Abstract:
A method is disclosed for forming a candle having the steps of providing a mold device having a unitary, one piece, seamless body capable of being used as a stand alone device having a hollow, three-dimensional shape with at least one opening therein; the body being made from a uniform material which is malleably reusable and capable of flexation during demolding, and which returns to its original shape after each demolding via shape memory, and having an axis extending vertically there through, wherein the body yields a seamless product; populating the mold with the desired candle material and volume thereof; and separating the mold from about the candle by peeling back the mold.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority because it is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/104,336 filed on 12 Apr. 2005 which has been allowed as of 26 Jan. 2010, the contents are hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to a candle mold apparatus, which enables greater design options, in particular, a device that offers greater design options of a candle by simplifying the fabrication device and fabrication process(es). 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention is directed to a method of forming a candle via a mold device having a primary objective of enabling greater design options via a simplified fabrication device and fabrication process. 
         [0004]    Another objective of the present disclosure includes providing a method of forming a candle via a mold design that provides extended life expectancy of the mold. 
         [0005]    A still further objective of the present disclosure includes providing a method of forming a candle via a mold design that provides increased performance, reliability, and tighter tolerances of the mold, thereby yielding a superior quality product and product yield. 
         [0006]    An additional objective of the present disclosure includes providing a method of forming a candle via a mold design that provides streamlined fabrication process(es) thereby maximizing profits by minimizing labour hours and/or material expenses. 
         [0007]    Another objective of the present disclosure includes providing a method of forming a candle via a mold design that is sufficiently versatile at least to the extent that the mold may be interchangeably used as a stand alone unit and/or as a removable reusable liner within a preexisting mold. 
         [0008]    In order to accomplish the foregoing objectives, inter alia, it is preferred that the method of forming a candle via mold device include a mold device comprising a body having a hollow, three-dimensional shape with at least one opening therein; said body being made from a material having a malleable characteristic, e.g. shape memory, and having an axis extending vertically there through. 
         [0009]    Other objectives, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The following drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts, are provided for illustration of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention in any manner whatsoever. 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  depicts an isometric cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2A  depicts a front cross-sectional view ( 2 A- 2 A) of the preferred embodiment; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2B  depicts top view of the preferred embodiment; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2C  depicts an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of  FIG. 2A  of the preferred embodiment; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3A  depicts a top view of an alternative embodiment; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3B  depicts a front cross-sectional view ( 3 B- 3 B) of an alternative embodiment; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3C  depicts an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of  FIG. 3A  of the preferred embodiment; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 3D  depicts isometric view of an alternative embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    The following descriptions of the preferred embodiments are presented to illustrate the present invention and are not to be construed to limit the claims in any manner whatsoever. In reference to the drawings, namely  FIGS. 1 to 2C , a preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed, which is directed to a method of forming a candle via a mold device  1  comprising a body  10  having a hollow, three-dimensional shape  12  with at least one opening  14  therein. The body  10  being made from a material having a malleable characteristic, e.g., shape memory, and having an axis  16  extending vertically therethrough. The size of said opening  14  is dependent on at least two factors and the relationship therebetween, first, the malleability of the material, e.g., how far the material can stretch to permit removal of a candle from the mold  1  and thereafter return to its 1 original shape  12  for reuse (i.e., durometer rating), and the second factor, namely, the widest diameter of the body of the candle to pass through the opening  14  of the mold  1 . For example, the greater the elasticity/malleability of the material, the smaller the opening  14  can be in relation to the widest diameter of the candle that needs to pass through the opening. 
         [0020]    The shape  12  of the body  10  can be, inter alia, any of the following, taken either alone or in combination, namely conical, cylindrical, pyramidal, spherical, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, and octagonal in design, although any shape may be incorporated herein. The inner surface  18  of said body  10  is, optionally, topographically contoured  20 ; for example, the inner surface  18  can be embossed, engraved, and/or etched, either alone or in combination. Moreover, it is envisioned that such topography  20  may include alpha and/or numeric characters, furthermore, it is additionally envisioned that any type of characters and/or design may be incorporated either alone or in combination therewith. The inner surface  18  of said body  10  is, optionally, topographically contoured  20  having a tolerance  22  with an upper limit of about five hundred (500) thousands of an inch; the inner surface  18  of said body  10  is, optionally, topographically contoured  20  having a tolerance  22  range of about thirty (30) to three hundred seventy five (375) thousands of an inch; the inner surface  16  of said body  10  is, optionally, topographically contoured  20  having a tolerance  22  range of about thirty (30) to two hundred fifty (250) thousands of an inch. 
         [0021]    The body  10  is unitary, e.g., one piece, and has an outer surface  24  that is substantially smooth  26 . The mold  1  device is versatile at least to the extent that it may be deployed either alone as a stand alone unit (as shown), or it may be deployed in conjunction with a preexisting metal candle mold (not shown). For example, the mold  1  is designed to retro fit and be inserted into a metal candle mold, hence the outer surface  24  permits the mold  1  to reuseably and removably slide into the metal mold as a liner therein; hence the significance of a substantially smooth  26  outer surface  24  in the later deployment. Furthermore, the material is selected from the group consisting of: nitrile, flouroelastomer, natural, and neoprene rubber, although it is envisioned that other materials may be utilized providing these other materials exhibit the necessary characteristics set forth herein; additionally, the material has a high sheer tolerance and is chemically inert. The unitary mold device  1  includes a hollow elongated malleable body  10  having a thickness  28  and wherein said body  10  includes an axis  14  extending therethrough. The body  10  further being enclosed on a first end  30 , wherein at least a portion  32  of the inner surface  18  of said body  10  is topographically contoured  20  and/or is partially non-smooth. The depth and height of said portion  32  has an upper limit of about five hundred (500) thousands of an inch; as does the thickness  28  has an upper limit of about five hundred (500) thousands of an inch. 
         [0022]    The inner surface  18  includes reusable means  50  for releaseably receiving and positioning a wick stand (not shown), wherein said means  50  has a center  52 ; wherein said means  50  includes a protrusion  54 , having a proximal and distal end, wherein the proximal end is cooperatively connected to said inner surface  18 , said distal end extending substantially parallel to the axis  14 ; wherein said center  52  is substantially located on said axis  14 . The protrusion  54  includes a lip  56  extending substantially radially inward from the distal end of said protrusion  54  towards the axis  16 . Alternatively, the reusable means  50  may be a recess (not shown) depending on the desired model specification, in either case, the means  50  functions to, inter alia, position and releaseably hold the wick clip assembly in position. 
         [0023]    In order to assist one in the understanding of the operation of the present invention  1 , it would be advantageous to consider a method of use in practice. In the preferred embodiment, once the mold  1  has been fabricated having the desired specifications, for example, height, width, depth, shape  12 , volume, and topography  20 , the mold  1  is positioned with the opening  14  oriented upward. Thereafter, a wick clip assembly having preferably a zinc core cotton wick extending upwardly from a base can be inserted into the reusable means  50  for releasably receiving and positioning the wick stand/base. More particularly, the reusable means  50  is either a protrusion  54  as set forth and described above or a recess (not shown), depending on the desired model specification, in either case, the means  50  functions to, inter alia, position and releasably hold the wick clip assembly in position during the pouring and curing of the candle. Once inserted, the candle material is poured into the mold  1  to the desired volume/level, and the distal end of the wick may optionally be repositioned, during and/or after the pouring, to the desired position (i.e., centered vs. non-centered), whereafter the candle is set aside to cure. Once cured, the mold  1  is removed from about the candle wherein the reusable means  50  releases the base of the wick clip assembly with minimal pressure so as not to (i) separate the wick from the base (ii) damage the candle nor (iii) compromise the integrity between the wick clip assembly and the candle itself. Moreover, concurrently, the mold  1  is quasi-delicately removed from any topographical contours  20  so as not to damage the cured contours of the candle (finished product). 
         [0024]    Furthermore, should the deployment encompass the use of mold device  1  as a liner, then there would be an additional step of inserting the mold device  1  into the metal candle mold (not shown); as well as the additional step of removing the mold device  1  as a liner from the metal candle mold prior to removing the mold  1  from the cured candle. In this embodiment, the mold device  1  because it is malleable, the shape of the candle mold, for example, a concave base portion or meniscus shape of the metal candle mold will be substantially transferred to the candle, as the mold device  1  substantially conforms to the shape of the metal mold. 
