Patent Publication Number: US-7708137-B1

Title: Box for storing candle and candle accessories

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   Not Applicable. 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not Applicable. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to storage containers, and more particularly to boxes for storing candles and associated candle accessories. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   Candles are delicate and easily damaged. They must be transported and stored with care to prevent damage, or in case of scented candles, to assure fresh scent at the time of use. Furthermore, exposure to moisture may inhibit relighting, and continuous exposure to light may cause candle colors to fade. Finally, candle accessories, such as candle matches and candle wipes for cleaning soot from candle jars, are usually kept out of sight or stored in separate containers. 
   Candles are typically sold in retail boxes that usually do not meet the strict requirements for proper long term candle care, since the purpose of retail boxes is to provide an inexpensive transport container. More specifically, the retail boxes are usually made of paper material that does not effectively prevent fragrance evaporation nor protect against moisture. Thus, candle enthusiasts often have to resort to wrapping candles in paper towels, sealing them in airtight plastic pouches, and storing them out of direct sunlight. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to a box for storing candles and candle accessories. The box comprises a housing with a top opening, a tray for candle accessories adapted to fit inside the top opening of the housing, and a lid for covering the tray. 
   In a preferred embodiment, the box housing has a bottom and four integral side walls that define a substantially square top opening. The tray for accessories has four side walls and a tray bottom that fits within the top opening of the box housing. The housing and a tray placed in the top opening define a storage space for a candle. Furthermore, the housing walls are in contact with tray walls, creating a substantially airtight seal. The tray is covered with a removable lid that slides along two opposing tray side walls. In the closed position, the lid snap-locks onto the upper edge of one of tray walls via an indentation protruding from the bottom surface of the lid. 
   Additional aspects of the invention, together with the advantages and novel features appurtenant thereto, will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned from the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a box according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the box shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the tray and the lid of the box of  FIG. 1  showing the lid in open position; and 
       FIG. 4  is a front view of the tray and the lid of the box of  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   A box in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is depicted in  FIGS. 1 through 4 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , box  10  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing  12 , a tray  14 , and a lid  16 . Housing  12  comprises a substantially square metal bottom  13  and metal side walls  18  connected along curved edges  26 . Top edges  30  of side walls  18  define a top opening  31 . In this embodiment top edges  30  are formed by folding the top of walls  18  inward and back. Side walls  18  are preferably formed from a single sheet of metal connected on itself along one of the curved connecting edges  26 . Side walls  18  have a recessed portion  20  horizontally extending around the periphery of the housing  12 . In this embodiment bottom edges  28  of side walls  18  are formed by folding the bottom of walls  18  inward and up, thereby engaging downwardly extending edges of bottom  13  to create a rigid connection. 
   Tray  14  comprises a tray bottom  32  with integral tray side walls  34 . Tray side walls  34  include bottom portions  36  and top portions  38 . Bottom portions  36  of tray walls  34  extend from tray bottom  32 , and have external dimensions corresponding to the inside dimensions of top opening  31  of the housing  12 . Top portions  38  of tray side walls  34  extend up from bottom portions  36 , and are spaced outward having horizontal dimensions substantially equal to side walls  18  of the housing  12 . 
   Lid  16  comprises a top cover  40  with three downwardly extending integral side walls  42 . Top cover  40  has a substantially square shape corresponding to the top opening of tray  14 . As depicted in  FIG. 4 , tray side walls  42  have bottom edges  44  that are curled back, i.e., inward and up. As shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  3 , top cover  40  also includes a downwardly projecting indentation  46  located proximate to the rear edge of top cover  40 . 
   A candle is placed within housing  12  through top opening  31 . Ideally, the outer perimeter of the stored candle is in close proximity to the inner surfaces of side walls  18  to prevent substantial movement of the candle within box  10 , thus minimizing the possibility of damaging the stored candle. Moreover, recessed portions  20  of side walls  18  narrow the inside periphery of housing  12  further limiting the movement of the stored candle. 
   Tray  14  is used for storing candle accessories, such as candle matches or candle wipes. As depicted in  FIG. 2 , tray lid  16  is used to close tray  14  by sliding along any two opposing tray side walls  34 . More specifically, as shown in  FIG. 4 , folded bottom edges  44  of lid walls  42  are used to grip and slidably engage top portions  38  of tray  14 . In order to reveal enclosed accessories, lid  16  may be partially slid open, as shown in  FIG. 2 , or completely removed from tray  14 . Removed lid  16  can be attached back to tray  14  from any side. Upon closing, lid  16  is locked in its closed position by engaging the attaching side wall of tray  14  with snap-lock indentation  46 . 
   As depicted in  FIG. 1 , closed tray  14  is placed within top opening  31  of housing  12 , thus creating a substantially sealed enclosure for the stored candle. More specifically, bottom portions  36  of tray side walls  34  engage the interior surface of housing side walls  18 , thus preventing candle scent evaporation. 
   From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all ends and objectives herein-above set forth, together with the other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the invention. 
   Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, is to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense. 
   While housing  12 , tray  14 , and lid  16  have been described as being made of sheet of metal, other materials or combination of materials may be used, such as plastic or wood. 
   While side walls  18  are preferably made from a single sheet of material, other manufacturing techniques may be used. Furthermore, while side wall edges  26  have been shown as being curved, those edges could be in other shapes. 
   While housing  12  has been shown as being substantially square in shape, it will be appreciated that other shapes are within the scope of the invention including rectangular, hexagonal, or any other shape with at least two substantially parallel opposing side walls. 
   While housing side walls  18  have been shown as having recessed portion  20 , those walls could have any number of recessed portions, or could entirely lack such feature. 
   While specific embodiments have been shown and discussed, various modifications may of course be made, and the invention is not limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts and steps described herein, except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims. Further, it will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.