A candle-powered aroma generator in a lantern format housing a candle holder within a cylindrical container provided with a translucent shell mounted on a base and having a removable cover thereover whose roof has a central well. Below the bottom of the well is the burning wick of a candle supported in the holder, the candle flame heating the bottom which then functions as a miniature hot plate. Received in the well and resting on the hot plate is a replaceable aroma cartridge within whose cavity is a porous pad that partitions the cavity into upper and lower air chambers. The lower chamber is in heat transfer relation to the hot plate and the upper chamber has a vent therein. The pad is impregnated with a volatile liquid fragrance, and the heated air in the lower chamber produces a positive pressure therein which forces the air through the pad to volatilize the fragrance. The resultant vapor is discharged into the atmosphere through the vent.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
Field of Invention 
This invention relates generally to aroma-generating devices, and more 
particularly to a candle-powered aroma generator in a lantern format using 
a scentless candle, yet providing a choice of scents. 
The history of the candle goes back to the middle ages when candles were 
made by hand. Most modern candles are machine fabricated by a molding 
process which forms a cylindrical mass of tallow or wax having embedded 
therein a twisted linen or cotton wick that burns to emit light. 
The candle continues to play a symbolic role in literature, art and 
religion where the candle is often used to represent joy or reverence for 
the divine. And because the candle spends itself, it also serves to 
symbolize sacrifice. Though the candle is a notoriously weak source of 
light, where a romantic or glamorous setting is called for, as in a posh 
restaurant or at a dinner party, candlelight is preferred over electric 
lights or other more brilliant modern types of illumination. 
To enhance the romantic appeal of candlelight, it is known to use scented 
candles which exude a pleasing fragrance as the candle burns. There are, 
however, a number of drawbacks with conventional scented candles in which 
the perfume oil is dispersed in the wax. There is a loss of perfume after 
prolonged storage; hence the scent, when the candle is burned, may be very 
faint. Moreover, the choice of scents is quite limited, for one needs for 
each distinctive scent a separate candle dedicated thereto. 
Chemists have succeeded in analyzing the essential oils from which natural 
perfumes are made, and in creating thousands of synthetic fragrances, some 
simulating natural products and others yielding altogether new scents. 
While there is an enormous range of available fragrances, including the 
basic fruit and floral scents and various blends of natural and synthetic 
fragrances, one cannot as a practical matter produce scented candles in 
more than a few of the more popular and commonplace scents. A consumer, 
therefore, wishing to create a romantic aura by means of scented candles 
has a very limited selection of candles to choose from. 
Thus, if for a Christmas party one wishes to produce the aroma of a burning 
log fire, there is no scented candle which exudes this special odor. 
SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing, the main object of this invention is to provide a 
candle-powered aroma generator in a lantern format which uses a scentless 
candle to create various aromas. 
A significant feature of the invention is that the aroma is produced by a 
replaceable cartridge heated by the scentless candle, the cartridge being 
capable of producing any known scent depending on the liquid fragrance 
entrapped therein. Thus the user has available a large selection of 
different scents to choose from. 
More particularly, an object of this invention is to provide an aroma 
generator in the form of a lantern which protectively houses the candle 
and serves both as a source of illumination and scent. 
Briefly stated, these objects are attained by a candle-powered aroma 
generator in a lantern format housing a candle holder within a cylindrical 
container provided with a translucent shell mounted on a base and having a 
removable cover thereover whose roof has a central well. Below the bottom 
of the well is the burning wick of a candle supported in the holder, the 
candle flame heating the bottom which then functions as a miniature hot 
plate. Received in the well and resting on the hot plate is a replaceable 
aroma cartridge within whose cavity is a porous pad that partitions the 
cavity into upper and lower air chambers. The lower chamber is in heat 
transfer relation to the hot plate and the upper chamber has a vent 
therein. The pad is impregnated with a volatile liquid fragrance, and the 
heated air in the lower chamber produces a positive pressure therein which 
forces the air through the pad to volatilize the fragrance. The resultant 
vapor is discharged into the atmosphere through the vent.

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, an aroma generator in a lantern format in 
accordance with the invention includes a cylindrical hollow base 10 having 
a circumferential array of vent holes 11 therein, the open top of the base 
having a circular rim 12. 
