Abstract:
The present invention is an adaptation of the common container candle. The container lid is formed so as to allow it to lay flat when turned on its crown. The base of the container lid contains a recess into which a candle is either formed or inserted in such a manner that when the lid is resting on its crown, the exposed wick of the lid candle rises vertically from the candle matrix. When the lid is engaged with the container, the exposed wick projects towards the container candle.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/890,827 filed on Feb. 20, 2007. This application relates to an candle stored within the lid of a jar candle. The entire disclosure contained in U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/890,827 including the attachments thereto, are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to candles, more specifically to scented candles, and most specifically to a packaging system for scented candles wherein one candle is stored in the lid of the storage container and one candle is stored in the storage container itself. 
         [0004]    2. Problems in the Art 
         [0005]    Candles have long been employed for light, aesthetics, and aromatherapy. Aromatherapy involves the delivery of various scents released from the candle matrix as the candle wax melts and the scented materials within are released. The candle matrix is the waxy material that is formed of the wax and any materials disposed therein. There are several types of candles that are commonly described by their method of formation. The general types are container candles, pillared candles, and tapered candles. 
         [0006]    Tapered candles are typically formed by the repeated dipping of a wick into the molten candle matrix. As the first layer adhered to the wick cools the wick is re-dipped. This procedure is repeated until the desired candle is formed. 
         [0007]    Pillared candles are typically formed by using a removable mold in the formation of the candle. The candle matrix is poured into the wick containing mold while molten. The mold is removed once the candle matrix cools and hardens. 
         [0008]    Container candles are poured into the housing in which they will remain during use. Typically this container is glass, so as to allow light from the flame to illuminate the immediate area surrounding the candle. Molten candle matrix is poured into a container, typically a jar, in which a wick has been placed. These containers often utilize lids or caps that act to retain the scent by preventing the continuous release of the scented material from the exposed surface of the candle. An uncapped and exposed scented candle will lose some of its scented material because of the vapor pressure differential. This can be controlled by sealing off the candle from the environment when not in use. 
         [0009]    Container candle lids can serve additional purposes. They have been used as snuffers as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 2005/0079466 by Thune et al. (Pub. Apr. 14, 2005). The Thune application describes using the candle container lid as having vents that may be closed to starve the candle of oxygen. 
         [0010]    The only know instance of prior art wherein a container lid is utilized to “hold” a candle is evidenced in U.S. Pat. No. 6,869,200 by James P. Graham (Mar. 22, 2005). The &#39;200 patent describes a wire candle holder designed to pierce the cap of a pumpkin that has been formed into a decorative jack-o-lantern. The wire candle holder suspends the candle from the pumpkin cap in a right-side manner rather than inverted as in the present invention. It is also not disclosed or feasible to invert the pumpkin cap to have the cap itself act as the candle holder or base. Additionally, the candle is not stored within the cap, just suspended from it. 
         [0011]    No prior art is known to the applicant or his attorney that suggests using the candle housing lid, or cap, itself to store one or more candles within a candle holding chamber or to store a candle upside down within a jar lid that, when inverted, acts as a candle holder. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    The present invention is an adaptation of the common container candle. The container lid is formed so as to allow it to lay flat when turned on its crown. The base of the container lid contains a recess into which a candle is either formed or inserted in such a manner that when the lid is resting on its crown, the exposed wick of the lid candle rises vertically from the candle matrix. When the lid is engaged with the container, the exposed wick projects towards the container candle. 
         [0013]    It is an object of the invention to provide novel packaging for two or more candles within the same container utilizing the dead space within the lid. 
         [0014]    It is a further object of the invention to provide the aforementioned novel packaging for scented candles. 
         [0015]    It is a further object of the invention to provide the novel packaging for two or more scented candles whose scents compliment each other. 
         [0016]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a container candle lid capable of receiving a candle insert which can be removed and replaced with another insert either upon end of the useful life of the lid candle or simply at the discretion of the user. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1   a  depicts a perspective view of the assembled preferred embodiment. 
           [0018]      FIG. 1   b  depicts a perspective view of the disassembled preferred embodiment. 
           [0019]      FIG. 1   c  depicts a cross-sectional view of the lid engaged with the housing. 
           [0020]      FIG. 1   d  depicts a perspective view of the disassembled preferred embodiment in use 
           [0021]      FIG. 2   a  depicts a perspective view of the disassembled preferred embodiment and an intermediate seal between the lid candle and the housing. 
           [0022]      FIG. 2   b  depicts a cross-sectional view of the lid engaged with the housing with the intermediate seal in place. 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  depicts a perspective view of the disassembled preferred embodiment with the lid candle removed. 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  depicts a perspective view of a disassembled alternative embodiment with the lid sectioned into two chambers containing two candles. 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  depicts a perspective view of a disassembled alternative embodiment with the lid candle removed and an intermediate candle disposed between the lid candle and the housing. 
           [0026]      FIG. 6   a  depicts an alternative embodiment wherein the lid is a storage cylinder for replacement lid candles and the crown of the lid acts as a seat for the lid candles. 
           [0027]      FIG. 6   b  depicts the storage cylinder and stored candles described in  FIG. 6   a.    
           [0028]      FIG. 7  depicts an alternative embodiment. 
           [0029]      FIG. 8  depicts an alternative embodiment. 
           [0030]      FIG. 9   a  depicts wickless jar and lid candles in a perspective view of a disassembled alternative embodiment. 
           [0031]      FIG. 9   b  depicts the candles of  FIG. 9   a  in use with separate heat sources. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0032]    A preferred embodiment of the container candle  100  of the present invention is depicted in  FIGS. 1   a - c . The depicted jar  30  is cylindrical with a closed end  28 , or jar base  28 . The jar  30  also possesses an open end  29 , or jar mouth  29  opposing the jar base  28 . A jar candle  2  is disposed within the jar  30 . The container lid  10 , or simply the lid  10 , is a cylinder with a closed end  11 , or crown  11 , and an open end  12 , or lid mouth  12 . A lid candle  1  is disposed within the lid  10 , preferably with the lid candle wick  3  exposed and inverted when the lid  10  is assembled with the jar  30  by inserting it into the jar mouth  29 . The lid mouth  12  has a slightly smaller diameter than the jar mouth  29  which permits the lid  10  to be fittedly inserted into the jar  30  by sliding the lid mouth  12  into the jar mouth  29 . An alternative embodiment would permit the lid mouth  12  to have a larger diameter than the jar mouth  29 , which would permit the lid  10  to engage the jar  30  by inserting the jar mouth  29  into the lid mouth  12  or perhaps into a jar mouth receiving groove within the lid mouth  12  running along the lid walls  14 . 
         [0033]    The lid  10  possesses a relatively flat crown  11  on which the lid  10  rests when inverted. The lid walls  14  extend downward from the crown  11 , thus forming a cylinder with a closed end at the crown  11  and an open end at the lid mouth  12 . The interior of the cylinder of the lid  10  forms a candle receiving chamber  5  or tray  5 . In an alternative embodiment, Interior chamber walls  9  are used to isolate areas of the chamber  5  of the lid  10  from each other, thus creating sub-chambers  6  within the lid chamber  5 . One such embodiment is depicted in  FIG. 4  in which the chamber  5  is divided into sub-chambers  7  by an interior chamber wall  9 . 
         [0034]    The lid  10  preferably possesses a lip  4  as a stop to prevent the over-insertion of the lid  10  into the jar  30 . The lip  4  engages the jar  30  at the mouth edge  24  defined by the terminating edge of the jar walls  25  at the jar mouth  29 . 
         [0035]    Alternatively, a seal  18  can be employed at the lid mouth  12  to seal the lid candle  1  from the environment or from the jar candle  2 . This is anticipated to increase the longevity of the lid candle  1  due to migration of the aromatic compounds from the lid candle&#39;s  2  wax matrix to the air. 
         [0036]    The lid candle  1  may be created by pouring molten candle matrix into the lid  10  into which a lid candle wick  3  is predisposed or into a candle cup  8  capable of insertion into the lid  10 . Alternatively, the lid candle  1  can be an insert that is removably inserted into the lid chamber  5 , much like a tea light, only inverted for storage.  FIG. 3  depicts an exploded view of a lid candle  2  predisposed within a candle cup  8  that is retained by and fits within the lid chamber  5 . Similar candle cups  8  may be utilized with a lid  10  containing sub-chambers  6  for lid candle  1  insertion therein. This may be preferable in scenarios where the jar candle  2  is much larger than the lid candle  1  thus will outlast the useful life of the lid candle  1 . It is an alternative embodiment of the present invention to employ candle matrices of differing melt characteristics and concentrations of scented material so that the lid candle  1  and the jar candle  2  will each reach the end of their useful lives at roughly the same point in time during concurrent use. 
         [0037]    Alternatively, lid  10  configurations are anticipated which would permit the storage of more than one lid candle  10  in either multiple lid chamber  5  subchambers  6  or in stacked configurations such that replacement candles could be stored, or more than three candles intended for concurrent use could be stored. It is anticipated that each stored lid candle  1  intended for concurrent use with other lid candles  1  and/or the jar candle  2  would each have candle holders stored within the packaging an be preferably disposed therein for ease of use. Such configurations are depicted in  FIGS. 5-8 . 
         [0038]    It is further anticipated that the lid candle  1  and jar candle  2  could be wickless and thus require external sources of heat. Such a configuration is depicted in  FIGS. 9   a - b.    
         [0039]    The present invention employs the method of packaging complimentary candles together within the same container candle system  100  assembly. This is advantageous not only for unscented candles, but is especially advantageous for scented candles. Ideally, the individual candles packaged as the container candle system  100  of the present invention will be scented and will preferably possess different, yet complimentary scents for each candle. 
         [0040]    The lid candle  1  is retained within the lid  10  by adhesion of the poured lid candle  1  to the lid walls  14 . Alternatively, the candle cup  8  inserted into the lid  10  as depicted in  FIG. 3  is retained frictionally or mechanically or snaps into place in the lid chamber  5 . Other means known to those skilled in the art are anticipated to retain the lid candle  1  within the lid chamber  5 . 
         [0041]    In yet a further embodiment, the lid candle  1  is housed with said lid chamber  5  and is not replaceable except by replacing the lid  10 . 
         [0042]    In yet another embodiment, the lid crown  11  is not substantially flat, but may be rounded or possess legs or have another aesthetically pleasing shape. The lid  10 , when inverted is intended to rest by engaging a surface or a lid mount which permits the lid to come to rest with the crown  11  down and the lid candle wick  3  up.