Patent ID: 11925732
Assignee: THE YANKEE CANDLE COMPANY, INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 6:
7. A method for adjustably heating a compound to disperse the compound by volatilization wherein the compound is delivered to a wick and exposed to a heat source, comprising the steps of:
providing a heat source including:
a curvilinear first heating element, the first heating element including a first end and a second end;
a curvilinear second heating element, the second heating element including a first end and a second end;
wherein the first and second heating elements cooperate to form a heating chamber within which the wick is positioned;
a first movement enabling structure associated with the first heating element;
a second movement enabling structure associated with the second heating element;
the first and second movement enabling structures being configured to allow movement of the first and second heating elements relative to one another;
an adjustment mechanism in mechanical communication with and cooperating with the first and second movement enabling structures, and the first and second movement enabling structures in communication with and cooperating with the first and second heating elements, to produce selective relative movement of the first and second heating elements; and
wherein movement of the adjustment mechanism in a first direction produces relative movement of each of the first and second heating elements toward one another and wherein movement of the adjustment mechanism in a second direction produces relative movement of each of the first and second heating elements away from one another;

positioning the wick within the heating chamber; and
adjusting an amount of heat within the heating chamber by moving the adjustment mechanism in at least one of the first direction and second direction;
wherein movement of the adjustment mechanism in the first direction causes the first end of the first heating element and the first end of the second heating element to contact one another, and the second end of the first heating element and the second end of the second heating element to contact one another to form the heating chamber such that the heating chamber completely surrounds a perimeter of the wick; and
wherein movement of the adjustment mechanism in the second direction causes the heating chamber to open such that it does not completely surround the perimeter of the wick.