Patent Publication Number: US-2016223191-A1

Title: Secret hidden message candles

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/125,755, filed on Jan. 30, 2015. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates to candles, specifically decorative display candles that have messages and decorative symbols. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art decorative candles have been developed that have a variety of display and scent qualities. Typically, such candles are primarily scent oriented wherein a distinctive fragrance is given off as they burn. Other decorative display candles include different types of wax or paraffin, such as soy or soy paraffin mixes which afford different rates of consumption after they are lit. 
     Message candles have also been developed that have static messages within or on the candles which are visible before and during use whereas a keepsake that is removable after burning, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,304,547, 4,696,640, 6,568,931 and U.S. Publications 2006/0172241 and 2007/0248922. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,547 a candle having multiple decorative tabs of heat sensitive adhesive are positioned on the outside of the candle where the tabs become dislodged as the candle burns and is heated up. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,640 is directed to a fortune candle in which a fortune such as a game token is embedded in the candle and becomes exposed as the candle is consumed. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,934 claims a message display candle having a predetermined message embedded in consumable combustible transparent gel so it is visible before, during and after the candle is burned. 
     U.S. Publication 2006/01742241 discloses a decorative candle having an embedded design spaced in relation to the wick to define a geometric shape of greater than a hundred and eighty degrees visible at all times. 
     Finally, in U.S. Publication 2007/0248922 a secret message candle is described and disclosed having a divided container with a message sheet placed within on a heat activated coating. Upon burning, the air within the message containing cylinder heats up causing the ink to become transparent revealing the message. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A hidden message display candle that reveal a hidden message of configured material embedded within an opaque body of the flammable fuel which becomes visible at a preselected time based on the natural liquification to a transparent quality. The message is of a dimensional characteristic to be self-supporting within the medium and maintains its depth orientation before and after liquification and induced visibility. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the message candle with the message not visible, but shown in placement in broken line therewithin. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the message candle illustrating position of the hidden message within the body of the candle. 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the message candle before lighting. 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the message candle after lighting and liquification of the upper layer so as to become visible. 
         FIG. 5  is a graphic representation of the message spacing within the candle body. 
         FIG. 6  is a graphic representation of alternate message configurations beyond that of letter indicia. 
         FIG. 7  is a top plan view of a message representation of combined elements. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  of the drawings, a hidden message display candle  10  of the invention can be seen having, in this example, a solid candle containment container  11  of a preformed shape of non-transparent or transparent material. The container  11  has a contoured sidewall  12  extending integrally from an annular bottom  13 . The candle  10  is formed within the container  11  defining a monolithic infilled body member  14  of combustible consumable material  15 , such as wax, a gel or other mixed configurations including, but not limited to soy and paraffin which are well known and used extensively within the candle making art. 
     During formation, a wick  16  is positioned within the body member  14  and may be attached to the container&#39;s bottom  13  or suspended and held in spaced relation thereto as the combustible infilled consumable material  14  being liquefied by heating is poured within the hereinbefore described decorative support container  11 . As will be understood, the heated liquefied consumable combustible fuel  14  will become solid when cooled and in this example become visually opaque. 
     It will be seen that the hidden message display candle  10  of the invention will reveal during use a message object  17 , such as letter indicia of the user&#39;s pre-choosing directed to a message that they wish to convey. The message object  16  can be, as noted, formed of letter indicia display to define phrases, such as “I Love You” or “Happy Birthday” dependent on the event or occasion required. 
     Preferably the message object  17  are formed from precision cut thin metallic foil, illustrated graphically in  FIG. 6  of the drawings and can be achieved by a variety of commercially known means, such as programmable laser cutters that allow for a variety of message objects to be easily formed. 
     The thin foil formed message object  17 , once cut, is embedded within the monolithic infill body member  14  of the consumable combustible material  15  during formation at a prescribed depth illustrated graphically in  FIGS. 2 and 5  of the drawings as D or D′ which determines the visualization time reveal as the consumable material  15 , which in this example is a mixture of soy and paraffin becomes transparent as heated by the burning wick  16 A. 
     Exposure visualization time can therefore be varied based on the diameter of the candle  10  and the depth of the message object  17 , examples of such depth can be ⅛ inch, ¼ inch and ½ inch respectively with the associated exposure time typically being three to five minutes at ⅛ inch, four to six minutes at ¼ inch and five to seven minutes at ½ inch depth. 
     It will be evident that given the pre-time exposure and nature of the message object  17  can therefore be chosen by the user to fit their intended usage. A further example of time delay determination based on the diameter of candle would be, for example a two-inch diameter candle with a message object  17  at a depth of ⅛ inch from the surface affording a twelve to twenty-minute exposure and accordingly a twenty to thirty-minute exposure for a ¼ inch depth. 
     It will therefore be seen that the selection of the candle diameter and the message object depth affords a variety of exposure times to suit specific instances or requirements to be available to the user. 
     Other examples of message objects  17  may be static object representations rather than letter indicia. Such examples can be seen generally in  FIG. 6  of the drawings as hearts  18  or bells  19  and may be combined with descriptive letter indicia messages  17 A for the appropriate use venue as illustrated in  FIG. 7  of the drawings. 
     The message display candle  10  can be reused given its inherent properties wherein once the lit wick  16 A is exterminated and the liquefied combustible consumable material  15  cools and hardens it reverts back to its original opaque configuration, thus hiding the message until relit and heated to be exposed again. 
     It will be evident that custom messages are therefore possible, thus personalizing the candle  10  to be used with specific user applications associated with specific names, events or dates in such custom applications. 
     It will also be apparent that the shape of the candle  10  can be varied depending on the container and therefore would not be limited to the present example chosen for illustration. 
     It will thus be seen that a new and novel hidden message candle of the invention has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore,