Abstract:
The candle wick snuffer is mounted on a baseplate which is at the bottom of the candle. The baseplate carries a swing arm which is released when the temperature rises to critical point in the bottom of the candle. The baseplate may also carry a wick retainer to maintain the correct relative position between the swing arm of the candle wick snuffer and the wick. When the swing arm is released, it pulls the remaining wick down to snuff the candle flame.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE 
   This application relies on prior Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/559,852, filed Apr. 5, 2004, for priority. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Candles have been around for thousands of years. First used fuels were animal fat or tallow and later bees wax, then came the paraffin and vegetable based wax, and now an even newer synthetic polymer type of fuel. For candle fuels to burn, capillary action is employed. A fibrous material or cotton wick draws the liquid fuel up to the flame. Candles have evolved over time, and many additions have been added, such as color, fragrance, oil and novelty objects. The reasons to burn candles other than just for providing light are vast in number. Popularity has increased usage and, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), candles contribute to a high incidence of fires, causing injuries and loss of life as well as property damage in the millions of dollars. 
   The Fire Analysis and Research Division of NFPA reports that home candle fires increased 15 percent from the year 2000 to 2001, and 34 percent of these fires have been shown to be caused by negligence due to unattended, abandoned or inadequately controlled candles. Forgetting to extinguish a burning candle is a problem important enough to be dealt with and seriously remedied. A flame needs fuel and oxygen to survive, and lack of either will extinguish the flame. The end stages of candle burning are the most critical. Typically, as a candle flame burns downward to the bottom of the candle, the fuel is depleted and the wick burns out. In a freestanding candle, where the structure itself is also its fuel, a problem arises when the remaining fuel bottom loses its structure and evolves into a hot molten pool. If not adequately placed on a non-combustible surface, the molten fuel can saturate and ignite the supporting structure, producing a fire. A candle in a container has a different problem due to the fact the fuel&#39;s heat is intensified. If the heat is high enough to substantially vaporize the fuel, an explosive phenomenon known as flashover can occur, whereby it no longer needs a wick to burn. Excessive heat alone can scorch the paint or labels off of metal containers and crack or break glass containers, spilling forth the remaining contents, presenting a fire hazard. 
   All-wax or freestanding candles are usually manufactured in molds with or without retracting center rods, for wicks to be placed after rod withdrawal. Another method of manufacturing is molding fluid fuel into long tubes. A ram device forces the hardening fuel wax out of the die. The rod is cut to length, then center-bored for receiving a wick. A sized wick is then placed in the wick hole and affixed at its bottom with sometimes only a label for holding. Wicks poured in place are still the larger manufacturing method. The difference between whether the wick is placed during or after molding is purely a manufacturing process and has no significant effect on how it burns. The fuel must be fluid when poured into the mold or extrusion tube. Paraffin fuel has a pour temperature of 130 to 150 degrees F. Gel polymer fuel materials have a pour temperature of 160 to 170 degrees F. Some candles are made without a wick anchor. That type of candle must always be placed on a non-combustible surface due to the physical make-up. A burning candle wick with an unsupported bottom can float freely and migrate to an outer wall of the candle when the candle is low. Migration to an outer wall causes burning through and spilling molten fuel and the lit wick, setting the stage for a fire. Wick clips are provided to anchor the bottom of the wick and are typically made of thin metal. They are center-punched and crimped to hold a wick in a vertical, upright position during the manufacturing process. The wick clip is usually attached to the candle by the wax fuel, but sometimes only a bottom label holds it in place. When the candle flame has pooled its remaining fuel at the candle&#39;s bottom, the molten fuel&#39;s heat releases the wick clip from a fixed position. The unrestricted burning wick and clip can move freely within the molten fuel. If the burning wick is adjacent to an outer wall, it becomes a fire hazard. The candle bottom which once had structure is reduced to a molten state, now presenting a potential for fire. 