Seated on rim 12 of the base is a cylindrical shell 13 of translucent glass 
or synthetic plastic material such as acrylic whose surface may be incised 
to form a decorative pattern. Supported on the upper end of shell 13 is a 
removable metal cover 14 having a circular lower apron 15. This apron is 
received in an annular shoulder formed on the upper end of shell 13, the 
apron having a circumferential series of vent holes 16 therein. 
Apron 15 of cover 14 is joined to a dome-like roof 17 whose central zone is 
depressed to define a circular well 18. Fitting into this well is a 
removable cap 19 whose roof is provided with an array of vent holes 20. 
Mounted on the floor of base 10 are the feet of a candle holder 21 whose 
raised cylindrical cup 22 is coaxial with cylindrical shell 13. Seated in 
cup 22 is a standard scentless candle 23 having about the same diameter as 
the cup. The candle has a wick 24 which burns to produce a candle flame 
25. 
Candle flame 25, when the candle is fresh, is just below the bottom of well 
18 which then functions as a miniature hot plate 26; and as the candle 
proceeds to burn and consume wax, the flame position descends, but the 
rising heat therefrom continues to heat the hot plate. 
Nested in the well is a replaceable aroma cartridge 27. As shown in FIGS. 3 
and 4, this cartridge is constituted by a cylindrical drum or wafer formed 
of metal foil or other suitable material of good heating conductivity, 
whose base 28 is preferably corrugated to enlarge its effective heat 
transfer area. The top wall 29 of the cartridge is provided with a center 
vent hole 30. 
The internal cavity of the cartridge is partitioned by a disc-shaped pad 31 
formed of porous material such as blotting paper, open-cell foam plastic 
or non-woven fabric, into a lower air chamber 32 and an upper air chamber 
33. 
Pad 31 is impregnated with a volatilize liquid fragrance and may have a 
fruit scent, a flower scent or any other natural or synthetic scent. Thus 
one may provide aroma cartridges in a great variety of fragrances so that 
the user can select therefrom whichever fragrance is appropriate to a 
given occasion. The invention is not limited to pleasing scents, and 
includes liquids functioning as deodorizers or as insect repellents. 
When a selected cartridge 27 is nested in well 18 and the cap 19 is seated 
therein to conceal the cartridge, heat from the hot plate 26 is 
transferred into the lower air chamber 32 of the cartridge. Since the air 
in the chamber is confined by the pad 31 and it expands when heated, the 
resultant positive pressure causes hot air from the lower chamber to force 
its way through the porous pad to volantilize the liquid fragrance and 
produce a scented vapor, this vapor is discharged into the atmosphere 
through vent hole 30 in the cartridge. 
Because there are vent holes 11 in the base of the container and vent holes 
16 in the cover thereof, the container acts as a chimney to create a 
continuous upward flow of air which promotes burning of the candle. Thus 
the lantern not only protects the candle, but it also provides pleasing 
candlelight and at the same time exudes a pleasing aroma. 
Cartridge 27 may be provided with a removable sticker to seal vent hole 30 
when the cartridge is being stored so that it has a long storage life. In 
practice, the consumer may be provided with a large pack of miniature 
cartridges, each having a different scent. In this way the consumer may 
select any desired scent; and when a cartridge is exhausted, the consumer 
may replace the dead cartridge with a fresh cartridge. Because cover 14 is 
removable, when the candle is spent it may be replaced. 
While there has been shown and described a preferred embodiment of 
CANDLE-POWERED AROMA GENERATOR, it will be appreciated that many changes 
and modifications may be made therein without, however, departing from the 
essential spirit thereof. Thus instead of placing the cartridge in the hot 
plate of a candle-powered lantern, it may be placed on other forms of hot 
plates, even those electrically energized. And instead of a wax candle, 
one may use a liquid oil candle floating in a glass of water. Also, the 
cartridges may be in tab form of a perforated sheet containing an array of 
tabs, making it possible to tear off a tab from the sheet. Also, should 
one run out of cartridges, one can pour perfume into the well to form a 
pool thereof which is volatilized by the hot plate.