         [0025]    An alternative embodiment is disclosed in FIGS.  3 A to  3 C., wherein a plurality of bodies  108  are cooperatively interconnected together so as to form a tray, wherein said bodies  110  are substantially in the same plane, wherein each body  110  having a hollow, three-dimensional shape  112  with at least one opening  114  therein; said body  110  being made from a material having a malleable characteristic, and having an axis  116  extending vertically there through, wherein each axis  116  is substantially parallel. The inner surface  118  of said body  110  is, optionally, topographically contoured  120 , having a tolerance  122  with an upper limit of about five hundred (500) thousands of an inch, and wherein the overall thickness of each body has an upper limit of about five-hundred (500) thousands of an inch; although it is envisioned that the overall thickness may approach one inch, depending, inter alia, on the desired depth of the impression on the candle. 
         [0026]    The shape  112  of the body  110  can be, inter alia, any of the following, taken either alone or in combination, namely conical, cylindrical, pyramidal, spherical, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, and octagonal in design, although any shape may be incorporated herein. The inner surface  118  of said body  110  is, optionally, topographically contoured  120 ; for example, the inner surface  118  can be embossed, engraved, and/or etched, either alone or in combination. Moreover, it is envisioned that such topography  120  may include alpha and/or numeric characters, furthermore, it is additionally envisioned that any type of characters and/or design may be incorporated either alone or in combination therewith. The inner surface  118  of said body  110  is, optionally, topographically contoured  120  having a tolerance  122  with an upper limit of about five hundred (500) thousands of an inch; the inner surface  118  of said body  110  is, optionally, topographically contoured  120  having a tolerance  122  range of about thirty (30) to three hundred seventy five (375) thousands of an inch; the inner surface  116  of said body  110  is, optionally, topographically contoured  120  having a tolerance  122  range of about thirty (30) to two hundred fifty (250) thousands of an inch. 
         [0027]    The body  110  is unitary e.g., one piece, and has an outer surface  124  that is substantially smooth  126 . The mold  1  device is versatile at least to the extent that it may be deployed either alone as a stand alone unit (as shown), or it may be deployed in conjunction with a preexisting metal candle mold (not shown). For example, the mold  1  is designed to retro fit and be inserted into a metal candle mold, hence the outer surface  124  permits the mold  1  to reuseably and removably slide into the metal mold as a liner therein; hence the significance of a substantially smooth  126  outer surface  124  in the later deployment. Furthermore, the material is selected from the group consisting of: nitrile, flouroelastomer, natural, and neoprene rubber, although it is envisioned that other materials may be utilized providing these other materials exhibit the necessary characteristics set forth herein; additionally, the material has a high sheer tolerance and is chemically inert. The unitary mold device  1  includes a hollow elongated malleable body  110  having a thickness  128  and wherein said body  110  includes an axis  114  extending therethrough. The body  110  further being enclosed on a first end  130 , wherein at least a portion  132  of the inner surface  118  of said body  110  is topographically contoured  120  and/or is partially non-smooth. The depth and height of said portion  132  has an upper limit of about five hundred (500) thousands of an inch; as does the thickness  128  has an upper limit of about five hundred (500) thousands of an inch. 
         [0028]    The inner surface  118  includes a reusable means  150  for releasably positioning a wick stand (not shown), wherein said means  150  has a center  152 ; wherein said means  150  includes a protrusion  154 , having a proximal and distal end, the proximal end is cooperatively connected to said inner surface  118 , said distal end extending substantially parallel to the axis  116 ; said center  152  is substantially located on said axis  116 ; and said protrusion  154  includes a lip  156  extending substantially radially inward from the distal end of said protrusion  154  for grasping a base of a wick clip assembly (not shown). Alternatively, the reusable means  150  may be a recess (not shown) depending on the desired model specification, in either case, the means  150  functions to, inter alia, position and releaseably hold the wick clip assembly in position. 
         [0029]    All of the above referenced patents; patent applications and publications are hereby incorporated by reference. Many variations of the present invention will suggest themselves to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above detailed description. All such obvious modifications are within the full-intended spirit and scope of the claims of the present application both literally and in equivalents recognized at law.