   Container candles use the same or similar type of wick anchor or clip although some have a longer cylindrical hollow ferrule or neck that is center-formed during manufacture. This keeps the wick from tilting or falling over when the fuel becomes molten during its burn. Containers are made of many non-combustible materials, but metal or glass is usually employed. Thus, there is need for a way in which candle safety can be improved. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   To aid in the understanding of this invention, it can be stated in essentially summary form that it is directed to a candle wick snuffer. The candle wick snuffer is built into the bottom of the candle and comprises a baseplate which may also be the wick anchor plate. The baseplate carries a stressed spring which, when released, swings across the wick to bring the wick down into the molten fuel pool to snuff the flame. The spring is held in the stressed position by a temperature-sensitive adhesive so that the spring is released to cause snuffing when the adhesive reaches a critical temperature. 
   It is a purpose and advantage of the present invention to provide an improved candle wick snuffer which is incorporated into the base of the candle and which snuffs the flame and the wick when the candle fuel gets low. 
   It is another purpose and advantage of this invention to provide a candle wick snuffer which can be incorporated into the candle structure so that, when the candle fuel gets low, the candle wick snuffer is released to snuff the flame in the candle wick. 
   It is a further purpose and advantage of this invention to provide a candle wick snuffer which can be economically employed to increase the safety of candles. 
   It is a further purpose and advantage of this invention to provide a candle wick snuffer which is mounted on a baseplate, which also holds the bottom of the wick. The baseplate carries a stressed spring which is retained by temperature-sensitive adhesive so that, when the candle burns down, rising temperature releases the spring-loaded snuffer to extinguish the flame in the candle wick. 
   Other purposes and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following portion of the specification, the claims and the attached drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side-elevational view of the first preferred embodiment of the candle wick snuffer of this invention, showing the base of the candle in section. 
       FIG. 2  is a plan view thereof, as seen generally along the line  2 — 2  in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged view, as seen generally along the line  3 — 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , showing the candle wick snuffer activated and the wick snuffed. 
       FIG. 5  is an isometric view of the second preferred embodiment of the candle wick snuffer of this invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a side-elevational view thereof, showing the snuffer in stressed position and showing the candle in section. 
       FIG. 7  is a plan view thereof on reduced scale, as seen generally along line  7 — 7  of  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 8  is a side-elevational view thereof with the snuffer in the released position. 
       FIG. 9  is a plan view of a third preferred embodiment of the candle wick snuffer of this invention. 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the baseplate used with the candle wick snuffer of  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 11  is a side-elevational view of the candle, incorporating the candle wick snuffer of  FIG. 9 , with the candle having ample fuel for further burning and the candle wick snuffer in the stressed position. 
       FIG. 12  is a similar view showing the candle fuel burned down and the candle wick snuffer in the actuated position. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Candle  10 , shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 , is formed of a body of solid fuel  12 . At the bottom of the candle  12  is a baseplate  14 , which is seen in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4 . The baseplate has a nose or collar  16  formed thereon, usually by punching up from the bottom. The collar can be of different heights, depending on the method of formation. Furthermore, it may not even be in the form of a collar, but a punchout in the baseplate to which a wick can be attached. The purpose of the collar is to hold the bottom end of wick  18  onto the baseplate, which secures the wick in place. The structure is known in the trade as a “wick sustainer.” The wick may be positioned within the body of the candle by any conventional means, including forming the body around the wick or forming the fuel body, making a hole therethrough and placing the wick in the hole. When the wick is lit, the heat from the flame forms the liquid fuel pool  20 . The liquid fuel moves up the wick by means of capillary action. The liquid vaporizes from the heat of the flame and then burns to maintain the thermal balance. 
