may be configured in various shapes, bent or straight, as desired and shown in FIGS. 17 and 18. For instance, the wick can be configured, in any decorative shape as viewed from the top, such as an arc, circle, square, triangle, heart, or an alphanumeric shape (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18). Also, the size and shape of the wick are selected to provide even depletion of the meltable material throughout the life of the candle 100, even for unique body configurations (see FIG. 5). For example, the wick of a free-standing candle is sized to create a pool of wax that reaches within to inch from the edge of the body 120. Beneficially, the planar wick 140 allows for a larger candle that depletes evenly. As shown in FIG. 19, each candle 100 can have one or more wicks 120 configured in the shape of a sheet. Optionally, the wick 140 can be soaked in scented oil to promote the release of fragrance when burning, or can be bleached, dyed and printed on (as shown in FIG. 20) for decor.

(29) Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the candle 100 further includes a wick holder 160 that aids both in the manufacture and use of the candle. The wick holder has a base 180 and a support 200 for receiving the wick. The wick holder can be configured to hold a wood wick upright independent of the body 120. In this embodiment, the base 180 has a width W1 of about 0.05 inch and the support 200 has a width W2 of about 0.09 inch. The support defines a spacing 220 of about 0.02 inch for receiving the wick.

(30) With reference now to FIG. 4, the body 120 can be formed to have regions with different melting points. In this embodiment, the body has an inner core 220 of a first melting point and an outer core 240 of a second melting point. The inner core melting point may be in the region of two hundred to two hundred and forty degrees Fahrenheit, and the external region melting point may be between one hundred and twenty and one hundred and sixty degrees Fahrenheit. Although, the preferred melting point of inner core is between one hundred and forty to one hundred and sixty degrees Fahrenheit and the outer core is between one hundred and twenty-five and one hundred and thirty-five degrees Fahrenheit. This may avoid the external appearance of cracks in the candle. In a preferred embodiment, the inner core 220 has a width W of at least 1.5 inches to ensure that the heat of the wick 120 does not promote the fast melting of the external region 140. The external region may have a thickness of at least one inch.

(31) The wick 120 should be positioned accurately in the desired location. If it leans to one side on the other as can occur by the tension of the cooling wax, the candle 100 will burn unevenly. To ensure an accurate positioning of the wick 120, unique equipment and manufacturing method have been developed. And the equipment and method can best be understood from FIGS. 6-10, and the discussion below.

(32) Referring thereto it is seen that a centering device 300 is provided which centers an elongate member 320, a flat metal, ceramic or plastic rod, in the candle mold 340. More specifically, the holding device, piece 360 is snap fit via a button in the middle of the centering arms (or wings) 380 to form the centering device 300. The elongate member 320 is inserted down into the holding device 360 and held in place by its resilient fingers 300. The fingers 380 can accommodate elongate members (and thus subsequently wicks) of different widths. An alternative holding device construction is shown in FIG. 7 generally at 400.

(33) On bottom surfaces of the centering arms are a plurality of protrusions, 420 having the same size and spacing on both sides. The protrusions define grooves 440 for fitting onto the rims 460 of molds 346, as can be seen in FIG. 8. The different spaced grooves 440 allow the centering device 300 to be placed on molds 340 of different diameters and still accurately hold and center the elongate member 320 in the mold.

(34) With the centering device 300 in place on the mold 340 and the elongate member (flat rod) 320 centered in the mold as shown in FIG. 8, the desired amount of molten wax 480 is poured into the metal or polyethylene mold 340 around the elongate member 320. The wax 480 is allowed to solidify (which can typically take at least two hours to solidify in a small candle and up to twenty-four hours in a large candle, depending on the type of wax and wax ingredients), and the elongate member 320 pulled out to define a slot 500 in the solidified wax 520, as illustrated in FIG. 9, where the wax is shown removed from the mold. The wick 540 (140) can be dipped or coated with wax before being inserted into the slot 500. This seals the wick 540 so that the dyes and fragrances of the candle wax 540 will not be absorbed into the (porous) wick.

(35) A wick sustain device 600 is press fit into the bottom of the candle with the slot 620 thereof aligned with the candle slot 500 and a label (not shown) can be applied to the candle bottom over the bottom of the wick sustain device 600. The (planar wick) wick 540 is inserted into the slot 500 in the wax down into the slot 620 of the wick sustain device 600, as illustrated in FIG. 10. The wick 540 is thereby consistently straight and accurately positioned. When the candle burns down to a short height, the wick sustain device 600 holds the wick 540 up. The wick 540 should initially extend up between 1/16 to inch, and preferably or 3/16 inch, above the top surface of the candle. If it is too tall, the flame is too high. If it is too short, it is difficult to light. When relighting it, the burnt ash should be removed by hand so that the wood wick 150 extends up about 3/16 inch.

(36) The wick sustain device 600 is shown in isolation in FIGS. 11-15. It is seen to include a round base member 640 and structure 660 secured thereto and defining the upwardly facing wick-receiving slot 620. The structure is essentially two spaced plates 680, 700, one taller than the other so that the wick is easier to install and is held straight upright. The slot 620 is 0.5 inch long, 1.5 inch wide, and 0.35 inch deep, but not limited to these proportions or dimensions. The base member 640 can have a diameter of two inches.

(37) With the wick 540 in place, a finishing stepa topping offcan be conducted. Additional wax can be poured on top of the candle and a heat gun used to smooth it out and put a glaze on it.

(38) Standard cotton wick candles have a tall flame height and a small pool size. So for larger candles, more cotton wicks are used for a single candle. This creates inconsistent wax pool and flame height and does not efficiently use the candle. Thus, with the present invention a single longer wick 540 (e.g., 1 inches for a six inch candle), with a safe flame height, can be used. Due to a cooler burn the candle lasts longer.

(39) It should be appreciated from the foregoing description that the present invention provides candles usable in a variety of decorative applications and having unique flame formations. Optionally, the candle may include scented oil to promote the release of fragrance upon heating and the wick can be made of wood, semi-wood or wood-like material with a straight, vertical grain to provide an acoustic contribution to ambiance when lit. The present invention thus provides a candle having improved combustion, that provides a unique flame formation, that has a wick that is safer, remains rigid throughout its use, improves combustion and that makes an acoustic contribution to ambiance.

(40) From the foregoing detailed description, it will be evident that there are a number of changes, adaptations and modifications of the present invention which come within the province of those skilled in the art. The scope of the invention includes any combination of the elements from the different species or embodiments disclosed herein, as well as subassemblies, assemblies, and methods thereof. However, it is intended that all such variations not departing from the spirit of the invention be considered as within the scope thereof.