   To this conventional candle structure, candle wick snuffer  22  is incorporated. The candle wick snuffer is comprised of a coil spring  24  which has a tail  26  and a sweep arm  28 . The coil spring is mounted on a finger  30 , which is pressed up out of the baseplate. The coil spring is tensioned so that the sweep arm wants to swing in the counterclockwise direction, as seen in  FIG. 4 . The sweep arm is initially retained in the clockwise position shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  by means of temperature-sensitive adhesive  32 . When the baseplate is provided, the sweep arm is in the stressed and armed position shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Thereupon, it is installed on the candle or the candle is formed thereon. In use, the candle is lit and the liquid fuel pool  20  is formed. The solid body of the fuel which forms the principal structure of the candle slowly melts from the heat of the flame, and the pool is fed up the wick to gasify and burn. This consumes the body of the candle. Ultimately, the fuel is melted down to the bottom or close to the bottom. The temperature which melts the body of the fuel is sufficiently high to melt the adhesive  32 . This releases the sweep arm  28  and, due to the stress in the coil spring, the sweep arm  28  swings to the left, as seen in  FIGS. 2 and 4 . The sweep arm engages on the wick and drives it from the upright position to a position where it is quenched within the liquid pool. In this way, the candle is extinguished. 
     FIGS. 6 and 8  show a candle  34  having a fuel body  36 . Wick  38  extends upward through the fuel body, as seen in  FIG. 6 , when the candle still has sufficient fuel to burn. Liquid fuel  39  provides the liquid which wicks up to the top where it vaporizes to burn. At the bottom of the candle, there is a baseplate  40  having a collar  42  which is mounted on the baseplate and extends upward therefrom. The collar may be a separate tube, but is preferably formed by the upward punching of the baseplate. In this embodiment of the invention, the collar serves as the structure by which the spring  44  is mounted on the baseplate  40 . The spring  44  has first and second coil sections  46  and  48  connected by a curve tail  50 . The tail is sized to snap around the collar  42  to hold the spring in place. Swing arm  52  extends from the coil  48  and has a portion radial to the coil  48  and a cross arm  54 , which is crosswise to the wick. The spring is sized and configured so that the cross arm sweeps across the wick  38  when it is released. Prior to release, the cross arm is attached to the top of the baseplate  40  by means of temperature-sensitive adhesive  56 . The temperature-sensitive adhesive melts at about 30 to 60 degrees F. Above the melting temperature of the fuel body of the candle. Therefore, when the fuel body melts and burns down close to the baseplate, the adhesive is released, and the tension in the spring causes the swing arm and cross arm to be released and swung across the position of the wick. The cross arm engages the wick and quenches in the liquid pool, as shown in  FIG. 8 . The swing arm and cross arm are the same as that shown with respect to the spring  44 . Rather than a simple cross arm, if desired, a paddle can be formed on the spring or a paddle can be attached thereto. 
   The candle  60 , shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , also has a fuel body  62 , the same as the candles  10  and  34 . Baseplate  64 , also seen in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , has a collar  66  which serves as an anchor for the wick  68 . In this embodiment, the candle wick snuffer has first and second ears  70  and  72 , which are punched up out of the bottom of the baseplate. The ears extend toward each. Coil spring  74  has its tubular central coil engaged on the ears, as seen in  FIG. 9 . The coil spring includes a tail  76 , which lies against the top of the baseplate. The coil spring has a sweep arm  78 , which has on its end a plurality of cross arms  80 . The cross arms are formed of a spring wire in a zigzag configuration to have a greater effective area. In the spring-stressed, armed position, the cross arms lie against the top of the baseplate and are retained thereon by means of temperature-sensitive adhesive  82 . Instead of a plurality of cross arms, a flat panel can be used. After the candle wick snuffer is assembled, as shown in  FIG. 9 , it is placed into a candle, as shown in  FIG. 11 . When the candle burns down to a point where the temperature-sensitive adhesive releases the sweep arm, the remaining short wick is forced down into the liquid pool to quench the flame. The temperature sensitive adhesive has the same properties as the adhesive  32 . The adhesive melting temperature is above the fuel melting temperature so that melted fuel can be poured thereon during candle manufacture without releasing the swing arm. 
   In each of these three embodiments, a spring is strained and held in place by a temperature-responsive structure. When the candle melts down to a dangerously low position, the temperature releases the structure which releases the swing arm so that the swing arm engages the wick and quenches its flame. In this way, safety is enhanced. 
   This invention has been described in its presently preferred embodiment, and it is clear that it is susceptible to numerous modifications, modes and embodiments within the ability of those skilled in the art and without the exercise of the inventive faculty. Accordingly, the scope of this invention is defined by the scope of the following claims.